Our expected last day in Camp
Hello, sunshine! Early Monday morning, June 26, 2017. After coffee, I headed to the docks for some fishing. Connie gathered laundry to do while I fished. We are expecting our mail, today, being sent by my brother, Bill. Rain is in the forecast so we are trying to do our outdoor stuff early.
Laundry Talk
Connie had company in the laundry area. One lady and her husband live in Camp 3 to 4 months in the summer. Another couple are just starting to travel, from eastern PA. Another guy and his grandson live an hour away but are here for two weeks! This area seems to be a big draw for campers. It is beautiful and offers a good base camp for seeing a lot of interesting sights.
My First Small Mouth Bass!
Fishing with minnows, I caught a small mouth bass, my first one ever! Small mouth bass like cooler water. Fishing in Missouri, the water is warmer and the large mouth bass are the more likely catch. I am still a long way away from having enough for a fish fry!
Lunch at the Chautaugua Harbor House
After our morning activities, we went into the town of Chautaugua, to eat at the Chautaugua Harbor House diner. Connie wanted a burger and fries and I got a sliced beef on a Weck. It was like a beef Anjou. Weck is a bun that has sea salt and caraway seed on top.
On the way, we stopped at a gift shop, with a nicely landscaped parking lot. The shop was in a small barn and well decorated. The sign said, “2 Chix Gift Shop”. We bought a cheese spreader and a little Internet Address Book—so many passwords to track!
A Finishing Touch to the Day
Back in Camp, we decided to both go to the docks to fish. We only caught 3 small perch—no keepers. The wind picked up as the sun set lower and it was much cooler. So, we went back to the RV to do some planning for our next travel stop.
As we watched TV, we finished our supper with a slice of NY style cheesecake with fresh NY strawberries on it! Still no mail. We will have to stay another day…
Last Day for Touring
We slept in. The rain made that easy. It was cool, so oatmeal for breakfast. We paid for one more day in hopes that the mail would come in, today. So, we have one more day to tour the area. The decision was made to see a part of the Allegheny Forest in PA.
We headed south to Jamestown and US Hwy 62 into Warren, PA. Near Warren, we stopped at the Allegheny National Forest Information Center. I bought a walking stick to help my knees! The Ranger was very helpful in giving us suggested sights and directions. He gave us directions to see the Allegheny Reservoir, Jakes Rocks, Kinzua Point, Rimrock, and the Kinzua Dam. Kinzua is a term from the Seneca Indian tribe meaning “place of many big fishes”. That got me excited about coming back another day to fish on the Reservoir!
Breathtaking Views!
Several of the stops suggested by the Ranger were lookout points over the Allegheny River valley, which is now the Allegheny Reservoir. Heavy forest, high vantage points, and lots of water. Wow! What a view with great photo opts! The lookout points were made through the WPA projects during the Depression. Stone steps and walls provided a long-lasting pathway to the vantage points.
We had lunch at the Kinzua Marina, at the suggestion of other visitors. And, we stopped to look at the Kinzua Dam on our way back to Warren. At the edge of town, we stopped at a BBQ joint we noticed on the way up. We could smell the meat cooking in the parking lot. It was amazing! We ordered a pound of brisket to go. We sneaked a taste. Yummy! Now we know why they had a trophy case!
No Magnet
As we were to pass back over the Allegheny River into Warren, we had to stop at the Dairy Delight for a twist ice cream cone! It was Perry’s Ice Cream, since 1918, and still good.
We made another stop to get coffee and look for a PA magnet to go on our metal map of the USA. No luck. We will try a truck stop tomorrow on our way to OH.
In preparation for tomorrow, we stopped at Hogan’s Hut, in Stow, NY, to get fueled up on the way to Camp. We would prepare to leave and check the mail in the morning, since it was after dark when we got back.
Mail is Here – Time to Go
We woke up on Wednesday so thankful we had chosen this spot for our Honeymoon stay in NY. Energized on the prospects for our next stop, Connie packed food for us to eat on the road, while I picked up the mail at the Camp office.
We did not make coffee in the RV. So, we filled that need with a stop at the Hogan’s Hut, in Stow, on our way to I-86. And, we found the PA magnet at a truck stop in PA.
After a quick stop in Kirtland, OH, to see the Kirtland Temple, an historic site for the Latter-Day Saints Church, we continued to Toledo, OH. We encountered short slow downs for construction and an accident, but, otherwise, the drive was uneventful.
We searched for other RVs for our list of sightings. And, we listened to a CD my brother sent with us, which had old country songs on it. It was a good one!
Sauder Village
Our next stop was the Sauder Village RV Park, near Archbold, OH, which is about 50 miles west of Toledo, OH. Connected to the RV Park is a resort hotel, Sauder Heritage Inn, and a living history village museum. You can see more at saudervillage.org.
We made our destination about 7 p.m. After setting up the RV, we warmed up some of that BBQ for dinner. Then, we watched a movie to relax…
A Holiday Is Coming
This was a busy two-night stay and very enjoyable. It is getting close to the 4th of July holiday. There will be lots of competition for camping. However, I would like to take Connie to see Grand Haven, MI, where I used to visit as part of my last job at Haldex Brake Products, where they had a plant that I did accounting for.
I will have more about this stay and the frustration of finding a place to stay on a holiday weekend in MI, in my next blog. Safe travels!