2018 Exploring New York - Final 2 - Watkins Glen and Lake George

The 4th stop of our Exploration of Western and Central New York State found us at Cool-Lea Campground just outside of Watkins Glen, NY and once again in the beautiful Finger Lakes Region.

Upon our arrival we were surprised to find Watkins Glen and surrounding towns under a State of Emergency due to heavy flooding from a recent stretch of torrential rains. Roads and bridges were collapsed or at risk for collapse and many homes were surrounded by water. Having survived flooding myself, my heart went out to the folks who would be piling up their damaged items for the insurance adjusters to evaluate. It's a sad feeling to lose precious belongings. Money can replace the necessities, but mementos and photos, while being the least expensive, are priceless gems that are gone forever.  

The video below shows the "water-fall" spillover in Montour Falls gushing water at a tremendous rate. Many people were stopping along the road to capture the site.

It was fortunate that we were booked at Cool-Lea, opposed to the nearby KOA, because they were preparing to evacuate due to their close proximity to the overflowing banks of Lake Seneca.

Cool-Lea was a pretty, rustic, immaculately groomed park situated directly on Cayuta Lake (not a Finger Lake). There were many seasonal RVs situated all along the coastline and we were very happy to have a site poised at the top of a rise, well away from the encroaching water of the little lake. As we experienced throughout our entire journey, we found ourselves with a lack of cell service and extremely limited park WiFi.

That didn't bother me too much since I was able to get my final "fix" at a couple more wineries. We found a terrific store in town where I was able to find a great pair of Sketchers to wear on the Disney Trip. I am constantly looking for that perfect pair of "wonder shoes" - the shoes that are so comfortable you don't want to take them off. The Sketchers seem to be working fine so far. My feet are spoiled by 12 months inflip flops and sandals.

While walking through the cute town of Watkins Glen, I was able to snap two interesting photos....definitely unexpected and interesting. 

The Smallest Diner

A 1956 Suburban Wagon.

One of my prerequisites for this trip was that we would NOT eat in any chain restaurants. We often ventured out in search of restaurants throughout the 

Our dinner at Jerlando's. 

State either with or without the help of Yelp and Trip Advisor. This time, without any assistance, George found a great place right in Watkins Glen, Jerlando's Pizza. It looked good from the outside and we were able to find a parking space, so Jerlando's it was. We were quite surprised to find the place packed with many locals and a short wait found us perusing an interesting menu. George opted for the pizza, which is always risky business whenever my cousin, Maurizio, is not creating one of his mouth-watering creations. The pizza, while very good, could not hold a candle to what we know pizza should taste like, but it sufficed in a pinch. My Steamed Clams were just okay, but my Caprese Salad was perfect.

The two wineries I got to visit here were Barnstormer and Lakewood. Both had highly rated wines worthy of adding to my growing collection. The Glen Iris Inn served the Lakewood wines so I was already familiar with them.

Lakewood was a large winery that offered indoor and outdoor tastings. We opted for the outside tasting, despite the heat, and were glad we did because the view of the vineyard was amazing. I didn't snap any photos at Lakewood, but we won't forget meeting the owner's dogs - two very wet chocolate brown labs who had just been hosed down due to the hot and humid day. 

Barnstormer - nice tasting room

Barnstormer was a young winery who was just releasing their first red wine ever. It takes a vine five years to produce a "drinkable" wine. While their Cabernet Sauvignon was going to be amazing in about five years, I had to pass on getting a bottle. Living in an RV is not condusive to long-term wine storage. Naturally, I wouldn't leave empty-handed, so I opted for their tasty un-oaked Chardonnay that was crisp and light, and a Pinot Gris, again, light, but full of flavor.

Montour Falls

Lake Seneca from the south

As I was editing photos and uploading videos, I noticed that neither George or I had many photos of Lake George. The lack of pictures started in Watkins Glen and from that point on, except for the unforgettable one below, we will have to rely on what I write here.  

Floating Tiki Bar on Lake George!

We stayed at King Phillips Campground in Lake George and it was another of many campgrounds that catered to seasonal campers. It was a nice, quiet place, close to the main drag (yet far enough away) and served the purpose of a place that provided full hook-ups and the place to come "home" to each night.

Lake George is a beautiful area. The lake is clean and provides a multitude of water sports like kayaking, jet skis, boating and parasailing. The restaurants have begun to scale back on their menu options and quality of food. Most provide lots of fried items, burgers and pastas. Even my favorite restaurant overlooking the lake, which at one time had been more "exclusive," downgraded to plastic silverware, paper plates and paper cups. No offers for free drink refills and help was either in short supply or lazy. The only thing they didn't scale back on were the prices.

