Lockport, NY

It all started with an apple.

No. I'm not pulling your leg. We drove from Niagara to Lockport where we took a look at the Erie Canal system. A pretty place. We did the touristy thing and took the canal boat ride through the locks at Lockport. It was such a lovely day that the river trip was wonderful and relaxing.

Geoff entertaining our Skipper

 Open Sesame!

There's a difference of about 50 feet from the lower level of water to the higher level. Spectacular.

 Canadian Geese had babies everywhere. They're so cute.

More scenes from along the Erie Canal.

Don't worry. I'm still getting to the apple. You'll have to read my next blog...!

Buffalo to Niagara Falls

Buffalo to Niagara Falls - Day 8

We drove right into Buffalo, which is quite a large city. I found it charming with its grand old architecture alongside the stunning new space age buildings. This is where old meets new.

Despite its seedy reputation, we found the streets clean and the people friendly. It was here we experienced a real old fashioned dark, dingy bar where amateure comedians did stand up comedy routines on the small stage out the back. We had a couple of drinks, were offered a "toke or two" which we poitely declined, then got out of there. It was fun. A real "must do" when in Buffalo. Remember Nieschies Bar. You have to see it to believe it.

 I finally got to eat a hotdog from a real hotdog vendor called Lisa, on the streets of Buffalo.

This is a place where the old and the new sit side by side.

 This is where Roosevelt was sworn in as President of the United States. 

It was an amazing place to visit.

We stood right in the room where he was sworn in and listened to a recording of him taking his oath. It was incredible.

 Geoff got to try real Buffalo wings right there in the Anchor Bar where they were invented in the 1960s

 Buffalo City Hall. Wow!

 

One of the views from right up the top of City Hall. Magnificent 360 degree vista. Whew! That's not the sea, by the way, that's Lake Erie.




We weren't going to do the real touristy things, but being so far up, it wouldn't be right if we didn't take a look at Niagara Falls.

Words fail me. It is hard to comprehend the force of the water as it falls from the Niagara River down those sheer escarpments. We couldn't get over the volume of water going over there either. No wonder it is a wonder of the world.

We arrived and it was raining - typical. We decided to do the Maid of the Mist boat trip right up to the falls and we managed to get on the last one of the day.

Just as we took off, the clouds parted and the sun shone. Wow! No words can describe this sight.

 There's a wall of water coming over that edge!

 The Niagara River. Downstream from the falls.

 Geoff on the Maid of the Mist. We had to wear our souvenir plastic ponchos. A real fashion statement.

 This part of the falls is called The American Falls.

 Now you can see the American Falls and the smaller falls called The Bridal Veil.

 Heading for the big Horseshoe Falls. At this stage we were all drenched.

 The sun came out and suddenly there were rainbows. A bit hard to capture on a camera though.

 Geoff has a rainbow behind him, if you look hard.

 Glorious Niagara Falls on the American side.

More rainbows.

 Us with our funny little ponchos on. There were so many birds along the cliffs they looked like a swarm of ants.

Back up at the top.

Niagara River upstream from the falls. You can see the bridge across to Goat Island.

The Covered Bridges of Columbia County, Pennsylvania

Covered Bridges Tour around Benton - Day 7

It didn't take much persuading to make us want to stay another day with Ron and Alice. We loved them and their area so much that we decided to stay an extra day. It was another day of firsts. I saw my first upside-down moon, my first Wallmart, my first covered bridge.

I'm intrigued by the birds around here. They are so different from back home. There are little black birds with bright red slashes across their shoulders and others with bright yellow slashes across theirs. I heard a crow and it actually sounded different from our crows. What they call a black duck here is more like a mallard back home, and there are Canada geese everywhere at the moment.

When I mentioned that I'd like to see a covered bridge, Ron offered to drive us around to see one, or two, or three, or seven, or ten...! We piled into the car again and off we went around Benton and Bloomsburg areas looking at all the covered bridges within that distance. It was wonderful.

The Creaseyville Bridge. Our first covered bridge ever!

These things are wonderful.

The Creasey  Bridge spans this lovely little stream.

Ron and Geoff take a look at the internal structure. These things are solid! No wonder they're still standing.

How's this for a bridge and a half? Weddings are held in this double bridge. I couldn't even get it all into one photo.

East Paden Twin Bridge. It sure is something to see.

 Our wonderful hosts Ron and Alice Strauch.

 After staying with Ron and Alice, we didn't want to leave, but, alas, we had to move on. From Benton we drove north - on the right side of the road - to Niagara Falls.

Benton, Pennsylvania

Benton Area - Day 6

We were supposed to only stay one night with Alice and Ron, but without too much arm-twisting we decided to stay another day. After a wonderful cooked breakfast, Ron and Alice took us on a tour of their area.

The real rural Pennsylvania

These little villages pop up everywhere

The following photos were taken around Lake Jean.

