Slippery Rock, PA to Geneva, NY................chasing chicken wings and water falls

Niagara Falls State Park was established in 1885 and is the oldest state park in the United States

We flew back to Pittsburgh last Wednesday and enjoyed five days at Ben's house in Slippery Rock.  I'm happy to report that other than a little soreness, his leg is healing up nicely.  He's off the crutches and out of the walking boot!  

Well...........we didn't get any pictures of Ben this time, but we did get a good one of his sweet dog Allie guarding some of her favorite toys!

Monday morning after Ben went to work, we loaded up the Silver Bullet and were on the road, heading northeast towards Geneva, NY.  Geneva is on the north end of Seneca Lake in upstate New York's Finger Lake Region.  Hearing the word, New York, I think there is a natural tendency with many people to think of New York City.  Yes. the city is fun, and we've enjoyed many visits there through the years, but New York state has so much more to offer.  We'll have plenty of time for adventures and exploring some of this 9,000+ square mile, incredibly scenic area. We're looking forward to visiting many of the small communities, state parks, restaurants, wineries, special events and much more that are in and near New York's Finger Lakes region over the next month. 

Yesterday was all about getting here, but of course there were some fun stops along the three-hundred-mile drive.  We had two planned stops, one in Buffalo and another one just a few miles north of Buffalo at Niagra Falls.

As fate would have it, we knew that we would be passing through Buffalo around 1:00 PM.  Just in time for a lunch break.  There probably isn't a more appropriate place for lunch in Buffalo than the place that lays claim to starting it all, the Anchor Bar.

Where it all began!

According to legend, on a Friday night in 1964, Dominic Bellissimo was tending bar when a group of his friends came in after a night on the town.  They had apparently worked up a pretty good appetite so Dominic asked his mother (Teresa) if she would fix them something to eat.  She deep fried and then seasoned some chicken wings that were typically used in the stock pot for soup.  The wings were such a hit that word quickly spread about this new "delicacy".  Shortly thereafter, Buffalo Wings were added to the menu and a worldwide food craze was born.

There are currently 15 Anchor Bar locations in the US and Canada, but the original is still located on Main Street near downtown Buffalo where Teresa whipped up that first batch of wings nearly 60 years ago.  Beth and I had eaten there once before when we were in Buffalo around 30 years ago.  When I shared that story with our very friendly server, she quickly asked why it took so long for us to come back.  A couple of bites into the first wings, we were asking ourselves the same question!

Ten Original (top) and Ten Honey Bourbon BBQ (bottom).  Hopefully it won't be another 30 years!

Anchor Bar

After lunch we made the short, twenty-minute drive to Niagra Falls State Park, which is sometimes referred to as the American side of Niagra Falls.  We've been to Niagra Falls several times, but it has always been on the Canadian side.  We've heard frequently that the Canadian side is the better of the two sides to visit.  While the views of the falls may be slightly better from the Canadian side, we were very impressed with what we saw from the American side.  We parked just a short distance (about a half mile) from the falls and enjoyed the walk along the river front paved trail and were soon standing at the upper edge of the American Falls, which flows at an average of 75,000 gallons of water per second.  From this viewing area it was just another short walk to the larger Horseshoe Falls (675,000 gallons per minute).  We enjoyed the spectacular views at both locations for a while, as well as walking a bit further along the riverside trail to the entrance area for the Maid of the Mist boats that will take you in for a closer (wetter) view of the falls.  We had done the boat from the Canadian side on a previous visit, so we opted out of both the boat and the Cave of the Winds experience.  As we left the falls, we were in agreement.  The views may be slightly better from the Canadian side, but we really like the American side for what we didn't see, which was a bunch of "tourist trap" attractions.

Standing beside the American Falls, enjoying the rainbows and views across to Canada.

The Canadian side is a bit more "touristy"

Approaching Horseshoe Falls

A selfie beside Horseshoe Falls.

The Maid of the Mist boats run from both the American and Canadian side.  It's a great way to get a close up look and appreciation for the power of the falls.  Rain Panchos are included (and needed).

 

Bridal Veil Falls and the Maid of the Mist Boarding and Observation Deck area.

The American Falls in the foreground and Horseshoe Falls in the background.  If you haven't been to Niagara Falls, you'd better plan your trip soon.  At the current rate of erosion, it'll probably be gone in about 50,000 years!

Niagra Falls State Park

We arrived at our Airbnb on Seneca Lake, near Geneva, just in time to catch a spectacular sunset over the marina where we are staying.  It was a great ending to a day of travel.............let the Finger Lakes fun begin!

The journey continues......next up.......Geneva, NY (Finger Lakes)

That's a 4-0 as in forty-year wedding anniversary on July 17.  We celebrated with a nice lunch at the Allegheny Grille in Foxburg, PA.

I doubt I'll get much sympathy from my Texas friends who have been battling triple digit temperatures daily for close to thirty days in in a row now, but it's hot in Florida as well!  The combination of temperatures in the 90's and high humidity often gives us "feels like" temperatures over 100.  Even with access to a pool and the beach, it's no longer a matter of enjoying the summer heat, but enduring it.  In less than two weeks we'll head north in search of adventure and hopefully a little cooler temperatures. 

