LOCKPORT, NY & THE ERIE CANAL

Thursday, Sept. 13

The Grand Old Erie Canal flows through the center of historic Lockport, NY.  Between 1817 and 1825, this 363 mile long, hand-dug waterway was constructed to connect the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean at sea level, with the Great Lakes at 570 feet above seal level.  To overcome the 49-foot tall Niagara Escarpment, Lockport was chosen as the location of the the famous "Flight of Five".   This twin set of 5-tiered locks allowed boats to travel up in one set and down in the other.  After the canal was enlarged in the the early 1900's, the original twin set of 5 locks were replaced with the current set of 2 locks.  One of the original "Flight of Five" was kept as a spillway.

We took a 2 hour cruise on this part of the Eire Canal while the Captain of the boat provided commentary on the history of the canal and Lockport.  Parts of the original towpaths are still visible alongside the canal.  Horses, mules, and dogs walked along the towpaths towing the boats through the canal.  During the cruise we were entertained by old-time Erie Canal songs.   Does anyone remember the famous "Low Bridge, Everybody Down"?  I didn't remember that song, but Jim does, so he sang along.

NIAGARA FALLS

Tuesday, September 11

Today we drove from Parry Sound through the natural beauty of the Canadian countryside, along the Georgian Bay of Lake Ontario.  Many of the roads are cut through walls of granite rock so when the sun shines on the rock it looks like diamonds sparkling, and the colors and patterns in the granite are like works of art.

The lines in the granite are from the drills that made room for the dynamite to blast the rock.

We drove south toward Toronto; a large modern city with spaghetti like freeways, many under construction and jammed with traffic.  Jim's knuckles turned white and I had all I could do from not gasping and screaming while fast driving, tailgating, aggressive, inconsiderate maniac drivers cut us off and wouldn't let us move over to the traffic lane we needed to be in.  With Jim's magnificent driving skills, we managed to get out of Toronto without getting lost or having an accident.  Whew!

Since it was September 11th, we didn't know if there would be extra security at the border.  The border crossing out of Ontario into Lewiston, NY was uneventful and it felt good to be back in the U.S.A.

We are camping for a few days at Lockport, NY which is located about 20 min. east of Niagara Falls.  This is a farming area with many vegetable stands, as well as acres and acres of grapes growing in the developing vineyards.  (More about Lockport in a future blog.)

Wednesday

Today we drove down to Buffalo, NY (home of Buffalo Wings) and crossed the U.S./Canadian border at Fort Erie, Ontario, then took the Niagara Parkway north along the Niagara River.  I read in a tour book that Winston Churchill once said "This is the prettiest Sunday drive in the world".  I think he exaggerated a bit, but it was nice.  We arrived in Niagara Falls, Ontario which has to be one of the most beautiful areas I've seen.  Not only are there spectacular views of the Falls, but the parks, gardens and flowers are incredible, as well as the architecture of the buildings near the Falls.

These are the gardens leading up to the Park Police Station.  The park gardens here have to be seen to be appreciated.

The falls on the left are the AMERICAN FALLS and the small fall on the right is the BRIDAL VAIL FALLS.  The buildings in the back ground are in Niagara Falls, NY.

These mammoth falls are called HORSESHOE FALLS. 

We took the "Journey Behind the Falls" tour. After going down 14 floors in an elevator and donning our fashionable yellow plastic ponchos, we stepped out into a tunnel that led the way to a platform where we stood under Horseshoe Falls.  We could feel and hear the thundering roar of the water coming over the falls in front of us.  It felt like we were standing in a rainstorm.  I wanted to take some pictures, but there was too much water spray and I decided it wasn't worth ruining my camera.

Our next tour was a boat ride on "The Maid of the Mist".  This time we donned fashionable blue ponchos and stood on the top deck as the boat went up the Niagara River past the American Falls and Bridal Vail Falls to the base of Horseshoe Falls.  As we got closer to the base of Horseshoe Falls, the "mist" turned in a torrential downpour.  Experiencing the power, and listening to the roar of all that water dropping 173 feet was amazing.  During the peak flow, an incredible 202,000 cubic feet of water per second goes over these falls.

I think Blue is his color!

Rainbow Bridge in the background; to the right are the American Falls, and further right is a small part of Horseshoe Falls. In the center of the picture you can see "The Maid of the Mist" just coming out from under a rainbow.   

SAULT SAINT MARIE

Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 7th & 8th

After visiting Mackinac Island we took the ferry back to St. Ignace, hooked the Jeep to the RV and headed toward Sault St. Marie, Michigan.  We stayed at Brimley State Park on the southern part of White Fish Bay on the shore of Lake Superior.  The wind was howling!

Sunday, we drove to Sault Saint Marie, MI and and boarded a tour boat for a cruise on the St. Mary River that included a ride through the Soo Locks.  The locks connect Lake Superior and Lake Heron.



That's an ocean freighter coming through the locks.



 

 

The locks are opening for our boat to go through.  The bridge in the background is the International Bridge connecting the U. S. and Canada.



