July Updates

"Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving." -Terry Pratchett

Besides the trips we took to Clayton and Niagara on the Lake we spent a lot of time in July listening to music around the area.

One place we seem to always go each year is Six Mile Creek Vineyard. It's a small place, but the wine is good and the bands are always entertaining. We took a picnic dinner with us, bought a bottle of wine and enjoyed the music.

New friends at the marina told us about a group playing up the lake. The group was called String Theory and they had a great mix of music. Almost everywhere we go to listen to music also comes with a view. 

A little sample of what String Theory played.

Another thing we enjoy doing in Ithaca is taking our little runabout up the inlet for dinner or even just dessert at the BoatYard Grill.

On the hottest weekend of the year...so far, we drove down to Kyle's house and spent the whole weekend visiting creeks to swim in. The pictures are from our day at World's End State Park. It was the perfect place to spend a warm day.

The park is on the Loyalsock Creek in the Endless Mountains region just north of Bloomsburg.

What would a summer day be without ice cream?

Our last musical experience of July was the WaterMusic & Dance on the Trail. This event featured music and dance performances for paddlers, pedestrians and bicyclists along the Cayuga Waterfront Trail in Ithaca. We took our little runabout and listened to a group at the Ithaca Farmers Market's pier. We could actually listen to music every evening somewhere around the area during the summer.

This picture is looking across the inlet to a man singing opera on the little electric boat and a dance group on the shore. There were a lot of kayakers, paddle-boarders, canoes and small boats out and about. 

The map on the right shows where all the stages were.

A sample of the music we listened to.

It's a Way of Life Not a Vacation

"It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own, but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude" -Ralph Waldo Emerson

We love the life we're living and many think it's a perpetual vacation. I'll let you in on a little secret...living on our boat isn't like being on vacation. We live on our own boat, not a cruise ship with a full staff. We still have to do maintenance on our home(s), pay bills, get prescriptions filled and make doctor appointments. Just to name a few of the normal life things that have to get done. Everything we do is done in a very small space...less than 600 square feet, which includes our outside space. We have no washer and dryer, no dishwasher, our refrigerator is dorm size with little space for frozen food, our shower is 3'x2' and we have no comfortable furniture to relax on. Are you ready to join our crew yet?

To cook we have to go up to the flybridge and turn the propane on and off (rain or shine), the AC won't keep up if we use the oven or even the stove in the galley on hot days, so a lot of cooking during the summer is done completely on the grill. Some of our favorite things can't be fixed during the summer.

Storage space is limited. We don't have a shop or garage for tools, spare parts or oil for the boat. All that shares space with food, dishes, pots and pans, towels and office supplies...four seasons of clothing for the two of us is kept in one hanging locker and eight drawers. We have to move the boat every 2-3 weeks for a pump out, we have to fill our water tanks each week and we have to carry groceries and everything else we have from our car to the boat, which is about a block away. Taking the trash out also means walking a block to the dumpster and a block back. Do I have any volunteers to join our vacation yet?

But hey we really can't complain, while we are in New York we live in a State Park. The view is wonderful and the temperature is amazing. Plus there are tons of things to do close by, so we don't have to stay in our small space all day.

Allen H. Treman State Marine Park...our summer home. (Photo by Julie Duffy)

Rockport Harbor...our winter home. (Photo by John Martell)

July 12 - Niagara Falls

“To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” ~Aldous Huxley  

On our way home we visited the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. During our first visit to the falls in 2012 we spent most of our time on the American side. We walked along Queen Victoria Park and were amazed again by the power and size of the falls. Queen Victoria Park was opened in 1888 and offers the best views of the falls.

Niagara Falls is formed by the Niagara River, which drains Lake Erie into Lake Ontario. It's made up of three waterfalls that span the border between Canada and the United States. The largest of the three falls is Horseshoe Falls, also known as the Canadian Falls. The two smaller falls are American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls and they lie within the United States. 

Looking down the Niagara River towards Horseshoe Fall.

The top of Horseshoe Falls.

The Maid of the Mist going up to Horseshoe Falls. We rode on this in 2012 the first time we came to the falls.

The Canadian boat that takes riders into the mist of the falls.

American Falls (large waterfall center-left) and Bridal Veil Falls (right) 

The Skylon Tower and Queen Victoria Place in the left picture and the Falls Welcome Center at the top right.

Aerial view of all three falls taken by John Kucko several years ago.

Niagara Fun Facts

• The water that flows over Niagara Falls comes from four of the five Great Lakes: Erie, Huron, Michigan and Superior. From the Falls, the water travels down the Niagara River to Lake Ontario, then to the St. Lawrence River and finally to the Atlantic Ocean.
• About 600,000 gallons of water flows over Niagara Falls every second.
• The deepest section in the Niagara River is just below Horseshoe Falls. It's so deep that it equals the height of the falls above: 170 ft.
• Fish actually travel over the Falls and about 90% of them survive. Experts believe that the white foam from the rushing waters cushions their fall.
• Back in the 1800s, Niagara Falls was nearly frozen solid, only a small trickle of water traveled over the cliffs.
• About 20% of the drinking water in the United States goes over Niagara Falls.
• The formation of Niagara Falls is the result of glaciers.
• Niagara Falls State Park is the oldest state park in the U.S. 
• The green color of the Niagara River is a visible tribute to the erosive power of water. An estimated 60 tons of dissolved minerals are swept over Niagara Falls every minute.  

