06/21 to 06/28 Back to Hickory Ridge RV Resort-Part 2

06/21 to 06/28

Hickory Ridge RV Resort

Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, here I come!

With the arrival of Dan/Melanie, I guess the "official" start of my 9-State adventure begins. We'll travel together until Grand Forks, ND and then part company.

Happily, good Karma was at work and all mishaps described in my last post are taken care of. You may be aware of the quote: "Karma's just sharpening her nails and finishing her drink. She'll be with you shortly." The lug nuts torqued sufficiently, the propane is flowing again, CO detector replaced and tested and the cabinet door securely rehung.  After contacting and purchasing a replacement "Skylight/Window Dome" from Winnebago ($,$$$), I had it shipped ($$.$$) to North Dakota for installation. Guess I should share a quote about the financial Karma: "Save your pennies; Karma's got an expensive taste." The Larimore Dam Recreation Area campground is where I'll be situated for the duration (4 days) of my in ND. Here Wes, from Northern Roots mobile RV repair, will deliver and install it. Meanwhile, Jordan came by and replaced a broken portion of the skylight, retaped and sealed every nook and cranny to prevent wind or rain from entering the RV. Thank you, Jordan.

Here, Melanie wanted to check out the roof vent....

And offered to climb up and take a few photos.

Thank you, Mel. So glad the wind wasn't blowing today.

An inaugural toast begins my journey west. Some of us enjoyed a gift from son-in-law, Carlo. Wine tasters notes describe this  wine: "The wine has a ruby red color with garnet reflections, a broad and intense bouquet with hints of ripe fruit. It is soft and velvety in the mouth, very harmonious with a dense body, rightly tannic with a black cherry aftertaste."

These turned to ashes tonight.

Ray and Kathy stopped by to say hello.

Thanks to Kathy, our remaining days at Hickory Ridge were filled with two highlights shared here. That evening the five of us toured Holley to catch some history. The neighboring Erie Canal is loaded with history. In town we stopped at a small town park and the falls at Farwells Mills. also referred to as the Falls at Clarendon. 

The falls were discovered in 1810 by Eldridge Farwell, while looking for his brother's stray horse. The material is copyrighted so check out the history HERE. The Clarendon Falls is 25' high and has two main tiers that cascade down the bedrock. Visitors can choose to simply walk to the waterfall and back to parking or walk the entire park in a short 0.2-mile loop. There's a bench that sits just below the waterfall so you can relax and enjoy the cascading water.

The nearby historic marker located in the Memorial Park

Another stop on Ray's tour of Holley, were the falls at Canal Park, one of the park's most notable attractions. Officially known as Holley Canal Falls, this picturesque waterfall is a popular spot for visitors to enjoy the natural beauty and tranquility of the area. 

The cascading waterfall is actually the overflow of Canal water. We then drove to Podunk, a small rural area within Holley and walked along the canal where you can see the spillway leading down to the falls from the top.

That evening the five of us traveled to Brockport, NY and dined at upscale Cappellettis across from the entrance to SUNY Brockport. Check out their menu and guess what I had.

Hand made gnocchi tossed in a choice of red sauce, Alfred or pesto. My go-to pesto was once again the right choice. What a difference when the phrase, "hand made" is used to describe how they're made. These were delicate, soft and no need to chew; really a 'melt in your mouth' taste treat. One of the best I've had, right up there with what I enjoy at Al Forno on the Boardwalk in Disney.

The second treat, thanks to Ray and Kathy was a 32 mile trip west to Lockport, NY. There, Kathy arranged for us to enjoy the Lockport Locks & Erie Canal Cruises. This was my second tour of the Erie Canal. Rather than reiterate the facts and history, I'll suggest you read about the first one from my blog HERE in 2021, when I stayed at another nearby campground with other members of the Hudson Islanders. At that time we traveled through Lock 32. The Canal originally had 83 locks when it was first completed in 1825. However, after various upgrades and modifications, the number of locks currently has 35 locks. The Canal itself is approximately 363 miles long and stretches from Albany on the Hudson River to Buffalo at Lake Erie, crossing the state of New York. It's an engineering feat that is difficult to comprehend but thanks to immigrants recently arriving in the States, particularly the Irish, German and Italian immigrants as well as local American laborers the project was completed in eight years.

