Day 29: Honeoye Falls to Ithaca, NY, 68 miles

We woke at 130 am to a coyote howling immediately followed by Tad barking. To drown out the coyotes, we turned the fan on. Not long after, a lightning and thunderstorm rolled through dropping significant moisture, but not a downpour.

The sound on the roof was soothing and everyone slept well. In the morning it was still dark and rainy and a Tornado warning went off. I almost called Ryan to find out what she thought and then it stopped. We don't hear those in the western US so we were not sure what to do. Then the sky lightened and we decided to take the boys for a walk but our host saw us and waved us back. We had a good conversation with Sheila and met her puppy Reux a Golden Retriever and poodle mix. The color was identical to Tad.

To make for a good walk we sought out one of the rails to trails nearby. We took them for over 2 miles and that satisfied Tad. With the moisture coming from the sky, I put Tad's raincoat on which helped to keep the weeds and mud off of him. He tends to be the one that wanders off trail a bit. There was only one other person on the trail. The rails to trails are nice because 2 people can walk side by side. We only had to dodge the water that accumulated in the low spots in the trail from last night's rain. The high vegetation along the trail keeps Tad from wandering too much.

We returned to the motorhome with 2 worn out dogs and packed up. We prepared to leave Keyes Trout Brook Sugarhouse & Alpacas, our Harvest Host site for last night. Greg was out and about and gave us the tour of the Alpaca farm and told us all about their herd. We picked up some yummy maple syrup from their home business and bid farewell. They graciously offered that we could come back this week if we needed another spot. It is nice to have options.

Our destination was set for Robert H. Treman State Park near Ithaca, NY, 68 miles from Honeoye, NY. The landscape in this area is filled with fields of corn. Corn, corn, corn everywhere. And graveyards. I have never seen so many graveyards so close together, but with so much history compared to the west, it makes sense that there are more dead people. 

Speaking of dead people. Normally, I would not think much of another park named after someone, but I feel compelled to see who has a park named after him. I suppose it is the museum visits that has me wondering. Luckily, there is a Friend's of Robert H. Treman Park that can help me out. 

Treman was born in 1858 in Ithaca to a prominent family. He became a businessman and a trustee of Cornell University for 45 years. He studied mechanical engineering at Cornell University, graduating in 1878. At Cornell, Treman played baseball and became the team's captain in his senior year. He also rowed on the crew team and played football. He dabbled in banking and real estate and was elected to the board of the directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The Park for which he was named, was originally a donation to the state park system from him and his wife, Laura. Originally called Enfield Glen Reservation, it was later renamed in his honor. He was appointed by the Governor to be the first chairman of the state parks commission for the Finger Lakes region. He would go on to serve in that role until his death in 1937 from a heart attack. Buttermilk and Taughonnack Falls State Parks were also donated by the Treman's.

Travelling by motorhome requires paying attention to all the gages: gas, propane, fresh water, septic tank, and grey water. Planning the stops for these necessities can be challenging. We needed to take care of all of these today. While Kasey is driving, I scour the available resources for information on where these necessities can be acquired trying to minimize travel time, stops and expense. We have learned to look at the pictures of gas stations to be sure they have enough space given that we are also towing a vehicle. Truck stops like Flying J are a good bet. For propane, U-haul is our first choice since we know that they do have the capability for RV's and not just exchange tanks. I found gas and propane close to each other but the UHaul propane required us to detatch the tow vehicle because it was going to require backing up to get out. We were only 3 miles from Treman State park so we opted to detach and drive the Honda from there. Some rv dump stations have fresh water, some don't. Some cost (sometimes a lot, as much as $25) and a few are free. Those in parks are usually available to campers staying at the park. Sometimes it still costs extra. At Treman it was free, but the fresh water was not working, so we have everything but that taken care of and will need to find a spicket before we leave the park.

We got set up at our campsite with the awning out, camp chairs, and dog beds when it immediately started getting dark, then a little windy. We called our Roseburg friend Woody who has some history in the area since he graduated from Cornell. He was travelling and gave us a few tips on what to see in the area and warned us that his wife, Jeri, would bever forgive us if we did not visit the Moosewood Cafe. It is on our list!

