Home!

Came across another National
Road Mile Marker

Today Home is calling our names.  …and I think I've heard Laundry call out a few times as well.  As a result, we’re homeward bound a little earlier than expected.

This was our longest drive of the trip; nine hours.  It started out with the temperature in the 70s and sunny skies.  It ended up with four hours of rain and 46 degrees.  At least the autumn foliage was beautiful the entire way.

Can't count how many cool
bridges we crossed!

It’s been another great trip…visiting 13 states, D.C. and two Canadian provinces.  We've seen a lot of incredible sights and met a lot of new friend, and got to visit a few old friends as well.  Our appreciation for this great country continues to grow.  Such wide diversity…in geography, in culture, in opinions…but all bonded together as the United States.  There is no other place like it in the world and we’re even more proud to call ourselves Americans.

Now, it’s time to study our maps and figure out the next drive!

Niagara and More

Did you know….???  150,000 gallons of water goes over the American Falls per second.  600,000 gallons per second for the Canadian Falls.  So…750,000 gallons of water per second.    If you live to be 80 you will probably drink about 14,600 gallons of water.  What can you learn from this???   Simple:  Do not stand under the falls with your mouth open.  It’s just too much!

The first person to go over the falls in a barrel and survive was a 63 year old female schoolteacher.

In 1969, engineers stopped the flow of water over the American Falls.  They wanted to investigate moving the rocks from the bottom of the falls to make them more attractive.  Found out it would be too expensive.  Duh!

I could give you lots more interesting facts, but I’ve been informed by my editorial staff that I need to move on before it’s too late.  Instead, I’ll just offer you this link: http://www.niagarafallslive.com/facts_about_niagara_falls.htm

Getting Up Close to the Canadian Falls

We left the Canadian side of the falls and moved to the American side in the early morning.  We wanted to clear customs early to avoid the crowds and besides…everything is cheaper on the American side.  (Not to mention…Mona got her 3G back.  Have I ever mentioned how she is without 3G?  It’s been four days in Canada and my iPhone was the only one with a data package.  I’m SO glad to be back in America!!!!)

We got in line early for tickets to Maid of the Mist…the famous boats that take you right up to the falls.  You get your tickets and then go down about 250 feet in an elevator.  Then you walk down to a line for the boat.  Along the way you are handed a blue raincoat and you put it on as you queue up in line.  As we stood in line we discussed where we’d stand once we boarded….Mona wanted somewhere on the side and not on the top.  Me, I wanted on the top in the prow. Because Mona is a sweetheart we ended up on the prow of the upper deck.

At the Canadian Falls - Up Close and Personal

This 30 minute boat ride is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  The boat takes you right up to the Canadian Falls; so close you can seemingly reach out and touch them, but you don’t.  (See note above in regards to 500,000 gallons per second.)  The spray and mist from the falls blast through you and there is no place on the boat to hide….you will get wet!  What a thrill to be that close to all that raw power of nature!!!!

After Niagara it was time to head for Pittsburgh.  There we visited Julie and Bob at their new home and met their daughters, Emily and Taylor.  Then we went to The North Park Lounge fora  local favorite…steak salad.  You get salad with steak on it…and fries on the salad.  Very unique and very good!  Great food, great conversation, great time!  So good to see Bob and Julie again!

Started our day in Canada and ended in Pittsburgh.  The beginning and end of the day were fun and the ride in between was full of autumn beauty!

In Memorial:

Over the last few days two of our friends passed away.  Both Mary Mentzer. who was a friend from Illinois Power, and Mary Speak, a friend from St. Louis, had services today.  Although we couldn't be there for the services our hearts and prayers are with their families.

Road to Niagara

Started our day with yet another wonderful breakfast….appetizer included.  I've already been warned not to expect anything like this at home!  I suppose that means it’s back to Wheat Chex and soy milk…oh, well, it was wonderful while it lasted!

Until this trip we had never stayed at a Bed and Breakfast before..and never really wanted to.  We’ve now stayed at three, each very different and have loved all three.  The first was Harpswell Inn on a remote peninsula in Maine.  This inn had nine guest rooms and each was extensively decorated to a given theme:  Longfellow, Radcliffe, Lilac, etc.  We were within steps of the sea and a lobster dock where we learned so much from Albert.  We also got to know the innkeepers quite well.