Today's trip was piloted by Capt. Nick and crewmembers, Tom and T.J. Capt. Nick was very informative and shared interesting facts and figures about the two main locks we traveled, Locks 34  and 35.

L. to R. Capt. Nick, Tom, TJ

L. to R. Dan, Melanie, Kathy, Ray

Off we went. Just a few of the sights on this 90-minute tour are shared here.

The Upside Down Bridge is so named because its truss structure appears to be inverted compared to conventional truss bridges. The trusses are located below the deck rather than above it. The bridge was built in 1902. Its unique design was intentional to allow the passage of tall-masted boats along the canal without needing a movable or drawbridge.

This simplified graphic by Tim Philips illustrate the workings of locks

Entering one of the locks.

Ahead the gates are closed holding back the higher level of water.

Behind us, the gates at the lower level close.

Three valves are opened one at a time to allow the water level to rise and bring us up to the higher level. Each process takes about 15 to 20 minutes.

Buffer locks on the Erie Canal are a specific type of lock designed to manage water levels and aid in the safe navigation of vessels. They regulate water flow and control the water level between different sections of the canal. This is particularly important in areas where there is a significant change in elevation or where water levels need to be carefully managed.

What is significant about Locks 34 & 35 is that they replaced the original "Flight of Five." In 1825, five locks allowed boats to ascend or descend a steep 60-foot elevation change over a relatively short distance.

The Lockport Cave and Underground Boat Ride, now closed, had been a popular tourist attraction in the area.

The attraction even sported a zip line over the Canal.

After the ride on the canal, we stopped at the Penalty Box, a sports-themed pub for lunch.

In front of the pub was Norm the Bison: Norm is a real bison that lives in a pen adjacent to The Penalty Box. This unusual and memorable attraction draws many visitors to the pub.

My choice was the day's special: turkey, crisp bacon, melted cheese on sourdough toast and homemade chips. Coupled with a 20-oz draft, it took care of the day's meals.

And that concludes our stay at Hickory Ridge RV Resort in Holley, NY. We shall return. I can't wait to see Ray/Kathy's finished product. Next, Dan/Mel and I will travel 5-hours west to Streetsboro / Cleveland KOA to spend two nights. Join us and do share your comments below. See you in Ohio.

“Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.”

– Anonymous

06/21 to 06/28 Back to Hickory Ridge RV Resort-Part 1

06/21 to 06/28

Back to Hickory Ridge RV Resort  

With a slight detour and a stop at BJ's for "essentials," the trip back to Hickory Ridge was uneventful but the days continued hot with temps in low 90's

I was eager to return to Hickory Ridge for some relaxation and await the company of fellow Hudson Islanders, Dan and Melanie, arriving the following Tuesday. I was also eager to take care of the first important order of business; the installation of two new coach batteries. If I wasn't plugged into shore power, I had no way to run my propane generator if I needed it, nor have the power to keep the frig working. Yes, I have solar panels but I have no faith in them. Hot as the day was, a big thank you to Ray for taking the time to leave his on-going house building project and installing them. What happened on Sunday is the content of this unplanned post.

If you're into Greek mythology, Hecate is the goddess of (among other things, most not good) crossroads and travel. She is a protector of those who journey, often invoked for safe passage and guidance, similar to Christianity's St. Christopher...back in the day. Well, she decided to take the day off, most likely to tend to her other nefarious activities that she is known for. So, within in TWO DAYS:

1. When backing out Ray's driveway, my tire pressure monitor signaled low tire pressure in one of the two rear passenger side tires. - Leaky valve stem needs replacement
2. Installing new carbon monoxide detector, wires need a connector.
3. Opening cabinet door for a morning coffee pod, it broke free from its hinges. -Screw holes need repairing.
4. Was going to have a grilled ham and cheese sandwich for lunch. All prepared, stove lit and began cooking. Checking progress...flame went out. All switches for stove and propane tank turned off and on again and again, tank 3/4 full. No flame AGAIN. Valve replaced in Florida in March.
5. With pending severe weather accompanied by high winds predicted, I withdrew the awning, took in my wooden flag and chairs were put away. All secure, right? Thankfully, the thunderstorms did not materialize but the winds, 20 mph gusting to 44 mph had arrived. One such gust sucked open my closed roof vent, blew it back on its track, broke off and flung the outer acrylic cover 50' away and cracked the inner pane. -New roof vent needed but temporary rain-proof fix needed immediately.