A funny coincidence occurred when I received a text from friend, Kathy, who wanted to know if we were still in Croton, because she was walking her dog at the park and wanted to visit. When I told her we were up in Lake George, she texted back that she would be in the area the next day to bring her daughter to college. What a terrifically, unexpected surprise. 

We decided to pick her up at her motel in Bolton Landing and take a chance at getting a table in that area on a Saturday night. Bolton Landing is a town just a bit north of Lake George where we discovered nicer restaurants and got much better quality food for the same price. So, on our next visit, I believe we would look for a campground closer to Bolton Landing to enjoy that quaint, little, less commercialized town.

The end of our journey began a day earlier due to the weather forecast that was predicting heavy rains the following day. Neither of us were disappointed - I think we were "away" long enough. 

I'll end this adventure with an epilogue to follow in a future post.

Deep thought for the day: Expect the unexpected and when you least expect it, it will make your day (or night) exceptional. ~vc

2018 Exploring New York - Stop 2 - Niagara Falls

Our second stop found us in the Niagara Falls KOA located in Lewiston, NY. While it was not the closest to the Canadian border, it was affordable, clean, had good washers and dryers (that I needed to make serious use of) and an owner who went above and beyond to make my stay productive and pleasant.

While exploring the US side of the Falls, we were shocked by the sheer number of foreign travelers. I know that sounds like a strange comment - after all, we were at one of the biggest tourist destinations in North America, but there were SO MANY more here than I've ever seen anywhere else, including Walt Disney World. 

I determined on this trip, that while it took nature millions of years to create Niagara Falls, it took mankind only about 100 years to turn it into a tacky tourist trap. 

If only it was THIS GOOD.

The US side was very run-down. The roads were in terrible condition and Niagara Falls Park provided dirty restrooms and a horrible 'pay-to-ride' "hop on trolley" that had people crammed to "standing room only." The putrid smell of body odor on a hot and humid day had us opting to walk instead of ride. 

I found it sad that on both sides there was no way to access the falls without having to participate in a paid group tour. I was expecting to experience a serene moment hiking down to the Falls, but that didn't happen on either side. I don't mean to come across as cheap, but I was looking for an intimate encounter, not something resembling a flash mob scene. The Canadian side was full of neon lights for Ripley's Believe it or Not (yup...I couldn't believe it), wax museum, motorized car track, Ferris Wheel, t-shirt shops, and loads of fast food restaurants. It all just seemed out of place to me.

The act of "Border Crossing" was interesting. On one day, we waited over an hour on line, and the very next day we breezed right through. It didn't really matter the time of day, it mattered only by the Border Guard occupying the booth on the line you chose. It was very similar to a supermarket check-out line...We always choose the wrong line! I do hope there is a lot of discrete metal detecting and covert surveillance going on at the crossings, because it seemed way too easy to cross. Interestingly, even though we were not carrying any contraband, it was a bit nerve-racking having to answer the simplest of questions. 

On the third day up in Niagara we experienced heavy rains and it was "THE DAY" that I needed to book Fast Passes for an upcoming Disney Trip. This neck of the woods, like the last, had terrible cell service so I was a little worried that I would need to drive somewhere early in the morning to find a location where I could find cell signal to book the passes, but the KOA owner, after I explained my dilemma, very generously offered to provide me with the password to her personal Internet. I'll be giving kudos in that campground review.

As it turned out, since I was working on the front porch of the KOA in the torrential rain at 7:30 AM, there was a strong signal that allowed me to get the job done. Everyone else, including George and Lucy, seemed to have slept late. It took me four hours to get the job completed, but in less than 40 days, Disney, here we come! 

Small Talk Winery - a young vineyard - comfortable and casual.

The rest of that day and most of the next found us in Niagara on the Lake in Ontario - a town noted for its great Rieslings and Ice Wines. It was a wine-lovers haven. My designated driver was very generous and patient while we made stop after stop and I explored and tasted to my heart's content.  I added a few more bottles to my collection of "wines from the north." I was impressed with most of the wines I tasted. You won't find any heavy-oaked Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon, but they were interesting and tasty. As I look back now, it seems like the wineries all blended together, but some stick out more than others, like Small Talk Winery.

Acres and acres of vines. Rancourt was bigger and a tad more formal. 

Strewn provided a very nice tasting. I was offered tastes of two additional wines, which was not a common occurrence.

Months ago, I had booked reservations for dinner at The Skylon Tower's revolving dining room in Ontario. It was an experience I would recommend to anyone wanting the most spectacular view of both the US and Canadian Falls. The acoustics were awful and the hostesses disorganized, but the meal - despite the din of clattering dishes, tinkling silverware and clinking of glassware - was delicious enough to distract from those negatives. 

