Royal Caribbean beats Irene

Not to be deterred, we beat the hurricane and had fun doing it.  Well, we had fun most of the time...ask us about the city bus....

8/26/11 Friday night, we tossed and turned (barely sleeping), knowing the storm was coming and wondering if our flight we be taking off Saturday.  By 8:16am Saturday, we had our answer.  Flight cancelled.  A quick internet search and constant news coverage informed us that all Port Authority airports would be closed by noon.  CRAP.  Now what?

8/27/11 10am: Hertz rental car!  Tires were low on air, and it was not a great car, but it was the only thing available now that the storm hit and the airports shut down.

Departure from Highland: 11:35am Saturday 8/27
Drive fast!!!  Erichsen's received notice that the NYS Thruway would be closing at 12:00pm.  We head South to 84W, then to 81S.  For hours, I had the TomTom in one hand and the iPhone with Weather Channel Radar in the other.

 It's not the destination.......but the journey.

Here is a screen shot from my phone.  The weather channel radar shows the storm, and the green pin on the left side of the screen is the exact location of our car at 7:44pm.  No stress involved right?  Just trying to outdrive a major hurricane to meet a flight in Atlanta the next morning!

In the middle of the night, we found a truck stop (aka safe & clean potty stop).  As we were leaving, I was tempted to purchase some Betty Boop shot glasses for mom... but time was still of the essence.

Arrival in Atlanta: approx 3:15am Sunday 8/28

Ok, what are we going to do at 3:15am?  Our flight is at 10:50am.  Nick & Rhonda live just outside Atlanta, but we can't drop in on them at this hour.  So, we head south through the city...

Ron got to see another piece of history. I showed him "my exit" in Atlanta, from my short time living with Aunt Jean & Uncle Bill in 2003.

What else can you do at this hour, but stop at IHOP for coffee & breakfast?
IHOP @ Best Western, 301 N Central Ave, Hapeville, GA
By far a ghetto location, complete with cop car sitting outside the restaurant the entire time we were there.  At least we killed some time, and got out of the parking lot without incident.

Just after 4am, we found the HUGE, unmanned, well-stocked Hertz Rental Car Return.   We figured out the whole car return thing, checked luggage, and made our way through security.  WOW, it's been a long time since I've traveled.  Everything is very different as far as baggage and security.  However, it was not the offensive, invasive procedure they complain about on the news.  If anything, we found the staff to be very personable for that hour of the morning.


Mom always says that the sunrise is amazing on a cruise.  Here are pictures I e-mailed mom to show her our sunrise!

Ron uses the altimeter on his watch to monitor our flight.

 The cloud pics are all Ron.  He was having a blast.  I wanted to nap, but someone was too excited about the view....

 Do we look tired or what?

YAY!!!  We make it to Miami!!!  Our first night of rest and relaxation was at the Doubletree Grand Biscayne Bay, and dinner downstairs at Primos.  The hotel was OK, as was Primos.  Downstairs, there is a cafe / mini mart kind of setup.  You can buy beer & wine there too (although prices are really high).

  

View from the hotel...

The 10th floor pool was a fabulous oasis!  It was virtually empty and there was plenty of room to spread out.  Had we known, it would be great to plan your own picnic here.

We did walk around a little bit, trying to stay awake until at least 5pm.... We went down to an outdoor market and saw a cool tree....

 And on the way back, a palm tree branch almost fell on us!  

Ron quickly pulled it out of the road.  They are a lot bigger up close!

Finally, it's departure day!  Boarding the ship was fast and easy.  We arrived at noon, even though the cruise documents said we could board at 1:30.   Tip: make sure your hair and makeup look good when you board.  The first picture they take of you is your security picture for the rest of the trip!  :)

By 1:11pm, we were enjoying a "hurricane"!  Ron decided to name them.  #1 Hurricane Amy.

  Pool Deck (Facing the Sun!)

 Don't get too excited about the drink shadows, because here comes the rain...

 

 By 4:07 pm, rain and HAIL?!?!