Our original plans were to drive the Silver Bullet when we leave Florida on August 10.  But our plans changed a few weeks ago when we got a call from Ben.  He had injured his leg playing softball and was on the way to the hospital emergency room.  A few hours after the call we were in the Bullet and on our way to his house in Slippery Rock, PA.  Thankfully the injury didn't require surgery, and although he's still hobbled a bit, he's on the road to recovery.  After a week of helping him get adjusted to the inconveniences of crutches and a walking boot, we left the Bullet at his house and flew back to Florida.

While Ben was at work we did a little exploring around Butler, PA.  We had a nice lunch at Freedom Farm-to-Fork-Kitchen.  While eating we learned about the Wildflower Festival going on that day at their nearby farm.  It turned out to be a huge and very fun event!

Admission to the festival was $10 per person.  There was music, food, hayrides, games.......

.......all the wildflowers you could pick................

.....................and fresh, hot Amish Donuts!

Picked by both of us.  Beautifully arranged by Beth!

Farm to Fork Kitchen

Freedom Farms Wildflower Festival

Now our plans are to fly up to Pittsburgh on August 10.  We'll spend a few days with Ben and then drive about four hours northeast to an Airbnb near Geneva, NY, which is located on the north end of Seneca Lake in New York's Finger Lake region.  We've only spent a very small amount of time in the Finger Lakes region in the past, so we're looking forward to having a month to explore some of the many lakes, state parks, trails, community's, restaurants and wineries nearby.  We've already purchased tickets to two concerts (Chris Stapelton and Hall & Oats) at the Marvin Sands Performing Arts Outdoor Theater and are planning a day at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.  Ben and I spent a day in Cooperstown a few years back.  I'm excited to go back and think that Beth will not only enjoy the museum, but the town of Cooperstown, whose Main Street looks like a scene directly out of a Norman Rockwell picture.

Geneva, NY

Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center 

Cooperstown, NY

Baseball Hall of Fame

It's hard to believe that it's still July, although it is the last day of the month.  So far this summer we've had fun and created memories with family and friends from coast to coast.  Interspersed with all the fun, there was a bit of challenging news that we learned recently.  In early July, I was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease.  Not exactly the best of news, but it could have been a lot worse.

Needless to say, over the past few weeks Beth and I have learned a lot about Parkinson's.  It seems as if the only thing predictable about it is that it is unpredictable.  Sometimes it progresses quickly and at other times very slowly.  Sometimes the effects are only physical, sometimes cognitive and sometimes both.  In my case so far, the only noticeable symptom is a slight tremor in my right hand.  I'm being proactive with some therapeutic exercises (including boxing and tai chi) and am so blessed to be surrounded by an amazing support network, starting with Beth and extending out through family and close friends.  We're choosing to be optimistic that there are a lot of fun and exciting adventures ahead for us!  As a matter of fact, we're pretty much already booked out through mid-February, 2023!

The journey continues................... 

 

Non-stop family fun from coast to coast!

When we get together it can get a little nutty!  The lady in the front-middle is the ringleader.  This was at Rossi Park on the Bradenton Riverwalk.  James and Emma had a great time playing in the splash pad, eating donuts and entertaining and being entertained by NaNa.

Although it's been a little more than a month since my last post, it certainly hasn't been because we haven't been busy.  In reality, it's just the opposite.  We've been so busy that I simply haven't set aside time to write.  I've got some catching up to do!

We left Pacific Grove/Monterey on June 15 after a wonderful month.  As we drove away, much of the conversation was focused on hopefully returning sometime in the near future.  From whales to trails, there is so much to see and do in the area!  We can't wait to go back.

We moved just a couple of hours north to Mill Valley.  Much of the next six days were spent enjoying time with Sarah, Joey, James and Emma.  We also enjoyed walking from our hotel to Sausalito, as well as taking the ferry over to San Francisco for a few hours.  We've become very familiar with Sausalito and San Francisco over the years and always enjoy them.  This time we explored a couple of small communities, Sebastopol and Guerneville, which are located about an hour's drive north of Mill Valley.

The ferry from Sausalito provides great views of the Golden Gate Bridge and

the San Francisco skyline!

Sebastopol, which has a population of around 8,000 is the larger of the two communities.  It was once known primarily as an apple growing region.  While apples continue to be common, in recent years many orchards have been replaced by vineyards as the wine producing area of northern California continues to expand.  We enjoyed walking around the small downtown, as well as The Barlow, a twelve-acre outdoor market with numerous small shops, restaurants and watering holes.

Golden State Cider is located in The Barlow.  In addition to some year round favorites, they also have seasonal ciders.  We enjoyed the "mighty dry", which is one of their core ciders.

Golden State Cider

You can't live by cider alone!  The Smokehouse served up some really nice bbq in a great setting.  As an added bonus there was live music when we were there!

