"Low bridge, everybody down"

Friday, July 15, 2011

I got to spend the afternoon with my new friend Kayla while Mom and Dad took a cruise down the Erie Canal today.  Mom and Dad said it was really interesting and a nice day for a cruise.  The canal is 363 miles long and was dug by hand, between 1817 and 1825.  They went through locks 34 and 35 and were raised (then lowered) 49 feet.  They also went under the widest bridge in the US and the upside-down railroad bridge.  They also saw 2 lift bridges - one is working and the other is raised and doesn't work any more.  The whole bridge rises straight up!

Here comes the tour boat - it had a full bar on it too -
Dad had a nice cool drink while they cruised!



This is the upside-down rail
road bridge




Approaching the first lock on the left,
and the spill way on the right.



Going inside the first lock

The pumps are on and the water is
rising

The water is almost to the
"high" water line



The lock is opening and Mom and
Dad are going into the second lock




The lock is closing behind them!



Up on top now and the double locks
are opening



Going under the widest bridge
in the US - over 300 feet wide




One of the lift bridges going up




Mom and Dad had company going down the canal




The Lockport lighthouse - only
four feet tall!!



The Erie Canal

I'm not sure, but I think Mom and Dad and I are going to drive around the wine country tomorrow, then on Sunday we will be on the road again, heading farther West!

Water, water everywhere!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Today Mom and Dad went to Niagara Falls, and I got to stay at camp with my new friend Kayla.  She took me all over the place and when Mom and Dad came home, they had to pick me up at the playground because I was playing with all the kids!  When I got home, I drank a bunch of water then crashed - boy am I ever pooped!  Those kids can wear you out!

Anyway, Mom and Dad got this all day pass to go all around at Niagara Falls and they said they had a really good time.  Mom said she took three showers today and two of them with her clothes on!  They went on a boat that went right up to Niagara Falls and then they went to Cave of the Winds where they were able to walk right up to American Falls.  They got soaked at both places.  Dad said it wasn't too bad because it cooled him off.  At Cave of the Winds, Mom and Dad had to take off their shoes, and put on special sandals so they wouldn't slip and fall.  Mom thought they were very fashionable - and they got to keep them!

After all of that, Mom and Dad took the trolley back to where they parked and went through the Aquarium.  Mom said it wasn't much, but she is spoiled because of the Atlanta Aquarium.


American Falls in foreground -
Niagara Falls in background





American Falls from the bottom




American Falls on the left - Bridal Vail Falls on the right




Fashionable foot wear!
Nice tan Mom!




I don't think Mom can see!!




Niagara Falls up close!




At the bottom of American Falls




Rainbow in the mist



Tour boat going by American Falls

Close to Niagara Falls and the Erie Canal

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Well, here we are.  We are camped at Niagara County Camping Resort in Lockport, NY - just a little ways East of Buffalo, NY.  It's pretty warm, but the humidity is going down.  There is a cold front coming tomorrow, and it's supposed to go down to 75 degrees!  We have an OK camp site, nice and shady, but it is really dry here, so there's a lot of dust when people drive by.  The lady in the office was real nice and gave Mom a lot of tips about going to the Falls and the Erie Canal.  She also told Mom where to by her Rum!  On the way to the "Rum" store, we saw the Erie Canal....

It didn't take us as long to get here today because Mom made Dad stay on the main road instead of taking all of the detours he took yesterday.  I'm not sure what the schedule is, but we are here for 4 nights, so I'm sure we will be doing lots of stuff.


Mom snapped this picture real quick as we drove
along - a lot of houses are built this way, with cobble stones!

We're back in New York!

Monday, July 11, 2011

We took off this morning and headed to New York.  We saw some really interesting things on the way, because Dad takes the back roads and not the freeway.  The first thing was the ride on the ferry from Vermont to New York - that only takes about 20 minutes total.

Waiting for the next ferry to dock on the right.




We were the first ones on, so we will be the first one off
when we dock!
















Then as we drove along, we came across a place called Au Sable Gorge - boy oh boy - was that ever a deep hole in the ground.  It was really pretty where the water goes through the turbines to make electricity.



Au Sable Gorge!

And finally, we went by Lake Placid where the USA hosted the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics.  All we could really see was where the ski jumps were.



Here we are in Lake Placid




The top of the ski jumps



Ski runs in the White Mountains















We are camped at a place called Sackets Harbor, NY, which is right on Lake Ontario - my first Great Lake!

My first sniff of Lake Ontario - this was the only picture Mom could get - it started to rain!

Tomorrow we are headed to Buffalo, NY and Niagara Falls.  We will be spending a few days there, and then we will be off again.

Sunday afternoon ride.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

We went for a little Sunday afternoon ride to the North end of Grand Island today.  We didn't see too much - corn fields, cows, more of the lake and a lot of fishermen, and Mom found the Saint Anne Shrine on the map.  It was a really nice park on the North end of the island and she took a few pictures.

