SUMMER SURE IS FUN

Bill and Jane have been enjoying a beautiful summer and have gone on quite a few "roadtrips" in between their part-time employment as Camping World Goodwill Ambassadors. Their home base has been the KOA in Canandaigua which is halfway between Buffalo (Greg & Brad) and Syracuse (Nick & Ellen and Jonny).

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

Dave and Pam Hachey came to the KOA in Canandaigua to camp with Bill and Jane. All three of their boys found their way to the campground (Kevin, Jay and Alex).

Jay came all the way from California via Toronto. Jon and Brad also came and Jon brought

Christina.

The long weekend featured an evening at McGregor's, famous as an Irish Pub for having over 70 beers on tap. Each evening the group gathered around the campfire and swapped stories of past camping exploits. Alex and Jon treated both families to a meal of chicken and scallops one evening cooked over the open fire. Ummmm. It was a great way to kickoff the summer camping season but sad when it was time to leave.

WIDMER WINE CELLARS TOUR

Bill and Jane spent one day in Naples, NY touring the Widmer Wine Cellars.

It was founded in 1882 by John Widmer who immigated here from Switzerland as he had heard the land, climate and soil were well-suited for grape growing. He cleared the land and planted the first grapes in this area. The business slowly expanded as Widmer became famous for excellent wine. When Prohibition came, he switched to grape products and kept the company open. In 1933 when Prohibition was repealed, Widmer was all set to resume wine making and was the first in New York State to resume wine production. His three sons took over the business and ran it until they were bought out by Constellation Wines. Much of the wine production was moved from Naples after that but it is still the only place in the world where Manichevitz Wine is produced, the only Kosher wine. A Rabbi must be present at all times when the winery is open to insure strict adherence to Jewish wine making laws.

NIAGARA FALLS FATHER'S DAY WEEKEND

Bill and Jane traveled to Niagara Falls KOA for a weekend with Dave and Pam Hachey. Greg made the short trip from North Buffalo for the Friday night feast of Talapia. Just as the campfire was taking off a surprise thunderstorm struck and chased everyone inside. The next day included a trip to Niagara-on-the-Lake in Ontario for lunch, shopping and a stop at an Irish Pub. The weekend included a tour of Sherkston Shores, a resort on the north shore of Lake Erie. Of course our group stopped at Niagara Falls to be mesmerized by the mighty splendor of the thundering Horseshoe Falls,

and then a tour of old downtown. After Dave and Pam departed for their real lives, Bill and Jane hooked up with Greg to check out the Allentown Art Festival in downtown Buffalo. It was quite an exposition of art, food and people. Bill and Jane got some pretty big news this weekend from Nick and Ellen - they're going to be grandparents!!! Yikes, is anyone ever ready for that? Late February or early March will see the blessed event.

A TASTE OF SYRACUSE

Bill and Jane made the trek to Syracuse to attend the Taste of Syracuse, a festival dedicated to delicious food in downtown Syracuse. Nick and Ellen,

Jon and Christina,

Alex and Chelsea and Dave and Pam rounded out the group. There were three stages for entertainment and a good time was had by all.

THE OTTAWA ODYSSEY

Bill and Jane pointed their RV north with the destination being the capital of Canada. On their way they spent two evenings at Oneida Shores Park in Brewerton which is situated on the west end of Oneida Lake. While in CNY our campers had the doggies hair cut,

teeth cleaning in Chittenango (for Bill & Jane) and a stop at the vets for a checkup and shots (for

Abbie & Bailey)

That evening Jane hosted a Mexican feast at the campground. Nick and Ellen and Dave and Pam were treated to an awesome meal featuring chicken, beef and shrimp fajitas seasoned with peppers, onions, and mushrooms and a side of Spanish Rice. It was awesome!

