Update # 10: Natural Bridge

Natural Bridge ??? Where in the world is Natural Bridge and why did we go there?

The itinerary called for a stay just over the border for July 1 and 2.  Now I have known for years that July 1 is Canada Day. However I waited too long to secure reservations, and when I did try everything on both sides of the border were fully booked.  The next closest place, Natural Bridge had two cancellations, so we took them. The town of Natural Bridge is one street long.  Boarded up building spoke of better times. The ice cream store opened about noon. We didn't see a restaurant. The Post Office was new, and open on Saturday.  The RV park was once a KOA. We set up camp on lumpy, uneven grass. Jay and Lynn even had a slope, small but steep where the site met the road.. Nearby caverns are advertised, so we think that is where the town received its name.  If you check a map, Natural Bridge is east of Watertown, NY and about half way to Lake Placid.

We left Cooperstown early to arrive in Natural Bridge with enough time to explore the 1000 Island area of New York. We also left to avoid getting blocked into the Cooperstown park by the crew repaving this part of the road. After maneuvering around the asphalt equipment we continued north on the back roads. The village of Richfield Springs, about 15 miles NW of Cooperstown, contained a very impressive collection of large, old, spectacular homes that lined the highway.

We will also remember the village of Mohawk. At the approach to the city trucks, buses, cars with trailers are directed into a special lane. A huge sign at the end of this short spur announces the coming of a two mile steep downgrade. A runaway lane is provided at the 1.5 mark.  Drivers are reminded to check their brakes and proceed with care.

Beyond the villages, the land continues to support large farms. Besides corn and other crops, more dairy cattle and fields of horses are seen.

Our first stop after setting up camp in Natural Harbor was, of course, the Watertown Wal-Mart.  I had discovered that the photo CD purchased in Watkins Glen contained no photos. The solution was rescanning the hard copies I had to make a new CD. Fortunately, Tina the friendly photo clerk did that for me. We could then enter our new photos for processing and shop.

Then we headed for Sacketts Harbor is located seven miles west of Watertown. The town sits on the shores of Lake Ontario and housed a fort. Sackett Harbor played an important role in the Battle of 1812 by defending the fort from the British and forcing the royal troops back across the lake. The battle took place in the summer months. The story is told via reader boards along the walking tour of the grounds. Even on this sunny July 1st, a cold wind blew against us as completed the circuit. We could only imagine what sentry duty must have felt like in the winter of 1812.

Following the coastline we arrived at Cape Vincent. We drove along the lake and out to the point. The Tibbets lighthouse guards this tip of land where Lake Ontario meets the St. Lawrence Seaway. The road to the lighthouse resembles a "picturesque lane". The seaway laps at the edge of the road, runners, joggers and bikers exercise on the road, moving to the narrow shoulder as we pass. Homes, along here vary by age and size. Yet each is well cared  for and has an unobstructed views of the seaway from their sites across the road from the water.

From here and eastward the seaway contains a multitude of islands that create the regional name of 1000 Islands. We continued to follow the shoreline now headed NE to the town of Clayton. Boat tours ferry tourists through the islands to view the homes way out of our price range. We saw, from the highway, a huge house on a teeny tiny island. The island appeared to be barely big enough to support the house. We figured some of the tiny island may be equivalent to a tract house lot upwards to a couple of acres.  Heart Island with this five acres of land became the location for George C. Boldt's castle. The proprietor of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in NY set out to build a full size Rhineland Castle on this island in 1900. The gift for his wife was halted when she died in 1904. Seventy three years later the 1000 Island Bridge Authority began working on restoration of the castle, Power House,Tower, Arch and Gazebo. Another island, holds the boat house that rises 64 feet into the air and houses the three yachts, a boathouse, living quarters for the family, racing launches and housing for the crew and staff.  Farther down the seaway is the Sears castle. The boat cruise sounded interesting, but we chose not to take the time.

The next day we headed east from the campground into the Adirondack State Park which is the largest state park in the country.  (We have now been to the largest and the oldest ..Niagara) Winding through the park we passed picturesque lakes of dark, still waters that reflected the mirror images of the shades of green provided by the surrounding trees and bushes. Overhead white puffy clouds floated in the sky blue ceiling.  The day's heat made us thankful for the AC in the car. The road traveled through small town after small town. Some signs welcomed us to a town or to "the village of __" which is a common reference in this part of our country. We could feel the slow steady climb in elevation.