 Not to be deterred, we headed to the bar for another hurricane.  #2 Hurricane Barb.

 #3 Hurricane Calvin.

Nassau, Bahamas

 Vans waiting to take you on tour....  Our Ford has some damage...

 Governor's Mansion

 Fort Fincastle 

 

At the bottom of the queen's staircase is the original escape door from above at Fort Fincastle.

 Virtually everything is imported. 

 Gas is cheaper here than in NY, even after a hurricane!

A quick visit to the Atlantis Hotel.  This was kind of pointless because if you are not a registered guest, you can pretty much only go to the casino (empty at this time of day), the bathroom, and a few high-end shops.

 Area condos, as seen from the Atlantis.

Ron discovers high-end watch shopping:  Ulysse Nardin.

 Our tour guide bought fresh fruit from a man on the street, while at a stop light.

 

Dangerous animals may invade your stateroom!

Ron wears a tie!

A rainy day at Coco Cay.  The jelly fish were real!

 

 Looking out at the islands of Coco Cay.

 Blue waters.... not like home!

Key West.... we need more time here!

This first group of pictures was taken in the morning as we were docking, 

and immediately upon reaching town.

Our ship looks good!

This one is more within our budget, right?

When visiting Key West, you can amuse yourself by taking pictures of the various tropical flora and fauna.

 

 

 The only tree Amy will ever hug...

See how sunny it is....Give it an hour!

There would not be room in the bar 

for Ron & I, so we continued walking...

(double click to enlarge)

The birds roam free at Hogs Breath too!

Notice the pouring rain...

Yum!  Sadly, the Giraffe key lime place is out of business.

Wow, look at all the alligator heads!

Crabs in the bed!  

Back to Miami for one more day.  Word to the wise: do NOT opt for the city bus to go see Miami Beach.  Trust us.  Not worth the $2 tour...

.... a $2 tour...  Part 2

 Ron having fun on the bus.  This is before it got ghetto fabulous.

Miami Beach:  Having never been there, I was not impressed with this beach.  Lots of seaweed in the water, and litter washing in at the shore line.  Maybe if we stayed at a resort on the beach it would be a nice spot?  Otherwise, I'd pass on this beach.

Also, the front desk staff neglected to tell us that about 2-3 blocks from the hotel, there is an elevated tram that is free!  You can take it down to the Brickell area, which is home to some great restaurants.  You can also take it to the post office to mail home some purchases from your trip to avoid overage charges on luggage. (Walking to the post office can be scary if you don't know which neighborhoods to avoid.)

Now, it's back to reality. Let's go see what Irene did at home....

Again? Seriously? Yea, don't move to Texas because you might get a hurricane....

Here's the weekend outlook for New York:

Remember last year?  Earl last year

Funny article about New Yorkers in a hurricane:  villagevoice.com

Not funny real pictures of my "hometown":   Denning Flood Photos

One week after the storm, we returned home from vacation and took a drive to see what kind of damage there was to area roads and towns.

Highland, NY 12528  Flood Damage:

 Check out the under-layer of bricks from the original road.

Rt 28@ Phoenicia after Irene.

Trail's End

Amy Goes Off Road... Through Trail's End

Note that this ride occurs before the summer hurricane, so who knows what the trail looks like now.

Motorcycle Camping At Last

Great weather weekend for motorcycle camping....  We loaded up the bikes and headed out of town.  The ural wasn't even close to being fully loaded.  We have room to add more!

 The fire is started and we are camping!

 Ron loves his dams.  The water is deeper this year anyway from the spring washout.

 This was a short weekend, and it's already time to pack up and go...

The Water Keeps Running! (Post incomplete....)

Our third anniversary, and another 1,314.4 miles on the BMW!

Day 1 ~ Destination: Columbus, Ohio
Miles: 587
Travel time: 13.5 hrs.
We departed early from Highland NY, headed south on NY87, to NY84.  On I-84 we hit an early morning fog, which was wet and chilly.  The chill didn't last long, because the day heated up as the hours passed.

