Back from Niagara

[DonnaT]

Well, we're back from Niagara. We had a good time, despite my having to do a lot of walking on a sore foot.

As some may remember, I mentioned looking at cars and possibly getting the SUV my wife liked. Well, the deed was done a couple of weeks ago, so we drove it up to Canada.

It came equipped with a Navigation system, which neither of us were too familiar with all the settings and filters one can apply when navigating the highways.

Anyway, we keyed in our destination when we took off around 2AM Thursday Night/Friday morning. It gave me the same route as when checking on Google, but I wanted to see what it would do if I went across PA instead of following the Interstates around to Pittsburgh, then up to Niagara. So, at Frederick MD I took Route 15 up towards Gettysburg, and northward.

My wife has a Nav system on her cell phone, and when we used that (not on this trip however), it would recalculate our route, and give us a new one. The one in the car kept trying to get me to turn around and take the original route.

So I turned it off, knowing where I was headed anyway.

Well, after a while, when we stopped in Harrisburg, PA, my wife turned it back on to see what kind of new route we'd get from our current position. However, one of the route filters allows one to select certain types of roads you are willing to take. Somehow we turned one of these off, which is for main highways.

Talk about some backwoods roads, and passing hunting camps! Good thing I'm used to them, being from WV. Nice color in the fall leaves though, once it became daylight. The only thing I worried about was running out of gas in the middle of nowhere. We finally came across a nice little town, Galeton, PA, with one station.

I guess when one gets a new toy, one should read the instructions before winging it.

Still not realizing the one route filter was off, it took me through some city streets in Buffalo, before heading me to the border crossing. Once in Canada, it had me going in country, then I figured out what was wrong. Reset the routes, and finally got to the Blue Moon Motel in Niagara Falls around 10:30 am.

So, about 8.5 hours with stops and miss directions. On the way home yesterday we stated to the main Interstates which took us west, near Pittsburgh, before heading east again. Driving the Interstates allowed me to get up to 80 mph at times. We left at 9AM and got to Northern Virginia, during rush hour, around 5:30 PM, but still not home yet.

Meaning, the trip up was faster.

Our welcome home was a mess, as there was a fatal truck accident on I95 that had traffic in gridlock for hours. So, instead of heading home, we went to our daughter's place for dinner, and gave her a bottle of icewine we picked up at Chateau des Charmes, http://www.chateaudescharmes.com/the_wi ... wines.html

We were going to give it to her on her birthday in a few days, but it seemed a good time.

More to come.

[DonnaT]

Crossing into Canada, we only needed to show our driver's licenses, but coming back, we had to show proof of citizenship.

The first day, after checking in at the motel, we drove down to the falls, and decided to stop and check out the falls, and take pictures. I'll have to take time to check out how well they came out later. My still/video camera has a 30X digital zoom, so I got some good close-ups, I hope.

Then we took in some of the goings on in Clifton Hills. Rode the Sky Wheel, and then went back to the falls across from the American Falls to watch the season's last fireworks show, up close.

The next day we drove out to visit some wineries at Niagara-on-the-Lake and do a little shopping. At the winery Chatea ds Charmes, we took the $5 tour during which we sampled three of their wines. Then, after the tour, we sampled a few more wines. It's the first time I ever hear of Icewine, and we sampled the 2004 Vidal Icewine. Mmmmmm.

The other winery where we stopped and sampled was the Reif Estates Winery, http://www.reifwinery.com/ . They had some real nice Icewine as well. Not much different, but not as good as des Charmes', in my not even close to an expert opinion. That evening we had supper at Carpaccio's, and a little more wine.

[DonnaT]

The next day, Sunday, we decided to visit the falls from the American side. Crossing through customs was slow, both ways.

Our first stop was a trip on the Maid of the Mist. We got a spot right at the front of the bow. And did we get wet! Even with the ponchos they handed out.

We then took a walk down to Cave of the Winds, and got even wetter, but got some good shots of the Ameican falls from real close up. Getting even wetter. http://www.niagarafallslive.com/cave_of_the_winds.htm

After all this water, my camera decided it was too wet, so stopped working for a little while, as we were taking more pictures from above the falls. As I was off trying to get it to work, my wife came up and told me of a CD walking around the area. She described her as wearing a blond wig, cami top, bikini bottms and panyhose, while walking around barefooted. I never did catch site of her.

Later that evening my wife wanted sea food for supper/diner, so we decided to try a place in St. Catherines. Keyed it into the Nav system and took off. We found it easy enough, but unlike Niagra Falls, this restaurant was not open late. We ended up eating at Mick&Angelos back in Niagara. Great place to eat.

[Tekla]

I'm a sucker for a waterfall, and that looks nice, I was there as a kid and still remember it.

As for the Nav system they are pretty good, but perhaps too good. I've been working with Jethro Tull (yes, he is still alive, and Martin still plays a great guitar) and the driver of the truck used his to get from Chico to Santa Rosa. It took him up over the mountains on a road that is not exactly 53' semi friendly. I told the tour bus driver to take the other way (I was not looking forward to being pitched about in my bus bunk all night) and we made it there first, with a smooth ride.

Me, I still trust to maps. But I bet it was pretty with all the fall colors and all.

