Aug 10, 2018 - USMA at West Point

Our time in the Hudson River valley has been punctuated by a lot of rain. We had a one day window so we drove a little over an hour down to West Point. Lots to see here. We did take the guided bus tour which took us to the chapels, cemetery, main parade grounds and the overlook of the Hudson River. We spent a good deal of time watching the cadets sky diving, landing on the parade grounds. Lots of symbols and statues. We did miss the seeing the plebes who were out "camping" about 12 miles away... not your usual summer camping experience. We...

Aug 8, 2018 - Tour of West Point

This morning was spent on a wonderful tour of West Point Military Academy and museum visit. Nancy was surprised by all the new construction and growth changes of the academy since she was stationed here in 1990-93. We were both impressed by the beauty and elegant majesty of the place. The architecture and granite mass of the buildings is stunning. West Point is a place that every American should visit. Nancy enjoyed seeing the place where she had spent three years of her life serving and helping others. She ran into several folks who she...

Aug 7, 2018 - Travel to West Point Military Academy

Today we are driving westward through Massachusetts to West Point in New York. There are many long steep hills to climb around West Point, in the Hudson River Valley. Our camp spot was at the summit of one of these steep hills on a small pond in the West Point “Fam-Camp” military camp ground, a very nice facility.

Aug 5, 2018 - Harpursville New York

It was a scenic drive on I86 and mostly smooth, just a few rough spots but Birti and Manny survived. We are here at Belden Hill Campground for one night and then on to Vermont. The Sparrow Pond campground was full for the weekend but we were just barely able to pull out. Had we left on Monday it would have been easy. Lots of families with kids and trailers but they were quiet and well behaved.

Jul 28, 2018 - Massena, NY

Massena should have been a nice stop, but the hydraulic failure overshadowed everything else. We left Wolcott very late (1:00 PM) and arrived in Massena at 6:00 PM. We decided to leave the truck and camper hooked up and slides in, which was really 'roughing it.' Janet cooked her emergency supper that she was reserving for a difficult day (spaghetti and meatballs) and I did some more research on the hydraulic system. I am pretty sure the problem is in the solenoid for the hydraulic system. When we try to run anything that depends on the...

Jul 26, 2018 - Wolcott, NY

I will long remember Wolcott NY in my RV travels. Not for the Montezuma National Wildlife Reserve or for the Port Byron Old Erie Canal Museum, which were both very nice. I will remember it as the place where our camper's hydraulic system failed! It seemed like it was a little finicky up till now, not immediately starting when we pressed buttons, but then it completely refused to run. I borrowed a few tools and MANUALLY brought in the slides and feet with an electric drill. Fortunately I had everything I needed: owners manual with the...

Jul 24, 2018 - Day 56 - Westfield NY

Departure day has arrived. After saying goodbye to my cousin and her family, I start inching the RV up the narrow path. The quarter mile trip takes about 10 minutes and I manage to get the beast out unscathed (at least as far as I can tell). I've been dreading this since we got here, but it went much better than I thought it would. Wendy follows me in the truck to a nearby gas station where we fill up the RV and hook up the truck for the trip west. Except for the rain, the day's travel is uneventful. Pretty much pours the whole trip. It's...

Jul 24, 2018 - Niagara Falls - Our last day

Tues., July 24th – After today, I think it’s safe to say we’ve seen Niagara Falls from just about every vantage point possible. We spent our morning on the Canadian side where the view at the top of Horseshoe Falls is pretty remarkable. This is Carla’s favorite view of the falls. After lunch at Applebees, we crossed back to the US bidding Canada farewell for the last time on our journey. For the next couple of hours we toured Old Fort Niagara situated on Lake Ontario. This 300 year old historic site was a strategic fort during the French...

Jul 23, 2018 - Day trip to 1000 Islands

Took off early, driving about 135 miles to Clayton, NY. When we arrived we found that the 11 am boat tour of the 1000 Islands was cancelled and that we had to wait until 1:30 pm for the next one... No problem, we toured the Antique Boat Museum... lots of mahogany. Then to the boat! Lots of history, lots of rich folks have summer homes on the 1800+ islands on the St. Lawrence Seaway. We stopped at the Boldt Castle... interesting story. This guy Boldt, who owned the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in NYC decided that he wanted to build a rhineland...

Jul 23, 2018 - Niagara Falls, NY

No visit to this area is complete without a day at Niagara Falls. We did the whole thing from the American side. Lots of walking to different viewing spots, Cave of the Winds, Maid of the Mist, and the observation deck. The area is very developed and laid out well in a NYS park, which turns out to be the first state park in the country (1885). Prior to this the entire area was privately owned and developed for industry due to it's hydro potential for factories, with no public access. After parking we walked along the shoreline to the very...

Jul 23, 2018 - Niagara Day Two

Mon., July 23rd – We started our day with a stroll along the rushing waters of the Niagara River at Whirlpool State Park before heading back to Niagara. I must admit, Niagara Falls has been a very mixed bag to say the least. There are some very amazing places to visit here in Niagara Falls State Park, but be prepared for a very crowded, multicultural experience. Today we visited the Discovery Center with another short movie about the falls, not the most exciting part of our day. Adjacent to this was the elevator ride down to the old power...

Jul 23, 2018 - Howe's Cave NY

July 23 Travel day, 370 miles Harpers Ferry to Locust RV Park in Howes Cave, NY Weather was heavy rain, light rain, misty rain, cloudy, did see a big shiny then for about 10 minutes. July 24 Weather was over cast all day. We rested most of the morning before exploring the area. After lunch we visited the tourist site known as Howes Cave. To access the cave you take an elevator down 150 feet. I have been in a few caves so I was expecting stalactites and stalagmites, not this time. The cave was carved in sand stone by a running river, kinda...