From Pittsburgh to Canada

As the Autumn came knocking on the door ,the nights became colder ,the days shorter and the RV traffic thinner,the C.G became almost deserted but we still had the desire to keep going and experience the foliage on the way back.

On the way from Pittsburgh to the Canadian boarder we have done 3 stops ,one in Mercer PA  one in Tionesta PA and one next to Jamestown NY , some of the days were rainy and some crispy clear but cold (that’s how I like it),we enjoyed every minute and took it as it came still taking short hikes to waterfalls and visiting an Apple fest in Franklin PA,rain did not stop us at all ,it is only water…

In Jamestown C.G we meet again the owner Max that was glad to see us after we camped in his C.G last year coming from NY towards the Canadian boarder, he too is closing up and moving for the winter to Florida as most of the RVer’s from the cold area.

Crossing the boarder was smooth ,we did not have even to get out of the truck although I had everything ready for the usual questions we got so much used to.

In July in a C.G we meet a great couple that lives an hour North of  Toronto , they offered us to leave our rig on their land during the winter ,we just talked with them and will on our way to their place in 2 days that will be used to do the laundry and get the staff packed and ready.

The next 2 weeks we will spend with our son in Toronto,visit friends and get presents for the grandkids .

Next year plan is already going through my head …Michigan,Indiana,Kentucky and Tennessee… I can’t wait.

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Pittsburgh PA

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We meet a great couple that is running the C.G in Tarentum just 20 Milles North East of Pittsburgh.

They own a great log house on the C.G grounds and they use as their home and public restrooms.

For many years they would hold a Blue Grass festival in the C.G but had to stop as it interfered with the the regular RV camping activities,we were invited for coffee ,cookies and even welcomed to use their computer to check our e-mails.

The city of Pittsburgh is beautifully spread out  ,the city is surrounded with nice green hills with house all around, and at one point 2 rivers Monongahela and Allegheny meet to create Ohio river many bridges connect different parts of the city above the rivers and it creates  a beautiful sight.

We strolled along the downtown,bought a sandwich in a famous bakery and sat down in the Market Square to eat, then walked along the banks of the rivers close to the famous Steelers Stadium and the Baseball one.

After that we drove to MT Washington sat in one of the pubs facing the rivers,bridges and the downtown-and what a sight it was…

At the C.G we were just on time for gorgeous sunsets that were just right to complete a fantastic day.

Youghiogheny Lake PA

The Corps of Engineer in the US have built dams all over the country  ,after finalizing the work they have arranged campgrounds in most of lakes/dams.

Many of them have electrical hook ups,a tab where you can fill water before you go to your site and a damp station,they also have on the grounds showers and toilets for those who camp with a tent.

ALL the campgrounds are located in a beautiful nature and are quite comfortable to go and out.

We chose Youghiogheny Lake Corps of Engineer C.G as it was on our way and had no idea what to expect.

It was a great choice,specie RV  sites   with Electrical hook ups and a clean C.G.

We had a long drive through hilly terrain ,so after getting settled we took things easy,took a shower and strolled around the  C.G and the river that ran just next to our site.

Day later we visited on of the most fantastic beautiful S.P called Ohaiopyle S.P,there is a river running through the park,waterfalls with a short hiking distance,picnic areas,white water rafting,canoeing , many bike and hiking trails-what else can one ask for….

It was a great day like many others ,but this came as pleasant

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surprise.

Luray Caverns VA

Yes I know that I already posted a post about Endless Caverns but I must add that Luray Caverns are outstanding from all Caverns we saw and we did see some.
So with out any more words here are some selected pictures.

Shenandoah N.P Virginia

Shenandoah N.P is located on the North part of the Blue Ridge PWY and is a like a cherry on top of a cake,anywhere you hike,drive or have a picnic is beautiful and you can not go wrong.

The only “problem” we had is to choose from a long list what  hikes to take ,but we managed…

As the park is located in the North part of the BRP we decided to move our rig to a C.G close to it,driving with the trailer ON the BRP and the Shenandoah N.P is possible but not wise,the road is curvy and narrow so stopping or turning around is almost impossible, the best solution was leaving the trailer at the foot of the mountain and making side trips with the truck alone-it worked just fine.

We found out that beside the vistas,hike and falls there is also night life in one of the resorts,so surly after a long day we enjoyed local dances and music with food and beverages.

I add some pictures for you to enjoy.

Life is good.

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Endless Cavers VA

Near New Market at the foot of the Shenandoah N.P and the Blue Ridge PWY many cavers can be found, we have visited the Endless Caverns and used their C.G for 4 days to explore this fantastic area.