 Our second B&B was the Cornwall Orchard B&B, nestled in the farmlands and maple trees of Vermont.  This inn had five guest rooms, moderately decorated but still nice.  From here we rambled through two states visiting historical sites and looking at fall foliage.  We really got to know the innkeepers because of two reasons.  First, because their wifi had been broken for several days and I fixed it.  (Didn’t spend all those years on the Help Desk for nothing!)  Second, because we were their only guests for the last evening we were there and had wine together after their wifi was working.We even got to order our breakfast on our last day…blueberry pancakes, of course!

Finally, the Petite Auberge, tucked in the midst of Canada’s largest city (Montreal) yet still remote on a tiny backstreet named Argyle.  Here, we stayed in an incredible belle époque suite…actually more of a mini-townhouse style with a downstairs kitchenette.  We were steps from the Metro that we took all over Montreal.  And, we were within blocks of Rue Crescent which reminded us of a French Washington Avenue.  Interestingly, we did not meet the innkeepers…not once.

American Falls

Three B&Bs, all very different, but all quite memorable.  We would highly recommend any of the three and would love to visit them again.  I’m sure we’ll be staying at more of them over the coming years.

Horseshoe Falls

Okay….back to the trip.  What was I talking about?  Oh, yeh, breakfast.  Love it, but now it’s time to move on.  Today’s destination, Niagara!  Our drive was to have taken 7 hours, but instead it was closer to nine due to congestion in Toronto and an accident or two.  Finally, we arrived in Niagara.  We checked in to our hotel and then headed to the falls on foot.

American Falls at Night

Walking to Our Hotel

Niagara Skyline

Skylon Tower

The drive was worth it…these falls are incredible.  We got to see them by day and then we had dinner in a rooftop restaurant and got to see them lit up at night.  We walked home on a street lit up like a state fair carnival and then stopped in at a TGI Friday’s to have a drink and to watch a curling game.  What a way to end our last day in Canada, eh?

Montreal Encore

Our Front Door

This suite is reminiscent of our old loft.  City sounds, city lights and lots of restaurants and clubs within walking distance.  All that, coupled with a great bed, made for a great night’s sleep.  That was followed by a wonderful breakfast which was led off by a breakfast appetizer.  Never had one of those before!

Tour Olympique

Afterwards we caught the Metro and headed across town to visit the Olympic Park.  This was where the summer Olympics were held in 1976.  There are huge stadiums still throughout the area and they are building a new planetarium in the midst of them.  The Olympic buildings have deteriorated over the years and there is now lots of rebuilding activity to repair them.

We rode the funicular to the top of the Tour Olympique.  Interestingly, this tower wasn't completed until 11 years AFTER the Olympics!  It’s the tallest inclined tower in the world, standing over 175 meters high and at a 45 degree angle.  You might ask how they did this.  Well, I’ll tell you!  The upper part of the structure has a mass of about 8000 tons.  The lower part, which extends about 40 feet into the ground, has a mass of about 158,000 tons.  Simple!

View From Funicular

I got distracted with data there for a bit…sorry about that.  Anyway, we rode the funicular to the top and enjoyed the great views of Montreal, the St. Lawrence Seaway and the mountains in the distance.  Beautiful!

From Our Back Door

We caught the Metro and went back to Old Montreal for lunch.  More escargot and frites.  Gotta get them while we can!  Then back to our room to just relax.  Haven’t done much of that this trip!

And, because Mona edits this blog before it's posted I must tell you a story about the Metro.  We purchased  day-long passes because we anticipated several trips today.  We went up to the turnstiles together, but I was having a bit of a problem getting my pass to work.  I looked up to find Mona on the other side of the turnstile as she had already passed through.  With obvious delight she walked me through the simple process of using my pass.  There, I've said it.  Can we just move on?!?!!?

View From Restaurant

Early evening, we walked down the street adjacent to our hotel,  Rue Crescent, to find a place for dinner.  We found a nice little place two stories up where we could people watch and enjoy our last evening in Montreal.  Tres Bon!

