Gasport, NY (Sept 22-25)

**Blogger didn't want to upload my pics. To the right is a photostream from picasa. Click on "view my gallery" and it will take you to our web album of pictures. Will continue to add more albums.**

Learned another RV Lesson on the Road today driving through Buffalo New York. We were following our navigator after getting off 2 of the most awful bridges. I don't like bridges in the first place in the motor home and these were really arched .... and under construction. Maybe when a bridge is under construction they should close it?? Just a thought.

So right at the end of the bridge we took the exit we were supposed to, circled around under the highway to find 3 underpasses listed at 12 feet. We pulled over as we are at least 12-8 and usually don't go under anything under 13 feet !! No room to turn around anywhere and no feasible way to back up as we would have backed up and around the corner and back onto the bridge where traffic is moving at 55 to 60 MPH. Right behind us comes an Alfa RV (taller than ours) and pulling a car. He pulled in right behind us and Vic walked up and said .... "Hi. Misery loves company. My name is Vic". The two guys got out in the rain and looked at the underpass, I walked around trying to find a spot for us to turn around. We decided on option A. Vic inched the RV forward while Larry and I walked beside it up on the embankment so we could see the clearance. Believe it or not ... we made it without touching ... and so did Larry. Whew !! That was worth a few gray hairs.

Found a great campground that accepted the Passport America so we were half rate at 14 per night for 4 nights. It was about 30 miles out from the falls but just a beautiful spot. Met a few of the seasonals including Pat, a retired RN that has a trailer there right on the lake and a spot in Arizona that she splits her time between. They all loved Moe, coming around in their golf carts to play with him and bring him cookies. The owner said they are hesitant to accept German Shepherds but that everyone loved him and we were welcome back any time.

We spent several days at the falls. The first night Lexi had met some kids her own age and she stayed at the top of the lookout tower with them while we took Moe down around the falls at night, viewing the colored lights they shine on them and enjoying the park almost completely to ourselves. The weather was beautiful ... warm and humid following a record high day at 88 degrees (we brought the heat with us apparently).

We opted to do a formal "tour" the next day, which was a bus with a tour guide that took us to several spots. We saw the whirlpool below the falls and learned that it changes directions twice daily, depending on how much water Canada is pulling. No one is allowed in or around the rapids leading up to it, which are Class 6 rapids, due to several deaths that occurred years ago. It got its name of Devils Hole though from a fight with the Indians in the early 1800's where the white fur traders were run off the cliff and fell to their deaths below.

We missed the Maid of the Mist by about 10 minutes because the bus had to go pick up a couple of stragglers. I thought our tour guide was going to cry but it worked out okay.

On our tour we met Steve, a Vietnam Vet from Houston TX traveling the US. He had such a crazy sense of humor and was absolutely delighted with Lexi, as she was with him. The paired up and had a great time for the tour.

We went to the Cave of the Winds. When you check in they give you these charming yellow rain slickers and shower shoes to wear. You take an elevator down to the base of Bridal Veil Falls and walk around on a wooden decking where you can touch the water coming down the falls. The upper deck is called the hurricane deck. Look in the picture and note the sign that says "No Smoking". It's got to be a joke. You couldn't light anything there.

Lexi loved it !!!! She went to the hurricane deck and backed up into the falls and got completely and totally soaked but was grinning with a smile worth a million dollars. Steve "Dog" had so much fun sending her back up into the water. It was a blast.

From there we went to the Horse Shoe Falls. They are stunning. Canada definitely has the better view of them but breathtaking nonetheless. The rapids above are frightening in that they don't look like they are heading to that kind of fall. Our tour guide told the story of a young 17 year old girl and her 7 year old brother that were in a boat above the falls when the engine quit and the boat capsized. She was rescued by an off duty police office less than 10 feet from the top of horseshoe falls. Her brother, at the age of 7, remains the only person to have survived going over the falls without any protection. They believe that because he was so light weight (65 pounds) that he basically "floated" over the falls.

Our tour ended with a stop at the DareDevil Museum where we got to see several of the devices used to go over the falls. 16 people have done it on purpose. Some lived, some didn't. The fines have gone from 500 dollars to over 10,000 and 30 days in jail, but that doesn't discourage the real Dare Devils. We had the opportunity to meet John "Dave" Munday who runs the museum. He has successfully gone over twice and wants to be the first person to do it three times. He was scheduled to go over July 27 of this year but someone ratted him out. Not to be discouraged, he has another trip over the falls planned but obviously won't say when. He was a great guy, full of energy and personality. So when you read the headlines that he did it again ... know we got to shake his hand !!

Lexi is doing her report from the Niagara region on all the Dare Devils that have done it on purpose. The first was a retired school teacher in 1901 who went over at the age of 63. When she has it done, I will post it. It is very interesting.

I thought we we just going to see a big waterfall but it is so much more powerful than that. I am really glad we made the stop and took the time for a guided tour as we learned so much more than we would have otherwise. It was beautiful weather the whole time there too.