Western New York Finger Lakes Region - Phase 1

After our last fabulous weekend in New England we headed west with the girls and their handlers.  We left from MA and spent Sunday night in western MA and met up with them Monday late AM and had lunch together.  Then Jenna and the girls joined us in our RV and Rob went on to make better time by himself so he could get a head start at the campground setting up their trailer before we all got there.

BJ and I had dug out the safety belts from the couch that morning before we hit the road and we belted the girls in and hit the road.  Jenna joined me up front and BJ was having a ball with the girls behind us.  It was all Interstate highway (I-90 WB aka the New York Thruway) and traffic was not bad all day.  Jenna and I enjoyed some adult visiting and BJ was totally absorbed with the kids and they with her.

On the road with the girls safely buckled in

We arrived at Bristol Woodlands Campground about 1830.  Had a nice trip except for the last mile which was unpaved road with steep hills for about a mile.  But, we got there and Rob was well into setting up camp.  We followed suit and in short order were set up in the spot next to them.  The spots were widely separated and the campground had a lush grass cover between the spots, so all in all we had a nice set up.

A little rain and the girls are in it - note green space between RV's in background!

During the following week we enjoyed the scenic area very much.  Lake Cannidaega one of the larger Finger Lakes was about 20 miles away, Lake Honeoye was about 9 miles away and there was a small village on its northern end that was only about 9 miles from the campground.  We toured both lake areas with and without the girls.  Rob & Jenna toured the area while we kept the girls several different times - win-win for us both.  We got some extra time with the girls and they got some adult time together in an interesting place.

BJ and I took Thursday and went down to Corning NY about 60 miles south of us to visit the Corning Glass Museum.

The invisible Black Box - can you see it!

A glass tire - now that I can understand!

It was a return visit for us as we had visited it about 7 years ago while staying at Watkins Glen, NY during one summer of traveling.  It is a spectacular museum with a full array of displays ranging from ancient biblical times to how glass on the Space Shuttle is made and fitted.  Lots of interactive displays. Some were a little too esoteric for my simple mind such as the black glass box that the glass was suppose to make invisible to represent the importance of unseen things that are part of our living space - huh!!  I like the glass tire - I knew what it was and what it did and how it fit into my world!!  All very well done.  Afterwards we had lunch in a local deli in downtown Corning.  There is an obvious effort downtown to revive the downtown section and develop it into a tourist destination.  We enjoyed our lunch and the visit before we headed back to Bristol via a different return route through Penn-Yan.   We got back about 1800.

Earlier on Wednesday, Rob & Jenna had visited Lechtworth State Park about 40 miles west of us on the western edge of the Finger Lakes region.  They described a beautiful park with a deep gorge running through it and a dam at the northern end of it.   Scenery was beautiful and they had lots of camping spaces even though only limited hook-ups (only electric).  On Thursday while we went to Corning, Rob & Jenna took the girls to Lechtworth and so when we got back we heard not only from Rob & Jenna how nice the park was but also from the girls.  They talked about waterfalls and trails and obviously had a fun time there.  So read about Lechtworth State Park - the Grand Canyon of the East in Phase II of our blog on Western New York.

We will miss them!  I have a pool going on when BJ will fly back to see them - maybe me too! 

All Good things must come to an end and our time with the girls was the Best of Great!  The next AM (Friday) Rob & Jenna and the girls packed up the travel trailer first thing and move out.  They were headed back to RI in an indirect way since Rob was out of school for the summer.  They were going to do Niagara Falls for a few days and then the Adirondack Mountains before returning home to RI.  BJ & I were going into withdrawal pains while they were traveling without us!! It had been a wonderful, glorious month we had been with them!!

We had been planning on getting a good days journey west on Friday but based on their description of Lechtworth State Park we decided to head there instead.  So after they left, BJ & I packed up the RV and hit the road and in about an hour were at Lechtworth and checked in.  Weather was still wet and cool but the park was beautiful. 

Coming soon to a computer near you - Phase II of our Blog on Western NY - Lechtworth State Park!