Skylon Tower, US and Canadian Falls-bottom right, lit up at dusk.

Lobster Dinner with a killer view.

Canadian Falls top right, US center.

A trip up to Niagara Falls had been on my bucket list for years. Perhaps the hype, expectations and anticipation were to blame for my "less-than-stellar" experience.  The Falls are magnificent. The commercialism is disappointing. My "Deep Thought" sums up my feelings.

Next blog - Stop #3 - my favorite of the entire journey! Letchworth State Park.

Deep thought for the day:  Big expectations often lead to small gratifications. ~vc

Exploring Upstate New York

When I opened my blog to start this entry, I realized how lazy I had become. Either that, or I hadn't been doing anything worthy of documenting. However, every day should be treated as it's special, so I'll give a quick synopsis of what's been going on since our Valentine's Day bash. 

A lot of time was spent in the pool, a trip out to Colorado for a week to babysit, a couple of trips to see “The Mouse” with friend, Amanda, a couple of lunch dates with friend, Tricia and too many doctor and vet appointments filled most of my days.  

Friends Kristin and Rob flew down to FL a few times and during one of their trips the subject came up that I liked to make cards. Then, almost out of nowhere, Kristin "commissioned" me to make Thank You cards for her daughter's upcoming bridal shower. I hadn't made any cards in a long time and all of my supplies were up north, but the thought of tapping into my creative side sparked an interest, so I agreed with eager anticipation. 

I didn't realize how much I had missed crafting and this project catapulted me into creative heaven. A few trips to the craft store had me well-supplied and on the "production line." It felt good. It also helped to fill the days while George worked lots of hours at Lowe’s. His little part-time hobby has started to resemble a full-time job.  

Here is a sampling of the cards I've made:

Rainy days seem to have me making sympathy cards.

We arrived in NY the beginning of June and had plans to take a few weeks to explore some of upstate NY's treasures, including Niagara Falls, the beautiful Finger Lakes Region, Letchworth State Park and Lake George. 

I’ve lived all of my life in NYS and it dawned on me that in my 60+ years, I have traveled so little within the “Empire State.” While I have a lot of negative feelings towards NY – in particular, the taxes and Governor Andrew Cuomo, I had visited some very beautiful places over the years and wanted to visit and re-visit some this summer.

Croton Point Park is our NY home base, and it has changed very little since our last visit. It is still in desperate need of some TLC and better management. It is a beautiful location, situated on a peninsula that juts out into the majestic Hudson River and depending upon the time of year, you can view owls, eagles, red-tailed hawks and woodpeckers, along with a multitude of song birds, such as warblers, cardinals, robins, wrens and sparrows. The park is also host to coyotes, fox, rabbits, deer, squirrels and a group of feral cats of which I find myself getting too attached.

We are in site 47, which has us nestled beneath two pine trees. After the blasting sun in Florida, the shade was a welcome respite. Although only 30 amps and low water pressure, we were enjoying our little piece of the park to the fullest. As time passed, pine needles and dripping sap made a mess of the roof of the RV and ground. We have plans to move to a different site, but can't do so until September 1st.

The 2018 vacation began on August 1st when we hooked up in the parking lot on a day threatening heavy rains and storms. We headed out for Stop #1 of five: Cayuga State Park in Seneca Falls.

The photo speaks for itself......We're the little Blue Dot.

Stop #1, - Two nights at Cayuga Lake State Park, in Seneca Falls. It was a lovely park and campground that provided us with water, electric, nice showers and was conveniently located at the top of Seneca Lake, the longest of the Finger Lakes. It’s also smack dab in the center of wine country – my favorite type of country.

Tents

Cabins

Little Miss parked at the end of the road

Dumpsters - Cayuga...vs..

Croton Point Park Dumpsters.....

Lake Seneca Welcome Center

Lake Seneca-very cloudy day, but a welcome break from the rain.

We still haven't mastered "The Selfie."

Very common site in our travels, but I never saw these in such perfect bloom before.

Welcome Center lunch - where you can even buy a glass of local wine!

Lunch along the lake.

One of the best photos I took on the trip...Driver's Ed car...must have been after the "Parking" instruction.

We were able to visit three vineyards while in the area:  Ventosa, Fox Run and 3 Brothers Winery. I stocked up with at least a bottle or two from each one. I can't wait to sort out all the wines and my tasting notes.

Ventosa Vineyard-wish they gave you the glass....

3 Brothers Winery

To be continued...with Stop #2, Niagara Falls.

Deep thought for the day:  Find JOY in the little things. I find I get too caught up on the trivial things. We all need to focus on the PRESENT.....the actual gift that is TODAY. ~vc