[KimberlyS]

Sounds like you had a good trip. If I am not in a hurry I like the back roads also. But sounds like you even hit some foot paths. I have been on some of those and even around here also. But it is not good when the road stops or comes to some bridge that looks like it is about to fall apart.

Glad you had a safe trip.

[DonnaT]

On Thanksgiving day (in Canada), we drove up to Toronto.

My wife collects Hard Rock Cafe pins from different cities, and we had already been to the two (Canada and NY) in Niagara. Arriving in Toronto, I pulled onto Yonge St. We then keyed in a search for the cafe into the Nav system. It just so happened that it was on Yonge St, only 0.9 ths of a mile from where we were stopped.

Across from the Hard Rock is a large shopping mall, called the Toronto Eaton Centre. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Eaton_Centre

So, we did a lot of walking around and some shopping in there. We didn't try to walk the whole thing, but came close, I think.

Tuesday we took in the Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara, and did some more sight seeing.

Then, took most of what was left of our remaining Canadian currency and gambled it away at the Niagara Casino.

[Tekla]

I would have kept the Canada money, these days its worth more than our own for the first time in history.

[DonnaT]

I did keep a few coins.

When we got there the exchange was almost 1:1, thus there was no need to do a currency exchange, and pay a fee for that. So we spent mostly our currency, getting Canadian back in change. Used this change mostly on Tuesday, as it was worth more than our own by then.

[Tekla]

That should really give you pause, time was U.S. Dollars were 1.5 to the Loonies. Its even worse for the Euro.

[Absaroka]

It sounds like a nice trip. Personally I like maps. It's been a bit of a bone of contention with my wife who just uses map quest before the trip, while I maintain that if you make one wrong turn the mapquest becomes useless. But at age 53 she still hasn't learned to read a map and I guess she isn't going to. I think it has something to do with how the brain is wired.

The backroads can be not only pretty but interesting. But it is discouraging when the road stops before you get there. I've only had that happen a couple of times.

Speakng of directions, I've read that some people just don't seem to be able to get lost. They seem to have a part of the brain that just knows where they are, similar to some animals but not as developed as homing pigeons.

Absaroka

[Tekla]

I've only been lost once in my life, and I was - well, flying pretty high that night. I always know which way north, south, east, west is. I don't know how, but its there. Comes in hand when I backpack.

[DonnaT]

I used to teach map reading while in the army. Learned when I was little, taught by my dad. So, I prefer maps also.

I guess I'm one of people that seem to know where they are going, even in the dark. I frustrated a Lt. in the army when I was able to ambush his unit over and over again, no matter where they went.

But, now that I'm older and not as healthy, it's not as easy as it use to be.

[Tekla]

I guess the nav systems are pretty sophisticated , but you have to know the terrain also. The shortest route - in miles - may not be the fastest route, or the easiest to drive as the semi driver found out. I guess in the end you still have to know where you are going.

I do a thing called Geocaching, in which you use a GPS to do treasure hunts by GPS location. Though i still use my B.S.A. Silva compass and a topo map, using the GPS only to confirm and to register where I put things. My friends are very high tech, and they have U.S.G.S topos downloaded and really expensive GPSs, and there I am with a 7.5 minute quad paper map and a $20 compass and I'm as fast and as accurate as they are. Then again I've been hiking the City and mountains around here for 35+ years, so I know a lot of the coordinates by heart.

for map freaks....

http://www.topozone.com
http://topomaps.usgs.gov

[DeniseL]

Hi Donna:

Glad you had a good trip, to Niagara Falls and ares, and did not get lost too much.
As we all Know, Niagara Falls is one of the 7 wonders of the world, and it attracts thousands of visitors annually. You went at a good time to get away from all the school kids, off on summer vacation.

Even though I lived in St. Catharines and the Niagara area for a couple of years, I can still get turned around there pretty quick. Hope you did not get lost much LOL
The big thing for me is the Lake. I am so used to Lake Ontario being on the south of me, that when i get to St. Catharines am on the south side of the Lake, so when i am going south, i am going North, and when I am going North I am going south.
As soon as I get to Lewiston NY I am fine, as I know that NY state is on the southside of the lake.
It is interesting to see the comment about the exchange rate on the $$$$$. I was looking at some credit card invoices from about 5 years ago, when iwas in the states, and 1 USD cost me 1.61 Cdn so my trip south this year will be a lot more reasonable for me for a change,

As for GPS, guess I am still old fashioned, and like the good old road maps. That way, If i decide to change my trip plans on the go, have the maps and can go where i like especially to see something interesting.

Denise

[Virginia]

Hey Girlfriend,
Sorry I missed you at the falls! I know I should not be running around barefoot, but I had gotten my pumps wet and they were drying out and my nails were dry anyway, so barefoot it was.

As for your GPS and travel --Harrisburg??? Wrong end of the state, well almost! Rt. 15 will take you up through Williamsport and Mansfield and Painted Post, N.Y. then over to Bath and part of the finger lakes which is also a beautiful area.

Anyway we are glad you are back home with us and that you had a good time! Do we need to ask Did Donna have a good time also, or did you leave her at home!? Just curious!

We need to talk about Fielden's on the 7th of December! Rack 'em! SL wants revenge I think!

Love ya,

Virginia