Our little Bobdog brought so much joy to our lives and to the lives of anyone he met.
Actually, Bob joined the family 15 years ago when my Dad adopted him as a puppy. Dad gave him a wonderful life and we tried to live up to that standard.
As a puppyWith his Daddy
Bob was in our home for just five years, yet he (and we) made the most of every minute.
Party hatTexas Hill Country Handsome boy
Bob loved riding in the car, visiting breweries, going for hikes in the frontpack, and hanging out at happy hour.
With Tom in Key West With Larry in Glacier NPWith BrynnAt another breweryWith Renee at Happy hourWith us over the Hudson Nate was a favorite!In DuluthHis first brewery With Uncle Gary at a breweryWith Tanya at the Tampa RV ShowWith Russ & Susan going to Alaska
Bob made friends everywhere he went, and above all, loved his Steve.
Losing our furry family members is never easy, but we have sweet memories that will endure.
We are heading east towards Steve’s next race. Our journey took us through New York’s Finger Lakes region where we spent a few days exploring. We based ourselves in Hector, NY, on the shores of Seneca Lake, at the new-ish Finger Lakes RV Resort. How can you go wrong with two wineries within walking distance of the campground? And deals at each for campers?
Poppy loves wineries!Sign at the campground Pretty sunset over Seneca Lake
Our first adventure was a hike through Watkins Glen State Park, where the stream descends 400 feet past 200 foot cliffs, generating 19 waterfalls along the gorge.
Watkins Glen GorgeHeading up the gorgeOne of many stone bridgesCan you see me?
We hiked the gorge trail in both directions for a total of about 3 miles. Going early in the day, midweek, made this much more enjoyable than fighting the crowds that descend upon this paradise on the weekends.
Incredible viewsEasy hikingTrail follows the stream
Not far from our campground is the town of Ithaca, the home to ivy league Cornell University. We took the afternoon to explore the campus and its beautiful historic buildings. Sage Chapel and Uris library, known as the Harry Potter library, were definitely highlights. Tuition here is about $71,000 a year and the acceptance rate is below 8%. Kind of a different vibe from our alma maters.
Sage ChapelTiffany glass windowsUris library Uris library Cornell students studying Beautiful historic buildings on Cornell’s campus
On another day in the Finger Lakes we experienced rain, which was a great opportunity to hit up the nearby Corning Museum of Glass. Besides being the home to Corning dishes, the company now makes fiber optic and cable technologies and developed Gorilla Glass, used in iPhones. We learned a lot while being wowed by the world’s largest collection of glass art.
Beautiful glass artSteve’s favorite Glass blowerLearning about glass
From the Finger Lakes we continued west with a stop in Oneonta for lunch at Brooks House of BBQ on the recommendation of our friend and neighbor Norb Tornes. Steve devoured the chicken plus the sides, and afterwards, we checked out the giant charcoal pit where the magic happens.
Steve’s chicken BBQing chickensLeaves are beginning to change
We continue to enjoy visiting Harvest Host locations for overnight stays along the road. On this route we stopped in Rexford, NY at Bowmans Orchard for the night. Bowmans claims to be the home to the Macintosh apple.
Poppy meeting the goats
The house where the MacIntosh family lived still stands on the property and dates back to the 1700s. We even got to chat with Jackie Bowman, the current resident of the house and one of several Bowmans that live on the property. Unfortunately it was raining, so the u-pick was closed. We still enjoyed the stop and bought some yummy apples.
Shepherd HouseHistoric stuffBummer!With Jackie BowmanIt’s fall y’all!
We finally made it to one of the most famous tourist destinations in the world. Niagara Falls has been on our list and now it has a ✔️ next to it. We left Traverse City after a wonderful summer and crossed into Canada at Port Huron. From there we ventured across southern Ontario and camped at a KOA on the Canadian side of the falls.
Our routeNiagara Falls KOA
They say you have to see the falls from both sides, so we did. Early on our first day we crossed back into the USA and set out to explore Niagara Falls State Park, the country’s oldest state park. From the park we were able to access our top priorities: Maid of the Mist and Cave of the Winds.
Oldest State Park
Maid of the Mist
The iconic Maid of the Mist first launched in 1846 to operate as ferry across the Niagara River for stagecoaches and carriages.
Maid of the MistWaiting to boardOur ride
Now the all-electric vessels shuttles over 1.5 million visitors each year to the base of Horseshoe Falls. We donned the signature blue rain slicker and still got pretty damp. The mist from the falls is no joke.
American Falls Ready to experience the mistHorseshoe FallsWe weren’t ready!!Mr. Outdoors
Cave of the Winds
After our experience on the water, we walked across the park and onto Goat Island. Here we found the next attraction: Cave of the Winds.
Goat Island in the FallSteve and his friend
The original cave behind Bridal Veil Falls was discovered in 1834 but was destroyed in a 1954 rockfall. Now you go through a tunnel and elevator and walk on a boardwalk that takes you right up to the base of Bridal Veil Falls.
Ready!Still not too wetGetting damp
Honestly we were not prepared for how wet you get on this attraction and the flimsy yellow slickers didn’t help much. Still, we loved climbing the wooden stairs up to the Hurricane Deck which is the closest you can get to any of Niagara’s three waterfalls, with powerful winds and water crashing around you. Our shoes were sopping when we finished but the exhilaration was worth it!
Steve on the Hurricane Deck
Video from the Hurricane Deck
Skylon Tower
On the Canadian side you get a direct view of the falls as opposed to a side view from the US. We opted to view the natural wonder from above.
Skylon Tower was built in 1965 and shows its age. Still, the revolving restaurant at the top provides some of the best views as well as a great deal on an early bird fixed-price dinner.
American Falls from aboveConsidering the viewsView toward USA with the Tower’s shadow
While enjoying a three course meal featuring prime rib for Steve and salmon for me, we slowly rotated roughly 52 stories above the falls. As you can see we got some great photos! We highly recommend seeing the falls from Skylon whether you have dinner (make reservations early) or just head up to the observation deck.
Dinner and wine above the fallsHorseshoe Falls
There’s a ton more to do in this area including wine tasting around Niagara-on-the-Lake. But we have a few more stops to make before Steve’s next race.
Marnie and Steve Travel 