A passing camper said a thunderstorm watch was issued for the area so we put the awning back up, put the dog beds away, set the chairs under the mororhome and headed to the nearest (what else?) brewery. Ithaca Beer Company was less than 2 miles. 

We had dinner and a beer, but it was too busy to stay for our zoom meeting so we headed back to the motorhome to call in to the Umpqua Watersheds Conservation meeting. It was good to catch up with our dear friend Diana Pace and hear from other conservation committee member Steve Cole. Everyone does such good work and we are grateful to be a part of it. 

The thunderstorm never really materialized, but the rumbling from our neighbors generator did. I feel sorry for the tent campers. 

Day 28: Quality Time! Cooperstown to Honeoye Falls 177 miles

It was an idyllic day with a scary moment. The day ended with a wonderful dinner and game night at the Bride and Groom Ryan Kincaid (RK) and Ryan Heller (RH)'s new home it Honeoye Falls. It was wonderful seeing their new home and spending quality time together. We talked about their wedding coming up on Sunday, plans for family and friends coming into town, and a group outing in Ithaca on Saturday.

RK was the AmeriCorps member for Umpqua Watersheds for 2020-21 and our Education Director serving remotely in 2022-23 before getting a great job with Finger Lakes 4-H. She is very special to us and it was great getting to know her fiancé, RH' as well as their sweet dog, Jasper. It was a perfect night.

On the trip from Cooperstown to Honeoye Falls we experienced a near miss accident. We were going out of Fly Creek headed west going at 45 mph when we saw a dump truck heading east swerve to miss a car that was entering the highway without stopping. He hit the front of that car and pieces flew in the air. The driver saw us and swerved and I was afraid he was going to roll the dump truck into our path. We were about 30 yards in front of them and were able to stop Lexy and the Gray Toad quickly and pull off of the road. The tires on dumptruck were smoking and the air reaked of burnt rubber.

After the truck stopped we proceeded beyond the wreck and pulled off the highway. I jumped out and ran back to the car where two other people where already helping a young woman, the only occupant of the car. Janice stayed back near our vehicle to hold back traffic. Air bags in the woman's car deployed and she was holding her wrist and sobbing and kept saying "my baby" which scared me until I realized she was talking about her car. Someone called 911 and asked for her drivers license and she said she didn't have one. The guy from the dump truck came with a fire extinguisher but fortunately nothing was burning.

I went back and helped direct traffic heading east with Janice. We coordinated with another driver on the other side of the wreck who was directing traffic headed west. Fortunately it was in a rural area where traffic wasn't heavy although we had to get a little animated with some drivers who weren't slowing down enough. We were there about 15 minutes before police, ambulance and firetruck showed up. We helped another 15 minutes until the police thanked us for our help and sent us on our way.

We've traveled thousands of miles in the motorhome and this was the closest we have been to being involved in an accident. I am am glad the motorhome and car performed perfectly in a rapid deacceleration and that we handled it well.

Before leaving the Fly Creek Cider Mill we had a wonderful breakfast, did some shopping and took the Boys for a nice walk in the field. It was an idyllic setting and we enjoyed our stay there.

We pulled the motorhome into the parking lot and drove the Honda 3 miles into Cooperstown for one last stroll through the Village. We stopped at the Doubleday Souvenir Shop near Doubleday Field. Abner Doubleday is recognized as the father of baseball and started the game as we know it in Cooperstown. We talked with Pam, the shop attendant, a fellow senior and lifelong resident of the area. She told us that Cooperstown is haunted and that she and others had an encounter with Shoeless Joe Jackson. This gave Janice the willies as she felt someone tap on her shoulder when we were touring the museum yesterday and there was no one there! We bought some souvenirs and left the shop excited to have another story about Cooperstown.

Before leaving I took a few swings and misses in the batting cage while Janice coached and laughed at me on the otherside of the net. "Follow through!" "You're swinging too late!" I did get a few hits and believe a couple balls would still be in the air if it weren't for the netting. It was great fun being a Boy again. 

Day 27: A Grand Slam: Cooperstown, NY

Unlike the last few days, we did not venture very far from the motorhome or try to do multiple things. Our goal was simple: visit the Baseball Hall of Fame (HOF) in Cooperstown, NY.
Having visited Cooperstown yesterday for a brief period, we knew that the village of Cooperstown was small, simple, and slow paced. It also had 2 hour maximum parking that cost $2.50 an hour. That seems to deter tourists from staying and patronizing the shops or encourage visitors to arrive early and park in the few free spots. We scouted a few places to park so we could be prepared to leave the dogs in a shady spot close by. We had laundry as well and found a conveniently located laundromat just 2 blocks from the HOF.

We ate breakfast at a popular cafe and showed up at the HOF shortly after it opened at 9am. The entrance attendant proclaimed "batter up!" as we approached. There was hardly anyone in the museum, but that changed by afternoon and it was rather busy, but not crowded. This was the culmination of a life long dream of Kasey's. He was excited to finally be at the HOF. "Wow!" was the word of the day. Followed by "Unbelievable." Other rhetorical statements included "Is this heaven?" and "Can you believe this?"  I told Kasey that if he felt faint that he should sit down. That was followed by a quick chuckle and a hurried pace up the stairs.

The 2nd floor of the HOF is devoted to the history of the game. The game itself is apolitical but the history is woven with racism and sexism. The struggles of ball players to be accepted and integrated was well documented as was the lack of respect for the abilities of women. 

There was some repeated themes from the Women's Rights National Park museum that we visited in Seneca Falls a few days ago.

I think we took 500 pictures and so this post is going to be heavy on the pictures.

We took a break after a few hours to give the dogs a walk and swim before returning to floor 3 and 1 of the HOF. 

Kasey and I both found some of our favorite players and teams.

The jersey of Dave Stewart of the Oakland A's was there and much about A's Ricky Henderson. Both from my hometown, Oakland CA. Stewart went to my high school and coached baseball there.

Kasey found Kirby Puckett and other Minnesota Twins favorites.

We had fun with the props as well.

Baseball sure brings people together.

After 6 hours of the museum, we did laundry, picked up some souvenirs, and grabbed a beverage.

We were only supposed to stay one night at the Fly Creek Cider Mill but we were so late in the day we asked for and were granted a second night. We got dinner to go and sat and watched the dogs enjoy the open grasslands near the motorhome.

Day 26: The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of - Cooperstown New York: 139 miles

I have been a baseball fan since before I was ten years old. I come from it naturally because my maternal Grandfather was a big St. Louis Cardinal fan and was an accomplished townball player in the early 1900's. He was born in 1890 and lived to be 102 years old. I spent many summers with him listening to the Cardinals on the radio and an occasional game on the weekends on one of the two tv channels we got in the Ozarks. My Dad was a huge Minnesota Twins fan and I listened, watched on tv and attended many Twins game with him. When my Kids were young I worked a second job as an usher for the Twins for 10 years and worked alongside my son for three years.

 I have been in a Fantasy Baseball League for over ten years and today we started the playoffs. We have ten teams and the top four complete for the Championship over the  next month. It's very fitting that I am at Cooperstown today!

It's always been a dream of mine to visit Cooperstown New York and the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Today that dream is coming true. We are spending two days here and tomorrow we will tour the museum. Today we strolled around the Village of Cooperstown and I was overcome with emotion as everything here is so quaint, so perfect, beyond my wildest hopes and dreams. Janice was so sweet and encouraged me to visit the shops and pick out souvenirs. Tomorrow we will spend the whole day there visiting the Baseball Hall of Fame and other exhibits.

We are staying at another wonderful Harvest Host, The Fly Creek Cider Mill Fly Creek Cider Mill. It is perfect. We set up next to a huge field surronded by trees. The Boys were able to run loose in the field. Cooperstown is only 4 miles away and after taking a trip to Otsego Lake (one of the Finger Lakes) so the Boys could swim we walked around Cooperstown Village before coming back for a delicious meal at Fly Creek Cider Mill. The folks here are very gracious and let us fill up our water for the motorhome after they closed.

