We’re heading to a music event in Toronto. That’s an 11-hour drive from home, but think of everything we’d miss if we drove directly to Toronto and back! So in our usual never-take-the-direct-route way of getting anywhere, we found we can visits friends and family, explore a few corners of Ontario we’ve not yet been to, and attend our event all in 3 weeks!
Doug’s brother Pete hosted us on the second stop of our very first adventure trip in 2016. Although he lives not too far away from us – just a state away in Croydon, NH – we’ve missed getting together for the past couple of (pandemic) years. So let’s make Pete’s place our first stop! Considering… there was lots of catching up to do. We enjoyed conversation, dinner, conversation, our favorite Croydon campsite near Pete’s barn, and breakfast, followed by a bit more conversation before heading on up the road.
When we recently saw our old (ahem, long-time…) friends Kim and Chris at Stump Sprouts, we learned they were soon to embark on an RV tour of the St Lawrence Seaway in upstate NY. We realized we’d be crossing paths with them on our way to Toronto, so we picked a spot for a meet up. That spot was Green Lakes State Park, near Syracuse.
And a beautiful spot it was! Green and Round Lakes are rare meromictic lakes – super deep with layers of water that don’t mix. That makes the surface quite still (and quite picturesque) and the calcium-rich water gives the lakes a striking emerald green color. Hiking trails throughout the park gave us primo glimpses of the lakes. The park is also situated along the Old Erie Canal, most of which has been converted to the (multi-use) Erie Canal/Empire State Trail – great place for a bike ride!
Back at camp, we enjoyed the usual happy hours, collaborative dinners and fun conversations. And new this year, we were introduced to Kim and Chris’s home-made conversion van. The clever design makes it a comfy place to stay while on the road for 2 people over 6 feet tall!
Next stop en route to Toronto was another visit with our friend (and my former work colleague) Marilyn, who lives near Buffalo. Very much like our visits in 2016 and 2019, this stop with Marilyn began with getting caught up on each other’s lives, developed further with an outdoor activity (this time a delightful walk with friend Carol in Chestnut Ridge Park), topped off with great food (Taj Indian!) and conversation, and of course local ice cream at Fran-Ceil.
We can see the border from here… Off to Canada!
For anyone who’s interested, more Green Lakes State Park pix…
