Upstate NY & The Adirondacks

City Park in Pigeon Forge NY.

Well, I'm back in Washington State after five months on the road and so far behind on updating this blog that I seriously thought about giving it up. This blogsite has turned into a personal journal for me so I'm going to try and catch up so I'll have the journal with pictures down the road.  After the Novi, Michigan show Tiffany was going to be with me for about a week while we headed towards Syracuse, NY.  After Syracuse I'd be back on my own and planned to head up into the Adirondacks.  We worked our way east hugging the shoreline of Lake Erie and Ontario.

  Tiffany needed to stop and do some work one afternoon so I found her an office with a view along Lake Erie.  After a long walk with Petey, I broke out the drone. Kind of tough to see in the picture but note the wind turbine in the background missing a blade.  A lighting strike had taken if off just a few days prior.  You can also tell how early in the season it is due to the lack of boats in the Marina.   A local who has a slip in the  marina told me that getting a parking space out on the jetty or a slip in the marina is next to impossible during the summer months.

 Couple of teenagers taking in the view.

Little guys coming through camp one evening.

 Prior to the next show we opted to head a little north and check out Niagra Falls. Tiffany had been before but it was a first for me.  Glad I went and although it's pretty, it's surrounded by tourist junk.  Huge hotels, resturants, and trinket shops are everywhere.  The towns on both sides of the border are right up on the river.  You don't get much of a natural feel to the place. Glad I went but most likely it will be my last visit.

While cruising along a backroad one afternoon we came by this Monastery and when I spotted the Nun mowing I did a U-turn as I'd never seen a landscaping Nun before. She noted me taking the photo and started wagging her finger at me.  I exited the rig, with a $20 spot that Tiffany had given me to donate, and talked with the Sister.  She was really nice and told me the Lord's work comes in many forms. That $20 disappeared under her habit...... pronto.  I told Tiffany she was going to go on a bender with that $20 and that it'd never see the collection plate. Not that I blamed her.  Hot as she was in all that garb you know damn well she saw that $20 as beer money.  The Monastery grounds were huge.  As big as those grounds were, the good lord may pay us another visit before she finishes.

After the show and dropping Tiffany off at the airport in Syracuse, the next stop was the Adirondack Mountains in New York.  Beautiful area that I hope to get back to as I ended up staying in the southern part for an entire week and really didn't get to see it all.  While in Pigeon Forge at the Library one day I met a woman who offered to let me leave the trailer at her place.   Even offered up a little cottage she had on the lake.  Took her up on the trailer offer but passed on the cottage as I wanted to get out, explore and camp.  Pigeon Forge is a great little town with  lots of charm surrounded by lakes along with the Moose River.

Broke out the RadPower bike to do some exploring in the area.  I recently purchased this bike for this trip and have been really pleased with.  It is well built and really allows one to really explore an area away from camp.  With some peddling and battery usage it's possible to do a 30-40 mile loop with no problem.  I did have a little problem with the power controller but the RadPower customer
support was excellent and sent me the necessary part.  Problem solved and I was back to riding.  I would highly recommend their product. 

The Adirondacks is covered in lakes.  Many of the larger ones have some sort of cruise you can go out on.  Big kayaking area as with numerous portages which allow you to link many of the lakes.

While in Pigeon Forge I rented a canoe.  Staged the Chinook and then hired an outfitter to take us up river to a put in on the Moose River.   Ended up floating about 10 miles and then hid the canoe up in the brush.  Outfitter came back later that evening and picked up the canoe.  Didn't see another party the entire trip. Saw one black bear but Petey ruined any chances of a decent picture.  Bear was feeding in a field of flowers right along the bank but of course once Petey spotted it and started sounding off that was the end of that.  Would have been a great picture.  Petey does have his faults.

 Petey on the Moose River.

Drone shot on the Moose River.

Another drone shot of the river.

Local theatre in Pigeon Forge.  Love little towns like this with the theatre on main street where you have to step over the local dog to get in, popcorn to go and ticket price is actually cheap.  Coffee shop in town also had a huge dog that laid right at the front door.  Had to get over or around him as well.

 Camp visitor.

Petey on Raquette Lake in the Adirondacks.

 While leaving camp early one morning came across this old bike as the fog rolled in off the lake.  Old cabin nearby but it was just sitting there along a dirt road.  Both tires flat so not sure why it was just sitting there.  Thought it made for a good picture.

Northwoods and the coast of Maine upcoming.........