Next stop was Massena, NY for a week of visiting with Jane's mom and North Country relatives. Uncle Frank and Aunt Edwina Elek of Parishville, NY were treated to supper at Ponderosa while old acquaintances were renewed. Uncle Pete and Aunt Lila Fiske of Brasher Falls gave our happy campers a tour of the damage a large tree did to their house when it fell into their dining room during a powerful windstorm. Jimmy and Linda Dougan of Port Kent, NY showed off their newly remodeled and greatly expanded residence on Lake Champlain. It is gorgeous!

On to Ottawa. Bill and Jane crossed the border at Cornwall and arrived safely at Hidden Acres Campground just south of Ottawa. The first full day spent in Canada was July 1 which turns out to be CANADA DAY. It is the same as our 4th of July except a lot different. Bill and Jane drove to downtown Ottawa and arrived at the Parliament Building to see an ocean of people there to celebrate Canada Day. They have a very elaborate changing of the guard ceremony,

numerous speeches, and a show put on by RCMP with horses and music. After the conclusion, the RCMP marches the horses all through downtown Ottawa and the people cheer.

As Bill and Jane wandered the streets they saw waves of people revelling and celebrating.

The official count was 325,000 people!

The Canadian Air Force had a flyover of the Snowbirds, similiar to the Blue Angels but much less dangerous. Bill and Jane topped off the evening with a visit to The Heart & Crown, an Irish pub in the downtown area.

Dave and Pam Hachey joined Bill and Jane at the campground and the Ottawa Odyssey kicked

into high gear!

They toured on an amphi-cat vehicle which goes on water and land.

The tour shows all the government buildings including Parliament,

Canadian Supreme Court, Prime Minister's residence,

Governor-General's residence, embassies, museums and more. The amphi-cat dives into the Ottawa River and the tour continues from the river view. The tour stops at several locations so our group visited the Ottawa Open Air Market for some shopping.

The day was ended with a delicious meal at - THE HEART AND CROWN!

The next day the motley crew decided to do a double-decker tour bus since a ticket was good for the whole week-end.

The view from the upper deck is gorgeous and relaxing. Bill was curious about Canadian history and asked the tour guides many questions. Our travelers decided to tour the Canadian War Museum and the Canadian Museum of Civilization

the following day utilizing the tour bus for transportation around the city. That evening Dave cooked a meal of steak and scallops that was a five-star meal fit for the Queen of England. The day ended with a campfire and four tired tourists.

Canadian War Museum - a must stop for all history buffs. Newly opened, the museum gives the history of Canada starting with the "First Peoples" (aka Native Americans) who fought against each other for hunting rights through the colonization process with a large portion dedicated to the French & Indian War between England and France which really determined the recent history of Canada. There are also large wings dedicated to Canadian forces in the War of 1812, the Boer Wars in South Africa, WWI, WWII, Korea and even Afghanistan. It was extremely interesting to see and hear war history from a Canadian point of view. The Canadians got Adolf Hitler's parade Mercedes-Benz at the end of WWII which is on display.

Canadian Museum of Civilization - a huge complex with many wings dedicated to different eras in Canadian history. It also has a banquet facility, an art wing, and galleries for special temporary art and music displays. Bill was able to get a good read on Canadian history as a result of these tours.

THE HISTORY OF CANADA

Canada started out with just moose, beaver and winter. Native peoples came over from Siberia and founded the Northwest Territories. Later England and France each formed colonies and came to blows at Quebec in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham. England won and kicked out the French except for the language. Soon after America declared it's independence from England. At the end of the Revolutionary War over 40,000 American "Loyalists" moved to Canada to live. They all went on to become liberals. In the War of 1812 America invaded Canada hoping the Canadians had enough of the King and would replace Potsdam, NY as our new "north Country". No dice for the Canadians who stayed with England. Later, in 1867, representatives from all the Canadian provinces got together to figure out what exactly Canada was. Four provinces (Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and the North Pole) formed a Dominion with close ties to the throne of England. This is why Canada celebrates "Canada Day". The very first Prime Minister was John McDonald, who went on to found the largest restaurant chain in the world. Later the original provinces were joined by Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Iceland. The people of Canada vowed to live as one nation bound by the three everlasting Canadian principles - beer, hockey and women. Today Canada is a modern and thriving nation (as long as you don't need a doctor) and it is a great place to live.