Tomorrow we are moving on into New York heading towards Buffalo.  Dad said we will be there in a few days.  I guess there is a really BIG waterfall there to see.



A statue of Saint Ann



This is one of my camping buddies!



Day trip!

Friday, July 8, 2011

First thing I need to tell you - if you read yesterday's blog, we said we would load the "Bug Tent" picture later - well, it's later and the picture loaded.  Scroll down and take a look!

We took a day trip today to the Capitol of Vermont - Montpelier.  Then on the way home we went through Smugglers' Notch Pass, and that road went right by Ben and Jerry's Factory, so of course, we had to stop and see how they make that ice cream!  They start out with black and white cows.  Once they get the moo juice, they add sugar and eggs and then all the different flavors.  YUM - was that ever good! Then we stopped at Jeffersonville and Mom and Dad had lunch which was really good because Mom had a French Dip and they ate outside, which means the I got to sit with them and I got little bites as lunch progressed!  Some people seem to think I'm spoiled!  I'm not sure I know what that means, but I'm OK with it!

This road also goes to Stowe, VT, which is a famous ski hill.  It's really pretty here - it sure is GREEN - still.

As we drove the causeway back to the Island, Mom counted 8 nests of Ospreys and it looked like everybody was home and taking care of the "kids".


The causeway leaving the island this morning - sure is
calm today.





A pair of Ospreys tending their nest (darned power lines).




Vermont's capital building




Ben and Jerry's - YUUMMMM!



Part of the ski hill at Stowe





Waterfall with tiger lilies in the foreground

I'm not sure what Dad is in mind tomorrow, so I will let you all know when I know!

OH, and I forgot to wish my friend Neal a very Happy Birthday the other day on July 6th - sorry Neal, but we didn't post that day so, here it is now -

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NEAL!

(We know where you are the next few days and we hope you and everybody else have a good time.)

Lazy summer day....

Thursday, July 7, 2011

We haven't been doing much since we got here - just resting up and waiting for the mail - which came today.  The weather really cooperated today!  I got to work on my tummy freckles, and Mom even sat in the sun for a while today - she hasn't done that for a LONG time, and Dad just sat and read a book.  We have been able to eat out side for the last two nights too.  We all went to Wal Mart the other day and while Mom got her hair cut, Dad went shopping and bought me this really cool "Bug Tent".  It was funny watching Mom and Dad put this thing together - they finally looked at the directions and got it done.  Mom and I sat in it this afternoon - well, really, I slept and Mom worked on the second 8K afghan.

Mom has helped me update all the stats, and we put Vermont on my map, too.

Mom said we will have to put the picture of the bug tent up later - it's taking WAY TOO LONG!

We got it loaded!!!!

This is my new "Bug Tent".
It works pretty good and I get to be off my leash when I go
inside!

Back in the USA!

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Yesterday, while all of our US friends celebrated the 4th of July, we were on the road getting closer to the border.  We stayed at a real nice campground in a town called Magog, QC.  We were only about 30 miles from the border, but they weren't about to give up the French language.  Luckly, a guy at the camp office spoke English and Mom got us registered.  Mom and Dad went to dinner at the campground, and I got really sad and lonely and started to howl, so Mom and Dad got in trouble - and then I got in trouble.  But everything turned out OK, because Mom and Dad came back to the camp site and I was happy!

This morning, it took us less than an hour to get to the border, and, all those horror stories you hear about crossing the border, DIDN'T happen to us (Dad said we didn't fit the profile)!  Mom and Dad were really surprised that we breezed through as fast as we did.  The border officer looked at our license plate from Nevada and asked us if we were lost and Mom and Dad both said yes!  Dad handed him their passports and my vet certificate and a list of where we had been for the last three weeks (Mom printed off her log of cities and campgrounds) and the officer asked Dad a few questions and then handed everything back and told us to have a nice day!

After driving almost all the way across the state, we got to our new campsite a little after noon.  So, we had lunch and then we went to New York (just a short ferry ride away) and Mom got "Annie" (the Droid phone) reprogrammed.  Boy is she ever happy to have Annie back!  Now we have the GPS again and the data plan back so she can look things up as we drive down the road.  Mom told Dad that she feels whole again!  (She depends way too much on that silly phone when we are driving!)  Mom and Dad went grocery shopping and bought out the store.  Mom said she had put off buying a bundh of stuff because of the prices - chicken breasts were $7.99 per pound in Canada - here they were $1.99!!

We are staying at a place in South Hope, Vermont (now I get to add another state to my map!), and we will be her until at least next Monday.  Mom and Dad are waiting for the mail to catch up with us - Mom has prescriptions coming.  The campground is called Apple Island Resort and it really is on an island in the middle of Lake Champlain on the border between Vermont and New York.  It is very pretty here - very GREEN still, and the bugs aren't too bad (but, Mom did get a nasty bite on her left arm in the middle of the night last night - the jury is still out on what bit her).

