Category: Uncategorized

Niagara Falls Canada

28 May 2018

What a glorious day for Niagara Falls. It was 30C (86F) but down near the falls the temperature dropped as the spray made it much cooler on the boulevarde.

Video of Niagara Falls

The last time I was here in 2010 it was winter and very different.

I much prefer the warmer weather Niagara Falls.

Today I was fortunate to experience Memorial Day celebrations and the Falls were lit up in red white and blue. There were magnificent fireworks which were so loud because they boomed and echoed around the Falls. Brilliant!!

Video of Niagara Falls at night.

And there was a full moon as well!!

Kitchener Ontario Canada

27 May 2018

The last 2 days I spent with my cousin’s partner, Maria Luisa, who is from Colombia.

After a hard work week Maria Luisa switched into party mode and invited her fellow country women Joanna and Luisa over for dinner.

Unwinding required some Tequila lick, sip, suck which I have not done for 30 years.

These Colombian ladies know how to have fun and I even got to dance salsa!!!

Thank you to all, especially Maria Luisa for your hospitality and love.

Toronto Canada

25 May 2018

Toronto has a population of almost 6M people and they have as much traffic as some of the large USA cities. More than Boston and several accidents so I decided to take the Greyhound in from Kitchener, where I am staying with my cousin’s partner Maria Luisa. So glad I did. I walked 27,000 steps and it would have been difficult facing a 2 hour drive after that.

Met up with my cruise son, Grant, from my Transatlantic cruise.

I did the free walking tour with Tour Guys.

I relaxed at Queen Quay Park and watched the planes coming in to land at the airport over the harbour. It made me feel like I was home.

Napanee Ontario Canada

24 May 2018
I took a detour from the USA roadtrip as I was going to drive through two states I had already crossed, Pensylvannia and Ohio. Instead I decided to drive parallel through Canada. After Kingston yesterday, I spent the night in Napanee.
This morning I enjoyed the Napanee River walk and cascades.

I realise the lushness of all these North American places is what transforms after all the snow.

I spotted water snakes, a cute family of ducks with their ducklings and turtles sunning themselves.

Crossing from New York State to Ontario Canada

23 May 2018

I left Tupper Lake NY for Canada to visit my great aunt, cousin and friends. The GPS took me on a fun route including an unexpected ferry ride to Wolfe Island.

I didn’t realise I was crossing to an island until I got to the Canadian border check where the officer informed me the only way off was to get another ferry to Kingston Canada or go back to New York USA. My plan was to go to Kingston I just didn’t realise that entailed 2 ferry trips.
I can’t think what the border officer thought of me driving without knowing where I was going. Although most of this trip I start off with a destination but end up somewhere else.

I met these quirky women dressed in red hats and purple clothing. I asked if I could get a photo for my blog and they said people would think they were crazy. I told them that my friends would say that we are a good fit and I believe “your vibe attracts your tribe”. The Red Hat Society is a worldwide playgroup for women over 50, currently with membership in 30 countries. Audrey, Noreen, Frances and Helen are Kingston Ontario Canada Red Hat Society ladies and they were certainly fun.

On the second ferry trip, the 20 minute voyage was free!!

I explored Kingston Ontario Canada and it is an easy city to walk around. Parking is $CAD1.50 an hour so quite reasonable.

Walking around I loved the aromas coming out of the restaurants, so different to the smell of USA fried food.

On my walk I found the Martello Alley which lures you in to explore the quirky art. David, the gallery owner, is responsible for brightening up this alley which is the only art alley in the province of Ontario.

The gallery is also a co-op for local artists. When in Kingston pop in and say hi to David and meet the inhouse artists.

Upstate New York

22 May 2018

I wish you could see the scenery through my eyes. I drove from Pittsfield Vermont (VT) to Upstate New York (NY) through the Adirondack Mountain Range. Think of all the movie scenes set on lakes or rivers you have enjoyed like “On Golden Pond”, “Not Without My Daughter” or the advertisements for Canada.

Lakes, white water, stillwater rivers, trees of all shades of green, it just keeps changing and even in the rain it looks stunning.

Ticonderoga NY

I pulled over and sat and enjoyed looking at this for 10 minutes. I still haven’t seen any bears or moose.

The view from my room at the Sunset Park Motel in Tupper Lake NY. An inexpensive but clean and warm room with a million dollar view.

The site for the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics, Lake Placid NY.

Imagine this area covered in snow!!

North Hudson NY Town Court House

American Legion Building in Ticonderoga NY

For Star Trek fans. Set site Ticonderoga NY.

I saw a sign for a ferry from Vermont to New York and after checking it out decided, why not. It saved me about 45 minutes but I did it for the fun.

Ferry crossing Vermont to New York.

Crossing three borders Maine/New Hampshire/Vermont

21 May 2018

This morning I left Kennebunkport with the goal of reaching Vermont. I had no idea where I would stop but I put the town Sharon into the GPS so I had some direction. I am in awe of this countryside. The different types of trees with lots of shades of green and a smattering of purple and orange up the high mountains, the running rivers with whitewater rapids or like this spot in Alton Bay, New Hampshire just stunning.