Oh Canada!

Wow, can’t believe it’s already October 1^st…the first day of my favorite month!!!  I love all the fall colors and fun…and it will be even better as a retiree!

Our day began with a drive through some Vermont back roads to get to a bridge across Lake Champlain into New York.  Yes, we looked for Champ, but did not see him…darn!  That would have made for a great blog!!!  Here’s more about Champ:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champ_(cryptozoology)

After about an hour we made it to the Canadian Border.  In advance, I had made Mona practice answering questions like: “Where are you from?”  “Is that your car?”  “Why are you traveling in to Canada?”  If you recall, the last time we encountered Border Patrol in Arizona similar questions posed quite a problem for her.  I also managed to pour some ice cold water on her seat to help keep her awake.  The practice and the ice water paid off and within minutes we were through the border!    

As we approached Montreal, Mona was driving and did a great job of weaving through traffic as I struggled with the French signs.  (Is “est” west or is it “ouest” or is that eggs?  I wish I had paid more attention to Harcourt Brace and World Incorporated back in the 60s!)

When we left Vermont, the innkeepers of the Cornwall Orchard B&B recommended a B&B in Montreal.  We really didn't plan on going there because we thought we could find a better deal through Orbitz or Priceline.  Turns out we couldn't so we called and made reservations at the recommended B&B.  The Petite Auberge, our B&B, turned out to be a walk up on a tiny street and you parked out front on the street (if you could find a spot).  This wasn't looking good.  We tried to check in…our room wasn't ready.  We went out for lunch, came back, room still not ready.  Finally, we went to explore the underground malls and they called us at 4:00 to say the room was ready.  Nothing had gone quite right this far and I expected worse to come.

Our Bedroom

The desk clerk walked us to our room and opened the door for us…..OMG, I thought we were in the wrong room!  The first thing you see is the in-room Jacuzzi tub and the fireplace.  Then your eyes are drawn to the four poster bed.  Ahhhhh…..not sure we’ll ever leave this room for the rest of our stay in Montreal! 

Half of Our Living Room

A couple of hours later we tore ourselves away from the room and walked about 300 feet to the Metro, taking it to Old Montreal.  This part of Montreal is a lot like Paris, with lots of quaint shops and restaurants.  We found a restaurant that offered some of our favorites, escargot,  salad Nicoise, and frites.  They also had a special on imported beer…Budweiser.  We passed on that!

Montreal's Notre Dame

A bit ago I mentioned the underground malls.  Much of downtown Montreal is underground with over 1700 stores and shops.  It wore us out walking just a segment of it!  You can get just about anywhere underground but it's a maze and easy to get lost!

After dinner we wandered around doing a little shopping and gawking….finally ending up in a little bar for drinks and desert.  Then it was time to catch the Metro back to our room and now it’s time for bed.  Bonne Nuit!

Colors!

Breakfast View

Another Breakfast View

As usual, I was up early and out to the common room of the Inn by 5:00 AM.  It was so peaceful and  beautiful, watching the sun come up.  About 6:30 I began smelling wonderful aromas coming from the kitchen…the anticipation was building!  Finally, at 8 A.M. we got to have that wonderful second “B” of “B&B”.  Yes, I’m talking about breakfast.  This morning was homemade granola, cream, link sausage, and blueberry pancakes with pure Vermont maple syrup from the Maple House just down the road.  Mmmmmm!!!!

A little information on the Cornwall Orchard B&B.  The innkeepers are Ann and Robert, she’s from Turbridge, Kent, England.  He’s a recovering attorney.  The inn is about 1 mile from the nearest town, Cornwall, population 1136.  The inn has five guest rooms, and no TVs (nor did the Harpswell Inn.)  Last night the other four rooms were occupied by members of the same family, here to meet for a reunion.  Tonight, we’re the only guests.

