Another Adventure has Come to an End

We are home now after 23 days traveling around and on the Finger Lakes.  We are very thankful that the Lamberts and the Browns joined us for this adventure.  They are very special friends who share our Christian beliefs and our social & political views.  Besides that, we laugh a lot together! When we are not out exploring waterfalls or tasting beers, wines, and liquors, and such, we are often hanging out together playing corn hole or Mexican Train Dominoes or sharing a meal together. Other times the guys are helping each other work on the motorhomes while the ladies read.  All are headed home now, with Neil & Kat being the furthest from home near Charleston, SC.  In just 3 short months we will all meet up again in the Keys.

The Carousels near Binghamton, NY

There are 6 carousels located in 6 different parks near or in Binghamton, all donated by the same man, a shoe manufacturer in the area. Ellicott-Johnson Co was a big industry in the area in the 1900s. Mr George Johnson donated the carousels to the parks in the 1920's and 1930's with the stipulation that they be free to the public. Sadly, they only operate from June to Labor Day, so when we got there they were closed down.  We still had fun finding them and looking at them through windows and fences.

Chenango Valley State Park

This is our last stop before heading toward home on Sunday.  We are mostly out of the Finger Lakes, near Binghamton, NY.  The reason for staying at this location is because I want to see the 6 historic carousels that are located in 6 different parks in the area.  Hopefully we will see some other sights as well but the carousels were the draw for me. Since I planned this trip for the group, I got to put that on the schedule. We are all settling in at our sites now. 

Dinner in Skaneateles

Last night we all decided to drive up to Skaneateles for dinner at Doug's Fish Fry.  The place was very busy, the food was excellent and the prices were terrific.  I had shrimp skewers (2 skewers of 8 shrimp each for $8) and a plate of onion rings.  Jim had the fish platter that included Cole slaw and onion rings. Others in the group had the fried shrimp platter.  Our total bill for the two of us was $34, and that included a hefty glass of wine for me and a drink for Jim.  We also had time to visit a few shops that were still open before heading back to our campground.  A great evening was had by all!

Cruising on Owasco Lake

We rented a pontoon boat today and took a 4 hr cruise including swimming near the north shore and lunch on board.  This is expected to be our last hot day up in N Y.  What a fun time!

Tuesday, Sept 4

We left Oak Orchard Campground near Seneca Falls this morning and drove east then south along the edge of Owasco Lake to Fillmore Glen State Park where we are staying the next 3 nights.  The sites are large and have electric hookup only, but we have a full tank of water so no problem.  After a dinner of burgers, baked beans, potato salad and peach cobbler, we enjoyed playing corn hole while Gus played with an empty wine bottle. It is still hot here but the weatherman is promising cooler temps for our last 3 days in NY State.

Kayaking on Clyde River Erie Canal

Today is our final full day at the campground near Seneca Falls.  It was hot and we had plenty of sunshine.  We kayaked up to the locks but did not go through them.  We then kayaked in the other direction, seeing lots of different birds and plenty of big & small fish jumping out of the water. 

Old Erie Canal

We visited the Heritage Museum of the Old Erie Canal today and learned a lot about the history of the Erie Canal and life in this area from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. 

Oak Orchard Marina & Campground

The nearest towns are Savannah, NY and Montezuma, but we are very close to Seneca Falls and Cayuga Lake as well.  The Erie Canal intersects the waterways shown in the pics, which are part of the campground. 

Day to Relax

Thurs, Aug. 30 we took the day "off". The guys went up to the military museum in the park for a little while while the ladies took a walk to check out some of the park, including the cabins.  After lunch we played corn hole and talked, had a group dinner and our first firepit event before going down to the lake to catch the sunset, what there was of it.  The fire was still going when we got back so everyone had a nightcap before heading inside for the night.