Travel Reflections: Chateaugay Lake

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Completing the Circle

Saturday, September 1st

Happy First Birthday Sweet Antonia Rose

first experience with corn on the cob

Well it's been almost a month since my last post but I'm back on the road to complete my circle of travel around the US of A.

Mommy & Antonia visit the Franklin County Fair

To catch up:

This is how we slept 3 in Rhoda

A beautiful sunset welcomed me back to the Lake

Fran, Bev, myself, and Linda (the www's) take a ride
on the hand-made Adirondack animal carousel in
Saranac Lake, NY

This was the scene this a.m. before I left

This is where I've been for the month - mostly

This is Fish Creek State Park in the Adirondacks
where I plan to camp next summer for a week or 2

OK, so today: closed camp and drove out about 10:30, stopped for farm-grown tomatoes, strawberries, concord grapes, sweet cherries, and peaches. Refrigerator was already mostly full of NY State apples and Chateaugay cheese curds. Tastes of "home.

All the lake areas from Long Lake to Old Forge on Route 28 were FULL of people and cars for the last hurrah weekend. Lots of water activities, lots of shopping, lots of back-packers looking weary and dirty. Old Forge was so full of people and cars parked on both sides of the road that traffic just crawled through town and I felt like I should be waving from a convertible.

I had thought that by late Saturday everyone would have been where they wanted to be for the last weekend of summer but there was a steady stream of cars driving north into the Adirondacks all day.

Stopped to see niece Anna & family in Oxford, NY in their charming, old, full of character home.

Stopped in Endicott, NY to buy Spiedie marinade for Buzz & Lorraine and then on to Owego for a night in a motel as I couldn't find any campgrounds.

New Feature: I'm trying a new route to FL from upstate NY so I'm documenting it here with brief comments so I'll remember next year or for those to follow:)

Malone to Blue Mountain. - Rt. 30 S
Blue Mt. to North of Utica - Rt. 28 and at that point it becomes 28/12 (road becomes 2 lanes)
In Poland 28 & 12 split - stay on 12 all the way through Utica and to N of Binghamton (this route is
now just 1 lane but a lovely drive with rolling, green hills, farm country, well maintained, cute
small towns)
N of Binghamton, get on I-81 S for a couple of exits - get off at Rt. 17 W (the future 86)

DATA:

Mileage: 303 Gas: $89 @ $3.99 Motel: $120 (first night since I started my this 3 month

journey so I guess I can swallow this)

Friday, August 3, 2012

Excuses, Excuses, Excuses in IL, IN, OH, PA, & NY

It's August Already

Well, I do have lots of excuses for why I haven't been blogging in so long but I think they're legit:

cousins wi fi wasn't working (1 night)
cousin's reunion was in a remote area of IL with no internet and no cell (4 days)
on the road with a baby and daughter in Rhoda which meant that we ALL were in bed at the same time and even if there was internet - which there wasn't at the site - too much to get rearranged for eating and sleeping (2 nights)
many little second cousins running around and aunts and uncles to catch up with so that by bed time there was no time or energy left to post (3 nights)
and even now, I'm posting sitting at my daughter's friends house while 3 under 3 are getting acquainted and I'm being rude being on the computer but I know some of you are wondering where I am and what I've been up to

But, it's all been a blur for the last 9 days. Lots of family reunions and little sight-seeing - just Niagara Falls.

So, my sojourn is basically at an end. I should be at Chateaugay Lake by Sunday and then about 3 weeks recuperating, unpacking, repacking, catching up with friends and more family, going to the County Fair, and hopefully just chilling by the lake.

My posts will be sporadic for awhile but hopefully you'll check in with me once in awhile and hope to see some of my Solo Trekkers in "the middle" in October.