Lake Jean

Ron & Geoff discussthe finer points of fishing

How's that for a stone fence?

 We then drove up to Eagles Mere. It was once a thriving tourist destination. Now it is a quiet little village that tourists like us enjoy wandering around.

Geoff in front of the big clock at Eagle's Mere

After lunch we headed back to the farm. The day was full of firsts for me. I saw my first hummingbird - it was so tiny. I wanted to take a photo of it, but it was too fast. I saw my first buzzard - three actually. They're quite beautiful.

                                                                                                                                                                               

Leaving New York City

New Jersey Turnpike to Pennsylvania - Day 5

We made it around to the car hire place all enthusiastic about getting out of New York and beginning the rest of our trip only to have our plans dashed. The credit card I'd bought along was not considered to be a credit card by USA standards. They refused to rent us our car. Repeated attempts to ring back home to our travel agent failed to even connect.

Unsuccessful calls to many other New York car hire agencies revealed the same story. They would not hire a car to us. Eventually Thrifty came to our rescue and we took a taxi around to where we thought their office was. There was no office. We were dumped out on the pavement, in the rain, in New York, with no idea of where to go. No-one we asked had any idea who Thrifty was let alone where they were.

We were told 81st street, but on a whim, we decided to try 83rd street. Finally, there they were! 83rd street. Thrifty were very good. They did everything they could to help us out. Although it meant almost an extra $4000 we hired a car and were finally off on our journey.

Getting out of New York wasn't as hard as we thought. The traffic wasn't bad, and with the help of our new Garmin GPS, we were soon on the New Jersey Turnpike. Woohoo! Out of the city at last.

We had lunch in Denville, New Jersey, at a lovely little cafe where we were treated like royalty. I'm beginning to love America.

We headed back onto the New Jersey Turnpike and eventually we crossed the boarder into Pennsylvania. I love Pennsylvania. Everywhere you look it is like a postcard picture. The woods are pretty and green, there are rivers and streams everywhere, pretty little villages and quaint houses pop up out of the clearings. There are farms with red and white barns just like you'd see on TV or in a movie.

 

Crossing into Pennsylvania

 

 

 The Pennsylvania countryside is pretty

We were heading towards Benton where we were to spend the night at a farm stay. Geoff had to drive because I wasn't added to the insurance. Keeping him from wiping the door handles off on the side rails of the road, watching for signs and reading the GPS was interesting.

Then we missed a turn and had to go miles before we could turn off the freeway and go back the other way - twice. Even worse, it was a toll road. We paid the toll and then had to go back through the same toll in the opposite direction. The man in the booth charged us double the second time just for being idiots.

Many turn-arounds and five tolls later, we eventually we got to Benton and found Alice and Ron's farm. We were so glad to arrive we could have kissed the ground, and them, and the car...

Friendly Farm Stay on Andy's Hill Road, Benton.

In the pond were bass, newts, frogs and other water-dewllers.

We were welcomed by Ron and Alice and immediately felt like one of their family. After the traumas of the start of the day, ending the day here surrounded by this peace and love, was wonderful.

Subway Adventures

The Subway to Brooklyn - Day 4

Today we rode the infamous subways beneath Manhattan. We rode a couple of trains by accident and had to get off and go back the other way. It's a bit confusing if you don't know which way Up Town, Down Town, Mid Town and Across Town are.

We eventually got the hang of it. We took the subway across to Brooklyn where we walked through a little park and saw our first squirrel. Cute,but too fast for a photo. Then we walked back across the Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan.

Geoff on the Brooklyn Bridge.

From the Brooklyn Bridge, we took the subway to Grand Central Station. Wow! Now that's opulance! It looks wonderful now, but I can only imagine way back in the 1930s how "grand" it would have seemed.

We walked from Grand Central Station around to the Chrysler building.

Me with that famous clock.

 

The Chrysler Building is one tall statement in concrete and glass!

Then we were off around the corner to the American Museum of Natural History. We never got aroundeven half of the place. It's huge. It's also worth spending a day looking around. We had limited time, so we chose about four different exhibits to visit. I think you'd need a whole day to see the lot. 

 It cost us $35 to get in. They call this a "suggested donation". I wonder what would happen if you "suggested" a different price?

 Next, we were off to the  Empire State Building for a virtual helicopter ride all around and over Manhattan narrated by Kevin Bacon. It was like one of those Disney rides where the seats move and you feel as though you're really flying. Was great.

From there they took us up  - one elevator full at a time - to the 86th floor where the observatory is. So we walked all around the Empire State Building taking various photos.

Inside Empire State Building was all marble and Art Deco opulence.

Outside the Empire State Building.

That was it for our last full day in New York. We bought our GPS Garmin and an internet stick, so I'm all set up to function independently now.

We pick our car up tomorrow and drive out under the Hudson River in the New Jersey tunnel. Fingers crossed.