another front yard
We made it to The Empire State. WooHoo! We spent our first night in New York at the Niagara County Camping Resort in Lockport, NY. The park was virtually empty so we got to hog two treed spaces!
[07/27/2016] We left Erie, Pennsylvania on blue highways (secondary roads that used to be printed in the color blue on the old paper maps of yore) in order to experience the countryside (and avoid expensive toll charges on the New York Turnpike). We had plenty of time to get to our next destination, so time was not relevant.
[07/27/2016] We left Erie, Pennsylvania on blue highways (secondary roads that used to be printed in the color blue on the old paper maps of yore) in order to experience the countryside (and avoid expensive toll charges on the New York Turnpike). We had plenty of time to get to our next destination, so time was not relevant.
 | Nearly every mile of the gently-rolling landscape between Erie, PA, and Buffalo, NY, was covered by orchards of Concord and Niagara grapes. The soil and humidity in this part of the US combine to produce some pretty great wines, we have learned. There were more wineries than we could count. We found one with a parking lot that was big enough for our motorhome and decided to pull in. |
| The 21Brix Winery is most well-known for its "Ella the Elephant" house-brand of wines. After a tasting, we discovered that the people in this part of New York like their wines REALLY sweet; it is described as "Adult Grape Juice." Too sweet for me! But this winery also has a sweet cherry orchard and we could not resist a walk though the ripened fruit trees with a bucket under one arm. After our small harvest, Deb said she could now cross picking cherries off her BUCKET list! Ha Ha! | |
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[Ken 07/26/2016] I’ve lost track of the number of people who have over the years recommended a visit to Presque Isle State Park on the Pennsylvania shore of Lake Erie. On this trip we were fortunate to be able to spend two days in this very nice park. And we found a camp spot right down the road near the City of Erie!
The French term presqu'île, the origin of the park's name, means "peninsula," or literally, "almost an island." This peninsula is an arching, sandy strip of land that protects and forms Presque Isle Bay -- a deep and wide harbor for the city of Erie, Pennsylvania. At the end of the strip is a sizable knob of land they call the “island.” In spite of the name, "Presque," on several occasions there have been storms that eroded portions of the peninsula and caused Presque Isle to be cut off from the mainland ... and actually become an island!.
The French term presqu'île, the origin of the park's name, means "peninsula," or literally, "almost an island." This peninsula is an arching, sandy strip of land that protects and forms Presque Isle Bay -- a deep and wide harbor for the city of Erie, Pennsylvania. At the end of the strip is a sizable knob of land they call the “island.” In spite of the name, "Presque," on several occasions there have been storms that eroded portions of the peninsula and caused Presque Isle to be cut off from the mainland ... and actually become an island!.
The park is a giant nature preserve surrounded by more than a dozen beautiful beaches on both the bay and Lake Erie sides. The inland part of the peninsula is wooded and home to many unique species of birds and wildlife. The State of Pennsylvania has declared that Presque Isle is the state’s most important natural wonder, and it is easy to see why. There are grassy meadows, dense forests, beaches, and wet lands.
Presque Isle has several paved bicycle trails that loop the peninsula and serve to connect all of the beaches, the marina, three lighthouses, and a monument to Oliver Hazard Perry which commemorates this American victory over the British in the Battle of Lake Erie near the end of the War of 1812. Though the actual victory came at Put In Bay on the northern coast of Ohio (about 150 miles down lake), Presque Isle Bay was instrumental in the Commodore's strategic victory at sea. While the British had sailed from England, Perry built most of the ships used in the decisive battle in the seclusion of Presque Isle Bay. "We have met the enemy and he is ours...", Perry had said.
We kayaked one morning and biked and hiked on both days. Our tours took us to all 3 lighthouses. We even took a walk on “Beach Number Eleven.” The water temperature was an amazing 78 degrees. The air temp was in the mid-80’s. The humidity was actually pretty low on our second day. There was light wind and the sky was clear blue. All was perfect for our visit.
