Thursday at trapp

Thursday was a cooler day, thunderstorms swept through last night just at sunset. Strongest over Burlington and further south, we only had rain and a few lightening bolts near and thunder claps that echoed in the hills. With the cooler temperature we felt that this would be a good day to visit Moss Glen Falls, a little way north of Stowe off Rouye 100. There were a couple of cars in the small parking lot at 11 AM. Starting out along a narrow path, we soon came to an area where wooden walkways led about 25 feet across a marshy area. After a short distance there was another wet area with standing water. Across this was a hodge-podge of sticks, branches and stones across a 10 foot span. A misstep or slip would put your foot in the water and mud and maybe a sprained ankle or fall. At this point Donna turned back and I kept on. We had never been to this park before and had no idea of what lay ahead. Shortly I came to the base of the climb to the falls. It was a well-worn path in the woods with lots of roots and rocks for footholds, as I climbed up the slope. I could hear the stream that I had left below and soon could hear the falls above. Going over a ridge I finally saw the falls, at least part of them. Going futher up I saw the full heighth of the torrent, from the notch where it fell over the edge to the boulders at the bottom where the water spread on like a fan. On the web I found out that the falls are 125 feet from top to bottom and is the tallest waterfall in Vermont, and it's totally unspoiled except for the beaten down track to the top; no trash, no souveneir shops, no charge for viewing. Check out the video. Daniel

Wednesday at Trapp

Donna went swimming again this morning while I slept in. What a life! In the Stowe Magazine Donna had seen an ad for "The Wooden Needle", a nedlepoint and stitchery shop. It is located off Main Street in Stowe, near the Post Office. I dropped her off there and parked on Main Street while I went to the Depot Building. I like to look through the book store that takes up at least half the ground floor. Donna bought a new cross stitch kit at The Wooden Needle. she found me still looking through the book store. I prefer used book stores to new book stores, just because I'd rather pay less and don't need the newest releases. Today is the hottest day so far this week, record high temps for May all across the Northeast. Most likely near or just above 90 degrees. about 4PM Donna went to the exercise room to ride the stationary bike and I went to the "Sugar Road" on the Trapp property for a short walk. On the grounds of the Lodge there is a small cemetery where some members of the Trapp family are buried. Maria and her husband, Baron Von Trapp were laid to rest there and some of the younger generations also. Here is a short video of the cemetery.

Tuesday at Trapp

This morning we went to the indoor pool at 8:10 and were there about 40 minutes. Donna stayed in the water longer than I, I might melt.
The local restaurant, McCarthy's, is one that serves good breakfasts and lunches at reasonable prices. Today we had lunch there and then walked around the "Baggy Knees" shopping center. There are a lot of empty storefronts, including one that really saddens us. "Stowe Down Under" was a clothing outlet in the lower section below McCarthy's and we had been shopping there for several years while in Stowe. Donna and I got to know the owner and his wife a little. They had been planning to sell the business so it wasn't a complete surprise that is has closed.
We drove up to Morrisville which is about 10 miles north. It's bigger than Stowe and at the junction of several highways. We went north on the "Stagecoach Road" that parallels the main road, Route 100. At the north end of this road is "Needle Eye Road". I've added a photo of the "Needle Eye".

Daniel

Monday at Trapp

Today Donna went to swim before I got out of bed. When I went down to meet her at the pool I didn't find her. Because I walked around the Fitness Center off the driveway I didn't see her returning to the unit. After checking the pool, empty, the exercise room, not there, I walked back to the unit and there she was, sitting outside with no room key to get in, OOPS.
Later in the morning we drove up on the Mountain Road to a parking area for the Recreation Path and walked for one half hour up and the same back to the car.
The temperature was about 80 degrees, but a breeze was nice.

Daniel

Going to church

Sunday afternoon we went to the church service of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Stowe. Their service was at the Episcopal Church, St. John of the Mountain, just at the bottom of the road from Trapp. Sixteen people attended with a guest minister.
The service had many of the same elements of the services we attend in the Canandaigua Unitarian Universalist Church. The minister's sermon title was "Bouquets" and he handed around a rose bud for each person to have. He used a video from YouTube with Carl Sagan and Stephen Hawking talking about the universe and our place in it.
After the service, Donna and I went across the Mountain Road for dinner at The Shed. The Shed is a long-time tradition in Stowe, having begun in an actual storage building by two ski instuctors. Delicious food.
The photo was taken by Donna from the Recreation Path, looking towards Mt. Mansfield

Look for the video

On the post "Saturday at Niagara Falls" I have posted a short video of Niagara Falls. How does it look?