We arrived at 2PM to the C.G ,got hook upped eat some snack and walked to the Caverns just next to the registration office of the C.G  

According to the tour operators, the cave was discovered by two boys in October 1879, while hunting rabbits on the property of Ruben Zirkle. The boys cornered a rabbit behind an outcropping of limestone rocks, and began moving some of the loose stones to flush the rabbit from his hiding place. After doing this they discovered a hole in the ground and ran back to the house to grab some ropes and candles. After going into the hole the boys found that there were many chambers and rooms. Not long after the discovery, the Zirkles began doing candle lit tours through the cave. In 1919, the cave was bought by Colonel Brown. Brown had the cave fully wired and lights were installed. Endless Caverns was allegedly the first cave ever to have electrical lighting.

Endless is home to colonies of bats, primarily little brown bats, that are visible on the tour route

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Blue Ridge Parkway VA

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We did a long drive (our standards) from Virginia Beach to West VA and settled down for 5 days along the South part of the BRP of Virginia.

Virginia Beach called also called Hampton Roads area is land and waters waved in a way that you do not know where is the ocean,where are the inlets and it reminds an octopus legs with waters in between them.

The city itself reminds Miami Beach with a long boardwalk (made from concrete) along the Ocean when restaurants,hotels and shops on the West side of it, different all together from West of Virginia.

It was 230 Milles long and took us around 6 hours with 3 stops,one of the stops we have done was next to a dinner recommended to us by a friend, “when you pass Wakefield on HWY 460 do not forget to stop at the dinner to taste their peanut pie” and so we did and never regretted it as it was delicious.

The C.G in Greenville has a swimming pool,a lake surrounded with grass ,Wi-Fi , full hook-ups and located comfortably to the BRP.

On our second day we headed towards the Natural Bridge using the BRP going South with many out looks towards beautiful vistas.

The Natural Bridge is a huge rock with a big hole in the middle of it,all made by nature,it is a beautiful sight and the only thing that I dislike about it is that it is private owned and became a tourist trap…

On the next day we headed to Shenandoah Valley C.G near Verona, it has a beautiful Waterfall on the grounds with a running river attached to it,we stopped and had some  branch facing the falls.

From there we took HWY 11 towards Stevens Tavern and crossed the BRP on HWY 56 towards the trailhead to Crabtree Falls,4 Mile hike roundtrip with high elevation we reached the lower and the upper falls, the vistas on the way were breathtaking but the falls at this time of the year were not at full stream,never the less the Autumn colors and the hike were great.

Fish,wine,salad made by the Chief Chef Shula Oren was a great treat to complete another wonderful day.

On the third day we took a ride towards the Allegheny Mountains through the small country roads,our first stop was at the old town of Raphine there in a pastoralists views people renewed old house to look as they did many years ago instead of replacing them,this only added to the whole ambiance of this beautiful place.

We continued West seeing from far the BRP as we came to Warm Springs and found two old round white big huts that are used today for Hot Baths with water that runs under them,it appeared to be the oldest Warm Springs in the US,great place to take a dip for an hour ,only 18$ per person.

Further down the road lays Homestead a hug beautiful hotel that has it all,Tennis courts,Golf Course,Swimming Pools,Restaurants,Shops and VIEW,I imagine that for few thousand $ you can have a room there…

On the way back we stopped to see a huge Falling Spring falling from a large rock with the Appalachian Mountains are seen behind it…what a view.

At the end of the day I smile  to myself when some asks me “Again you are off to see another fall,mountain or sunset”…..What can I answer to that “it makes my heart beat differently…”

Rosh Hashana,Williamsburg,Jamestown&Yorktown VA

Rosh Hashana , for those who do not know the meaning of these two words –it means in Hebrew “New Year” and as our calendar is accordingly to the Moon rather than the Sun it happens each year on a different date in the Christian calendar.

This year we celebrated Rosh Hashanah on 8 September while camping in Williamsburg,Rosh Hashana is a family Holiday and therefore it was a Holiday with a touch of sadness as at the table were only Shula and myself with all the family in our hearts…although we took advantage of the high-tech Skype system to talk and see the family.

While in Williamsburg we have visited and learned about the early history and battles of this area,we visited the landing sites , the ships that brought the first settlers,the museums and the restored villages in Jamestown and in Yorktown.

Talking with the people that played the role in the sites you start to wonder what on earth brings a person to fight ,risking his life,having close to nothing for food,slipping on the floor and if he makes the day with out a bullet he gets fever from almost anything…well it must be the will for freedom and a better life for himself and for the future generation DON’T WE ALL…

Here are some selected pictures from our visit.

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Washington DC.

We thought that visiting Washington DC after 40 years would be nice again,so we parked our trailer on friends lot that were kind enough to invite us and took the metro into downtown.

It was a tough long day but we accomplished a lot,we have visited the Holocaust Museum ,the American History Museum and walked the “Mall” from Smithsonian Museum to the Lincoln Monument,White House,Capitol hill and to Union station where we took the subway back.