House in Laconia New Hampshire

House in Lebanon New Hampshire

Across the border to Vermont.

More places in this area with the USA flag.

The Original General Store Pittsfield

I decided to stay in a hotel called the Clear River Inn and Tavern in Pittsfield Vermont which has a lovely running river out the back.

River at the back of Clear Tavern

Pittsfield has a population of 560 and I met almost 10% of them tonight at the Tavern attached to the hotel. I learned that Vermont is one of the states which allows people to carry firearms around but they choose not to. As one local said “we don’t have to prove anything “. I asked about bears and I have my hopes high that this is the place I will get to see one.

The locals advised me to be careful driving to watch out for moose. I asked one local what the plural of moose was and he said “more than one”. I like their humour.

If you get a chance to visit this area, this is a very beautiful place and these are real people of the USA. Pittsfield is also a very popular skiing place in winter. Those who know me can tell you this would not be a place for me in winter. Right now, it is stunning.

I enjoyed meeting the locals Whalen, Rob, Rob, Tim, Ralph and Jack and thank them for their hospitality and Juliette for taking the photo.

Grove Park Inn Asheville North Carolina

Update from 4 May 2018

When I was in North Carolina I visited the Grove Park Inn. I have a post about this on 4 May 2018. After I got my photo taken next to the huge fireplace,

A group of women assembled themselves in the chairs in front of the fireplace to have a photo with their husbands standing behind them. I cheekily jumped in and photobombed.

The ladies all attended Cazenovia College in Upstate New York and this was their 46th year reunion. One of the ladies, Chris, from Encinitas California sent me the evidence.

Thank you all for being such great sports.

New Hampshire and Maine

20 May 2018

I will start with the last thing which happened today which is a highlight of my trip. Not every day you get to see a USA President close up.

I was in Kennebunkport, Maine enjoying this pretty seaside town.

I went to see the Wedding Cake House.

Just as I was about to leave I noticed many people with the USA flag as if getting ready for a parade. I did not know that Kennebunkport is the location of the summer home of US President George Bush. He was coming home from hospital and there were news crews and lots of people to welcome home George Bush.

Thank you to a local, Janet who told me about what to expect.

I captured the motorcade. President Bush was in the first vehicle and the back windows were open so that everyone could see him. I unfortunately only filmed the vehicles and as I am not a professional with Presidential processes and I did not think to follow the first car. Who would have thought he would be in the first vehicle! Perhaps you might see the window was open at least. I saw him but the car moved too far down the road for me to capture it on film. But there are pretty flashing lights on his car.

Motorcade

Janet then told me where the President lives and so I drove over to the house and got these pics.

This is the lovely view from the other side of the peninsula of his home.

Well that was how I ended the day.

It started with three (3) bridges of Portsmouth New Hampshire. Another seaside town in New England.

This tree was planted after William Whipple signed the Declaration of Independence.

Four (4) tugs ready for work.

Then I visited Ogunquit, Maine which is a very pretty beachside village. Some of these places are so frustrating to take photos as there is nowhere to pull over on the side of the road and the parking lots charge a flat fee of $US15. It was also raining. So this wikipost will have to do.

Ogunquit, Maine.

A couple more photos of Kennebunkport, Maine. This is a vacant block which you need to look closely, it has many birdhouses.

It is quite an elite block for birds when perhaps a house like this would fit on the block. This is a Kennebunkdepot house.

This would not fit on the block.

Well I have now completed my goal of the East Coast states. My stay at The Lodge at Kennebunk was very comfortable. It is the cleanest best value hotel I have stayed at on my trip so far. The staff are very friendly and I highly recommend. Even my friend who is a 5 star snob would enjoy a stay here.

Now to visit the remaining 19 states.

Boston and Salem Massachusetts

19 May 2018

Rainy and cold, 8C (46F) but won’t stop my day of adventure. I met an ex work colleague from Sydney who now works at Boston University, Craig Slater and he kindly showed me around Boston. Thank you Craig for the lovely day.

That’s Boston in the background from the MIT (Massachusetts Institue of Technology). I wish someone at MIT could do something about the phone reception in this country.

I wasn’t kidding about rainy and cold but there were some committed people out sailing.

Visited MIT.

Went to Harvard

Rubbed the foot of the Harvard founder, John Harvard, which people think is a Harvard tradition, and isn’t, but I wanted to rub anyway.

Preparation for the Harvard Graduation has commenced. I hope the weather is better for the event than today.

Boston Tea Party meetings were held here.

Declaration of Independence announced here.

Learned about the Boston Massacre.

I love the subway busking. Sorry it is a bit shaky but the train ride gets rough and I appreciate how difficult it is for these performers to do this without hurting themselves.Subway buskers video Boston

Then drove 30 minutes to Salem for a Hocus Pocus tour and information on the Salem Witch Trials.

In 1692, 20 people wrongly accused of being witches, 19 hung (14 were women) and 1 pressed.

This is a memorial for the 20 wrongly executed.

A controversial statue of Elizabeth Montgomery, the TV witch, riding a broom, was donated by the TV show and stands in the site of where the witch hangings were carried out.

The town has several witch museums and stores with quirky shopfronts.