August 8-10 Colorado still astounds me

We have just returned from a few days of camping in the Colorado mountains. I have learnt that there is always another canyon to discover and explore. This time we went south to Colorado Springs and then west to Lake George and Eleven Mile Canyon. We camped near the mouth of the canyon. This section of the canyon was quite wide and the camp sites were spacous. There is no well water - just a tank - so we had to fill the camper tanks at the water district supply in Florissant. All the campgrounds in the canyon were filled by Friday evening.

We enjoyed climbing the small peaks surrounding the canyon. The boulders are huge and a great challenge for the boys. The Platte River flows strong and it is well stocked with trout. The section of river we were on was very tame and the boys were able to float it in their dingy.

The boys took turns sleeping in a tent with their friends, but on Sunday night a huge down pour and lightning storm had them scuttling back to the camper.

We plan to return to the canyon for more camping.

August 4 - Colorado and an end to an epic journey

Crossing the state line into Colorado was accompanied with cheers of joy from the kids. It has been a long, but enjoyable trip for me. I know the boys enjoyed it but they could not wait to get home, call friends and have some play dates. We have been together 24/7 since June 2nd. We had a few battles but everyone got on so well considering we were living in such cramped conditions. I am proud of them for always been ready to explore and deal with so many different situations.

Seeing the Rockies in the distance really ended the trip. We were home. We had travelled 8150 miles, seen so many wonderful places and met many people. Time goes by so quickly but our memories will always be with us.

Highlights for me:
1. The beauty of West Virginia and the Adirondacks - actually the whole of the east coast is wonderful. It is compact and has so much to offer
2. Camping in State Parks
3. Swimming lake at campground near Appomattox
4. Visits from Mom and Rich
5. Ocracoke Island
6. Harper's Ferry
7. Cape Cod tidal flats
8. Mass transit in big cities
9. Seeing John Williams and Stephen Spielberg live
10. Visiting friends in Annapolis and Toronto
This list could go on and on!

Disappointments:
1. Assateague Island - too many insects
2. Washington DC. - too many people

I hope you enjoyed following our travels - I hope I inspired you to take a break and do some exploring yourself. I am already enjoying looking back on this journal and I am so glad I persevered with the blog.

August 3 - Hot days on the plains

Since we left the Chicago area we have been passing incredible volumes of cornfields. There are many other crops which we do not recognize, but everything is so green and growing so well. The crop dusters are out and it is fun to watch how low they fly over the fields.

We found the Bermuda Triangle of Iowa. We were rolling along the interstate and just as we got to the top of a series of small inclines the car over heated. We took the off ramp and found a spot next to a corn field. We all took bathroom turns behind a bush and then settled down on our camp chairs to wait for the engine to cool off.(pic) The next moment, a group of bikers pulled off the highway and one was swearing profusely - he had run of gas. A little while later a chap strolled up to us to say he needed to jump start his car which had stalled a little way down the off ramp. Rich and I push started his car and he was on his way. Once our car was cool we returned to the highway but not before we saw four other cars towing travel trailers exiting the highway - one with steam billowing from his engine. What an unlucky place on earth!

Once we entered Nebraska the scenery started looking like home. We could see wide expanses and the vegetation was not as lush as the east coast. I really started feeling like the holiday was coming to an end.

The car and camper are showing signs of strain. We are driving through incredibly hot conditions, the roads are not smooth, and the high speeds are battering the camper. After driving all day we found a state park alongside the Platte River. The mosquitoes were awful, but the lake was cool and refreshing. We only got to bed at midnight but we were so relaxed we slept till 11am.

August 2 - Plot a route west

While we were out exploring yesterday, the campsite next to ours was occupied. Rich and I noted that both the camper and car were brand new. It made us think back 59 days to our first night in our camper. We had struggled to get everything working correctly. We later discovered that our neighbor was experiencing the same teething problems we had had. We spent an half hour helping them get water pressure in their pipes. Once we finally got on the road we were not really concentrating on our route – we were just following the prompts from the GPS. Before we knew it we were crossing back into Canada. We drove across Ontario and exited just north of Detroit. The border guards seemed to ask fewer questions each time we met them. Gas prices in Michigan are so much more affordable compared to New York! What a joy to pay only 3.77 a gallon!
Keeping up with the blogging has become a breeze. Rich does all the driving which leaves me free to type and prepare pictures. We still struggle to find WiFi connections to upload the content to the web.
We planned to overnight just before Chicago, only to find out that all campgrounds were full. Finally we resorted to pulling off in a rest stop and settling down for the night. It was incredibly quiet and by morning we looked out the door to see numerous cars and trucks had overnighted as well.(pic) It seems a pretty common way of getting some sleep.

