Falling for Niagara Falls

After Kent, I spent the remainder of the weekend in Niagara Falls. Unfortunately, on Sunday a storm came through and I was forced to take cover in the Visitors Center. Luckily though, the Visitors Center has lots of fun activities, from displays about the falls to a movie theater (showing a movie on the history of Niagara Falls) to a food court and gift shop. Once the storm passed though, it was time to get back outside, there was so much to do at the Falls I didn’t know where to begin. The observation deck on the tower gave a birds eye view of the Falls and the Maid of the Mist boat and Cave of Winds tours bring you right up to the Falls.

After experiencing the rush of one of New York’s grandest natural landmarks, I departed to continue on my journey…

Kent Classic Car Cruise-In

I started this weekend by cruising over to Kent for the Classic Car Cruise In. On my way I stopped at the Cottage Inn Restaurant in Red Creek. Walking in the door I immediately felt at home. The decor in the dining room made me feel like I was at my grandma's house for lunch and the service was the same as grandma's. The food was delicious and I could tell that I wasn't the only one that found this gem by all the people that were there for lunch.



Once I got to Kent, I knew it was going to be a great night. Lots of people came out to enjoy the beautiful evening, the cars and the company. And did I mention the food? The Orleans County Chapter of the American Red Cross served up an excellent Chicken BBQ and Brown’s Berry Patch provided strawberry shortcakes and ice cream for dessert. Everything about the evening was wonderful: the cars, the food, the music (they played the song I wanted before I even requested it!) and as always, the people!



As the sun set on Kent, I found myself traveling west toward my next stop….

Free Ice Cream in Massena!!!

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the St. Lawrence-FDR Project, the New York Power Authority invited the community to come to the visitors center for an evening of music, ice cream, and fireworks. And you know that I was there for the free ice cream!
Free ice cream aside, the evening was a great time. The interactive displays in the Visitors Center helped me to burn off the calories from the ice cream.



Meanwhile, live music outside entertained everyone as we enjoyed the view and the great weather. The evening concluded with a booming fireworks display (I say booming not only because the fireworks were loud, but they also echoed off the dam, giving a new twist to the display).

The night flew by (especially after working the whole weekend at Harborfest) and before I knew it, I was moving on…

Rochester Harbor and Carousel Festival

I never realized that a great American road trip was located right in my backyard! So this past weekend when I had to travel to Rochester for the Harbor and Carousel Festival, I decided to leave early, so I could start the weekend with a little road trip…
Some of the highlights were: Wolcott Falls, Webster Park, The Strong National Museum of Play and Visit Rochester (for some info on the city).

There was a lot to do at the festival: midway rides, a food court, 2 stages (one of which I could see from my tent – thanks Jim!), vendors, the beach, a lighted boat parade Friday night and fireworks on Saturday, but one of the best parts of the Festival was the wonderful people that I met. On Friday, Bob Klos (a former Seaway Trail Board member) came to help me with the booth. Also, I had some amazing neighbors: Neal Budd from the Charlotte Genesee Lighthouse and Staff Sergeant Barnes and Private Campion from the Army National Guard.

However, I think my favorite activity this weekend was trying to jump start a Humvee. On Saturday night, my friends from the National Guard packed up to go home, but one of the decommissioned Humvees had a dead battery and wouldn’t start. And just in case you ever find yourself in this situation, regular jumper cables do not work to jump a Humvee. Eventually, Private Campion went to the Armory and got the cables needed to get the Humvee started.
Once the festival was over and I was all packed (thanks for the help guys!), I headed over for a tour of the Charlotte Genesee Lighthouse.

As I stood at the top of the lighthouse, I reflected back on the amazing weekend that I had. And even though I had fun and I didn’t want it to end, it was time to hit the road again….

Taking Off On My Journey

My first stop on the Experience the Journey Summer Tour was the Pultneyville House Tours. Pultneyville’s Historic District is comprised of over 30 houses from the 1800’s that still retain their beauty as they approach their 200th birthdays. Some of these houses even withstood fire from the British during a skirmish in the War of 1812. The Pultneyville Historical Society did an excellent job of organizing the tour of many of these historic homes. Even the rain couldn’t keep visitors away!
Luckily for me, Nan Hance at the Artisan’s Loft (an awesome art gallery located right in Pultneyville along the Seaway Trail) let me hide underneath the overhang in front of the gallery, so I wouldn’t get wet!
Even though it rained, this was a great start to my tour and I can’t wait to see what’s down the road for next week…