Archive for July, 2023

Old Forge, Family Reunion

Tuesday, July 18th, 2023

It feels good being here again. If it wasn’t so far away and so hard to get here from an airport I could spend all my summers right here – after July 4 of course! The bugs before Fathers Day are brutal and just not fun. We arrived on Saturday and got checked into our campsite. We are staying at the Old Forge Campground until Tuesday when we move to town and parking at the air B & B where the kids will be for a week.

One of my favorite spots in the area, Uncle Dick’s patio on Fourth Lake. A beautiful spot. We visited on Sunday and returned Tuesday morning with our coffee and donuts from Eagle Bay Donuts. The best donuts as far as I am concerned. Not too sweet, no crap on them unless you go for the cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar ones. I like plain.

The kids arrived in the middle of the night after a very long flight with a 2 hour delay and then a 2 hour drive from Syracuse. See it’s not easy to get here!

We had lots of plans and got right to it after they were fed, showered and rested.

Two days at the Enchanted Forest where we played in the nursery rhymm forest, rode the train, enjoyed watching the girls on a few rides. The best was Lacey on the ferris wheel with mommy and aunt Stephanie. Lacey loved it and was raising her arms – mommy not so much! What we do for our children.

All the kids enjoyed the waterslides when the sun was out. I enjoyed a Pina Colada

We played a favorite golf course (miniature) Nutty Putty has been there since before I ever came to this town. My first trip was in 1983.

The wild life is wonderful. The locals are mostly annoyed with the deer and the tourists but soon we will all be gone and they will have their cold winter back.

One day (no one got photos) the girls and I did bumper boats. I got Lacey and she took over the steering and the spraying! Everyone was wet and laughing so much.

The family reunion was a big success and the family shirts will be a rememberance of the 2023 Roberts family reunion. It is the descendents of Pauls grandparents on his dads side. There were six children and only Uncle Bill is still with us.

And no trip to the adirondacks goes without a trip up the chair lift at McCauley Ski Mountain. Pauls nephew works at the top escorting riders off the lift and that is our best way of a short visit. The view from the top on a good day is amazing and our day was perfect.

We saw lots of family and made many new memories. This was Carrie and Lacey’s first trip, I hope they get to come again. We make it about every 5 years. Heres hoping for several more.

Niagara Falls

Monday, July 3rd, 2023

Got here Friday afternoon and just before we arrived at Four Creek SP it started to pour. By the time we got checked in and heading for our spot it stopped. We have been to this park several times and really enjoy the location and the sites are all grassy and spread out. The bummer this time because we didn’t plan is we get no electricity which shouldn’t be a problem but right behind us a family pull up and have a generator which it appears they run just to use fuel. A petpieve of mine! If you aren’t there you don’t need to run the generator. That is what the batteries are for.

Looking for something new in Niagara Falls. Found Lockport. But on the way we found a pick your own cherries. They were perfectly ripe and so many, We bought 2 lbs for $6 and ate cherries for 4 days after.

Lockport: A cute city which just happens to have Locks for the Erie Canal. Of course Paul could have spent all day. They had a tiny farmers market and a wonderful ice cream shop. 2 large scoops for $4.50! I ordered the two scoops and it was like getting a quart of ice cream! Yumm

We have to see the falls and a trip across the border just to see if the Passports still work. The weather wasnt the best but we had a nice drive thru Niagara by the Lake. Very pretty, very wealthy area right on the river.

Day two in Niagara Falls area we went to the falls, on the USA side. Beautiful State Park and you can walk right up next to the raging river just before it goes over the edge. I read in one of the brochures that most attempt have not survived. Surprise!!!

I love the drive from Lake Ontario along the river back to the falls so we spend a lot of time here. Every trip I say ”I’m going to ride the tram” It just never works out.

Our last day we headed to the river again, but closer to our RV site, the village of Youngstown is right on the River very close to Lake Ontario. Very small, quaint and a hoppin spot for lunch. We enjoyed lunch watching the boats and people.

I love the flowers hanging on posts everywhere we go outside of California. Wish the water would come more often. Most places don’t even have to water these pots as they get rain often enough during the summer months.

Statues! Another thing I am always looking for in our travels. This was in the park in Youngstown. Very discriptive.