Mom took a few pictures the last couple of days as we drove, so here they are.



You have to be careful in Canada because the signs colide
with each other!!!




I need a better pillow!




Old Canadian stone farmhouse.



THE border crossing!



WE MADE IT!!!!
(Even if it is a little crooked)



We will be exploring the island and parts of Vermont and maybe New York and will keep you "posted".

Until later.........



Almost there....

Monday, July 4, 2011

HAPPY JULY 4TH TO EVERYBODY!!



Unfortunately, we are still in Canada, but we are only about 30 miles from the border, and will be crossing first thing in the morning.  Mom and Dad have been getting everything ready, so hopefully we will breeze right through (keep your fingers crossed).

We had a good time in Canada and saw a lot of very interesting sites, but it will be nice to get back over the border and get back to English again.  Mom will be able to get her GPS back on the phone, and the highway signs will be more understandable.  Mom and Dad have to admit that they have learned a little more French than they ever knew before.

We will be camping in Vermont when we get across the border and will be staying until we can get our mail.  The Postal strike ended while we were in Canada - they were out for one month!  The government made them go back to work, so they weren't very happy about that.  The news said it would take over a month to clear the backlog because they are not allowed to work overtime!

again....

HAPPY JULY 4TH TO EVERYBODY!!

Fun was had by ALL!

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Boy, what a fun day today!  First of all, Mom and Dad took me to doggie day care!  I got to play ALL DAY with some new Canadian friends - and take a look at this place!

The Doggie Day Care Mansion!

How about that for a doggie day care!  I had a lot of fun - the people here are real nice (and bi-lingual) and they had a lot of new friends for me to play with!  This was only about a mile away from our campsite.  I think I told you the other day that the name of this place was Le Manoir des Majestes.  Pretty cool, eh!

While I was playing all day, Mom and Dad took a tour of Quebec City.  They said they had a really good time, too.  Mom and Dad were the first ones picked up (at the camp site), so the driver had to go around and pick up other people too, and Mom and Dad got to see more of the city.  The first place they went was the walled part of the city.  Mom said this was really neat, but very old, crowded and the streets are very narrow.  This is the oldest part of the city.  Mom said some of the pictures look a little strange because she had to take them out of the window of the tour bus, but you should get the idea, and, she was really busy - over 200 pictures - so, get ready - this is a LONG post!

One of the gates to the old part of Quebec City - notice
the horse drawn carriage on the left.



Narrow crowded street




Street side restaurant



Parliament building





Planters down the middle of the street




Another crowded narrow street (no
cars allowed here).  Notice the
cable car at the top of the picture




Mime working on the street next to
a church - imagine.




Oops!  He changed position!




















This is what the houses looked
like in the olden days






You can buy almost anything here!




WHOA! What are we selling here?
Mom said Dad noticed this right away!




Mural painted on the side of
a building - WOW!



More of those narrow streets to go
shopping in!

Mom said she really liked this part of the City - you can shop a little, then stop and eat and drink a little, then shop a little.....(you get the idea).

And that was just the morning tour - now it's time for lunch.  Mom and Dad got the tour that included lunch, so the driver dropped them off at an Italian Bistro called Portofino.  They had minestrone soup, pizza and salad, and custard (flan) for desert.  Mom even choked down a glass of red wine - in the middle of the day!  They said it was really good, but they didn't save any for me!



The street side Bistro where Mom and Dad had lunch















OK, now for the afternoon part of the tour - this was a tour of the countryside, so Mom and Dad got to see some of the city, then after lunch they were taken out to the countryside to see some of that.



Typical country home - steep roof because of the snow.



A real Chocolaterie - too bad Mom and
Dad ate too much at lunch!



The St. Lawrence river - 800 miles from the ocean and they
have up to 15 foot fresh water tides!



Farm land (oops - ignore the reflection in the sky).



Montmorency Falls - 1 1/2 times taller
than Niagara Falls - look at the
people on the bridge above the falls!




There is a stair case on the ridge of the hill
in the foreground - on the left of the hill.




Copper art at Albert Gilles museum
and boutique




EVERY PIECE is done by hand - nothing cast,
nothing poured!  Family business of 4 generations!




Quick sample of how they do each piece.




Chez Marie (Marie's house) 350 year old home,
bakery and crafts - the family still lives here -
passed down for 8 generations.



This is the oven where ALL the
bread is made.

Dad is at the left sampling home made bread with maple
butter - YUMM!  Everything is made here including
all kinds of maple products - syrup, maple butter, candy,
jelly, etc

Ste-Anne-de-Beaupre Church



Copper doors done by Albert Gilles
from the above pictures




Inside the church



Inside the chapel - all the tile work is done by hand
and nothing is any bigger than an inch

The steeples are enormous!

The front of the church



The steeples you can't see in the picture at the left.















And that was the end of the day!  WHEW!  We were all in bed by 9:00 PM!