Smokehouse BBQ

Sebastopol

Guerneville, which is located on the Russian River, is just a short twenty-minute drive northwest of Sebastopol.  What it lacks in size (pop. 4,700), it more than makes up for in its diversity and funkiness.  Both the river and downtown were hopping with locals and day trippers enjoying a Saturday afternoon in Northern California.

The Russian River was busy on a sunny, warm Saturday afternoon.

When in California we're constantly amazed at the number of warnings posted everywhere.  Everything there causes cancer, birth defects or other serious issues.  This warning on a building in Guerneville was a new one for us!

Guerneville

On June 21 we said "see you next week" to Sarah, Joey and Emma.  They would be making the cross-country flight to Florida in a week.   James flew back to Florida with us.  We nicknamed ourselves "The Go Eagles" and declared Camp MiMi-Pop officially in session!  It was a long travel day, but James handled it like a pro and shortly before mid-night our coast-to-coast journey was complete. 

Camp MiMi/Pop began with a long travel day!

We spent the first two nights of Camp MiMi/Pop in Tampa and enjoyed visiting Busch Gardens.  It was hot, but not overly hot, crowded, but not overcrowded, and we had a great two days.  James even talked Beth into riding the Sand Serpent roller coaster once.  I was a little more adventurous and rode it four times in a row with him before throwing in the towel (he went one more time by himself).

Piloting his own kite............

Making a new friend.................

Looking for wild, African animals............

Going round and round, up and down............

The Camp MiMi/Pop Go Eagles had a great two days at Busch Gardens!

We made it back to Anna Maria Island after two fun filled days in Tampa.  It was almost time for the annual tradition known simply as "Beach House" to begin!  James enjoyed spending some time at Beach House a few years ago, but for him that was half a lifetime ago.  He was excited to meet and/or become reacquainted with his aunts, uncles and cousins (everyone is an aunt, uncle or cousin).

You should have seen the size of the one that got away!

Compared to Beth's, my family is very small.  We were thrilled to run into a couple of them on AMI!  Donnie and Erica it was great seeing you!

Pretty nice place to enjoy a little fresh watermelon.

James loved meeting everyone.  He also had a great time playing on the beach, swimming in the crystal-clear gulf and pool, as well as visiting with his great grandmother NaNa.  Although they don't see each other too often, they formed a special bond early on when she offered him a handful of fresh blueberries when he was a toddler.  If you listen carefully, you can sometimes hear them speaking to each other in their own special language which is a series of grunts, groans and squeals.

Swimming with Aunt Cindy!

I'm not sure what these two are up to, but you do have to keep a close eye on them!

Art lessons while waiting on their gelati at Jeremiah's 

Shopping for his birthday present with Aunt Debbie!

We were expecting Sarah, Joey and Emma to join us June 27, but unfortunately American Airlines had different plans.  After an EIGHT-hour delay in Austin, at around 1:00 AM they canceled their flight and told them it would be two days before they could rebook them to Tampa.  Austin is a fun place to visit, but they had no interest in spending the next two days there.  They decided to rent a car, point it towards Florida and make the drive (17+ hours).  Close to a day and a half after leaving California, they made it to Tampa where they returned the rental car and were reunited with James.  We were grateful for their safe arrival, and they were grateful when America Airlines found their luggage and delivered it two days later!

James and I enjoyed a few innings of the Tampa Bay Rays game before heading to the rental car center to pick up his mom, dad and Emma.  James introduced me, Ben and Brian to a salty and sweet mixture of skittles and popcorn.  We left Ben and Brian with a 4-1 lead which they promptly blew!

Brother and sister reunited at the Beach House after a week apart was cause for celebration!

Another brother and sister reunited at the Beach house!  We were so thrilled that Ben was able to take a few days off and join us!  We're pretty spread out across the country so the times when we're all together are extra special.

Two sisters spending a little time together at Beach House!  That's Phyllis on the left and Joyce (NaNa) on the right.  They've been a part of this summer tradition their entire lives.

Ben is now back in Pennsylvania.  Sarah, Joey, James and Emma are back in California where they celebrated James's 6th birthday yesterday.  Beach House is over for another year.  As for me and Beth, we're happily exhausted with wonderful memories of family (and extended family) time that we've had over the past month.  We'll be sweltering here in Florida for the next month before pointing the Silver Bullet north to Ben's place in Pennsylvania and then on to the Finger Lakes region of New York.  The journey continues!

Below are just a few more photos from Beach House 2022:

Just like James, Emma loves the water!

Cousins helping cousins!

Mommy/Daughter time!

To James and Emma he's not Uncle Ben...........he's FUNcle Ben!

Three generations enjoying a swim in the gulf!

These two are almost inseparable when they see each other.

 

Mom and James vs. Dad and Emma!

James getting acquainted with his cousin Layla!

Most (but certainly not everyone) gathering for the afternoon ritual of sunset.  Picture courtesy of Cousin Blake (he does a great job with the drone pictures). 

Sunset on AMI!