The weather was on the hot side and we had to go into some museums just to cool off.

In the statue  gardens we stopped for lunch listening to live Jazz sitting around a pool dipping our feet in the water.

Our next move is towards South Virginia to Virginia Beach area.

Till then….

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Philadelphia.

After spending time in the Wilds we finally made it to the BIG city Philadelphia.

First we “parked” the 5W in a campground between Philadelphia and Lancaster and then meet with Carol & Harold .a couple we meet on the way to Alaska in 2002 for one evening and never saw them till now,but stayed in touch through the E-mail.

Carol and Harold picked us up from the C.G to their home and for 4 days went out of their ways to make us feel at home and we deeply thank them for sharing the time with us.

We have visited the city by foot,walked the park,went to see “Joseph” in the theatre and took scenic drives in the area-it was just marvellous-Thank you Harold and Carol.

We also managed to meet Shuki and Susan.Shuki and myself did not see each other since high school meaning we did not meet for 50 YEARS….unbelievable… we had a great time together and promised that our next meeting will not be after 50 years…

Bernville PA

On the way from North PA towards Lancaster (the Amish country of PA) we decided to have a break in Bernville in Mid East PA in between the mountains and close to the Appalachian Trail. 

The are is full of farm land ,Amish , Mennonites and beautiful nature.

We found a C.G that belongs to Passport America in the small town of Bernville and spent the afternoon cleaning and drying the wet trailer from the previous night. The C.G has full hook-ups and cable TV so we could finally see a movie without advertisements and clear as it should.

On the next morning we pack some lunch and take a scenic route towards Cornwall passing through rolling hills,farm land and green meadows as far as the eye can see.

We stopped in a library in one of the small towns on the way ,checked our e-mails and continued slowly towards Cornwall,in one of the turns Shula saw huge mushrooms on a lawn and asked me to stop.

As we approach the  place to take some pictures we noticed that this lawn belongs to an Inn called Cornwall Inn that includes beautiful old buildings and gardens,as we needed to use a rest room we decided to  check out the Inn and as we are approaching the entrance we see a couple working in the front garden .

After greetings we found ourselves invited to a tour of the old Inn and gardens which we dilated to do and found that the place was once a train station,post office and a local jail.

To see what the couple did from the place is remarkable,we saw the “before” and I can show you the “After” down here…

The outstanding  couple show us a round and then took us to an Amish farm they know not far from there place, we found a very nice clean ,well behaved and open people.

We were allowed to take pictures and were surprised to learn that one of the girls even  has a “Face book”…

A day that started with not many expectations ended to be an extra ordinal one…and what the difference where the people we meet.

Ricketts Glen S.P Pennsylvania.

We have hiked high lands,we have hiked lowlands,we have hiked frozen waterfalls but have NEVER hiked a 7.5Mile hike seeing 21 ,yes 21 waterfalls…..

If you look at the map above this is a waterfall trail ,each blue dot represents' a waterfall in Ricketts Glen S.P in Pennsylvania,

the weather was just right for the autumn it was just one beauty after another, each fall a totally different from the one before,and because the water was low we could walk the on the rocks around the falls and enjoy it from different angles.

It took us from 9AM till 3PM to complete the loop , we did it slowly and tried to enjoy the falls,the vegetation,the formations which was getting harder as we went from one waterfall to another because you kind of get used to it.

One day you can hike 4 hours to reach one waterfall and here we are hiking 21 waterfalls in 7.5Miles….

Our Camp Ground is located 4 miles from the S.P and has a vender that does smoked ribs,chicken with side dishes, so we decided to complete this fantastic day to have a treat,Shula had 1/2 smoked chicken with backed potato and I had 1/2 a rack of Texas baby ribs with beans…wooow that was great and it was served to our site by the vendor when it finally was done.

Her are some selected pictures from this another magnificent day.

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Grand Canyon Of PA

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The so called Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania is a part of the PA Wild’s but it deserves a chapter of its own and his official name is PINE CREEK GORGE.

He lies between Leonard Harrison and Colton Point State Parks, many scenic vistas offer spectacular views into 800 foot deep,glacially carved canyon.

We parked our trailer on the East Rim of the Canyon just one mile away from the head trail called Turkey Path that takes you down to the bottom of the Canyon and the river bank.

The only problem of this path is that you have to climb it up eventually….

We had a great hike down,luckily the path was dry after some rainy days that made it impossible to hike without slipping from time to time.

As you can imagine the hike down took half of the time on the reverse route but it was worth the effort.

On the way down we passed next to two waterfalls and not very impressing because of the season,I can imagine them in full strength at Autumn.

At the bottom we found a great place for a picnic sitting on a rock with the feet in the cool water and seeing vistas as far as your eye can see-just breathtaking…

On the way up we meet a couple from PA that took a day to see the Canyon and we talked our way up.

