06/15 to 06/18 Hickory Ridge RV Resort

06/15 to 06/18

Hickory Ridge RV Resort 

Greetings and welcome back. I decided to make this leg of my 9-state journey a 3-part blog. The first part covers my 3-day stay at the Hickory Ridge RV & Golf Resort in Holley, NY. The second will cover my 3-day trip to Niagara Falls and the third part will be about my 7-days back at Hickory Ridge when I return from Niagara Falls. Hudson Islander friends, Dan and Melanie will join me at that time and from here, we will continue westward state by state. I will leave them in North Dakota where they will visit daughter and son-in-law stationed at the Grand Forks AFB and I will continue to Washington and Oregon.  

If I thought my drive through central New York State to Watkins Glen was beautiful and scenic, the best I've encountered, imagine what it must have been like when I report this trip from Watkins Glen to Holley to be even better. Traveling north on the west side of Lake Seneca was spectacular. For miles and miles, the Seneca Lake Wine Trail provided incredible vistas of the lake, vineyards on both sides of route 14 north as well as large, luxurious homes with wrap around porches and thick round columns. Adjacent to the homes, large tents were erected that covered tables and chairs ready for outdoor wine-tasting events. I wish I had a "co-pilot" who could have taken  photos as I drove toward the New York State Thruway. The entrance gates and signs welcoming visitors to the wineries, breweries and distilleries were eye-catching and creative.

Perfect driving weather.

Seneca Lake from Watkins Glen is 38 miles long. It is the second longest of the Finger Lakes and has the largest volume of water, roughly half of the water in all the Finger Lakes. With an average depth of 291 feet, the maximum depth is 618 feet.

The Seneca Lake region has 50 vineyards, 34 of which are along the Seneca Lake Wine Trail

In case you didn't know the eleven lakes that make up the "Finger Lakes" include:

Cayuga Lake

Seneca Lake

Keuka Lake

Canandaigua Lake

Skaneateles Lake

Owasco Lake

Otisco Lake

Honeoye Lake

Conesus Lake

Hemlock Lake

Canadice Lake

 

   I stopped at The Trails End Diner, a cozy diner on rte. 14 for brunch. Lots of local folk.

The campground associated with the golf course has 155 sites located on both sides of the road. My site with just water and electricity is a pull through, no shade but with the camp store, showers nearby. Propane is also available.

Upon my arrival, sites were taken on both side of my road with little people and dogs enjoying the pleasures and excitement of RVing.

 

So true. Come Sunday, Fathers Day, they all disappeared...and I didn't even have a tuba.

Fathers Day with Ray, Kathy and family. 

Belated Happy Fathers Day to whomever. It was a special day for me. I was invited to join Ray/Kathy's Holley family at Sharon's home for a late afternoon picnic. I got to see the progress on their new home being built right next Sharon's.

In April, a large 3-acre tract.

Check out the value and simplicity of using Logix Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) for the foundation and how it's done HERE.

On Father's Day, progress coming along. The next day...

...I-Beams delivered and put into place.

11-year old Cooper taking it all in. His only requirement? To be petted.

In from Brewster, NY, for the weekend, daughter Amy, Evan, along with Papa Bill and Bette, Ray, Kathy, Sharon and I enjoyed the Fathers Day dinner. There were plenty of clams for appetizers followed by grilled steak, homemade Cole slaw, boiled potatoes, mushrooms, salad and corn on the cob.

And for dessert, homemade strawberry rhubarb pie.

Fortunately, we all enjoyed our share before Ray cleaned the dish. Thank you Kathy, Sharon and Amy for taking care of your Daddies and inviting me to enjoy in as well.

As their backyard abuts the Erie Canal, Ray gave me a tour to the Canal.

The view from the Erie Canal back toward Ray and Sharon's.

Amy's photo of the Canal looking north.

Looking south.

And so, with heat advisories in effect for the northeast lasting the next few days, I was ready to pack up and travel to the Niagara Falls/KOA in Grand Island, NY, 65 miles to the west. Thoughts of being sprayed upon by the Falls kept me cool. The temperature was 91º at this writing. Next blog will share the Niagara Falls adventure. Hope you'll be along for the ..."read."

"By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he’s wrong." ~~ Charles Wadsworth: