Downtown Boston-Revised

On Tuesday, September 23rd, Bob and I took a tour of downtown Boston. We had originally thought that we would see Boston next week, but we were able to sign up with a tour group and decided to check it out. We met the guide on the outskirts of Boston and he made the rest of his pick ups. We had a total of 14 people in the group. It really worked out well for us because we didn't have to fight the traffic and we got to see the highlights of Boston. It was a beautiful day and the temp was in the mid 70's. Our tour included Bunker Hill, USS Old Ironsides, The Old North Church, lunch downtown at Quincy Marketplace, driving by Fenway and the Boston Celtics area. Our guide was very knowledgeable and we found out a lot of interesting facts about Boston. Did you know that Boston is built on a landfill? There are something like 10,0000 pilings driven into bedrock that support the city. Pretty amazing. Boston actually is a very pretty town with lots of brownstones and many refurbished homes. It looks just like you would think a New England city would look. We ate lunch at cheers. It was very good. Please check out the related poll. We started the tour about 9:00 AM and got back to our car about 4:30 PM. It was a long day. Lots of walking so we were glad to get home.
As always, we appreciate our family and friends and miss them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Mass State Park

Today, Monday, September 22nd, we are still at Salsibury State Park in Mass. It is really nice. The temperature today will stay in the low 60's. Cold! We will be here until next Monday. We will then head south of Boston and stay at a campground there and take a tour of downtown Boston from there. We are really enjoying the scenery here in this area and being by the beach and Atlantic Ocean is awesome. We are at the Salsibury Public Library using the Internet and then we have a few groceries to pick up. We called the little grand kids yesterday and they are fine. Excited about school and soccer (for Emma and Ella) and Noah takes Tai Kwon Do lessons and he is having a great time. Hoping all is well with everyone at home. Will blog again next time we have Internet.
As always, we appreciate our family and friends and miss them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

The Atlantic Coast

We arrived yesterday, Thursday, September 18th, at Salsbury State Park and Reservation in Newburyport, Mass. The park is gorgeous! It borders part of the Atlantic coastline. The sites are paved and level and we have water and electric hookups. No wi-fi or cable but the view is worth doing without those 2 items. After we got the motor home set up, Bob and I took a walk to the beach area. We both stepped into the Atlantic and it was COLD! There are some benches and a boardwalk out to the beach so we sat on a bench and watched the waves roll in. It was so pretty. We then decided to go back and get our bikes and rode throughout the camp on nice paved bike ways. We rode 4 6/10 miles. after our ride, we went back and ate supper. We went to the bath house and each took a long hot shower and then called it a day. Today we are at Newburyport Public library to update the blog and check the score of Joe's 8th grade football team and our niece Alexandria's softball game. Unfortunately, it looks like they both lost. Remember, Joe, it's a character builder and learning experience! Today, we will head home and just take it easy for the rest of the day. Tomorrow we will grocery shop and line up a tour of downtown Boston. I will post pictures next time I have Internet access. By the way, the weather here is quite cool. Today is only going to be in the high 60's.
As always, we miss our family and friends and appreciate them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

On to Boston

We will be leaving tomorrow, Thursday, September 18th, and heading to Boston. We will be staying at a state campground called Salsbury Beach. It is located right along the Atlantic Ocean. The drive will be about 3 hours from where we are now. There won't be any internet access at the campground but we are hoping that there is a library nearby so I can update the blog. We spoke to Joe and Brandy tonight. Everything is ok in their neck of the woods. Brandy is working some extra hours at her job and Joe is staying busy with the kids at school and coaching his 8th grade football team. The weather has gotten quite cool here so we are ready to leave that behind. Also, we have had a difficult time understanding people here in Maine when they talk-that New England accent is thick. I will blog more when we get to Boston.
As always, we miss our family and friends and appreciate them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

The Land of Chow-dah and Granite

Today, Wednesday, September 17th. We are in Freeport, Maine, home of L.L. Bean. We arrived in Maine on Monday, September 15th after leaving Hillsboro, New Hampshire. We had not intended on stopping in Hillsboro, NH, but we had a motor home issue that needed to be resolved. We found out (on a very hilly road) that our master cylinder had gone out. Thanks to Bob's calmness and great driving abilities we were able to get the motor home to a Chevy dealer that worked on big trucks. To make a long story short, we were treated very kindly by the campground hosts and car dealer. After the repairs were completed on Monday, we drove to Maine, arriving at Meadowbrook Campground about 5:00 PM. On Tuesday, we took a drive to Orr Island just about 12 miles away. Very pretty scenery! Today we are at the Freeport Library where I am updating the Blog and Bob is making reservations for our next stop which will be in the Boston area.
We plan on getting lunch today at one of the places mentioned in our Roadhouse Food book. We will definitely have to sample some Maine lobster. I spoke with Kim today (Wednesdays are her phone days) and all seems well in Farmington. Last night the temperatures got down into the 40's and today it is in the low 70's. We are ready to head on down the highway.
As always we appreciate our family and friends and miss them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Saratoga National Park