Monday, Sept. 10th

This morning we left da Yoopers, U. P., and United States by driving across the International Bridge connecting Sault St. Marie, MI and Sault St. Marie, Ontario, Canada.  The fog was so thick and dense we couldn't see more than a few feet in front of us; it was a scary ride.  "Good ting I got da pictures of da International Bridge yesterday, eh?"

After the fog burned off, the drive through this part of Ontario was beautiful, with a rocky forested landscape and many lakes with islands.  There were several warning signs about moose and deer crossing the highway, but we didn't see any.  We spent the night at the Horseshoe Lake Campground in Parry Sound, on the Georgian Bay.  

Mackinaw and Mackinac

St. Ignace - Friday, Sept. 7th

Our next stop-over in the U.P. was the town of St. Ignace on the shores of Lake Huron.  We crossed the beautiful Mackinaw Bridge to Mackinaw City.  The bridge is almost 5 miles long and is the longest suspension bridge in the U. S.  It connects Upper and Lower Michigan as well as spanning the straits of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan.

Saturday, we took the ferry from St. Ignace to Mackinac Island.  Now you may be confused, as I was, about Mackinaw and Mackinac and how to pronounce those two words.  Well, this is their story and they're sticking to it:  both words are pronounced MackiNAW, but the French spelled it Mackinac and the British spelled it Mackinaw.  There was also confusion about mail being delivered to Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island, so they distinguish the two places by the spelling.

Mackinac Island is a step back to the early 1900's and is full of flowers, gorgeous Victorian homes and hotels, bicycles and horses.  There are numerous fudge shops and other tourist gift shops.  Stepping off the ferry, our noses picked up the smells of horse manure and fudge...an interesting combination.

The only means of transportation on the Island is by walking, horse, or bicycle.  We took a carriage tour through part of the town and State Park, while the carriage drivers provided commentary on the history of the Island.  After the tour, we walked to the Grand Hotel for the grand buffet lunch.  This hotel is elegant inside and out!  A couple of movies have been filmed here, the latest being "Somewhere In Time".

Lucky we got to the Hotel before 6:00, because we didn't bring our evening wear. 


 

WELCOME TO PARADISE!

Wednesday, September 5th

Sadly this morning we said good-bye to Mark and Cindy, then headed east toward Paradise; Paradise, MI that is.  Along the way, every time I saw chunks of tire rubber laying on the highway, I couldn't help but feel the drivers pain.

We are staying at the Tahquamenon (rhymes with phenomenon) Falls State Park.  Now that's a mouth full, so I'll just call it the "T" place.  After picking our campsite and getting set up, we checked out the lower T Falls before it started to rain.  We didn't have cell service in Copper Harbor, so were surprised to have cell phone service and our MiFi Hot Spot works so I can start posting my blog.

Thursday

Today we drove to Whitefish Point Lighthouse to visit The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum and tour the lighthouse.  The museum houses some artifacts and tells the stories of ships that sunk in the Great Lakes, many of them are around Whitefish Point where it's a popular spot for divers.

This is also were the Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial is located.  In November of 1975, the "Fitz", as they call it, sank in a horrific storm 17 miles from Whitefish Point; all 29 crew members were lost.  The storm produced 100 mph winds and 30 foot waves.  We watched a film showing the recovery of the ships bell.  In 199?, the families of the crew requested that the Fitz's bell be recovered, and a bell engraved with the names of the crew replace it on the sunken ship as a grave marker.  The Fitz sits in over 500 feet within the waters of Ontario, Canada.  In a cooperative effort between Canada and the U. S., special diving equipment and teams were used to bring up the Fitz's bell from the watery grave, and the memorial bell put in its place.  At a special ceremony, the Province of Ontario presented the Edmund Fitzgerald Bell to the State of Michigan.  After each name of the crew was read, a family member tolled the bell.  Many said it was the closure they needed.

 

 

A view of Lake Superior and sand dunes at Whitefish Point
 

 

We stopped at the gas station in Paradise.  Yes, those are flower pots on the gas pumps.





 

The Guard Bear in Paradise

 



Next stop was the Upper T Falls.  Simply beautiful!

 

 



 

 

COPPER HARBOR, MI

Sept. 2 -- 4, 2012

Sunday
We woke to find all the tires on the RV still inflated -- Hallelujah!
We spent the morning relaxing and watched our camping neighbors get ready for the Fat Tire Bike race that afternoon.  I have to agree with Cindy when she said "I want to buy a bottle of wine for the person who invented bike shorts"; mighty nice scenery!

In the afternoon we went into Copper Harbor for the bike race and  to do a little shopping.  About 500 bikers raced through town and then over a cross country trail.  An awards celebration was held that evening with music from a great band, and plenty of beer flowing from the Keweenaw Brewery.