QUEEN CITY FOOTBALL CLUB

Brad has been playing soccer this summer for the Queen City Football Club, a semi-professional team anchored in Buffalo made up of mostly college players. They play teams from throughout the northeast in a league called the National Premier Soccer League. On July 7 Queen City was invited to scrimage the Rochester Rhinos at Paetec Park in Rochester. The Rhinos are a fully professional team that plays in the United Soccer Leagues, two full levels above Queen City. Bill and Jane were able to attend and watched as the semi-pros beat the pros 2-0. Brad said it was the best game Queen City played all season.

BUFFALO & ERIE COUNTY NAVAL & MILITARY PARK

The weekend of July 10 Bill & Jane traveled to Buffalo to visit Greg and Brad. The first night everyone celebrated Jane's birthday with a super supper at the Thai Restaurant on Hertel Avenue. The next stop was "Thursday at the Square" a huge party in downtown with music and merriment. Brad's new girlfriend Nicole

met the group there, she is a student at Daemon College and from Fillmore, NY. Saturday morning Bill, Jane and Greg did the tour of the Buffalo Naval & Military Park which is right downtown on the harbor. There are three warships anchored there which have become floating museums - the USS Little Rock,

the USS The Sullivans, and the USS Croaker. The Little Rock is a light cruiser which was commissioned near the end of WWII. In 1957 she was converted to a guided missile cruiser and became the flagship of the 6th fleet in the Mediterranean. Now much of the old hardware has been removed and there are several displays and small museums on board honoring various branches of the service with a Buffalo connection. The Sullivans, a destroyer, was launched in San Francisco in 1943. She was named after the five Sullivan brothers who served together aboard the USS Juneau and were all killed when a Japanese sub sank her while fighting off Guadalcanal. The Sullivans fought in WWII, the Korean War and the Cuban Blockade, and is now a national historic landmark. The Croaker, a Gato class submarine, was launched in 1943 and on her maiden voyage sunk the Japanese cruiser "The Nagara" off the coast of Nagasaki, Japan. She went on to sink 11 Japanese vessels in WWII. The crew of 7 officers and 53 sailors lived in extremely cramped quarters. This tour gives you a real feel for what it was like serving on board these vessels in combat conditions. The Museum portion on land tells the story of Western New York involvement in all of our wars from 1812 to the present. Did you know the City of Buffalo was burned to the ground by the British in 1813? This tour is a must see for all visitors to Buffalo.

THE TASTE OF BUFFALO

Saturday afternoon Greg, Brad, Nicole, Bill and Jane took the subway to downtown for the Taste of Buffalo. This is the second largest "Taste of" in America after Chicago. What a display of the finest dishes and culinary treats in Buffalo. Sorry Syracuse, Buffalo is better!

WEEKEND IN SYRACUSE

Another trip to Syracuse for our wayward travelers saw a large group in Tully's for Friday night. Bill & Jane, Dave & Pam, Kevin & Paige, Alex, Jonny and Jason all met for a fine meal. Saturday the old people were joined by Nick for a tour of the Utica Club Brewery in Utica, NY.

Did you know that Utica Club was first opened in 1853 and is the second oldest brewery in the United States? The tour was very informative on the processes involved in beer making. At the end everyone gets two full pints of their favorite Saranac brew - there is nothing like fresh draft beer at the end of a tour to pick up your spirits!

Sunday Dave treated everyone to an awesome chicken BBQ with sides of fresh sweet corn, salad and baked beans. Bill and Jane learned how to play "Rock Band" on the X-box 360 - now they are ready to hit the road as rockers if they find the right agent. Any takers?

That's all for this post. Bill & Jane plan to move their home base to Southwoods RV Resort in Bergen once the college soccer season begins. Until then, we'll see you on the road!