We kayaked one morning and biked and hiked on both days. Our tours took us to all 3 lighthouses. We even took a walk on “Beach Number Eleven.” The water temperature was an amazing 78 degrees. The air temp was in the mid-80’s. The humidity was actually pretty low on our second day. There was light wind and the sky was clear blue. All was perfect for our visit.
Presque Isle offers the only surf coastline to the state of Pennsylvania. I found it interesting that even though we were hiking and biking just a few feet from the shore, the GPS recorded us at an elevation of 603 feet above sea level. Sounds like there must be a Niagara-sized waterfall and a series of locks on the St Lawrence seaway between here and the Atlantic, huh? More on this geologic phenomenon next month!
At long last, I can say that the recommendations to visit Presque Isle State Park were good recommendations, and I now offer my recommendation, as well. If you are a birder or kayaker or hiker or runner or biker (or all of these!), it is a level, scenic, beautifully diverse place to explore. And at one end of the peninsula is an ice cream shoppe -- go figure! I was so happy after our visit that if there had been a cannon somewhere in the Park, I would have posed on it!
But alas...
At long last, I can say that the recommendations to visit Presque Isle State Park were good recommendations, and I now offer my recommendation, as well. If you are a birder or kayaker or hiker or runner or biker (or all of these!), it is a level, scenic, beautifully diverse place to explore. And at one end of the peninsula is an ice cream shoppe -- go figure! I was so happy after our visit that if there had been a cannon somewhere in the Park, I would have posed on it!
But alas...
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[Ken 07/23/2016] It has certainly been a whirlwind mile-filled month. After a busy couple of weeks visiting friends and family in Colorado, we finally made it back to "Doug and Debby's Funtastic Backyard RV Park" in Bellbrook, Ohio. In our final week of "vacation" we have been able to slow down a bit and get some needed chores done on/around Faith before we head off for our next SOWER project. We gave her a good bath, scrubbed and re-sealed the roof, checked the water in all of the batteries (there are a lot of batteries for the solar in the battery bay!), re-packed some things, and we even found time to do a little work on the new EPS towing modification that we had installed on the Jeep TrailHawk during our stay in Denver. Ken also put new disc-brake pads on his mountain bike.
My brother is a whiz at electronics. He offered to scratch-build a burglar alarm for us that would protect the motor-home from entry by scofflaw. He starts by leaning back in the chair in front of his bench (he calls it his Lab) with his eyes slightly ajar and tilted up and to the right. After a few minutes of calm questioning there becomes a vortex of activity whereby he reaches in this drawer and that box and those tubs -- an assemblage of electronic parts forms into a small pyramid before him.
| Once the iron heats to 800 degrees, solder guided by his skillful hands begins to set the pyramid of components onto a PC board and into an ordered and practical assembly. It actually took a few days and a trip to Mendelson's in downtown Dayton to complete the solution. If you are ever in Dayton, a visit to Mendelson's five-story retail warehouse of left-over government electronic curiosities will leave you gasping, "How..., why..., where did it all come from?". It was a nostalgic visit for me -- this store was one of my favorite childhood hangouts before I headed off to college in the latest century. In the end, however, we found what we needed in order to complete a functional burglar alarm for Faith, including a siren that is guaranteed to most-swiftly induce a splitting headache. |  |
We also found time to explore parts of Cincinnati and Dayton -- sometimes with Doug and Debby along. We had the opportunity to go out to eat with them a couple of times, too. We so greatly appreciated the camping spot that they loaned to us for the month. It was the perfect site: easy-access, quiet, safe, and with ample electricity to keep the air conditioning running (it's really hot there).
Thanks, Doug and Debby, for your hospitality! I think we all had a truly great time during our backyard camp stay in Bellbrook!
Thanks, Doug and Debby, for your hospitality! I think we all had a truly great time during our backyard camp stay in Bellbrook!
