After winding our way north, we arrived at Niagara Falls. The American Falls accounts for only ten percent of the water of the Niagara River going over the edge. The spray in the background is from Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian half of the river. The boat is the Maid of the Mist.

The only question on the 'Cave of the Winds' tour is how wet will you get. Actually, the cave collapsed prior to 1920 and the tour is now conducted across a series of wooden walkways and decks. These structures are dismantled every fall and reconstructed in the spring after the ice breaks up. The falls to the right is Bridal Veil Falls and the decking gets within 25 feet (very wet). Raincoats and booties are provided as part of the tour.

On the Maid of the Mist boat ride, we rode into the center of the Horseshoe Falls. In our custom garbage bag rain gear, we got less wet on the bow than under the falls in rain coats.

About five miles below the falls is the NY Power Authority's Power Plant. About half of the water that enters the river from Lake Erie gets diverted and split between the US and Canadian power plants. The US plant is a replacement for one that was destroyed in a landslide in 1956.

In the Niagara area is the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum in North Tonawanda. One of the volunteers gave us a history lesson on carrousels and this 1916 #1 Herschell Company Special.

In the carving shop area of the factory is a giraffe project that is nearing completion. These projects are being created by volunteer carvers. Also included in the museum is a band organ paper roll duplicator that is being rebuilt, and may provide paper rolls for sale when fully restored.

After getting the bikes serviced, we headed south through the Finger Lakes region. Seneca Lake (behind us) is the second largest at about three miles wide and 35 miles long. The region also boasts 40 or so wineries.

The Corning Museum of Glass provides an amazing look at the history and innovations if the glass industry. The large circular casting (with the cracks) behind the figures is the first attempt by Corning to cast the Pyrex mirror blank for the 200 inch Palomar telescope. The exhibits are well displayed with many of them interactive. The optical glass section is informative and pretty comprehensive.

There is an extensive collection of pieces in the Art & History and Sculpture Galleries. Objects from the early Egyptians through recent times are on display.

This very intricate chandelier is almost eight feet tall (click on the picture).

Throughout the day, art glass blowing demonstrations are given on a specially built stage with it's own kilns and video system (that changes to zoom in on the details). Corning also gives classes for all levels of glass blowing. The Steuben art glass factory is also located on the premises. The gift shop offers all things glass related, as well as a large section for Steuben pieces.

While spending a few days in Elmira, several people told us we had to visit Watkins Glen - they were right! While most motorheads equate the area with the internationally famous race track, the area is actually named for a narrow gorge with 19 waterfalls. While the gorge was started by the last ice age, 12,000 years ago, water has since played a big part in sculpting this magnificent gorge.

Before the glen was purchased by the state, it was operated as a privately owned resort. Most of the trails, tunnels, bridges, and stone pathways were built during this period (1863 through 1906). The one and a half mile trail up the gorge crosses the river (both over and under) several times.

Along the side of the largest of the finger lakes (Cayuga Lake) is Taughannock Falls. At 215 feet, it is one of the tallest falls east of the Mississippi. It is said that the Iraquoi tribes of the area tossed the chiefs of conquered tribes over the edge as an example.

In Senaca Falls (at the north end of the finger lakes) is the Women's Rights National Historic Park. It is located at the site of the first Women's Rights Convention held in 1848. The topics were women's social condition and demands for rights and privileges equal to men.

New York's Seaway Trail system of roadway runs along the complete length of the northern border of the state. At the top of Lake Ontario, just before entering the Saint Lawrence Seaway, the trail goes through Sackets Harbor, a natural safe haven for ships, and the location of a pivotal battle in the War of 1812.

In Clayton, on the St. Lawrence River, is The Antique Boat Museum. It is dedicated to wooden, freshwater boats. The displays start with the evolution of canoes, from Indian birch barks to the St. Lawrence skiff (which can be rowed, sailed, or powered).