Cranberry Lake the town and the lake provide picture postcard models of a lake community. The uneven shoreline creates coves and bays for hideaway homes and marinas. The small tourist town provided a general store, a post office, gas station and ice cream stores. The serenity of the area invites visitors to stop.

As a side note: 
1:      We have passed by many, many ice cream stores. They are as numerous as coffee kiosks are at  
           home.  Hmmmm.....weather related?
2:  I just went to access the photos for the next section and they were not on my CD. Foolish me...I figured I
     had all my photos, and emptied my camera again. I'm missing all the photos from the Adirondacks. 
     Guess who will download directly from the camera from now on.

The road crosses many creeks, streams and small rivers. Some flowed rapidly, tumbling over boulders and rocks to create white water rapids. In other areas the water showed only a ripple of current barely appearing to move. Bogs developed in some places. The dark and deep stagnant water was displaced by deadhead stumps and branches reaching out of the murky depths toward the sky. At the edges of the bogs, water lapped against grasses or decaying logs. Lily pads and algae may float randomly upon the surface.
The water coloring resembles the Black River that originates in the lower Adirondacks and flows through Watertown and into Lake Ontario. My research says that naturally formed tannic acid darkens the water.The dark black color makes water cascading over falls look dirty.

Continuing into the park the areas adjacent to the road a abloom with wildflowers. Black-eyed Susans, small white daises, yellow mini pom-pom flowers and lupine show signs of summer.  Here and along the road since maybe Michigan the orange day lily grows wild next to the highway. At times it grows along the side of a house.A hearty perennial that  appears to be the flower of choice here, where winter is so cold.  As we passed more homes with the huge lawns and ever present riding lawn mower, I took a closer look. Few if any vegetation grows next to the house. Color spots come in containers or small flower beds. Overflowing hanging pots are suspended around the verandas. We decided grass is an easy ground cover where the growing season is shorter than the cold, snowy season. We have even seen single wide trailers with acres of lawn.

We set Lake Placid as our destination spot for today. The town sits in a small valley. Descending into town, the lake is a vibrant blue. Rowing teams race across the calm lake creating ribbons of wake with their movement. Downtown Lake Placid looks like most ski resorts. Quaint, upscale shops and restaurants with outdoor eating patios or decks invite the tourist to stop here. The street was bustling with people, some shopping, some dining. Parking was nonexistent. We drove past the Olympic Convention Center where a BBQ  Taste of Lake Placid was scheduled for noon.  Definitely feeling hungry but not ready to battle the crowds or the high temperatures of the day we headed back down the road to "The Tail O'the Pup". Not really sure what the name meant, the place had a camp-like atmosphere. Red and white striped awning covered red picnic tables.  A 6 foot red lobster had caught our eye when we first passed by. Live music blared from the stage by a never to be famous singer. Fortunately he took a break while we ate. The fare included lobster, fish, BBQ, ribs and chicken and all the usual side dishes that accompany a BBQ: pork/beans, cornbread, corn on the cob, coleslaw, etc.  The wait staff came from all over the world, just like have experienced in National Parks.

At Saranac Lake we drove through the historic downtown.  Interesting shops beckoned to tourist, but we declined. By the time we returned to Cranberry Lake our dinner had settled enough, so we stopped for ice cream. We stood by the lakes edge to finish our cooling treat. The black water slapped at the breakwater, boats bobbed up and down and the wind sock flew fully extended. The wind felt refreshing against the heat of the day. A this tranquil spot you could feel the peacefulness ride in with the wind and surround you.

We continued down the highway, past the campground and back into Watertown. I was having difficulty printing the hard copies of the update. So I decided to have them printed. However, to have colored copies ran was between $150-$240. We passed and just bought more ink, which I didn't need yet. My printer decided to cooperate and printed everything I wanted.

We found a gas station just up from the campground and filled the diesel at $3.189. This was lower than in Watertown.  Traveling north via back roads we arrived at the border crossing out of Ogdensburg. This long bridge brought us right on to Highway 416 that led to Ottawa. The Canadian Border Patrol was more interested in guns than anything else. He didn't check the refrigerator or take any food. When we declared having two cats with us, he said "OK", but never asked for records. He checked our passports and sent us on our way. We don't ever remember having such a easy crossing.

Next stop: Ottawa