[Ken and Deb 07/12/2016] On the rise of a peaceful, green hill in a hidden part of Williamstown, Kentucky, sits a massive full-size replica of Noah's Ark. With great research, and some creative license, he admits, it was built by Ken Ham (of "Answers in Genesis"). This replica is one example of how the Ark could have been built. The Ark Encounter is the sister park to his first park, The Creation Museum, which is about 40 miles to the north. We visited the Ark the week of its Grand Opening, so the facilities were not fully complete, although the Ark itself was done.
It was a dreary, rainy day. How perfect for a visit to the Ark! What first strikes you about the Ark is its magnificent scale. It is 521 feet long, 85 feet wide, and 51 feet tall. The replica is the largest wood frame structure in the world. As you approach by road you cannot take your eyes off the immense and towering hull sitting amidst the rolling hills. There is no question, it makes a Kingdom-sized statement on its perch above the trees.
| The Ark is positioned on a pedestal about 15 feet high. In Disney-like fashion, lines of visitors follow a queue that weaves beneath and exposes some of the would- be underwater carpentry. It is not until you are inside, however, that you are fully impressed with how much wood and work it took to build. The timbers that frame the Ark are 24" to 30" in diameter. They form the 600+ foot keel and a structural row of giant "V"s down the inside center of the Ark. These are the largest dado and rabbet joints I have seen! The shape of the Ark required much of the wood to be sawed and/or bent in curves - no two pieces alike. There is very little square-cut lumber in the hull of the Ark. And all of the wood was cut by hand. Wow! | The Ark has four decks (and no top deck). Each deck has rows and rows of very small to very large cages for the convention of very small to very large animals. There is a series of ramps for moving food, water, and animals between each level. |
We were also impressed with how environmentally efficient the Ark could have been. All of the animals were in cages, and the order and spacing of the cages was well-considered. The manners in which Noah and his family captured and stored rainwater, provided ventilation (the Ark had no windows and only one door, and it was sealed), managed waste removal, and stored hay, seed, and grain were ingenious. There was a system for growing plants to be useful as food for the animals, as well as food for Noah and his family. All of this required unprecedented thought and engineering.
There is an amazing series of clay vessels and wooden channels for air and water to be moved throughout the Ark. There was even separate ducting and chambers for a basic septic system. There were gravity-fed feeding mechanisms on all of the smaller cages. There was even a system to keep the penguins and polar bears from becoming too uncomfortable.
These are things we had not before considered. We wondered how long it would have taken to load all of the stores that they had on-board, and how long it would take to feed all of the animals each day, and how anxious the animals would have been to be released after their "forty days and nights" on a tumultuous sea.
There is an amazing series of clay vessels and wooden channels for air and water to be moved throughout the Ark. There was even separate ducting and chambers for a basic septic system. There were gravity-fed feeding mechanisms on all of the smaller cages. There was even a system to keep the penguins and polar bears from becoming too uncomfortable.
These are things we had not before considered. We wondered how long it would have taken to load all of the stores that they had on-board, and how long it would take to feed all of the animals each day, and how anxious the animals would have been to be released after their "forty days and nights" on a tumultuous sea.
The Ark Encounter plays sound effects of a great storm while you are on your self-guided tour. There are also exhibits throughout that explain the time before and after The Flood as well as how life would have been for Noah and his family while living on-board. The Bible is not perfectly clear on this, but best guesses are that it took Noah and his family between 50 and 75 years to build the real Ark. Once you see the replica, you will begin to wonder how they got it done so quickly!
NOTE: We did not blog about our visit to
The Creation Museum, but do highly recommend it.
It also includes a small section on the Ark.
The Creation Museum, but do highly recommend it.
It also includes a small section on the Ark.
a very long, colorado,
fourth of july weekend!