Next, on to Rt. 81 S and then Rt 80 W.  No long ride is complete without a stop at Cracker Barrel for a massive breakfast!  We chose the Cracker Barrel in Bloomsburg PA, exactly 3 hours into the trip.  Now, we wouldn't need food again until the end of the day!

Back on Rt 80 W... for a considerable distance.  We then turned on to I-76 W,  I-71 S,  I-270 E, and Rt. 70 E.  FINALLY, we arrived at the Hampton Inn!!!  (Hampton Inn Columbus East, 1890 Winderly Lane, Pickerington, OH 43147. (614) 864-8383. ()‎)

Maybe it was the holiday weekend, or maybe it's standard, but the Highway Patrol was out in full force Saturday (and Sunday too!)  I'm sure every trooper in the state was on duty, and I'm sure they made a huge amount of revenue over the weekend. 

After 13.5 hours of travel, we were glad to have chosen the upgrade to a room with a jacuzzi tub!  This hotel was also conveniently located right next to a Cracker Barrel (imagine that!) and a great Mexican restaurant "La Fogata" which offered a 10% discount to guests from the Hampton Inn.   La Fogata offered generous-sized specialty margaritas, fast service, a wide selection of authentic Mexican dishes, and very reasonable pricing (according to us New Yorkers).  Fresh tortillas were fabulous!  La Fogata Website.

So, after the long ride and great dinner, it was time to rest up for our busy day on Sunday.


Day 2 ~ Destination 1: Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, Destination 2: Niagara Falls, Canada
Miles: 360
Travel time: 9 hrs (including sitting still on the Rainbow Bridge)

The early wake-up call was painful, but necessary, to allow our day to flow on schedule.  First stop:  the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum! 

Apparently, the complex was being seal-coated on this beautiful day, but no men were directing traffic and no sinage was up for that purpose.  We initially made our way to some pretty fancy motorcycle parking, only to have to hoof it back down to a little league parking lot (in full sun) to avoid being seal-coated into our spot.  (Ha!!  Like the BMW couldn't ride out of this lean-to onto the grass and around the whole complex!)

Finally, we went into the museum.    Check back for pictures / updates...



This museum is in a great part of town, it's modern, and the experience was definitely worth while.  The complex is beautiful, new, and very very clean.  We only wish it were bigger!!!  (And Amy would like to see a racing sidecar on display.)

It did  not take as long as we had expected to enjoy the exhibits and browse the gift shop.  Good thing!  Who knew about the trip ahead!

At 11:45, we suited up and headed out of town, in much the same direction as we arrived.  This time from Rt. 71 N, we headed up I-271 N, to I-90 E, I-191 N, to the Rainbow Bridge crossing into Canada.  Amy will admit her great mistake in planning, as we arrived on Sunday night just as Americans were crossing for vacations and Canadians were returning from their own holiday weekend.  Add heat, a motorcycle, sore bums, and a little bit of hunger....  Ron turned off the engine and pushed the bike most of the way through the 90 minute bridge crossing.

Finally, we arrived at the Hilton Fallsview and it was a wonderful experience!  The parking staff were wonderful and hooked us up with a fantastic non-parking/parking spot that was a perfect fit for the bike.  (Big tip followed!)  Check in was speedy, as it was almost 9pm.  And, here is where the Hilton Hhonors points really kicked in... the room upgrade!  We were not only upgraded to a quiet end-of-hall room, but it was a fallsview room with a jacuzzi tub.  SCORE!  Two days of riding and we were thrilled!  We literally arrived just as the sun was setting and got some great pictures.  (Remember to double click to enlarge any picture!)

A note about AT&T service:  the iPhone buzzed just at check in to tell me that I'm being charged international rates.   We were unable to make outgoing calls, and I only managed to send one text to family to let them know we were safe before giving up in frustration.  None of the apps worked.  It made planning for a final day route-change a challenge, as we had been depending on the use of the apps.



Day 3  Niagara Falls, Canada

We're not getting on that bike today!

