71 – Branches Grand Island. Open area – nice place but simple. Fishing ponds. Lots of family activities. Decided to stay on US side and travel west via Ohio due to concerns over customs. Canadian side of Niagara Falls was beautiful – although we could have spent more time in the NY State Park. Ate lunch whilst watching falls at Table Rock. Went on Hornblower river cruise under the falls. Went wine tasting and had lunch (Hungarian cafe) in Niagara On The Lake ON. Beautiful town and countryside. Tasted Whiskey and Wine at Wayne Gretzky tasting place. Tried Ice Wine @ Konzelmann. Visited Niagara State Park to watch see the falls @ night and watch the fireworks. Downpours both nights. Would visit Locksport for Erie Canal on future visit.
70 – Pinecreek Campground. Wide-open campground. Verizon struggling in area. Purchased week-long WiFi access. Ithaca hills and downtown are nice. People seem friendly. Beautiful country-side near Ithaca. Five-plus lakes and ten-plus water falls in the area. Good hike up Cascadilla Gorge Trail in Ithaca. Visited Six Mile Creek Winery. Wine tasting, food (incl lobster roll) and good live music @ Americana Winery. Good beer and music @ 2 Goat Brewery – great views of Seneca Lake. Good wine @ Thirsty Owl – good singer. Good wine @ Wagner Winery with great views. Hundred plus wineries, breweries and distilleries in the area. Not a lot of restaurants in area – same for RV parks and hotels.
69 – Camp Charles. Nice couple running campground. Mostly seasonal. In big field near tent campers. Short hills. Lots of trees. Many indoor/outdoor family resorts. Stroudsburg is a nice little town. Good lunch and beer @ Barley Creek Brewery. Had great cheese steak sandwich @ Philly Steaks. Nice visit to Camelback Mountain. Visited Bushkill Falls – private area with many falls, trails, bridges and walk-ways. Hard drive through New Jersey, especially thru Trenton. Realized InRoute could not handle road restrictions like height, weight and length. Went back to TruckMap.
68 – Beachcomber Campground. Lots of amenities, especially for kids, big lake and beach, lots of park homes, crowded over 4th of July. Expensive like most Cape May CGs – heavily wooded with narrow rows. Cape May is a beautiful coastal town – lots of houses with mix of cape cod and victorian style. Wildwood Crest has these retro motels on the beach. All beaches, except Higbee Beach, prohibit dogs on beaches and promenades May thru Sept (Sunset before 11 am and after 4 pm). Great fireworks on 3rd @ Sunset Beach and 4th on Cape May Beach. Boat & Dolphin watch @ Silver Bullet – saw beach up to Wildwood North and saw large pod of dolphins riding our wake. Enjoyed Cape May Winery – very nice setting, wine was good. Good beer & vibe @ Cape May Brewery (no dogs). Good food and beer @ Mudhen Brewery (allows dogs). Enjoyed blackberry pie @ Ferry from Lewes, De was fun and interesting – survived.
67 – Holly Lake Campground. Remote CG inland between Rehoboth and Bethany beaches. Very much like state campground – lots of permanent and seasonal trailers – heavily wooded and roads were sand and dirt and bouncy. Both downtown areas were nice whereas Bethany Beach was smaller and quieter. Visited Doghead Fish brewery downtown Rehoboth (should have gone to the brewery near Lewes). Had good beer and food @ Crooked Hammock brewery near Lewes – lots of outdoor activities for families and live music. Most beaches did not allow dogs during summer – went to state parks for $10 per visit – south of Bethany and one near the Lewes Ferry. Survived the Chesapeake Bay Bridges and Tunnels going from Virginia towards Md/De/Nj.
66 – North Bay Shore Camping resort. Water surrounded the CG… had park homes and seasonal campers with their boats. Wooded but open. Visited local beach which allowed dogs before 10 am and after 6 pm. Virginia Beach was like Gulf Shores but older looking. Beach houses south were nice. Had blue point crabs @ Margie and Ray’s restaurant near CG. Lots of produce stands. Lots of swamp areas and wild life refuges in the area. Visited Back Bay Farm Brewery. Really enjoyed the Big Ugly Brewery – had live music and interesting vintage country vehicle vibe.
65 – Lake Gaston RV & Camping Resort. Visited with Paul and Jan. Went to local theatre and concert. Boated on the lake in their pontoon boat. Saw local wake board celebrity and exhibition. Paul rode his air chair. Ate local Carolina BBQ and Grandpa’s restaurant. Had a good time.
63 & 64 – KOA West & Mamma Gerties. Spent Father’s Day in Asheville @ the Red Ginger Dim Sum & Tapas restaurant. Drove into the Blue Ridge Parkway and Pisgah National Forest. Visited the falls and Slide Rock. Hiked Mount Pisgah, then had dinner and beers @ the Wicked Weed Brewery.
62 – Two Rivers Landing. Very nice pull-in site on the river. Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg were overwhelming. Every square inch is busy with tourist places. Spent two days inside the Smokey Mountain NP park. No charge. The side near Tennessee was busy, but the side facing North Carolina wasn’t too bad – had ice cream in Cherokee. Had dinner and listened to Blue Grass Music @ Applewood Farmhouse. Last night, summoned courage and went into Gatlinburg to sample Ole Smokey Moonshine – listened to local Blue Grass band – and watched a 77-year old man tap dance and flirt with the gals – named Chicken Legs. Visited local Knife store – lots of hunting weapons, knives and kitchen stuff.
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