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reflections
on fathers day
 [Deb 07/01/2016] I had the rare opportunity to be able to spend Father’s Day with my dad last month. I cannot remember the last time that I was able to be with him on this special day – perhaps it was while I was still in college. Reflecting on our recent time together, I realize what a strong and steadfast man he is. He lived in oppression and deprivation during WWII in Amsterdam. When he came to the United States he was just 14 years old. But in this youth, as he is to this day, he is grateful for the opportunity to become a proud American. My dad has always worked hard. He served for the USA in the Korean War, graduated from college while helping to raise a growing family, had a good career with the City of Middletown as a civil engineer, owned a successful consulting business that he grew from the ground up, and has been married to my mom for 63 years. He willingly shares his engineering expertise and talents with the retirement community where he now lives. I am so proud that he gives freely of his blessings with others without asking for anything in return. His example has made me want to share my abundance of blessings with others, as well. | As I look back at Dad's demeanor, I realize that I have never seen him be negative. I remember him working two or three jobs to support his growing family. I believe that since he was so grateful for his opportunity to succeed he did not shun hard work or complain about circumstances. He thrives on giving excellence in any endeavor with a contagious happy heart. I only regret that we were not close geographically for our children to see his example. I will always treasure his positive spirit and willingness to help in whatever way he is asked. As age and health issues come upon him, he does not dwell on any limitations he faces. He continues to be faithful at church as head usher in the place of worship where our family grew up. He did not live in a household that acknowledged God, but he and Mom decided that taking us to church was the right thing to do. I know he has a quiet faith in Jesus and that is a great comfort to my heart. As I see his life, I will try to remember his thankfull heart and make him proud of my striving to serve with the same qualities. During our last visit to their retirement community in Monroe, OH, my son-in-law spent time recording his stories of living through WWII. He described his life growing up during war-times as they were depicted in the movie, “A Bridge Too Far.” When I get to hear that interview, I will share more of it here. I will always be honored to call him my dad and that God chose me to be his daughter. Thanks, Dad, for your gratefulness, your hard work, your positive spirit, your faith, and for the role model that this all has become to me. You are the best.  |
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[Ken and Deb 06/26/2016] It was late afternoon on Saturday. Doug, Deb, and I were enjoying dinner at Red Lobster in Bellbrook, OH, when it dawned on us that we did not need to wait till morning to start our scheduled cross-country drive to Denver.
Shortly after 8:00PM, Deb and I were in the Jeep zooming down Interstate 75 heading for a Dayton area exit that would give us speedy access to the westbound lanes of I70. That is the only turn that we needed to navigate -- once on I70 it would lead us all of the way from Ohio to Denver. Soon the sun had set and the roads were clear -- we were compelled to keep on driving through the cool of the night.
We were tired, but in a road-trance-sort-of-way we kept on. Deb and I tag-teamed the drive, each taking a couple hundred miles at a time. In a little over 17 hours, 1,215 miles, and 261 music tracks from the iPad, we "landed" safely at Ken's mom's house in Littleton, Colorado. In the interest of full disclosure, we did pull over and sleep for two hours in the Topeka area.
We don't remember how we did it, but the Mountain Dew bottles were all empty when we got there. WooHoo!
Shortly after 8:00PM, Deb and I were in the Jeep zooming down Interstate 75 heading for a Dayton area exit that would give us speedy access to the westbound lanes of I70. That is the only turn that we needed to navigate -- once on I70 it would lead us all of the way from Ohio to Denver. Soon the sun had set and the roads were clear -- we were compelled to keep on driving through the cool of the night.
We were tired, but in a road-trance-sort-of-way we kept on. Deb and I tag-teamed the drive, each taking a couple hundred miles at a time. In a little over 17 hours, 1,215 miles, and 261 music tracks from the iPad, we "landed" safely at Ken's mom's house in Littleton, Colorado. In the interest of full disclosure, we did pull over and sleep for two hours in the Topeka area.
We don't remember how we did it, but the Mountain Dew bottles were all empty when we got there. WooHoo!