 

 

Monday
Today the campers left in droves and we have the place almost to ourselves.  What a difference; nice and quiet, but not so interesting for people watching.  On our drive to Houghton/Hancock today, we stopped in Eagle Harbor at the Jampot.  This is a charming little bakery run by a group of monks.  The monks all have beards and wear black monk outfits.  They make jams, jellies, fruit cake, muffins, and cookies.  People were lined up out the door to buy some the their incredibly tasting goods.  I couldn't resist a carrot cake muffin and almond cookies.  Yum...simply heavenly.

Tuesday
Today we drove around to check out more of the Keweenaw Peninsula.  We saw this telephone pole in Eagle Harbor.  Dose Yoopers sure are funny, eh?

A tour of Historic Fort Wilkins, naps and card games were enjoyed until we went to the Harbor Haus Restaurant for dinner.  If you ever get to this area, you MUST eat at this restaurant.  The view of Lake Superior was superior, as well as the food and drinks.

IT AIN'T HOME 'TIL THE WHEELS COME OFF

September 1, 2012

After a wonderful summer on Bass Lake, and a couple of camping trips to Pattison State Park and Grand Rapids, MN we are back in the RV and heading northeast.  We left home at 7:00 a.m. for the 7 1/2 hour drive to Copper Harbor, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  The weather couldn't have been more perfect and we could still see the full-blue-moon.  Mark and Cindy Johnson, friends from the lake, are traveling with us on the first 4 days of our 6 - 8 week trip.

About 1 hour into our adventure, just a couple miles from Turtle Lake, WI the RV started to vibrate and shake.  Jim pulled off the road and we discovered that the rubber on the outside rear dual tire peeled off.  De-ja-vu!  Two weeks earlier, while driving back from Grand Rapids, the drivers side outside dual tire lost it's rubber.  That tire had been replaced with a brand new tire and all the other tires had been checked and inspected.  We thought we were good to go.

We drove slowly to Turtle Lake to Norton's Repair Shop, which we found was closed due to the Labor Day Weekend.  We called Good Sam's Emergency Road Service, told them our dilemma and waited for a call back.  After 1/2 hour Good Sam called to tell us that they were still looking for someone to come to our rescue, but being it was Saturday and Labor Day weekend, they were having a bit of a problem.  They did say that Nobles Tire in Barron, WI was open until noon and had the tire we needed, but they couldn't come to help us.

Barron is about 8 miles from Turtle Lake, so we decided we would limp along to Nobles Tire and get it changed.  We told Darryl (the tire repair guy) to check the other tires and replace them if needed.  He said the tires were fine and didn't replace them.  Yeah!  After being delayed about 3 hours, we went merrily on our way.

About 35 miles later the RV started to vibrate and shake.  I got on the CB to Mark and Cindy, who were ahead of us, and radioed "Houston We Have A Problem!".  After Jim pulled off the road, I jumped out and to my horror saw the rubber had peeled off the inside dual tire. I heard a horrible hissing sound coming from the brand new tire and was horrified to watch it go flat before my very eyes.  Cindy immediately called Darryl at Nobles and said "Darryl, come quick and bring 2 new tires!"

Darryl and Ed finally showed up with their big ol' tire repair truck and replaced the damaged tire, and put a new valve stem on the tire we had just bought.  With the luck we were having, we weren't going to take any more chances for the last tire to blow, so we had Darryl replace that one too.  Waiting around for all this tire fixing, Cindy entertained us by singing that great old country song "It Ain't Home Until The Wheels Come Off".

It was now about 7/12 hours since we left home, and we should have been arriving at Copper Harbor.  We had only gotten 100 miles, and in case you lost count we had purchased 3 new tires...Cha-Ching, Cha Ching.  We asked Darryl and Ed if they wanted to follow us in their tire repair truck and join us for the weekend in Copper Harbor; they almost took us up on it.

Around 4:30 we stopped in Ironwood, MI to top off the gas tank and Mark noticed that the outside duel on the drivers side (bought 2 weeks earlier) was going flat.  Cindy used her phone magic and called Greg's Towing and Repair.  We couldn't believe that his shop was still open; after all, it was Saturday and Labor Day Weekend.  Greg had the cutest U. P. accent,  looked at the flat tire and said "dat valve extension broke off.  Dose tings can be trouble".  He fixed "dat ting" (Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching) and told us we were good to go, and we said "ya, we've heard that one before".  Greg laughed and said "ya, I bet cha heard dat before, eh?"  Gotta love those Yoopers!

We finally got back on the road grateful that in spite of all the unbelievable tire disasters of the day, the tire angels were looking over us because we always found someone to help us out.  Oh, did I mention it was Saturday and Labor Day weekend?  It took 14 1/2 hours to get Copper Harbor, which was hosting the the Fat Tire (which will forever be referred to as the FLAT Tire) Bike Race the next day. 

We arrived at Wilkins State Park, found our campsite, and set up in the dark.  Poor Mark and Cindy had to use flashlights to set up their tent.  With a sigh of relief, a couple FLAT Tire beers were cracked.  Jim and I are so grateful that Mark and Cindy were with us and were so patient, good sports, and kept a sense of humor about it all.  However, I'm not so sure they will ever want to travel with us again.