end of summer

end of summer pedis  (and what a hoot to go get one with my little princess!)

our window box

Our Little Princess

Snow White has officially taken residence.

Not a day goes by without the dress and shoes going on, the song being sung, and a complete acting out of the scene where she gets scared in the forest and falls to the ground (fast fwd) to when the prince has to kiss her and wake her up again.

Road Trip :: Allegheny National Park

Bears!

We saw bears at this campground -- watched them meander (and run) to and from the dump, then back into the forest for over an hour.  A little one and a big one.  They would fling the heavy flap-doors back, then dig around to find the perfect bag of garbage - then haul the entire thing back by the mouth to the forest.  Boy, did the campground owners have their work cut out for them the next morning!

Lunch at the Dockside Cafe overlooking the marina. Delicious food!

rented this beauty for $20/2 hrs

Allegheny National Forest is beautiful.  A 6-hour drive from DC. Well worth it, folks!  Pristine, protected, undeveloped, clean air and good people. You can camp nearby or rent a houseboat to stay in!

beavers have been at work!

yowza - glad that's not MY boat!

All in all, what a great roadtrip.  We swung through Bellemonte, PA on our way home to break up the drive - apparently that KOA is filled with football fans going to Penn State. :)  Amish country, that, and very pretty.  

Grandpa Curly's favorite thing (besides dancing or golf), was road trips.  He never made it to the Northeast for a trip - though he and Grandma talked about it several times.  He and I talked about this trip weeks before he left us.  Gramps? This one was for you.

Road Trip - Thank you.  We loved it.

Road Trip :: Upstate New York

 Upstate New York is beautiful country.  Rolling hills - green pastures - farms - old industry that has seen busier days long ago -

We stopped at a town along the Erie Canal and met up with the Stansfields - Keith, Kathy, Dylan and Kaitlin (Laura in spirit!) - who graciously drove 4 hours south to meet us from Belleville Canada.  Oh, we love spending time with these guys - we are so lucky to have family like them. A road-tripping family of their own... we happily seem to meet them nearly every time we embark on one! :)

look at that!  her ponytail curled into one long single curl!

Erie Canal

Jake swimming - his favorite thing:

 

don't ya just love new yorkers?

We stopped at the outlets for shopping and lunch!

Ironically, it poured rain when we got to the Finger Lakes region... where our cabin sat deliciously facing the pond.  [cabin on the left is ours] It did lighten up enough for a paddle boat ride and a fire!

Funny story - we had so many encounters with water during this trip... and Ainsley developed an imaginary friend Whale.  Every few days, she would assume the most adorable affected pout, and sigh, and say how sad she was because of her poor whale.  Whale was bitten by a fish, you see. And now the fish was stuck on him and he wouldn't get off.  Sigh.

Said whale joined us for many of our travels - turning up in the car, at the picnic table, off the side of the ferry, in the pond, and even inside of a little boat. (that's some whale!)  I wonder if he was a travel companion only or if he'll show up in D.C..... (btw in case you were concerned, the fish did get off the whale and  he is happy now.)

Jake on duty

frogs!



don't get any ideas, little bruiser



A MAJOR highlight:  Niagara Falls!





We donned these attractive blue ponchos to board the Maid of the Mist -- a boat that took us right through the spray of the falls.  The photos do not do this justice. It was breathtaking.

lovin my man's scruff!

as if that wasn't enough excitement -- the KOA at Niagara had a waterslide!

 

bit scary

all better!

nice koa!

Finally, we couldn't be this close to Buffalo, NY - home of the hot wing (this is how buffalo wings got their name) - without going to their birthplace... Anchor Bar.  This total dive bar north of the city is fantastic.  I highly recommend it!  Especially to wing lovers like our family.  Old motorcycles hang from the ceiling, photos and news articles line the walls, often there is live music (none tonight, so ains took the stage, of course, amid minimal applause and a few looks from the staff). 

verdict?  SUPERB!

 

Road Trip :: Vermont

Heading inland...

Past famous lakes such as Winnipesaukee...

Again, we opted for scenic route -- veering slightly off the original plan --- and managed to add about 2.5 hours to our goal drive.  Pretty - but we were all very much DONE with the car after that.

Good thing we stayed in Vermont for 2 days.

So - Vermont KOA? (Quechee Valley) - a little presumptuous.  Mega rule followers. A little more RV than campground. Very proud to be where they are. Check out the inside of our "rustic" cabin:

Yup - I got to sleep under the moose head.

smores

 super-cool little "vermont in a nutshell" type of shopping area.  We tasted oodles of cheese at the Cabot store, purchased jewelry, marveled at the endless collection of antiques and....

... rode a mini train! (we are the only 2 - front seats)

... had a carousel ride!

sampled local wine (ains ate the cheese)

holy toledo batman -- one of dozens of such windows...

Back to the cabin for a swim...

alas, back in the car.  Wound our way through mill towns, farms, and hillsides in Vermont.. very pretty

imagine this in the Fall