Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Four Mile Creek State Park, Youngstown, NY


Date of Stay:  Monday July 23 - Tuesday July31, 2012 (8 nights)

Rate: $30/night

Website:  Four Mile Creek State Park (NY)
   1055 Lake Road
   Youngstown, NY 14174
   716-745-3802

Description:  Paved roads with grass/gravel parking pads.  Electricity at site (some 30A and some 50A) but no water or sewer hook up.  Dump station near the exit.  We were in site 65 which was close enough for us to fill our fresh tank using all of our hoses.  CG is on the banks of Lake Ontario and you can see the skyline of Toronto, Canada at times.  Not many trees on the sites and not much privacy between sites.  The main draw here is it’s closeness to Niagara Falls.  We traveled here with Dan and Tricia and met their friends Mac and Moe who joined us at the Falls.  Tricia’s son and DiL (Brandon and Amanda) caught a flight to Buffalo, NY and joined us all at the Falls.

Activities:  Didn’t really spend much time checking out things to do around the park since we mainly came here to go to Niagara Falls.  We did enjoy several beautiful sunsets over Lake Ontario and the open field behind our site.  Nice place to ride our bikes too.  We enjoyed the scenic drive in to town by going down the road next to the Niagara River.  Beautiful, powerful, turquoise water.

Trash and Recycle:  Dumpster at the bathhouse and recycle bins for cans, glass and plastic also.

Four Mile Creek State Park (NY) site 65  Four Mile Creek State Park (NY)

Four Mile Creek State Park (NY)-Lake Ontario  Lake Ontario

Niagara Falls-American Falls and Horseshoe Falls  Horseshoe Falls-Canada

Goofy Dan and Tricia  Brandon and Amanda
Dan and Tricia                                           Brandon and Amanda

Gin and Syl  Top of Horseshoe Falls-Canada
Gin and Syl                                                                  
Rainbow Bridge to Canada from Maid of the Mist  Cave of the Winds
Maid of the Mist                                        Cave of the Winds

Monday, July 23, 2012

Residence, Athens, PA


Date of Stay:  Friday July 13 - Monday July 23, 2012 (10 nights)

Rate:  We left Pauline a nice card ;)

Website:  ???
   Athens, PA

Description:  Beautiful rocky hills around this old family dairy farm bordered by the Susquehanna River.  Our dear friends Tricia and Dan invited us to join them here where Dan grew up.  His mother Pauline, is in her mid 70’s and not slowing down.  Beautiful home, yard, and garden.  We felt very welcomed!  Dan has 50A FHU behind one building and we managed nicely with 20A-30A and our fresh water tanks.

Activities:  Day trip to Watkins Glen NY and Seneca Lake in the Finger Lake Region…  Floating the Susquehanna River in our SeaEagle kayaks…  Watching the horse races at Tioga Downs…  Having a calf suck our thumbs at a friends dairy farm…  Picking blueberries…  Bear awareness…  Just having fun with Dan’s family!  We enjoyed our visit here immensely!

Trash and Recycle:  Since we’re in the country, the trash was burned in a barrel.  Pauline collects the recyclables in her garage and carries it to town occasionally.  Since there were two hogs in a barn, we fed them any table scraps for slop.  More fun!

Pauline's Campground  Pauline's House

Susquehanna River is just beyond the treeeline  Dan's Family Farm from the Susquehanna Treeline

Pauline's Flowers  More Flowers

Watkins Glen NY waterfall  Gin, Tricia and Dan at Watkins Glen NY  Watkins Glen NY waterfall
Gin, Tricia and Dan at Watkins Glen, NY

Just Floatin'  Dangineered paddleski
Floating the Susquehanna River

Thumbsucker!  Curious One

Bear!
Bear in the back yard!

Friday, July 13, 2012

Hollywood Casino, Grantville, PA


Date of Stay:  Thursday July 12, 2012 (1 night)

Rate:  Free (Paid for a nice buffet dinner)

Website:  Hollywood Casino
   777 Hollywood Blvd
   Grantville, PA 17028
   717-469-2211

Description:  We parked in a gravel lot among several semi trucks.  No hookups and kept our big slides closed.  Close to I-81 for an over nighter on our way to visit friends.

Activities:  Walked through the casino and threw a couple of bucks in a machine or two.  Enjoyed a nice  meal at their Epic Buffet which had lots of home styled veggies.  Took no pics.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Glen Maury Park, Buena Vista, VA


Date of Stay:  Tuesday July 10 - Thursday July 12, 2012 (2 nights)

Rate:  $34/night

Website:  Glen Maury Park
   101 Maury River Dr
   Buena Vista, VA 24416
   540-261-7321

Description:  City park on a nice river in a small town.  Paved road up the steep hill leads to small, wooded sites with 50A.  Those sites were too small for us so we were in a green open field with 30A and water next to the river.  We stopped here because it wasn’t far from I-81 and on our way to visit with friends in PA.  Very hot with no shade so it was a challenge to use the AC while on 30A.

Activities:  We just used this as a stop over so we didn’t check out the town very much.  Looked pleasant though.  Several deer hang out in the woods up the hill and a nearby golf course.  Saw a man fly fishing the river.  The park is restoring an old brick house (Paxton House) built around 1830 which overlooks the grassy field.

Trash and Recycle:  Blue trash cans throughout the field but didn’t notice any recycling.

Glen Maury Park in Buena Vista VA  Glen Maury Park

Elisha Paxton House at Glen Maury Park in Buena Vista VA  Glen Maury Park in Buena Vista VA

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Warrior Creek CG (Kerr Scott Lake COE), Wilkesboro, NC


Date of Stay:  Tuesday June 26 - Tuesday July 10, 2012 (14 nights)

Rate:  $11/night (Access Pass discount)

Website:  Warrior Creek CG
   7658 W NC Highway 268
   Boomer, NC 28606
   336-921-2177

Description:  Set in the foothills so it is hilly and wooded.  Paved roadways and newly refreshed campsites  (level gravel and new timber edging).  Water and electric (50A) at each site along with fire ring.  Nice mountain lake.  Swim area is in a protected cove.  We stayed on site 26 which is a wonderful, large first come site.  There are about 60 sites and 80% are reservable.  Two dump stations within the park although one was useless with the connection in the middle of the road. (One of my pics is being used on the website for a while) 

Activities:  Natural setting with hiking trails throughout the park.  Mountain biking trails very good here also.  Saw several deer during my morning walks.  Gin’s cousin Pam came to visit with us and we went to an evening outdoor drama (Tom Dooley; a Wilkes County Legend) presented at the amphitheater in Fort Hamby CG across the Lake.  We also went to a wine tasting at Raffaldini Vineyards in the nearby Yadkin River Valley.

Trash and Recycle:  Dumpster in middle of park.  Small recycle box at the boat ramp.

Warrior Creek CG site 26 Kerr Scott Reservoir COE  Warrior Creek CG site 26 Kerr Scott Reservoir COE

Warrior Creek CG sites 27 & 28 COE  Warrior Creek site 44 COE

Swim Beach at Warrior Creek COE  OVT at Warrior Creek CG
Swim beach                                             Hiking/biking trail

Raffaldini's  Rose Garden at Raffaldini's
Raffaldini Vineyards villa and grounds

Patio at Raffaldini's  Shade!
          Pam and Gin found some shade