2012-08-05: Small Town USA
We decided to drive across the state on US-20. It was fun to drive through small towns and see all the flags displayed on the light poles as well as on the houses.
2012-08-05: Vineyards
It was just amazing to see how many grape vines and boutique wineries are in this area. One even claimed to be "Eastern Napa Valley".
2012-08-05: Erie Canal
As we were making our way to our campground in Gasport, New York, we got our first view of the Erie Canal.
2012-08-06: Into Canada
Today found us making our way across the Canadian border to spend some time with Margaret and Bill, relatives on Al's side. Their new condo is across the street from this old millpond.
2012-08-07: Canal Lock
There are locks up and down the Erie Canal. We visited #25 and 26 that is a double lock. Pretty interesting.
2012-08-07: Niagara Falls
One of the highlights of our trip was to see the American side of the falls. There was so much traffic and so many people we couldn't even find a place to park, so we decided to go through customs and go to the Canadian side. Whatever made us think it would be different on the other side is beyond me! Our trip to the falls ended up being a "drive by". Too sad!
2012-08-07: Niagara River
Since we didn't get to see the falls, we decided to continue driving to see what we would see. We ended up here where we got to see the Niagara River after going over the falls.
2012-08-07: Aero Car
The Aero Car goes over an area of the Niagara River called the Whirlpools. This little cove along the river was actually formed over time by the whirlpool. We didn't take the ride but it sure was fun watching it go over the river.
2012-08-07: Floral Clock
Making our way back to the border crossing, we stopped to marvel over this floral clock. It was amazing that it was keeping good time.
2012-08-08: Valley Vista
Not only do we get to see neat little towns along US route 20, but also some incredible valley vistas...
2012-08-08: Farm
...beautiful barns and farmland and...
2012-08-08: Narrow Highways
...narrow highways with little or no shoulders. We love it!
2012-08-08: Slovak Lake
Our campground tonight was located on Slovak Lake. This was our view from the coach.
2012-08-09: Back road RV'ing
We continued our journey today along Route 20 winding our way along narrow roads and into Massachusetts. If you've never tried this highway, we recommend you give it a shot.
2012-08-10: Campground Lake
This serene lake is just one of the amenities in our campground here in Sturbridge.
2012-08-11: Auction
This must be our year for auctions. The Church on the Commons holds an annual auction to raise funds for the year. I actually got a number and bid on a few items though I didn't come away with anything.
2012-08-11: Old Burial Ground
This old burial ground in town was used from 1740 - 1894. The wall surrounding the cemetery was built in 1794 by Revolutionary War Veterans.