On Tuesday, September 9th, Bob and I went to Saratoga National Park. It is the site of a decisive revolutionary War battle in which the American colonists won. We toured the Information Center of the park. They had some very great displays regarding the battle. We then took the tour through the park. It is a 9 1/2 mile self guided driving tour. There are 10 stops throughout the park that you can stop at. The views from most of the stops are spectacular! This is a great tourist stop if you enjoy American history.
Upstate New York reminds us of home. The landscape, trees, foliage, and temperatures (so far) are just like our beloved Missouri. We happen to think that Missouri is one of the prettiest states in the Union. The campground that we are staying at is very nice. We have full hook-ups and wi-fi and cable tv. So all is good.
We will be leaving tomorrow (Friday, Sept. 12th) and heading to New Hampshire for an overnight stay, then on to Maine to catch the Fall foliage scenes.
Today, Thursday, Sept. 11th, Bob and I paid our respects in our thoughts and prayers to the fallen and the heroes of 9/11. Of course we displayed our flag. I was glad to see that many of the campers had our beautiful American flag displayed in honor and memory of 9/11. GOD BLESS THE USA!
We rode our bikes today 5 miles throughout the campground. Then we ate a late lunch. I have become a big fan of the artist Will Moses. He paints in a folk art/primitive style and I really enjoy his work. He is the great grandson of Grandma Moses famed country artist. It so happens that his studio and art gallery are about 15 miles from our campground. I said if we ever got up this way, I would like to go to his studio. Well, we went today. I got an original print! I am so excited. It is not framed and it is in a study mailing tube. So when we are finished with our travels I will have it framed. I just love it. That Bob, what a guy. News from home sounds like everyone is doing ok and we are glad of that.
As always we appreciate our family and friends and miss them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Baseball Hall Of Fame

On Friday, September 5th, Bob and I went to the Baseball Hall of Fame. We arrived there about 10:00 AM. We had been there about 16 years ago and there were a few changes. They have added a second story to the building and revamped some of the exhibits. We did enjoy seeing all the items housed there. We saw Mark Buerhle's display in the Chicago White Sox's locker. Mark attended Jeffco and is a good friend of Eddie Moreno. Mark is featured in the locker because of the no hitter he pitched. That was neat to see. We decided to take a break from the Hall so we went into some of the shops on main street. Cooperstown is not a big town at all. In fact, it is called a village. There are some beautiful Victorian homes on the streets behind main street. We then went to the park located right off of main street along Otsego Lake, sometimes referred to as Glimmerglass. It was a beautiful day and we watched the sailboats on the lake while we ate lunch. After lunch, we went back to the Hall of Fame and finished our tour. We called it a day and headed home.
As always, we miss our family and friends and appreciate them very much.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Poll Results

The results of the last poll are in:
Is Joe glad that his parents are not at school with him this year?
Six people responded:
No, it's a party everyday -2 people (I wonder who one of them was)
No, but he secretly thinks about them everyday-1 person
Yes, he has cardboard cut outs of them in his office and talks to them daily-3 people

I know that he really misses having us there...despite what he might say!
Check out the latest poll and place your vote.

Movin' On

On Tuesday, September 2nd, Bob and I left Niagara County Campground and headed to Cooperstown, NY. It was a drive of about 250 miles. We left about 8:00 AM and after a stop at 11:00 AM and then a stop at 2:00 for a late lunch we arrived at Cooperstown Family Campground at 3:00 PM.

We set up the motor home and then rested!

Today, Wednesday, we decided to stay home and get a few chores done. I washed several loads of clothes and got the blog caught up. We have full hook ups, cable tv, and wi-fi. I love it! Tomorrow we are going to drive to Cooperstown (about 5 miles from here) and take our bikes. We want to ride our bikes around the town and check out the Victorian houses and get our tickets to the Baseball Hall of Fame. We plan on going there on Friday.

As always we miss our family and friends and appreciate them very much.

Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Over to Canada

On Monday, September 1st, Bob and I went back to Niagara Falls and walked across the Rainbow Bridge to Canada. We had to go through customs and when our passports were checked it was discovered that we had not signed them-and we had used them two times prior. So we had to sign them and then we crossed over.

We viewed the falls from the Canadian side and we both agreed that there is no comparison. The Canadian side view is so much prettier.

We walked along the boardwalk and did a little "people" watching. Bob was asked several times to take people's pictures. Who knew? So we took more photos of the falls and stopped for an ice cream (there seems to be a theme here).

After we walked back over the bridge to the US (by the way-it cost 50 cents per person to come back to the US) we went to Niagara Park and ate our lunch.

We headed back to the campground but stopped for groceries first. We then got the motor home ready to leave on Tuesday, September 2nd.

As always, we miss and appreciate our family and friends very much.

Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Olcott Park, Krull Park, and Car Show

On Wednesday, August 27th, Bob and I went to Olcott Beach, New York. It was about five miles from our campground. It is a little town on the shores of Lake Ontario. There is a carousel park in the center of town that has a restored carousel ride and several carnival rides for children.

We also went to the city park that is located in the center of town. The town was started by railroad executives for a summer place to bring their families. At one time there was a hundred room hotel that overlooked Lake Ontario. The area became very popular for tourists and was a major summer vacation location. Many big name entertainers performed there such as the Dorsey Brothers, Paul Whiteman's band (Bing Crosby started out with his band), Louis Armstrong. The park was very nice and well maintained.

We then crossed the street and walked over to Krull County Park. This park is beautiful. It is maintained by the state of New York Conservation Department. There are paved bike paths. The park also has a wading pool for children, a tree garden, playground equipment, picnic tables. We decided to go back to the car and get our bikes. We went back to Krull Park and rode 6 miles through the park. It was a beautiful day and the temperature was in the mid 70's.

After our bike ride, we went back into town and got an ice cream. We saw a sign for a car show that was going to be held on Saturday and decided we would come back for that. The lady at the ice cream shop said there would be about 850 cars on display. We found that hard to believe but there actually were. So we returned on Saturday and looked at the cars on display and had a great time.

As always, we miss our family and friends and appreciate them very much.

Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

The Erie Canal

On Friday, August 29th, Bob and I went to the Erie Canal in Lockport, New York. The original Erie Canal was dug by hand-360 miles-to connect the Hudson River to Lake Erie at Buffalo, New York
The Erie Canal, a pet project of New York's DeWitt Clinton, took many years to build and cost lots of money but was ultimately a huge success, one of America's best-known waterways.
The original canal is now used as a spillway. Another set of canals and locks were built over the years. These locks help boats travel between the Hudson River and Lake Erie and raise or lower the boats a height of 57 feet. We also went to the museum of the Erie Canal and went to the information center.
We headed back to the campground for supper and to plan the rest of our stay in the Niagara Falls area.
As always, we miss our family and friends very much and appreciate them.
Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!

Absolutely Gorgeous!

Niagara Falls, that is. Pictures really don't do it justice. Bob and I went to Niagara Falls on Thursday, August 28th. The day was a little overcast with a chance of showers but we thought it might work to our advantage and it did. No crowds, no lines, and it rained just slightly.

We started out at the Niagara Discovery Center. John and Nello were the guides and gave us a very informative tour of the displays. They were very knowledgeable and very nice guys. We purchased the Discovery Pass for each of us. For $30.00 each, we had admission to the Maid of the Mist boat ride, unlimited trolley rides, Cave of the Winds admission, several food discounts, and discount admission to Fort Niagara. After the tour, we headed to the Falls.

Of course, Bob wanted to walk and catch the trolley later. He said we had to get our exercise in for the day. Yahoo!

We went to the observation tower and walked out on the deck. Amazing! The sound and mist that comes from the Falls is incredible! We were right by the American Falls and could see the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side. It really is unbelievable. The waters from four of the Great Lakes flow through the Niagara River and then drain into the Falls. The water is actually a turquoise color. 75,000 gallons of water fall over the American Falls every SECOND and 675,000 gallons go over the Horseshoe Falls every SECOND. Did you know that the water is restricted during the day to 50% of its' capacity? At night the water is restricted even more to allow for power usage.
We then took the Maid of the Mist boat ride. Both of us donned our blue raincoats and headed to the boat dock. No line and we boarded quickly. I would guess that there were about 50 people on our tour. The ride took us out on the Niagara River and headed to the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side. I'm not sure how close we got to the falls but we got wet. It was really neat to see the water that close up and hear the noise from the falls.

After the boat ride, we took the trolley to Goat Island. This island was formed as the falls eroded. They say as the falls continue to erode this island will eventually disappear. The trolley ride took us to the Three Sisters Islands. A set of small islands in the Niagara River. Did you know that at one time the Niagara Falls were privately owned?

After lunch at the Top of the Falls restaurant, we then took the Cave of the Winds tour. We were given yellow raincoats and sandals to wear. No long line this time either. This tour takes you under the American Falls via a lot of steps and platforms. And you get wet. Some of the best pictures we took were from this area.
After that, we boarded the trolley back to the main falls area and went to the Niagara Adventure Theater to see the movie Niagara Legends of Adventure. The movie explored the myths, miracles, and adventurous feats of the falls. Very interesting.
We decided to call it a day and caught the next trolley back to the parking lot. It was about 4:30 PM and we headed home for supper and to rest up.

We decided to come back on Monday to walk over the Rainbow Bridge which connects the US to Canada and see the falls from the Canadian side. More on that in another blog.

For those of you who were wondering...the title in the previous blog of "Niagara Falls, slowly I turn" is a reference to a Three Stooges skit. Gotta love those Stooges.
As always, we appreciate our family and friends and miss them very much.

Mary, Bob, and Miles, too!