Adams, New York



The center of Adams has changed, but use some imagination to get the feel of Adams when Roger was seven years old

We spent a lot of time exploring Adams, Roger's childhood home, while we camped at Association Island at Henderson Harbor. Adams is a village about 12 miles from Henderson Harbor. We also visited Sackets Harbor, site of a battle during the War of 1812.

The Jefferson County Historical Museum, staffed by volunteers, was closed early the day we came to visit. We had come to see the counter from Roger's grandfather's store on display there.

We're standing in front of the cafe where we had lunch. Directly across the street is Roger's grandfather's store. There is no photo because it is now a tattoo parlor. We didn't go in. When we visited in 2003, the store was a bicycle shop. We went in then. The floor was orignial hardwood. Roger remembered the big front window and steps.

 Belloff's Department Store, across from Roger's grandfather's store now houses a flooring and tile shop. The exterior has not been updated from the 1940s.

Downtown Adams



This water tower is next to the Stewart home

Roger's childhood home

Our table view from Sackets Harbor hotel restaurant

Sackets Harbor

Site of Battle of 1812 in Sackets Harbor -- Lake Ontario and Canada in background



Lieutenant's house at the Sackets Harbor 1812 battle site

Side view of Lieutenant's house

Entrance to Association Island RV Resort, Henderson Harbor, NY

Henderson Harbor

Lake Ontario from the causeway leading to Association Island RV Resort, Henderson Harbor

Watkins Glen, New York

There are just two road courses in the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit: Sonoma in California and Watkins Glen in New York.  Last spring when planning our itinerary, we considered camping at Watkins Glen and attending the NASCAR Sprint Cup race on August 14. All the RV big rig sites were already booked.

Turn right after you go through the gate and drive up to the entry for Thunder Tour

After leaving Henderson Harbor we decided to visit this international track in the Finger Lakes region of New York even though the race event was complete.

We are the fourth vehicle waiting in line for the pace car

We drove the Thunder Tour at the Glen with three laps around the course. I made a really cool, nine-minute movie as Roger drove lap one. He also raced around lap two; and I drove a slow third lap. Everyone who came for the Thunder Tour hopped out of their cars for a photo opportunity at the finish line after lap two. This was so much fun! Rules at the Thunder Tour include no passing, keep speed at about 55 mph, and follow along in order after the pace car. Everyone was grinning at the end of this race experience.

Our pace car--one of two pace cars used in the Sprint Cup race

You can see the tire celebration of Marcus Ambrose, winner of the NASCAR race at the Glen held two days before we took to the track.

Roger had the opportunity (no choice here) to make a 270 degree left turn up a hill in front of a line of vehicles descending the hill and several police officers who were directing traffic leaving Watkins Glen after the rain-delayed race.  This turn was monumental. Roger completed the turn perfectly. We both gave a huge sigh of relief. We took this photo the day after the Sprint Cup race when our blood pressure levels were back in the normal range. 

  

These are the people who were glad we made the turn in Watkins Glen on the way to our KOA campground. This photo was taken immediately after we made the 270 degree turn on race day. These people are most probably leaving the Watkins Glen International Speedway.

Villages at Turning Stone and Chittenango, New York

We reached our first destination Monday, August 1. The Villages at Turning Stone at Verona, NY, is an RV park connected with the casino at Turning Stone. It’s about 20 miles from Nancy and Ken’s home in Chittenango, NY.  John and John and Beth, along with Abbie and Kathy, all from Albany; and Tom, from Long Beach, California, arrived Thursday for a two-day visit with us. Bill and his son, Bill, and daughter, Carol, drove in from Washington, D.C. Jim, Sue, and their kids, Brittany and Brandon, came from Syracuse for dinner on Sunday, too.

Roger, Nancy, and I toured the Erie Canal Museum in Chittenango. We had walked a section of the canal in 2003. I really liked how New York recognizes and remembers the importance of this man-made wonder. I didn't bring a camera to the museum (what was I thinking?), but please click on this link, Erie Canalway: National Heritage Corridor, http://www.eriecanalway.gov/ , and google the Erie Canal for historical and current pictures and information.

The view from our front window at Villages at Turning Stone



Our street in Verona



Roger and Nancy at Chittenango, NY



Carol, Bill, Roger, and Bill



Ken in the BEST house anywhere



Beth puts the finishing touch on dinner



Bill, Carol, and Roger



Roger and Jim

Nancy, John, and John



John, Nancy, and Beth



Bill, Roger, and Nancy



Sue and Jim



Nancy, Roger, and I went to Green Lakes, a state park in Onandaga, NY.



Walking on a path at Green Lakes



Nancy and her friends walk here often in the summer.

Starting out

Traveling with three cats and my husband/best friend

 

We're doing just fine. Of course, it's still morning.

We’ve been on the road since July 22. We stayed one night at Missoula, MT; Columbus, MT; Spearfish, SD; Mitchell, SD; and Onawa, IA. Then we stayed two nights at Odessa, MO, before continuing overnight stops at Effingham, IL; Grove City, OH; and Geneva, OH. We arrived at Verona, NY, August 1, 2011, for our week-long stay at the Villages at Turning Stone.



Animee

Animee seems to be enjoying the trip. Even though she quacks like the AFLAC duck when she meows, we think she approves of this traveling lifestyle.



Lily

Lily is our queen bee. She tries to direct our actions all the time from when we get up to feed the cats in the morning to where Rowdy and Animee sleep during the morning and the afternoon. She ends her work day by reminding us to give tiny evening snacks just before bedtime.



Rowdy

Rowdy lounges around most of the time. However, when he hears the motorhome ignition key click on, he runs and hides behind the recliner. Here he is enjoying a sunny day at Henderson Harbor, New York.

We didn't know how officially "Weather Channel" hot it was until we arrived at Odessa, MO. At 8:30 p.m. the park's reader board said 94 degrees. Yikes! That night we worked again with the satellite dish. It has operated correctly ever since we remembered how to connect all the dots and set it up right. So after the Kansas City area, we were able to watch the heat warnings and thunderstorms coming our way. One of us can watch HGTV and the Food Channel, too.

Here are some views from the interstate highway system in every state we traveled through this summer:

Our original plan was to go through Council Bluffs, IA, but the owner of the RV park in Odessa, MO, suggested an alternate route of state highways to avoid the detours caused by the flooding.

Flooding along I-29 in Sioux City

Another view of Sioux City flooding from I-29