June 2013

June--Filled with more WOWS!

June was filled with many special moments. One was getting soaked at Niagara Falls. Here we are in line to the Cave of the Winds. The winds are created by the force of the water hitting the rocks below. We are glad we had this picture taken before we got there, because we got drenched. Keep us informed by clicking on the email link Larry and Glorine.


	This is the route we took in June. The picture is from a piece of software called Microsoft Streets and Trips. We use it to tag all the campgrounds that are a part of the campground memberships we belong to such as Coast to Coast and others such as KOA. The software is also great for finding points of interest like McDonalds, State/Provincial Parks, etc.	After settling into our campground near Niagara Falls, we toured this cute little Canadian town called Niagara on the Lake where the Niagara River flows into Lake Ontario. Other than great tourist shops, restaurants and pubs, the town is home to the Shaw Festival, which once featured the works of George Bernard Shaw and now host some of the finest theaters in Canada.

	We drove on the Niagara Parkway a scenic two-lane road lined with gardens and manicured lawns and caught a picture of this tiny chapel, where a ceremony was being performed with just enough room for the couple and the minister. The road is said to be "the prettiest Sunday afternoon drive in the world".	Another stop along the Niagara Parkway to take some pictures of this Aero Car, initially built in the early 1900s and gives people a spectacular view of the whirlpools and the white water rapids of the Niagara. It holds about 30 people and takes about 15 minutes to go over and back.

	As we were entering Niagara Falls, Ontario we saw this Buddhist Temple and took a free guided tour of a seven level Chinese style building containing collections of Buddhist arts and artifacts. In the process, we learned a bit more about the teaching of Buddha. It was a very peaceful and tranquil experience.	The Canadian side of the river offers the best views of the three falls that make up the Niagara Falls. In the background is Horseshoe Falls, which is the most magnificent of them all. After viewing these falls, we decided to make this part of our tour another honeymoon.

	Here is another view of Horseshoe Falls with one of several double decker ships taking passengers deep into the mist. Somewhere in the middle is the border between the USA and Canada	On the American side of the river is the oldest State Park in the United States. In peak summer season, an estimate 533,000 gallons of water goes over the fall each second.
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	After moving the RV to Syracuse, we drove the car to Little Falls and spent a couple of days with Phil and Mary Pillsworth, friends we made in Ajijic. Mary is a gourmet cook, so this picture of her and Phil in their kitchen is most appropriate. Every meal was both delicious and elegant.	CLICK ON THE PICTURE to see a video clip!! As we toured the town of Little Falls, we walked along a trail that took us to one of the oldest rock formations in North America. There we met these rock climbers, and before long, Glorine was wearing her shoes, helmet and the climbing harness and climbed to the very top.

	With little convincing, Phil harnessed up and scaled the granite-like rock know as gneiss (pronounced nice). This particular climb is known as Jeff Love Eileen. These rock climbers were great instructors and were so supportive and encouraging.	Now this is what Larry should have been wearing when he scaled the wall in Ajijic a couple of years ago. Both Larry and Phil made it up about half the way before repelling down. What a great and unexpected experience. We didn't even have it on our Bucket List.

	We attended our third RV Rally sponsored by Good Sam Club and Camping World, this year in Syracuse, New York. This Rally drew a crowd of over 10,000 people and 4,000 RVs. We were parked under the YOU ARE HERE sign. We had electricity only, but lucky for us (with all the rains) we were parked on pavement.	Getting "Rehitched" was an event where the RV Rally tried to break a Guinness World Record of having the most people renew their wedding vows at the same time. We said "I Do" in our 44th year, but the couple still standing near the front of the audience had already celebrated their 65th anniversary. Some couples got all dressed up with suits and wedding veils.

	We were lucky in that both big name entertainers performed on nights that it did not rain. One was Wayne Newton, but our favorite was Reba McEntire. She brought the house down when she sang "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia".	At one of the seminars, Larry learned how to create a customized smart dashboard for the RV on our computer. It has over 20 gauges that track everything from instant miles per gallon to tire pressure to horsepower output. We are still learning how to use it.

	After the Rally, we flew to Minnesota to spend time with Denise and the grandkids. One of our outings with Clara and Chase was to Band Box Diner, one of the oldest diners in downtown Minneapolis. Pancakes, bacon, eggs and french fries were a hit.	Our next stop was the Mill City Museum, which was built from the ruins of what was once the world’s largest flour mill located next to the Mississippi River near downtown Minneapolis. We could not believe how much the kids enjoyed learning about flour.

	Minneapolis Parks and Recreation puts on movies at area parks that start after dusk. This evening we went to a park near Uptown and watched a great animated movie called "Escaping from Planet Earth".	Clara is now seven years old. And as usual, her birthday was a grand event with lots of kids helping her celebrate the big event. While the weather forecasters called for rain, it turned out to be a wonderful day.

	Each year, Denise and Clara pick a theme and all the activities revolve around that theme. This year it was My Little Pony. Here it is her turn to break open the My Little Pony Pinata.	Being snowbirds, we thought it would be appropriate to get Clara a Hummingbird Solar light for a birthday gift. We put it by her apple tree to remind her of us between visits.

	Ah! Time on the old pontoon and reminiscing about all the great times we had entertaining people on it since we bought it in 1994. It is still in great shape since we gifted it to Denise and family.	Between activities with the grandkids and doctor appointments, we did get in a visit with Rich and Nancy Pointer. They too are snowbirds and spend six months in Naples, FL. We were making plans to get together this winter.

	With all the rains that hit the Midwest, the lake water levels rose over two feet. This meant raising the dock. While Craig did most of the heavy lifting, Larry did get in a little supervision.	The kids here shouting for joy as we took the pontoon to an area park on the lake one Sunday afternoon and walked to a restaurant, only to find it closed. So we walked from park to park, ate at Burger King and the kids were still shouting for joy.

	Chase is mastering the skills of kayaking. He is a great swimmer and can also water ski. He will turn five in September. Can't imagine what he will be up to when we return from our Explore America Tour this fall.	We arrived back in New York after a week in Minnesota to resume our trip. We found this great Barbeque Restaurant in Rochester overlooking the Genesee River. They serve some mighty fine ribs and some great microbrews.

	At the end of June we visited Hugh and Clair Jenney, who we met this past winter in Ajijic. During the summers they live here on Amhearst Island near Kingston, Ontario. The island is the size of Manhattan, but only has 400 residents. They treated us to a great seafood dinner on their terrace overlooking Lake Ontario.	After retiring, they bought this four bedroom farm house built in 1850. Half of the house is made of timber and the other half of brick. It was once owned by Daniel Fowler, a well-known Canadian artist back in the late 1800s. One of the rooms still sports his art studio.

	Hugh and Clair gave us a tour of Kingston, which was the first capital of Canada, a status it held for only two years and is home to the Rideau Canal that connects Lake Ontario to the Ottawa River. Known as the Limestone City, it has over 533 historic buildings made from limestone, including the Kingston City Hall.	Starting in Kingston is a 50 mile stretch of islands known as the Thousand Islands (or 1,864 to be exact) that straddles the USA/Canada border along the Saint Lawrence River. The cool thing about these islands is that many are nothing more than an outcropping of rocks, yet have homes like this one on them. The Thousand Island Parkway gave us a great view of these islands.

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June's web page includes June 1 through June 30.