A friend wanted to go camping with me last weekend, and since we didn’t want to drive far (heck, we live in beautiful Western NY so a long drive isn’t necessary!) we thought a nearby KOA would be a good option. It was warm and sunny, and they advertised two pools. We packed up, stocked the cooler with beer and wine, and headed to the campground.
Where we stayed for about three and a half minutes before asking for a refund, which the wonderful host was happy to do. So for that, and the outstanding customer service, I applaud KOA.
I’m sure if you’re in a big rig, or have lots of kids and want the activities, KOA’s are a great option. But I wanted to camp. I wanted to be in nature, not sandwiched between giant RVs of snowbirds who likely winter in Florida and summer here. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it wasn’t for me.
So we headed north, hoping to find a different camp ground. We ended up going as north as you can, and stayed the night at Four Mile Creek State Park. The facilities were clean, the sites (in the tent section without hookups) were spacious, and we could walk to Lake Ontario. This was camping. Sure, it wasn’t the wooded mountain sites I’m used to in Western North Carolina, but it was a great location.
The following day we took advantage of having paid a state park admission fee, and visited a few other small state parks along the way to Niagara Falls, where we were able to park on the grounds and pay $3 to ride the trolley to all of the sites. It was, obviously, overrun with tourists (like ourselves) but it was a beautiful day to be outside. I’ve now been to the American and Canadian sides of the falls, and I don’t know which I prefer. I like that the US side is technically a state park and therefore a little less developed, but the view from the Canadian side is really nice, though overly developed with casinos, Ripley’s and the like.
While camping, I got to test out some of the incredible products from my Cairn subscription box, which has been filled with awesome products and gadgets I use while teardrop camping. The most recent box had a trial size bottle of Sierra Sage Bug Be Gone which is quite possibly the most amazing all-natural bug repellant I’ve ever used. The Mountain House Neopolitan Ice Cream was so popular with some of my kid friends I had to buy a second package of it to share. Needless to say, my Cairn boxes have become something I really look forward to every month. If you want to subscribe, feel free to list my name and email address (dreamofcolors [at] gmail…) as the referrer!
This week, my final one in Western NY, I’ve tried to fit in as many adventures as possible. I visited Amish country, ate some delicious baked goods, and hit up two breweries. The first, Southern Tier in nearby Lakewood was a large, beautiful facility but to be honest, their beer just isn’t that outstanding. It’s good for what it is, but with the production volume they have, I’d hardly call it a microbrewery, and their beers are marketable but not that special…. Just a bunch of hop heavy APAs and IPAs and overly boozy imperial varieties.
Last night, I found the best beer of the summer at Lavery Brewing in Erie, PA. It was absolutely fantastic, and had a bit of something for everyone. They brew in small batches, and had six offerings on tap, including a smokey pale ale that tasted like bacon, an Imperial red, a delicious black lager, a really fantastic farmhouse ale called Liopard Oir, a grapefruity-delicious Dulachan IPA and my very favorite, the Berliner Weisse, which was perfectly sour and absolutely delicious.
This weekend, my time at the Chautauqua Institution comes to a close, and I will be onto my next adventure. I’m packing up and picking up my friend Francine in Hamilton, Ontario, and we’re heading to Vermont for nearly a week of camping. Right now, I have my sights set on Smuggler’s Notch State Park near Stowe, VT, and as many beer tastings and breweries as I can find. I can’t wait to visit my 43rd state! After I return Francine to the airport in Montreal, I’m heading south via a yet to be decided route, and returning home to North Carolina. The route home, is seems, is going to take me through nearly every AHL city in New York and Pennsylvania, so I will be sure to wave at all of the Charlotte Checkers opponents as I drive by.
Teardrops & Ales 