Overnighted at Grayson Lake State Park in Grayson, KY east of Morehead off I64. Nice clean park and made us realize how much better maintained and organized our park system is. It was managed so we came in for one night to fill in a gap before the next person, unlike the empty campground in WV.

We enjoyed a visit with the kids and granddaughters and had lunch for Alek’s birthday.

End of another nice journey around our beautiful country.

Back on the grid as we head toward home. We love the mountains but no cell, no tv, and one radio station make for old time book reading and more conversation.

Friday of Labor Day weekend and the park is about 25% full. We think people are discouraged when they try to make a reservation and are told first come and don’t park in the reserved spots. The reserved spots were all empty which is a mystery and poor organization on their part trying to use a paper system in the day of technology and online booking. Apparently they keep the spots reserved just in case and if someone has stayed in them anytime during the year. We wouldn’t hesitate to pull in a reserved and set up camp in a future visit. Even the office person didn’t have a real explanation.

Just outside the park, we passed through Hillsboro, WV, the birthplace of Pearl S Buck.

Hwys 219, I64

Our schedule for the day was to ride the Greenbrier Trail and nothing else so after breakfast we took off on the trail along the river toward Marlinton.

We were a bit wary of the rising river and kept watch since our campsite was in the bend of the river and on low ground. The flash floods as far north as Pittsburgh was dumping water here to later to pass down the Ohio and through Kentucky. That is kind of neat to visualize the water taking its little ride all the way to the Gulf.

A short nap and lunch and we rode the trail awhile the other direction. It was a bumpier ride but still scenic.

We kept watch for Yogi and Booboo but they must have been out of their little caves once the sun came out and up on the mountain hunting berries to fill their tummies and gain weight for their coming winter naps.

We’ll be moving on toward home so we packed up the bikes once again and settled inside. The campground was beautiful, but the rain had turned what green there was to mud and it was messy outside. I did a lot of sweeping to keep our tracks cleaned up and was sure glad we now have hard surface floors in our Moho. Carpet is for folks that never go outside.

Raining. Drove through beautiful forests.

Rain stopped near Pittsburgh and we pulled off at a little diner called Gab & Eat that we found on Yelp. Quirky little place and full of locals. Food was delicious. Paul had breakfast and I had club sandwich.

Rain started again and hung over us all the way through the West Virginia mountains. What a beautiful drive had it been a nice day. We drove and drove and drove and finally got to Watoga State park near Hillaboro, WV and on the Greenbrier River. Another back to nature place with 10,000 acres of designated forests for the park. So strange but there were only 3-4 other campers in the whole Riverbend camping area even though a holiday weekend is approaching.

Rain on the rooftop made for a cozy evening.
Hwys: 417, 8, I80, I79, 33, 219

Left Green Lakes State Park to start making our way back toward Kentucky. Since we have meandered in this area and know the scenery, we opted to travel I90 west toward Buffalo, NY to make a little time. Traffic is light mid morning and we are running an easy 60 mph to optimize fuel mileage around 16-17 mpg. That is much better than the 6 mpg we got in the Fiesta.

The drive along Lake Erie is always nice even on interstate because of the vineyards on both sides if the road and often to the horizon.

We have stayed in touch with the Florida couple we met in Yellow Springs and they sent us info about the Two Mile County Park in Franklin PA near where we camped on our way north. We are actually following their wake on parts of the trip by accident which is funny.

Since we loved the beautiful scenery and remoteness of the area, we opted to drop back by for a couple of days. Wow, what a hidden treasure. The park and campground are 5 stars for nature.

The stop also gives us another day or two to bike, this time on one of the other trails nearby.

And, our own private lake!! We have decided if we have a bear encounter that Rosie will be our sacrifice because the mama bear will think she is a little chubby cub and will snuggle her in. We could visualize Rosie’s big cartoon eyes as she is carried into the woods to the den. 🙂

Showers overnight but sketchy in the morning so Paul donned his raincoat and hit the Erie Canal Trail toward Albany while I walked the dogs once again. We both returned just as the rain got a bit heavier.

Mid afternoon, it dried a bit though still cloudy so we walked some of the trails in the park which are beautiful and well trodden. Of course, there is a reason a block of land is designated a state park for safe keeping, and the two glacial lakes in this park are quite unusual. The color is indeed very green, like another Crayola color, as you look over the bluff at them, but when close up, the water is so clear you can see straight through. Beautiful!

The color of the two lakes is due to the light absorption on deep clear water up to 185 feet and the presence of calcium carbonate and its effect on the way the light is absorbed.

Rain once again after our hike so we are packing up to find our path back to Kentucky in time for Labor Day.

We drove about an hour or so toward Syracuse to maneuver back toward the Erie Canal Bike Trail and stopped to camp at Green Lakes State Park.

Driving east, we drove through Skaneateles NY at the northern tip Skaneateles Lake this Sunday morning and people were all out and around the lakeshore. The neatest thing was church congregations were gathered on this beautiful morning having their services outdoors. The town was a gorgeous setting and I’d very much like a stopover there on another trip.

After we set up camp, Paul rode the trail toward Syracuse while I walked the dogs around the campground. The exercise brought us all inside for a nap. Just right for a Sunday afternoon.

Hwys: 5, 20, 175, 173

Weather was perfect for camping, 50 overnight and low 70’s daytime with mostly clear skies.

Again by asking the right questions, we discovered another bike trail along the canal not more than a mile from our campground. The trail ran along the Seneca Cayuga canal which links the two finger lakes and was a great ride of about 10 miles round trip. It was so cool and level, we wished it was longer but enjoyed the scenery and the folks we met. Hobby bike riders are typically friendly folks and it is fun to share where we have been.

After riding, we visited Seneca Falls which claims to be the backdrop town for A Wonderful Life. In addition, it has the distinction of being the beginning of the suffrage movement.

When we were talking with some locals, we found out we were just 3 days behind a visit from President Obama. Thank goodness we missed the hoopla!

Traveled East just south of Rochester and at the northern tips of the Finger Lakes, cabbage country. Truckloads of cabbage heading to groceries were on the back roads.

We drove around Seneca Lake and stopped at the state park. Seneca is the largest and deepest of the glacial New York Finger Lakes. The depth of the lakes moderates the temperatures in the region and makes it perfect for vineyards and orchards. Vineyards and wineries dot the landscape.

Our overnight stop is at Waterloo Harbor RV Park, Waterloo NY, between Rochester and Syracuse on the Seneca Cayuga Canal, part of the Erie Canal System. Another surprise….

Hwys: 19, 5, 20

Paul was up very early to ride the trail toward Buffalo while I slept in and enjoyed my coffee outside with the dogs. A nice breeze is blowing as the sun burns away the cloud cover.

Paul rode 20 miles west and returned just as I had accidentally let the sink overflow in the Moho. The positive part is I needed to mop anyway and it made me rearrange the junk in the lower cabinets. I was totally stupid on that one but no permanent harm.

So, another load of towels in the laundry where I mopped the water. Done!

Rain pushed us inside for the early afternoon but we were able to ride just before dark again toward Rochester.