RE: What a camping trip we had (long)

[tlhdoc]

 
First I want to thank Donfairview2001 for the excellent campsite recommendation.  It was one of the better sites in the park.
 
 Second I want to thank Luvourjayco for the help and hospitality she gave us.
 
 
 We left Thursday night, after I had worked 8 hours to go camping at Letchworth SP in NY state.  On the way we found out that the power was out in NY.  We kept watching for lights at the exits (we needed to get gas) to see if there was power.  Got off at the exit where we were going to leave the highway and the power was out.  Went back one exit and the gas station had power supplied by a generator.  They had flagmen out at the road and in the parking lot directing people in and out of the pumps.  Don t leave the vehicle at the pump when you go in to pay!  They put us at the last pump and I would have had to make a U turn to get out.  It was too tight of a turn so I had to take the sway bar off, back the PU out between vehicles and then put the sway bar back on to leave.  
 
 We had never been to the park so we took a slow ride through it to get to the campground.   Sign at the office said to set up in the parking lot if you get to the CG after the staff leave.  No way, we had plans for Friday and I didn t want to have to PU and then PD.  So off we went to our site.  When we got there we found a fire burning and a young couple tent camping.  There was a sign at the office saying they closed early and to just go in and take a site until morning (so we didn t really brake the rules by entering late).  That is what the couple from Michigan did.  The woman asked if we would take another site for the night and move in the AM.  I told her " no"  that it was too much work to move, but that they could stay on the site.  They were ok with that so we shared the site.  
 
 Friday morning I finished setting up our stuff.  The man went to the office to get a site for that night, but the campground was booked up.  I told them that they could stay on our site again and then we all went and registered at the office.  We were going to Niagara Falls for the day and wouldn t be around anyway.  I did have their license plate in case we came back and they were gone with our PU.  I liked that the site would be occupied for the day when we were gone.
 
 At the falls we went to meet Luvourjayco.[]  She is very nice and so are her children.  We were there visiting for about 2 hours.  Birol and 5gonefishing didn t make it because the power was out where they live.[]  We did the tourist thing at the falls.  The river was very low (they were diverting the water to make electricity) and they could not run the Maid of the Mist boats.  The kids really wanted to go on the boat.  We went behind the falls, down to the rapids and to the Butterfly Conservatory.  We used the people mover to get to each site.  The kids and I both loved the Butterfly Conservatory.  We didn t get back to camp until after 11pm.  There was a fire going and everything was fine at camp.  
 
 Saturday morning our " friends"  left before the kids were up.  We spent the day in the park and then went to visit Kathybrj who was camping in a different loop.  In the early afternoon there was a heavy downpour.  Our site was OK, but some had ponds in them after the rain.
 
 Sunday we packed up and came home.[]

[DiW]

 tlhdoc
Sorry you had a tough time but as usual, you made the best of it (that couple sure was lucky to have stopped at your site). We enjoyed Niagara Falls and the Butterfly Conservatory too. Would like to go to Letchworth, just haven t fit it in yet (and it s a bit far for a reg weekend). Maybe we can arrange a COTOC trip there on a long weekend. Tracy, could you please send me the site # you enjoyed. I had jotted down some site recommendations in the past but somehow misplaced them. THanks.
 Di

[kathybrj]

 tlhdoc
Tracy- glad you made it home ok- we just got in at about 5:30 pm. Excellent weather for the week and we really enjoyed Letchworth (again).
 
 it was great to see you again. Hopefully, we can get together for a longer campout sometime soon!

[fivegonefishing]

 tlhdoc
Tracy, sould like you made the best of a not so good situation.  I m glad you were able to meet luvourjayco and enjoy some of the attractions of the Falls.  Only a cross-boarder major disaster would have kept me away, anything else and I would ve been there.
 
 Are the sites at Letchworth really that big that you can share it with someone like that?

[luvourjayco]

 tlhdoc
Tracey sure was nice to meet your gang too. My kids have become so good at making others feel welcome and themselves feeling comfortable around new ones that I no longer worry too much about them. Glad to hear you made the best of a rough situation. My favourite attraction is the butterflies too. Came again soon and we ll try to arrange another dinner []

[tlhdoc]

 tlhdoc
Di I will be glad to tell you the site we had it was 817.  I also made a quick trip through the rest of the campground and marked some of the other sites I liked.  Our site was a little down hill although the place to park the trailer was fairly level.  I have the map of the CG in the PU so I will try and get it out this weekend.
 
 Luv it was nice meeting you too.  
 
 Tammy we should plan a trip this fall and try to get a group together for dinner.  Yes the site was big enough for our PU and the tent the other couple had.  Their tent was about 15 feet from the PU and if they would have put it back by the woods, where I would have put it, they would have been about 20 feet from the PU.
 
 Kathy I am glad you made it home.  Was the steering in the van OK on the way home?

[fivegonefishing]

 tlhdoc
Tracy, that is a great idea!
 
 How far is Letchworth from you?
 
 We were thinking of getting there this fall.

[tlhdoc]

 tlhdoc
Tammy it took us about 4 hours to get there, but we were stuck in line to get gas.  So about 3 and 1/2 hours regular towing time.

[fivegonefishing]

 tlhdoc
Tracy, we are thinking of maybe camping at Letchworth Sept 27th.  I have one work realted call that I will have to schedule in Sept as well.  Are you closer to the Falls or to the East, like Gananoque?

[tlhdoc]

 tlhdoc
We have a group camping trip at Hickory Run SP in the Pocono mountains of PA that weekend. [&:]  Well we will have to try for another time.

[kathybrj]

 tlhdoc

 

ORIGINAL:  tlhdoc
 
 
 Kathy I am glad you made it home.  Was the steering in the van OK on the way home?
 

 Tracy- the van steered like a dream all the way home and the winds were quite gusty. Blaise is again tickled pink with the Safari, which makes me very happy! []