Again, Hilton Hhonors points = free breakfast buffet at the Watermark restaurant.  To avoid being dorky tourists, we did not take pictures.  Instead, you can visit the website:   Watermark Restaurant   What a great way to start the day!  (Free mimosas would have made it better!)   For a holiday weekend, this restaurant was only 1/4 occupied and quiet.  (The buffet at street level had a long line for a table, and it was only $4 less per person if you were paying cash.)  So, we were in and out with only the cost of a tip, and so full that no lunch was needed today.

Maid of the Mist
(visit the Maid of the Mist website too)

 

We think this is the old Schoellkopf Power Plant  which experienced a major rock slide in the 1950s.

American Falls

 Approaching the big falls.

This is the last picture before the camera had to go in plastic.  There was just too much mist!  Imagine that..

After the boat tour, we walked around the park and got some more great pictures.  The entire ledge is a beautifully-kept park, and it was full of gardens.  There were families visiting from every culture imaginable.  We were amazed at how clean the park was!

 Another view of the American Falls.

 The Canadian side.

 While we waited for our "ticket time" for the Journey Behind The Falls, we continued to take in the sights from a different angle.  This is the top of the Horseshoe....

 See the lookout to the left!  You can really get close.

Journey Behind the Falls

When we were on the Maid of the Mist, they pointed out the tourists that were at the Journey Behind the Falls.  We wanted to do that too.  Of course, it's a long walk from site to site, so we expected a long line when we got there.  If you follow the signs, you have to walk through the gift shop to get to the ticket booth.  (You can bypass the gift shop by going around the building to the back entrance near the bus stop.  That brings you straight to the bathrooms and ticket booth.)    Be aware that you are buying a ticket for a "time" but that time is really just the time you can get on the existing line like at an amusement park.   Here are the best pictures from this location.  The mist was COLD!

These are pictures we took from the hotel room when we went back to change for dinner. Double click to enlarge and get a closer look at this rainbow!

After our dinner reservation, we headed back to the Maid of the Mist site.  If you climb the observation building there, it's a great vantage point for the fireworks.  We had the added bonus of being able to view a distant fireworks show somewhere across the US border too!  That show was even longer than the Niagara Falls show, so it gave a chance for the crowd to disperse.


Day 4  ~ Destination: Home
Miles: 367
Travel time: 7 hrs, 25 min


Another fantastic breakfast was included in our stay, so we enjoyed that before heading home.  After the first border crossing, we decided to get an early start and get over to the bridge before the crowds. 

 Sometimes signs are just so confusing.

The US crossing does take a little longer on a motorcycle.  You do need to remove helmets.  Even still, the wait at 9:30 am was much shorter than our Sunday night experience!  And we are on our way...

We chose the fastest route home, taking I-90 to I-87.  Not the most scenic ride, but it's the best our butts could endure.  We stopped once per hour this time and boy was it warm out!

Catskill Mountain House & The Otis Elevating Railway

Part of our hiking excursions at North South Lake have included visiting the former site of the Catskill Mountain House, which was serviced by the Otis Elevating Railway.

For history and  a picture of the railway:
http://www.mths.org/archive/landmarks/otis.html

There was a really great website out there with all of the history and great pictures, but the web site is down as of 10/1/11.  I don't know if they just went the way of Facebook or what happened, but I wish I had swiped the images while I could.  So much for linking to other web sites...


Here are some of our pictures from exploring what's left of the site of the railroad.

 When hiking from the boat launch parking lot @ N/S Lake, you can see the "top" of the Otis Railroad cutout.  See the Hudson River in the center, near the horizon.

 Here, the wires run up the hill.

 Further down the trail, you can look up to the "top" of the railroad cutout.

 This is the view down the hill from the same spot (as the picture immediately above).

 What remains of an old structure near the top of the Otis Railroad at North South Lake.

 From the other side of the Hudson River, you can see the shadow of the cutout in the mountain from the old railroad.  Click on the picture to enlarge / double click to really zoom.