July 10-12 Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON

“Jobs fill your pocket but adventures fill your soul.” -Jamie Lyn Beatty 

July 11 was our 41st wedding anniversary so we decided to celebrate it by spending a little time in Niagara-on-the-Lake. It's one of Canada's prettiest towns, located on the Niagara Peninsula at the point where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario. The house we rented was in the Heritage District, which is full of colonial-style buildings, cast-iron planters bursting with flowers and horse-drawn carriages. We felt like we’d popped back to the 19th Century. The town had tons of cute boutiques, coffee shops, ice cream shops, bistros, parks and museums to explore.

We spent our anniversary at a few parks on the river, shopping and watching the world go by on our beautiful front porch. But the highlight of the day was a spectacular meal at HOBNOB at the end of the day. The town of NOTL is truly a breathtaking place and a great place to celebrate any special occasion.

The house...we could have spent all summer here.

The view from the front porch. We loved sitting out here watching people go by.

One of the horse drawn carriages going past our house.

The Prince of Wales Hotel, which was just up the block from our house.

Stores on Queen Street.

Shaw Cafe & Wine Bar. We had lunch here on our anniversary.

The town is full of beautiful flowers.

Queen's Royal Park Gazebo

Looking down the Niagara River into Lake Ontario. First photo is the Ontario side, the second photo is a wide angle shot and the third photo shows Fort Niagara on the US side.

The Niagara River Range Front Lighthouse and Rear Lighthouse were built in 1903 to guide ships off of Lake Ontario and into the lower portion of the Niagara River.

The Charles Inn where we had dinner at the HOBNOB restaurant. 

This restaurant was very small and there were only 6-7 tables with guests while we were there. Two other couples were celebrating their 41st anniversary. We were all married on 7/11/81...how crazy is that. Our dinner was amazing, the service incredible and the setting beautiful. It was the perfect place to celebrate.

July 10 - Exploring Along Lake Ontario

“Stay close to the serenity of a lake to meet your own peace of mind.” -Munia Kahan

On our way to our anniversary getaway in Ontario we drove up to Rochesters to check out a few waterfalls and lighthouses. We cruised through Rochester in 2018 when we did the Western Erie, but we couldn't see much from the canal. It seems like a very industrial city, but it does have some beautiful parks. Rochester is the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state. Nicknamed “The Flour City,” it's best known for its unique and impressive history, educational resources, and industry leaders in manufacturing such as Eastman Kodak and Bausch & Lomb. The settlement began in the late 18th century, and the city flourished with the opening of the Erie Canal. From Rochester we drove along the lake and checked out a few more lighthouses and beach parks.

The best way to view High Falls on the Genesee River is to walk over the Pont de Rennes pedestrian bridge. It's definitely not the prettiest waterfall we've seen, but it does make the city look a little more desirable. 

Looking north from the Pont de Rennes pedestrian bridge with the Genesee Beer Company to the right.

The Lower Falls on the Genesse River is located in a park. We walked down a short trail to the falls and picked fresh raspberries on our way. 

Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse was built in 1822 and is the oldest active surviving lighthouse on Lake Ontario. It is located in the Port of Rochester.

The Port of Rochester is mostly home to pleasure boats now.

Ontario Beach Park is a popular beachside park known for its century-old carousel, swimming, boating and rentable shelters. It was a beautiful Sunday when we were there and it was beginning to full up.

Rochester Harbor Lighthouse is located at the end of the Charlotte Pier near Ontario Beach Park.

Braddock Point Lighthouse was built in 1896. The lighthouse was deactivated in 1954. But reactivated by the Coast Guard in 1999. Today the lighthouse is privately owned, serving as an elegant bed-and-breakfast, restored to its late Victorian-era style. It's one of the very few privately owned, fully functioning lighthouses in the United States.

Oak Orchard Lighthouse operated on the shores of Lake Ontario, at Point Breeze from 1871 to 1916. In 2010 a local community group built a historically accurate replica near the original site on the east side of Oak Orchard Creek.

Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse was opened in 1876. on the south shore of Lake Ontario and is part of Golden Hill State Park. It gets its name because it's on a point 30 miles east of the Niagara River.

Fort Niagara Lighthouse was established in 1782 atop the "French Castle", a structure still located within Old Fort Niagara. The current tower was first lit in 1872, having been removed from the French Castle to allow for more room for officer's quarters. The light was deactivated in 1996, having been replaced by a light beacon at the US Coast Guard Station Niagara. It was the first lighthouse on the Great Lakes.

A view of the Niagara River looking towards Lake Ontario.