1. Valve Stem:

Fortunately, it was the outer tire. Ray's nephew, Jordan, working at the house stopped by and got to work on the tire by removing it and...

...tried to remove the valve stem to replace it. Without the right tire tools, that wasn't going to happen. He took the tire, drove 30 minutes to the tire shop and completed the work. Valve stem problem taken care of. Thank you, Jordan. I finally pulled into Hickory Ridge Campground at 7:00 p.m.

2. Carbon Monoxide Detector Replacement:

CO Monitors have a built in EOL (End of Life) alarm and are designed to be in service 5 years. On two past occasions in CPP and once when I was in Watkins Glen, the 89 decibel, ear piercing beep indicated it was time. 

Removing the old detector had this type of wiring configuration.

The new detector came without any connector. The Plan B splicing worked nicely and detector is in place and operational. They recommend testing "this alarm's operation after each storage period, before each trip and at least once per week during use."

3. Cabinet Door Repair:

Heavy duty, expensive hinges though they may be, the constant opening and closing is dependent solely on the secure fit of the screws into a laminated particle board door.  

My toothpick inserts of the past last only so long. This repair involves filling holes with Gorilla Glue and wood shavings from kindling I store in addition to toothpicks. After 24 hrs. protruding sticks will be razored level and door will be rehung. Yes, I'm aware of many other ways to fix the  problem, but as my friend, Epictetus, the Greek philosopher said, "Here and now, one must work with what one has at hand."

4. No propane gas flowing. 

This has been a problem in the past but it was supposed to have been repaired. I've had no problems up to this point. Why now? I have no plan to fix the situation, I just won't cook using the indoor stove. Plan B IS in effect: use my outdoor butane gas stove when needed.

5. Roof Vent Damaged:

Now this is gonna be a challenge. My temporary fix will have to do until I figure something out. I'll be calling the insurance company tomorrow for details. The best I could do was to go up on the roof and duct tape everything I thought would cause a leaking situation. (Don't tell my kids I went up on the roof; actually, I'll find out if they read my blogs).

The winds were really brisk and continuous from about 10 a.m. to well into the evening hours. Winnie was rocking all day. It was the strongest gust of the day that tore open the roof vent and sent part of it flying. I did not know there was a durable, double acrylic cover.

I really thought the entire top of the vent was gone. Thankfully, to me, it was minor.

Another piece found nearby.

Began taping layer upon layer around the perimeter of the entire vent to keep it shut and then...

...taped all cracks where I thought water would be able to seep in.

Passing showers will tell the tale.

Not pretty, but...it'll have to do.

As expected, a shower passed through and, so far, so good. Wind driven rain, however, may tell a different story.

Well, enough of one day's activities. Friday, was the tire, Sunday it all hit the fan as you just read. But there was Saturday, a real hot and humid day with a slight breeze. Ray and Kathy decided to take a ride and 3 miles later, stopped by for a visit. We decided on their late afternoon lunch and my early dinner trip to Bill Grays Tap Room. Click on the link to see their menu. Good stuff.

A

My thank you dinner for my two long-time (55+ years) friends.

A bacon cheeseburger (they "smash" the burger). The bacon was crisp as were the side of delicious onion rings. 

Practically, next door, a favorite from the past. Last time camping at Red Rock Campground (July, 2021) nearby, the gang visited Abbotts.

Thank you, Ray, for dessert. They didn't have butter pecan that day but a healthy portion of soft-serve it was.

I'll end this post on this delicious note. This unexpected post is for me to look back on and add it to the many other "mishaps" and RV happenings that beset all RVers at one time or another. There'll be more to come (blogs, not mishaps), so stay tuned and stay safe. All I'm getting from back home are NWS warnings of severe this and severe that. Stay dry and stay cool.

"It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters." — Epictetus