We wanted to raft the on the river but unfortunately the water was to low for this kind of activity.

Tomorrow we are of to hike in the West Rim and pictures will follow (I have added some pictures after the visit and hike in the West Rim).

Pennsylvania Wilds

On the 4th of Aug Yuval flew back home on a direct flight from Toronto,it was a sad moment for all of us,it was a great month and a new experiance for the 3 of us.
Yuval was neto with us without her parents or brothers and she became part of the RV team immediately.
She wanted to know everything about the trailer and her far family ,it was great having her around and hopefully will have her again.
After she left we crossed the boarder through the Peace Bridge near Buffalo and proceeded to Erie where we stayed for 3 days exploring the lake sites.
Currently we are in PA Wilds (North West Pennsylvania) and are enjoying the wild part of the State.
It if full of natural forest,rivers,small villages,hiking trails and wild life and we are taking advantage of it all.
Here are some selected pictures that tell the story.

New born grandson.

On 25 November 2009 at 0630 local Boston time this beautiful boy was born.

He is the son of our middle son and his wife and has a sister 3 years old.

The Mother and the baby are doing fine (and so are we…)

It is an amazing moment and we would like to share it with you all.

May this newborn have a peaceful,happy,healthy loving LIFE.

Down Town Boston

I love this city,it has so much to offer,European atmosphere,side walk pubs,restaurants,beautiful parks,Museums and old buildings.

We took a stroll to Down Town area on a beautiful sunny day headed towards Quincy Market a huge place with in and out restaurants from all cultures you can imagine,the place is usually packed ,many artists show there talents in the squire and it just nice to walk around and enjoy the day.

As we were walking around we saw a musician performing under a tree but all the people were looking up towards the sky,so I shift my eyes and a see a beautiful Owl resting on a branch , so I pull out my new Panasonic Camera that has X18 Zoom and look at the results.

I think it had a good time as we had….

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Boston –Plymouth MA

It is already November,the foliage is after the peak ,we stored the trailer next to Toronto and spent time with our youngest son and some great friends in the area.

Our middle son ,his wife and their 3 year old girl are stationed in Boston and are expecting a second child in mid November,so we are here to help out and enjoy their company.

Last time we saw them it was when they came over to join us while RVing in NH in the White Mountain area just 4 months ago,we spend fantastic 5 days and now we are catching up.

Roni grew so much since we saw her,she uses English and Hebrew all in one sentence,and it is very funny and quit.

This week end we took a trip down to Plymouth along the coast ,walked the beach,saw the sunset and enjoyed being together again.

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Well we are here till they kick us out… 

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Niagara Falls-end of 2009 RV trip.

End of September beginning October, it starts to be very cold at night and crispy cold at day time, this is the time to get ready to close the 2009 RV summer trip.

We had a great time traveling through Maine,NH,VT and Upstate NY,hiked to many peaks and waterfalls,meet interesting people and added many adventures to our RV way of life .

The “KING’ of the waterfalls was left as the last interesting place on our route before storing the trailer-Niagara Falls.

We have been there several times in the past but it is amazing each time as it was the first, the powerful falling waters together with the roaring sounds keeps one wonder at this phenomena, it runs 24hours a day 365 days a year and there is no end or intermission to the strong current.

I was 100 meters from the fall and got wet as though I was in a shower (second time today,the first one was a real shower).

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We took a ride North along the river and visited the Niagara Falls Fort where the French surrended to the British in 1620,it was a strategic place and controlled the entrance to the river.

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Crossing the boarder to Canada is always a thrill…but this time it took us only an hour and from there to the storage 3 hours.

As it is our 8th trip we already are trained to what has to be done to get the Trailer ready for the winter,winterize,clean,empty and make sure all the entrances are blocked to mice and other small creatures.

That’s it my friends,end of 2009 RV summer trip,I hope you enjoyed it like we did,see you next year visiting new destinations,I can not wait….

Letchworth State Park NY.

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Called the “Grand Canyon of NY state” this magnificent State Park in it a huge gorge,3 impressive waterfalls,56miles of trails,campground,hotel,restaurants ,swimming pool and many view overlooks .

You can spend a day ,2 or maybe 3 days exploring this park by foot or by car and enjoy the foliage colors ,swim in the pool or hike next to the falls getting sprayed from the long fall waters to the bottom of the gorge.

Again we were taken by this natural powers,some say you saw a waterfall why go for another one? well it is not the same it will always be different in one way or another.

These waterfalls will conclude our hikes to see more but we left the one and only for the end-NIAGARA.

This year we have hiked to many waterfalls,gorges and lakes and they all are different from one another,and if we see them again we will still have the same thrill as we had on the first visit.