Day 141 – Erie
Sunday was a cloudy, rainy day so we had a relaxing day in the van, watching movies.
Day 142 – Erie to Buffalo
After starting off the day with work, we headed into Erie for lunch, shopping and a little more work before continuing our journey east into New York, our 24th state! Our first destination was Niagra Falls, where we stopped to explore the American side of the falls. Since we decided this trip would be US only, we didn’t cross over into Canada, but the views were still amazing. After visiting the falls, we backtracked to Buffalo, where we splurged on the Hyatt Regency downtown to celebrate our anniversary (plus we got a free night from our Hyatt credit card).
Day 143 – Buffalo
Tuesday we celebrated our one year wedding anniversary! Unfortunately it was still a work day, but after working a few hours in the morning, we went for a short walk to eat lunch at RU’s Pierogis (one of Tracey’s favorite foods). We returned to the hotel for a couple more hours of work, then we went for a longer walk to explore more of Buffalo. Since we were in Buffalo, we had to have dinner at the Anchor Bar, home of the original chicken wing (they aren’t called Buffalo Wings in Buffalo). After dinner, we enjoyed a nice walk back to the hotel through the theater district.
Day 144 – Buffalo to Sampson State Park
Wednesday started with work from the hotel, then we hit the road. Our first stop was just outside Buffalo, where we took a short hike to see the Eternal Flame Falls at Chestnut Ridge County Park. The waterfalls have a flickering flame behind them from a natural gas leak, but the flame does occasionally go out until it is relit by a hiker.
Our next stop was Letchworth State Park, considered the “Grand Canyon of the East”. We weren’t quite sure about that comparison, but it was a very beautiful canyon with some very scenic waterfalls.
After Letchworth, the day was getting late so we continue on to our campground in Sampson State Park, along the shores of Seneca Lake, one of New York’s Finger Lakes.
Day 145 – Sampson State Park
Thursday was mainly a day of work, with a short hike around the park to explore the lake shore.
Day 146 – Sampson State Park to Southern Adirondack Pines
We had a fairly busy day planned for Friday, so we got up early to get in a few hours of work, then headed to the Hazlitt Winery so Tracey could enjoy a wine-tasting while Michael finished up some work. Next, we continued on to Watkins Glen State Park, one of the most picturesque places we’ve seen on the trip. On our way back into town from the park, we discovered that Watkins Glen was hosting the US Vintage Grand Prix going on, and we kind of became part of the parade of cars cruising through the crowd.
After a long day, we finally arrived at our destination, the Southern Adirondack Pines Campground, where we received a warm reception from the owner.
Day 147 – Southern Adirondack Pines
Saturday started off a little dreary, so we had a lazy morning in the van, enjoying the quiet surroundings. As the weather improved, we decided to go for a hike to the top of
the nearby Kane Mountain fire tower. It was a fairly easy hike, and we were rewarded with panoramic views of the Adirondack peaks around us. After the hike, we returned to the van for a relaxing dinner.
The “knit cats” seemed to be enjoying the view!! Was that a campfire in one of the caves?
Oops, should have read your recap first – gas leak, not a campfire!!