Road Trip!
When I agreed to go to Texas to help my Aunt Melinda through her back surgery, I really intended to fly. But as plans progressed and I began thinking about leaving my pups with Kef for two weeks, not knowing if she would have to go out of town at the last minute, I decided to drive it. Although it's three long days of driving, I weighed the benefits of having the girls with me, having my vehicle with me, etc. And so, I decided driving was the right way to go.
This is the first time I've driven the route to Buffalo. (We came the southern route on our way up the first time.) I-90 tracks right alongside the Mohawk River and Erie Canal for about the first 100 miles from Albany to Utica. The river was engorged from the recent rains. What a beautiful sight! (No pictures, though, because... driving.)
One of the great things about driving through this area is that every town is old, so there are always interesting old buildings and spires reaching up from the hills. You don't get to see much of this up-close from the freeway, but it always makes me think I should come back when I have time to roam.
I was reminded of my blog about the first trip I made from Texas to New York... Green. The greens today were decidedly new... spring chartreuse.
One of the most interesting things I encountered today was the Seneca Nation. Honestly, I have never thought about tribal lands being in New York. South of Buffalo, I approached a section of highway that had a sign saying, "Rough road next 5 miles." Okay... I wondered why. As I approached it, another sign declared that I was entering Seneca Nation. Hmm. I never knew that interstate highways were not maintained through Native American lands.
The only stop I'd planned for the day (besides potty breaks) was to see Dunkirk Lighthouse on Lake Erie. I didn't really plan this well, as they closed their gates at 2 pm. We arrived at about 2:30. So, I was only able to take a picture through the gates. I'll have to come back sometime.
The GPS took me on from there through back roads, rather than backtracking to the interstate. This was a beautiful drive, with the cool breeze of Lake Erie to my right and acre upon acre of vineyards on my left. Sprawling homes enjoyed the lake in their backyard and golf courses in their front yard. We actually ended up driving right past the Barcelona Lighthouse that I'd visited with Mom and Dad on our first trip from Texas to New York.
Back on the freeway, we made short work of Pennsylvania, and continued into Ohio where we would rest for the night. Our home away from home is a beautiful cottage in the center of Ohio, Mansfield. The back yard is really a natural garden, with wildflowers alongside the more intentional hostas and honeysuckle and rhododendron. The girls loved exploring, and I loved the eye candy. We enjoyed our supper together while relaxing to Netflix. I had a calzone delivered from a local pizza place, and it was really great. The crust was thinner than a normal calzone, so it made it less heavy than you might expect. I added a half order of a cinnamon dessert, planning to eat part for breakfast. It was quite tasty too. We had our choice of three upstairs bedrooms, so we settled into the comfy king with a large patio outside the door. Lovely.
Tomorrow (well today now), we make the long trek to Memphis!
This is the first time I've driven the route to Buffalo. (We came the southern route on our way up the first time.) I-90 tracks right alongside the Mohawk River and Erie Canal for about the first 100 miles from Albany to Utica. The river was engorged from the recent rains. What a beautiful sight! (No pictures, though, because... driving.)
One of the great things about driving through this area is that every town is old, so there are always interesting old buildings and spires reaching up from the hills. You don't get to see much of this up-close from the freeway, but it always makes me think I should come back when I have time to roam.
I was reminded of my blog about the first trip I made from Texas to New York... Green. The greens today were decidedly new... spring chartreuse.
One of the most interesting things I encountered today was the Seneca Nation. Honestly, I have never thought about tribal lands being in New York. South of Buffalo, I approached a section of highway that had a sign saying, "Rough road next 5 miles." Okay... I wondered why. As I approached it, another sign declared that I was entering Seneca Nation. Hmm. I never knew that interstate highways were not maintained through Native American lands.
The only stop I'd planned for the day (besides potty breaks) was to see Dunkirk Lighthouse on Lake Erie. I didn't really plan this well, as they closed their gates at 2 pm. We arrived at about 2:30. So, I was only able to take a picture through the gates. I'll have to come back sometime.
The GPS took me on from there through back roads, rather than backtracking to the interstate. This was a beautiful drive, with the cool breeze of Lake Erie to my right and acre upon acre of vineyards on my left. Sprawling homes enjoyed the lake in their backyard and golf courses in their front yard. We actually ended up driving right past the Barcelona Lighthouse that I'd visited with Mom and Dad on our first trip from Texas to New York.
Back on the freeway, we made short work of Pennsylvania, and continued into Ohio where we would rest for the night. Our home away from home is a beautiful cottage in the center of Ohio, Mansfield. The back yard is really a natural garden, with wildflowers alongside the more intentional hostas and honeysuckle and rhododendron. The girls loved exploring, and I loved the eye candy. We enjoyed our supper together while relaxing to Netflix. I had a calzone delivered from a local pizza place, and it was really great. The crust was thinner than a normal calzone, so it made it less heavy than you might expect. I added a half order of a cinnamon dessert, planning to eat part for breakfast. It was quite tasty too. We had our choice of three upstairs bedrooms, so we settled into the comfy king with a large patio outside the door. Lovely.
Tomorrow (well today now), we make the long trek to Memphis!
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