Mona on the Ramparts

After breakfast, we took a ferry across Lake Champlain to visit Fort Ticonderoga in New York.  This fort is called “America’s Fort” because of its role in the Revolutionary War.  Back in 1875, in the early days of the Revolution, the Americans had no cannons as the British did not allow colonials to have them.  Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold had served in the general area of Fort Ticonderoga and knew that it was defended only by a small detachment of garrison troops.  They came up with the idea of taking the fort to capture its cannons.  Allen marched from Vermont with about 250 of his Green Mountain Boys while Benedict Arnold came from Massachusetts with his butler.  Allen and the Green Mountain Boys easily took the fort and later Henry Knox (think of Ft. Knox) moved those guns to Boston to drive the British away and free Boston in 1776.  I could tell you more, but you’ll have to ask for it!

Today, we accomplished one of the goals we set for 2012.  Today we found a cache in New York State making the last find in our quest to find geocaches in the 48 contiguous states this year.  Woo hoo!  We will be writing up more about this cache and many others in our geocaching blog when we get home.

It had rained pretty steadily throughout the morning and the forecast for the afternoon looked the same.  We didn't want to be outdoors much so we decided to drive where the fall colors were supposed to be the brightest….the Adirondacks in upstate New York.  Off we went!

The drive through the forest was amazing!  At one point, Mona said, “My eyes are overwhelmed….I feel like I’m seeing a symphony for sight!”  The mountains were definitely in their glory, full of oranges, reds, yellow and every variation thereof.  We were constantly stopping the car to get out to view colors, mountain streams or unexpected crashing waterfalls.  I wish I had better words to share the beauty….hopefully a picture or two will help tell the story.

All too soon the daylight faded and our day of color ended.  We had a wonderful dinner at a pub in Shoreham and drove back through the rain to our warm B&B.  Time for sleep!

VT.

Having dined on our last delicious breakfast at the Harpswell Inn and after receiving hugs from Ann, it was time to move on to our next destination.  (Note: I can’t recall ever having received hugs from any other innkeeper or hotel manager before!) 

It was raining when we left and it rained throughout the six hour drive down along the coast of Maine, across New Hampshire and across Vermont.  Even so, we got to see some incredible fall colors, especially as we drove across the Green Mountains.  Mona was driving and I kept having her stop so I could take yet another picture…and another….and another. 

Otter Creek Falls

Newhart's Inn

Along the way we passed through East Middlebury, Vermont, near our Inn.  There in East Middlebury is another B&B that’s just a little more famous than ours.  Recognize it?  It’s the B&B used for the outside shots of the Bob Newhart Show!  Another recognizable spot that’s nearby are the Otter Creek Falls which are beneath Main Street, Middlebury.  These falls were used in the movie Me, Myself and Irene.

Our B&B is the Cornwall Orchards Bed and Breakfast.  It’s a restored farmhouse built in 1783 and situated on 14 acres of orchards.  Juliet, the Innkeeper, told us we could wander through the orchard and pick whatever we wanted.  Our room here isn’t as lavish as Harpswell, but Mona’s feet can reach the floor from the bed.  (Wish we had a pic of her standing next to that bed!)

William's Sugar House

A few miles past the Inn is a Maple Syrup House, called the Williams Farm.  We stopped by and met a man and his wife who appeared to be in their eighties and both had been farming maple syrup for most of their lives.  They told us how the trees are tapped and how the sap is boiled down to the syrup.  The husband showed us a picture of him as a young boy, with a wagon of syrup being pulled by a team of oxen.  He’s been in the business a long long time!

We found a nice place in Middlebury for dinner.  You wouldn’t believe the huge stuffed mooseheads they had adorning the walls.  Huge!

Our B&B 

This really is a quaint area…feels like we’re in England.  Lots of English named towns such as:  Corwall, Essex, and Underhill.  And, Middlebury is the shiretown.  Not to mention, we’re just a few miles from the Northeast Kingdom.  Most of the people here have a slight English accent, with a hint of French.  After all, we’re just 85 miles from French Quebec.

Now,  to settle in for the evening.  Like the other B&B, this one does not use locks for the inside, nor the outside doors.  I could get used to this….NOT!  Give me a couple of deadbolts and a cylinder lock and I can sleep like a rock!  Oh well, will have to tough it out here in the wilds of Vermont.