Daniel

More Sunday in Stowe

First thing Sunday morning we went to the Fitness Center to swim in the indoor heated pool. Only one other couple came in during the hour, 7:30 to 8:30. A young women did come in with her very young son, maybe two years old. She was helping him get used to the pool and stayed on the stairway into the pool. Real cute scene.
Later in the morning we went down the hill to the Stowe Recreation Path for a walk. A lot of people were using the path, bikers, rollerbladers, walkers and runners. All ages.
We walked towards the mountain, Mt. Mansfield, for a half an hour and then back to the car in the parking area. The path follows the stream out of Stowe for about five miles and has lots of benches and some picnic tables available. It's all paved and well maintained.

Sunday in Stowe

Yesterday, May 22, 2010, Donna and I drove to Stowe, Vermont to start our week at our timeshare resort. We have been coming here for 23 years and love it. The timeshare is at the Trapp Family Lodge, in the guesthouses.
On the way we stopped at the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge in New York State. There wasn't enough time to drive through but we bought a "Senior Pass" for $10.00. That will give us free admission to any National Park, Historic Site, etc. During our trip to Alaska we will be stopping over near several National Parks and will use the pass.
I've been trying to add video to the blog without success. I'm using a HD Canon camcorder and it gives a wonderful clear video. I'll keep trying.

Daniel

The Four Amigos

More Canada

After we left the Restaurant we drove back towards Niagara Falls and stopped at The Whirlpool. There is a gift shop there of course, and an overlook of the Niagara River where it bends 90 degrees and creates a whirlpool. For about $12.00 they offer a "Spanish Aero Car" ride across the center of the whirlpool and back. I don't know the distance but you could look it up. We didn't take the ride this trip. One year Donna and I were at the Falls for New Year's Day and the Whirlpool was full of ice and debris. This time there were a few branches and pieces of wood held by the current but not many.
Crossing back to the US was simple and we got back to Canandaigua about 8PM to find our sister-in-law, Lynnette, from Florida, waiting in the house. She was on the last part of a trip to visit her family and friends and stayed with us that night.
Tasha was glad to have her company while we were away.

Daniel

More about our Saturday at Niagara Falls, Canada. About 2:00 PM we left the Falls area and wanted to have a late lunch at a nice restaurant. Most of the eating places near the Falls are "fast food" types and that area was very crowded. We drove north towards the Whirlpool and saw a roadside sign for the Whirlpool Golf Course Restaurant and the Queenston Heights Restaurant ahead.
We stopped at the Golf Course and went in. The restaurant was still open but they were setting up for a wedding reception. The menu looked like a typical "19th hole" variety, not a lot of choices and mostly sandwiches and such.
Deciding to look further, we drove on a little more to the Queenston Heights restaurant. This proved to be a wise decision. Even though they close from 3 to 5 PM we were invited in at 3:05 after the hostess checked with the kitchen. The staff could not have more gracious and accomodating. We got seating right by the windows that overlook the Niagara River and on this day we could see the skyline of Toronto across Lake Ontario.
As the other dining groups left we got more and more attention from the staff, even though this was their time to eat a meal. The executive chef, Elbert, came out and chatted with us as we finished our desserts. He also was very gracious and made us feel as though it was no big deal that we were there at such a late lunchtime.
If you're going to visit Niagara Falls, Canada or live nearby, I recommend you stop at the Queenston Heights Restaurant and "live the good life". Just try to be there during the usual dining hours. The restaurant is in the Queenston Heights Park off the Niagara Parkway, fifteen minutes north of the Falls. Check out their website, it's all true.

Saturday at Niagara Falls

Yesterday, May 15th, Donna and I took Kay and Ernie Griffin to Niagara Falls, Ont. Canada. It was Kay's birthday. We parked along Clifton Hill, the main strip leading to the Falls viewing area. The parking there is precious, ours cost $10.00 for the day, even par between U.S and Canadian currency. We walked down to the park that borders the gorge of the Niagara River and overlooks the American and Canadian Falls. Between the time we started, 11 AM and finished 1:30 PM, the number of visitors increased quite a bit. The walk along the edge of the gorge is about 200 feet above the river and we could see down to the Maid of the Mist boats as they left their docks and went right up to the falling water of the Horseshoe Falls. Across the gorge on the American side there were people down in the gorge on wooden walkways that lead right up to the edge of the falling torrents of water. We walked from the Clifton Hill intersection with the River Road to the closest part of the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side, stopping to look and take photos and videos. Daniel

Alaska trip

This summer we will be traveling with our friends, Ernie and Kay Griffin. With their fifth-wheel RV and our Toyota Sienna we are driving across from Canandaigua, NY to Montana, through Alberta, British Columbia and The Yukon territory to Alaska.

trip tomorrow to Canada

Tomorrow we are going to Niagara Falls and cross over to Canada. This is a bithday trip for our friend Kay. Crossing to Canada will give us a opportunity to use our Passport Cards for the first time.

Daniel

So far, so good

Only three hours later and I can at least get to my blog.

Daniel

First post

Hello everybody. I'm testing this new blog. If it is workable and useful we will begin one for our upcoming trip.

Dan