There is a large collection of custom wooden boats from the heyday of recreational boating of the idle rich in the '30s and '40s. Many race boats and outboards from that era are on display as well. Classes in boat building are offered, and many boats are built and restored in the shop each year.

In the 1000 Islands area of the Seaway, on Heart Island, is Boldt's Castle, one man's tribute to his wife. Tragically, his wife died and all work was halted before it was completed. Most of the houses and estates on the islands are summer homes and are only occupied for a few weeks out of the year.

This home is unique in the islands because the house is built on an island that is in Canada, but the foot bridge goes to an island in the US. There are 1,796 islands in the 1000 Islands area divided between the US and Canada, with the ship channel running between them.

At the upper end of the US part of the seaway is the Eisenhower Lock which raises 'salties' (ocean going ships) 42 feet as they head 'upbound' to the Great Lakes.

The largest ship that can get from the Atlantic to the Great Lakes is 744 feet long. This ore carrier is 728 feet long and was a tight fit. Although the process of getting the ship into the lock (slowly sliding in along one side of the lock) took almost half an hour, it only took seven minutes to raise it the 42 feet.

After leaving the seaway, we headed south then east through the Adirondack Mountains. Although not very high by western standards, with the wet summer this year, everything was green and lush.

We stopped for a visit to the Adirondack Museum. There is a very diverse collection of exhibits that are all related to life in the 'dacks. This horse drawn roller was used to pack the snow on the roads for sled travel (rather than try to plow them).

In an era when the mail was still actually delivered to the doorstep 'through rain, sleet, snow, all and sorts of bad stuff', the horse drawn sleigh was the vehicle of choice in the winter.

Ann sat for a couple of hours watching the museum's resident carver, Allen Aardsma, begin the painting process of six recently hand carved song sparrows. Guess what is now on the list of projects when we get back home?

After passing through Lake Placid (site of two winter Olympics and now a major tourist area), we came across Ausable Chasm, the "Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks". It is a short stretch of the Ausable River that features waterfalls, steep cut walls up to 150 feet high, and some great hiking trails and rapids.

To get from New York to Vermont, we chose to take the ferry across Lake Champlain to Burlington. Even though it was damp (light rain) and the decks were steel, the lake was calm and the trip across (a half hour) was uneventful. We received some good travel tips from the people we met while crossing.

Just south of Burlington is the Shelburne Museum. It is laid out like a small village with 37 buildings housing their collection of Americana, including a covered bridge and a 1906 Sidewheel Steamboat.
Included in the large quilt exhibit is this 1952 embroidered sampler quilt which is included in the 100 best quilts of the twentieth century - it is indeed impressive. Ann was thrilled to see it in person!

In the Circus Building (which contains thousands of carved circus figures) are forty exquisite pieces from a 1902 Dentzel Carousel. Among other attention grabbers are a blacksmith shop, toy shop, lighthouse, sawmill, and an operating 1920s Spillman carousel for you to ride.

Just a half mile south is the home of The Vermont Teddy Bear Company which offers tours of the factory where the famous teddys come to life.

Also in the area is The Vermont Wildflower Farm. With fields of planted wildflowers blooming (even at the end of August), it is one of the country's largest wildflower seed companies.

Of interest to us were the National Museum and the University of Vermont's Breeding Farm of the Morgan Horse. It is the only breed founded entirely by one horse - Figure, owned by Justin Morgan in the 1790s. The Morgan breed is one of the contributing breeds of the Tennessee Walking Horse.

Woodstock, Vermont is the home of the Vermont Raptor Center. The main focus is the rehabilitation and release of injured birds of prey. Birds that can no longer survive in the wild are housed at the center. One of the highlights is the 'in-flight' demonstration, here, an English Barn Owl.

After finally making it into New Hampshire, we found our way to the Lakes region and Lake Winnipesaukee (the largest lake in New England). Jym's sister lives in the area, and we'll do trips from there while we explore New England and north.