It's truly like a dream and I imagine I will wake up a few times thinking about tomorrow and visiting the museum and the Legends of my childhood.

Again, I can't say enough about our Harvest Host/Boondockers Plus hosts. Harvest Hosts are businesses like Sweet Acres Creamery, Fly Creek Mill and others. Boondockers Plus are private homes like Oak Corners, Twinholm Lane and The Lowe Lodge. They have all been great experiences and provide an immersive experience by providing the opportunity to get to know local people, especially the people who are fellow boondockers.

One quick note about visiting the east coast. It shouldn't surprise me that the homes, historic places and cemetaries are so much older than the West and Midwest. but it does. It's sad to see so many people who died so young in the 1800's. We live in remarkable times.

Day 25: Where does the time go?

Another full day of activities. Kasey could not wait to play pickleball.  Our host invited us so we drove the 15 minutes to the courts in Lyons, NY. We crossed the Erie Canal, but hardly noticed. At Buffalo. NY, when we crossed the Canal to enter the US a few dats ago, there was a big ship in the canal. Everyone at the pickleball courts was so welcoming. It was hot though. I only lasted a couple of games before seeking shade. But Kasey was in his element and despite a respite from the game for months due to his achilles injury,  he was back in the swing of things quickly. Those idioms. Once again, I had to look up the origin. Apparently it is unclear where "back in the swing of things" originated. Perhaps golf or chopping wood. Anyway, it seems to fit here.

After pickleball we hurried to our "home" and took a quick shower before heading to a Travis Knapp concert 35 minutes away, in Bloomfield, NY. There we listened to the talents a banjo musician with a very good voice. He sang happy songs and Kasey bought a few items from the merchandise table. The venue was a vegetable and flower farm. The backdrop of sunflowers was soothing as they swayed in the wind. We did travel to these parts to attend the wedding of Ryan Kincaid, who was Umpqua Watersheds Director of Education. She is marrying Ryan Heller next Sunday. They both were at the concert and we got to visit a few minutes with them. We will see them on Wednesday and on Sunday, the wedding day.

We next headed to Victor, NY, about 10 minutes away to meet up with a friend that lives Albion, NY, (about 1 hours drive). One of the claims to fame of the town is the Erie Canal. 

I don't want to digress too much but I am always interested in learning something new. Built in 1825, it was a 351 mile canal to link the Atlantic Ocean to the Great lakes for transport of goods. It was an engineering marvel at the time. Over half of the original route is abandoned for transport of goods now that the Barge Canal is operating. 

Tracy Ford is from Ukiah, California but was in Roseburg for a few years teaching English at Umpqua Community College part of the time and working on one of the spotted owl survey crews in Spring and Summer. Which is where I met him. He and his wife left in 1999 when he was offered a position in New York to teach. It's difficult to stay in touch across all of these miles. And life tugs at your time when you have kids. I lost track of his phone number and email so I had to keep trying other options. Luckily, he still has a Facebook account. He rarely posts but I sent a Facebook message and we figured out a time to meet up. Lots have changed in our lives and we did our best to catch up on the time in between. Kasey and I enjoyed the conversation and sharing our story. We hope to see him when he comes out west next time. 

After our visit we thought the dogs deserved a nice walk and and a swim since it was hot. We went to Ontario County Pathway not far from our host's house. It is a 25 mile converted abandoned railway system of trails that winds along Flint Creek. It is a perfect place to take the dogs.  

Our day was capped by a beautiful sunset.

Day 24 -:A New York State of Mind: Geneva NY

One of the iconic places we have ever visited is the Women's Rights Historic National Park. It is an amazing place because of the decades-long fight to give women the right to vote. It makes me sad to know that when my Grandma born, in 1890, women would not be able to vote for another 30 years. I have been a proud Feminist all of my adult life and it was so inspiring to see pictures and stories of how remarkable and dedicated women organized, fought and won the right to vote against fierce opposistion. The March continues as women are dramatically underrepesented in our local, state and national politics.

