Cearley Summer 2005 Trip

In the spring of 2005 we started thinking about a summer trip. Greg wanted to see the Dayton USAF Museum and Airshow. Carlene wanted to see Ontario and Toronto, Canada. Chandler and Caroline wanted to go to Niagara Falls and back to NYC. Rather than just pick one destination, we decided to do them all!!!

We left Cary, NC on June 30th, and returned on July 14th after a whirlwind journey. Our 2500 mile trip took us through NC, VA, WV, OH, PA, NY, Ontario/Toronto, NJ, DE, MD, DC, VA, and finally back to NC – WHEW!!!

Below is a trip summary with pictures. It may take a minute or so to load them all, so be patient.

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Jun 30: Stayed at Hampton Inn in Beckley, WV (OK, we didn’t camp, but it was late when we arrived). No pictures.

Jul 1-4: Camped at KOA Dayton – Very nice resort. The family played a few new card games, provided with the site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We attended the Wright-Patterson US Air Force base and museum July 4th festival/show with food, games, music, performances, nice flyby’s (Wright Flyer/Curtiss Jenny’s – to the most modern aircraft publicly acknowledged), and ended with a huge fireworks display.

 

We had an excellent time and it was well worth the trip. One evening we went to a local drive-in theatre and saw “Bewitched” – the kids loved it. At camp we played mini-golf, ate all-you-can-eat pancakes, and explored the creek running through the campground.

 

We spent another day at the USAF museum to tour the planes previously used as Air Force One: Kennedy’s, FDR’s, and a few others. We also toured the storage facility for the X Planes, planes used as test beds for aircraft research. Stealths, WWII, Korean, Vietnam, and Cold War experimentals are all there, including the only remaining Valkyrie (!).

They also have the plane (modified C-135) used to successfully test the airborne laser gun, which targeted and destroyed other aircraft while all were in flight. Darth Vader watch out! Also, the latest F-22 is on display, with a replica of the Wright Flyer overhead.

 

Jul 4-9: Camped at KOA Niagara Falls, NY – good.

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Spent a day in the town of Lockport, NY, and explored the Erie Canal locks and historic old tunnels. We even took a boat ride in one of them.

 

The July 4th fireworks at the campground were spectacular – we sat outside the camper and watched a 40-minute show over the amusement park next to the campground. We were so close to the show that the percussions made the back of our heads shake – it was the closest any of us have been to commercial fireworks, and it was amazing. It made a nice ending to Chandler’s 10th birthday. Happy Birthday Chandler!! At a Cracker Barrel lunch on the road to Niagara Falls the staff gave him a huge ice cream sundae – it was so big that he shared it with the rest of the family and stil had some left.

 

Niagara Falls  is as spectacular as the hype suggests. We rode the Maid of the Mist and sat near the bottom of the falls – it did not require any effort to be amazed at the raw power of the waterfalls. The roar was deep and intense, and the mist was like a drenching rain, and the wind generated by the falling water added another level of sensation. It was incredible, and we would do it again.

 

We also toured the shore beside the falls, then went behind the falls for another view.

Later that day we went on a tour of an enclosed butterfly conservatory on the other side of town, then ate at the Hard Rock Café.

 

The second day at NF we toured the rapids (Class 6) from the shore (we’re not that brave yet – Class 3/4 for us right now) and the town itself.

 

Carlene and the kids went back to the falls one night to see the colored lights on the falls and the fireworks show.

 

Since we were so close, we also went deeper into Canada. It was a lot like the US, with vast open areas punctuated by towns and cities. While driving through Ontario we saw a beached shipwreck on Lake Ontario so we stopped to take pictures, then ate on the deck at Lake Shore Restaurant.

 

In Toronto we toured the CN Tower (spire-shaped tower) and the heart of the city. The CN Tower has an observation deck near the top, and part of the floor is glass! It is a bit unnerving to stand hundreds of feet in the air while standing on a glass floor. Your mind knows you are safe, but your eyes and stomach “know” you are going to fall / or already falling. It is very strange and exciting at the same time. This is the actual view looking down through the glass floor, which you can stand on.

Afterward we toured Chinatown and ate at a local restaurant. One tip: If you are going overseas, call your credit card company and tell them of your plans. Otherwise they will notice the activity, assume fraud, and “turn off” your credit card. The result is a frustrating, yet temporary, period of time!!

 

Jul 9-12: Camped at KOA NYC North in Newburgh, NY – also very nice.

 

Spent 2 days in NYC; traveled via train from Newburgh to Grand Central Station and the subways once in the city.

 

We saw the typical sights: Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, Trump Towers, ...

 

... Rockefeller Plaza, ...

 

... NBC Studios, Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, Canal Street, Chinatown, and of course the Willy Wonka candy store.

 

Caroline wanted to go to the American Girl store.

 

Chandler and I wanted to see Hammacher-Schlemmer’s (where I bought an atomic watch).

 

And Carlene wanted to see it all, including Tiffany’s!

 

During our stay we took a carriage ride through Central Park (white horse-drawn carriage) – Caroline thought she was a princess!!

 

Chandler enjoyed the Mickey Mantle restaurant. The food was very good – Chandler would have eaten the entire cheesecake if he could have!!

 

Carlene enjoyed the hustle and energy of the city, and seeing the sights again, like Times Square.

 

The kids shopped at the giant Toys-R-Us with the indoor Ferris wheel.

 

As well as danced on the lighted piano at FAO Schwartz.

 

And to think that we saw it on Mulberry Street … where we had drinks and desserts on a sidewalk café.

 

Jul 12-13: Camped at the Cherry Hill Resort in College Park, MD. We returned there on this trip because it is one of the nicer resort campgrounds. Swimming pools, hot tubs, mini-golf, outdoor theatre with current films, dancing, shuffleboard, excellent dining, free high-speed Internet (wireless at small cost), large playgrounds, modern and spotless bathhouses, large sites with decks and furniture (if you want it), and the list goes on. We would have stayed another day or so, but it was overcast and rainy, and we were a bit ready to come home. Still, it is a very nice place.

On the way from NY to MD, we stopped at OCC – Orange County Choppers – Home of the custom motorcycle makers featured on the Discovery Channel series.

 

Jul 14: Drove to Cary, NC. We did 10 states and 1 foreign country, 2500 miles in 15 days. 

Wow, what a vacation! Now I need a rest from the trip. <grin>

Thanks for sharing our memories with us.