August 1 - Special friends

We decided to extend our campground booking by an extra night. Being a Friday our prime site was already booked for the weekend so we had to move our camper to a site towards the back of the campground. We then crossed back into Canada and drove towards Toronto. We met up with friends at Bronte Creek Provincial Park.(pic) It was wonderful to see each other and catch up on their news. The boys enjoyed playing with a new friend and a border terrier puppy. Later we made some extravagant purchases at a shop selling South African goods. We then enjoyed a swim, braai and more socializing before returning to the US via the spot lit Niagara Falls.

July 31 - A shower under the falls

We woke with a haze free view across the Lake. The water was a beautiful shade of blue – so inviting. Rich and Rob cooked up a full English breakfast. At about noon we drove the few miles south, up the escarpment, to the Niagara Falls. The aspect one gets from the American side is of looking sideways along the length of the falls. The pile of rock at the bottom of the falls creates some wonderful spray back. While looking over the edge we saw the tourists walking the boardwalks at the base of the falls. This really appealed to us so we bought tickets to the Cave of Winds. We were kitted out with disposable ponchos and sandals, and took the elevator to the base of the falls. The boardwalks along the edge of the falls are rebuilt each spring when the ice melts. One walks progressively closer and closer to the spray. The force of the water pounds one by the end of the walk. We enjoyed the feeling so much we did the walk a second time. After this experience we decided that the Maid of the Mist boat trip would just be an anti-climax, so we skipped it. We then crossed the border into Canada so that we could see the falls front on. After that we moved on to the Welland Canal. We watched a cargo ship entering lock 7, and spent the next three hours following its progress until it passed through lock 3 and under the vertical lift bridge. I think they enjoyed watching the process as much as Rich and I did.

We returned to the USA and our campground quite late. I went to sleep enjoying the view of the Toronto skyline from my bed.

July 30 – 12 years old today

We woke the boys up with a treat of cup cakes and coffee.(pic) They thought this was a grand birthday celebration. A friend they made here at the campground joined them. After packing up and saying our goodbyes we decided to return to Treman falls for a swim. The water was 66 F. Very refreshing. We all jumped off the diving board into the pool below the falls. The boys enjoyed climbing in the spray of water along the base of the falls.(pic) We finally got on the road by mid afternoon and got to Niagara by 5pm. We detoured along the Niagara gorge to see the power generation plants and the Whirlpool. We tried to imagine what the river would look like if all the water were allowed to pass through the gorge instead of being diverted to both the Canadian and US power plants.
Our campsite is right on the shores of Lake Ontario. While watching the sunset we saw a yacht race off in the distance. The wind picked up during dinner and a few rainsqualls past by. The temperature here is just perfect.

July 29 – Glass in all sorts of forms

The town of Corning is south west of Ithica. Home of famous pyrex and corning glass. The museum is wonderfully interactive with many demonstrations going on all day. We spent seven hours there and still felt like we needed more time. There is a section showing the history of glass and some modern art works. Some of the pieces were astounding. We learnt how Cameo glass is made and the difference between regular and lead crystal glass. Mike got involved with breaking glass – he loved that. We saw artists blowing glass and using flames to make figurines.(pic) The boys decided to do some sandblasting so they chose glasses, created their designs and watched the sandblasting.(pic) I know there will be many tears when those glasses get broken.

We returned home via the Buttermilk(pic) and Treman waterfalls. Both have swimming holes below them but one can only swim there during lifeguard hours. We will go there tomorrow morning.

July 28 – Syracuse canals – where have they gone?

We rose early – well in terms of our habits – to get to Syracuse by 10am. We anticipated a 2hr drive and got in 5min before Rich arrived. We then drove into the center of town expecting to see a canal system rivaling Venice. All we were greeted with was a road called Erie Blvd – the filled in passageway of the original Erie Canal. It has been rerouted and does not even pass through the city any longer. Existing lakes and waterways are being utilized now days. We did enjoy the museum and old weigh station. When the canal was operational each boat passed into a lock, the water drained and the boat weighed on a system of balances. A toll was paid according to the weight of the goods being transported. We then tried, unsuccessfully, to find remnants of old aqueducts. This is the second time we have been unsuccessful in this quest. We decided to return to our campground via Seneca Falls. When we inquired about the falls at the visitor center we were told that the original falls had been wiped out because that portion of the river had been flooded and two locks had been built ¼ mile downstream.(pic) Disappointing – but off to the locks we went. We arrived just in time to see a small pleasure boat passing through the two locks. The lock keeper was wonderful and answered every question the boys asked. The gain in height over the two lock was about 50ft. The biggest we have seen so far. All the boys loved seeing the “locks in motion” – I cannot wait until they see the Welland Locks near Niagara. They will be astounded over the size of the boats passing through those locks.

Just before returning to the camper we detoured to see the namesake falls of the State Park we are staying in. They are really high and tucked into a pretty gorge.(pic)