After touring the Women's Rights Historic National Park we walked the Boys on the street of Seneca Falls. We crossed a bridge they used to shoot the bridge scene in "It's a Wonderful Life" where George Bailey jumps off the bridge only to be saved by Clarence, an angel who was trying to earn his wings. There were little bells tied to the bridge in several places.

We spent Friday night at Sweet Acres Creamery run by local Mennonites. It is full of delicious food and our hosts were very gracious. We bought some delightful "souvenirs".

We drove only 6 miles to our next Harvest Host campspot where we will be for two days. We were greeted by Peter and his long-haired dauchound, Rocky. He and his wife live in a beautiful brick house built in 1821! 

Peter has a perfect setup in front of his motorhome where we are able to plug in for electricity. He gave us his wifi password and a two-sided sheet about local things to do. We talked about RVing and traveling across country. Then he mentioned he has become a Pickleball addict like me! We are playing at 9:30 am tomorrow. While we were talking his neighbor came over with flowers for Peter and us. We are amazed at how welcoming our hosts have been on this trip so far.

Day 23:Back in the USA. Beamsville, ON to Geneva, NY-145 miles

We started out from Beamsville, Ontario Canada where we spent the night. Our destination was Geneva, NY to see our buddy, Jonathan Foster play his tunes at the Twisted Rail Brewing venue. 

Our Newark Brewing camping spot was nice, but some traffic. We got going after breakfast. On the way I like to catch up on news, but in Canada, they restrict the news on Facebook. Even our home town news, the News Review or Eugene TV station, KVAL. But why PBS? I don't know if I like that. I just had to go to google to find the news that way. 

One thing those of us from Oregon rarely deal with is toll roads. Paying for the use of roads is new to us. The signs pop up quickly and the information on the signs is full of acronyms and jargon for the specific area. When we went through Indiana and Michigan, and now New York, we went on toll roads but were confused as to what we were supposed to do. I am sure that after you have done it a few times, it is seamless. But for those of us just visiting the lovely area, it is a bit confusing. 

I remember paying tolls at bridges in the SF Bay Area and having to stop and actually give money to a real person so I can understand that this toll booth free system of photographing license plates is a lot less time consuming. I think it also benefits wealthier people because poorer people will opt to find other routes. On the other hand, it does force wealthier people to pay for the service and contribute more toward the construction and maintenance of the roads. With the increase in the number of electric vehicles, the alternative forms of paying for roads such as gas tax, are less effective at recouping the costs. Owning a vehicle is expensive. From the time you buy it, there are fees and taxes. Yearly registration and licensing are a regular cost and then there is gas taxes that contribute to the variation in regional gas prices. It is still one of the most amazing ways to travel. If someone has made something amazing, they should get paid if we use it as long as we haven't already paid. I went to Indiana's toll payment website and had trouble from the get go. I had no idea what the toll road name was, they list them by street exits. So I called the number and gave our license number and was told we owe nothing. So toll roads must be free for Oregonians. How special.

Travelling from Canada to New York requires crossing a bridge. We missed a couple of bridges and ended up crossing at Buffalo, NY. There was a wait at the border crossing and slowly we moved up. Apparently, Kasey moved too far up and missed the sign that said to "wait here." As a consequence, the automatic scanning for radiation had to be conducted manually by a nice young man from Walla Walla, WA. He asked a lot of questions. I suppose that if we had mispronounced Oregon to Orygone, we would have been detained longer. Anyway, we were approved for re-entry to the US.  

We arrived at our Harvest Host, Sweet Acres Creamery, at about 2pm, set up, took the boys out for a walk, fed them and relaxed a while. We went to town to find a place to cool them off in Seneca Lake. We found a nice place for them to swim and they were happy. The weather was perfect.

We then went to brewery where Jonathan was going to play. It is a converted theater and they retained some of the original interior.

Jonathon is from New York so there were other groupies there to listen to his music. His college friend Lacy and her husband, Scott and Tom and sis, family friends from before Jonathan was born. We had a great time, even though there was a boisterous group there celebrating an engagement. It was difficult to hear Jonathon at times and I don't know how he stays focused, but he kept on singing through the multitude of conversations. It was fun making new friends through our connection with Jonathon. See you on the west coast Jonathan!