Finger Lakes and Niagara Falls Trip report
#1
08-11-2015, 06:51 PM
Finger Lakes and Niagara Falls Trip report
Saturday morning July 25th five of us left Baltimore for the Finger Lakes, area of NY State. I was on my geezer glide, one couple were on their geezer glide, and the other couple on a Kawasaki Voyager.
We stopped for lunch in Lewisburg, PA at the Old Town Tavern. Good sandwiches and our waitress road a Harley. We left Lewistown and continued up route 15 to the motel we would stay in Saturday evening in Mansfield, PA. After checking into the motel we headed west on route 6 for about 15 miles, through Wellsboro, to see the PA Little Grand Canyon. Back to the motel and dinner. Spent about 30 45 minutes in the motel hot tub and pool before turning in.
Sunday morning we left about 8:30 for Kinzua Viaduct (bridge). This was about 95 miles from Mansfield. Route 6 is a great two lane country road but it took us two hours. The Kinzua is 300 feet of what is left of the railroad viaduct that use to cross the valley. I am not fond of heights and had no intention of standing on the glass floor at the end while looking down 300 feet to the gorge below. This was pretty and interesting but not worth the two-hour ride for me. The worst part was the road into the park is gravel, about ¼ mile long, and then you have to park in a gravel lot.
We planned to eat lunch in Olean, NY. When we got there the restaurant I had dialed in the GPS was closed on Sunday. Checked several other restaurants close by and all of them were closed. Ended up eating lunch in a Subway Sub Shop.
Left Olean about 2:00 and made the two hour trip to Geneva, NY where we stayed for four nights. We had planned to stay in Watkins Glen but there was a historic car race at the track that weekend and there were no rooms.
Monday we left the motel and headed south on route 89 to Taughannock Falls State Park, about a 35 mile ride The water fall was awesome, falling some 215 feet.
After 90 minutes of waking around the park we headed south to Ithaca, NY, about 6 miles, to see Buttermilk Falls State Park. Again the falls were beautiful. Had lunch at Fat Jack’s BBQ where they serve a great brisket sandwich.
Bikers are ripped off when visiting state parks in this area as you pay the same entrance fee as a car even if just one person is on the bike and 10 are in the car.
Tuesday morning we left the motel and headed south on route 14 to Watkins Glen State Park, about 30 miles. This is one of the most beautiful parks I have ever seen. The water has cut a 1 ½ mile long gorge through the rocks. There are some 18 waterfalls in this gorge. We didn’t realize that if you park in the south lot there was a shuttle bus to take you to the north lot. This way we could have been walking down the estimate 400-600 feet of elevation rather than up, and I don’t know how many steps.
On the way back to the motel we stopped at one of the high-end wineries and took a tour. If you like wine, the atmosphere around the Finger Lakes is good for growing grapes, and there is a winery, literally every 4-5 miles on any road around any of the lakes.
Wednesday we left the motel and headed south on highway 54 to Glen Curtis museum, about 35 miles. I was amazed to learn this guy did as much or more for aviation then the Wright Brothers. He was the first to land a plane on a Navy ship, built one of the first planes to land on water, designed and built planes for the military, and at one time had three factories employing 10,000 people. In the museum were lots of his planes and engines. The life-size Harley in this picture was made entirely of wood. The chain alone had over 400 pieces in it.
Thursday morning we wake up to rain. Looking at the live weather radar app I can see the rain will not last long. We hang around the motel for an hour, the rain stops, and the roads dry off. I punch in the address for the motel we will stay at for two nights in Niagara Falls, Canada. It’s about 145 miles from Geneva to Niagara. The cross winds this day were pretty strong and blew our bikes around even though we were loaded pretty heavy. We have to stop at Homeland Security at the border because one of our group is a leo and has to check his pistol before crossing the border. (They will only do this for a leo not a person with a concealed carry permit). It takes about 20 minutes to cross into Canada because of the traffic at 2:30 pm.
Fortunately our motel is only 8-9 blocks from the falls. Every place charges $5-$20 to park, and some of the motels charge for their lots even when staying there. We park the bikes and for the next two days get around using a $10 bus pass. This is my 4th time at Niagara, the last one 17 years ago to the month when I proposed to my wife. One couple hasn’t been in 19 years and the other never been before. We eat dinner at Montana’s next to the motel where the BBQ brisket was excellent, especially with the honey BBQ sauce. We do the touristy things for Thursday evening and Friday. Friday night we have dinner at the top of the Skylon Tower. It cost $10 to ride the elevator to the observation deck or the ride was included in the $35 buffet dinner. Seemed like a no-brainer and the food was great. The prime rib was cooked a little past medium, and was excellent. I had four pieces, along with two trips to the desert bar and paid for it that night with acid indigestion for stuffing too much in my face. We spent some time on the open air observation deck overlooking the falls, take some pictures, and then take the bus back to the motel.
The exchange rate when we were there was $1.29 Canadian to $1.00. Most places, unless they were park of the Niagara parks system gave you an even exchange rate, if the bill was $1.29 Canidian you paid $1.29 American. We charged everything since the credit card company only charged 3% and the local businesses ripped you off for 29%. I wanted a T-shirt in the Harley store but just could not justify $40 for a shirt I could get in most Harley stores for $20-$26. The Harley shirts that button down the front were $110 Canadian!
Weather for Saturday was 50% chance of morning showers. We woke up to sunny skies and some high clouds. The clerk at the motel cannot understand why motorcycle riders leave so early (7:00 am). We tell him we have just over 400 miles to cover this day to get home.
Crossing the border back into the states takes about 10 minutes because of traffic. We stop at Homeland Security so the leo can get his pistol. I punch home on the GPS and we roll SE. We stop for a late breakfast south of Buffalo. We take 20 east and pick up the interstate 390/86 about 80 miles NW of Corning. I am leading and hold my speed at or below the speed limit, as again today as the crosswinds in NY are bad. We stop at the Harley dealership in Corning, NY, to pick up a poker chip (for $1 not $3 like in Canada), stop in Lewisburg, PA for a late lunch, then continue south on PA route 15 and I arrive home at 7:45 pm.
We have covered just under 1400 miles in the last eight days. Almost all the roads we traveled for three days bordered one of the Finger Lakes so the scenery was beautiful. It is the first multi-day trip I have even been on when I didn’t ride in the rain one time. The bike ran flawlessly getting an average of 43, with one stretch coming home at 46.7 MPG. I learn as I watch one of the couples not have to fumble for change at toll booths and I see how convenient an easy pass is, so I order one for the bike and my cars on Sunday. During the week of riding I have eaten well, enjoyed great fellowship, and seen beautiful country. I’ve not had my usual in-between meal snacks, walked 2+ miles on several days, and still managed to pack on 2-3 pounds.
We stopped for lunch in Lewisburg, PA at the Old Town Tavern. Good sandwiches and our waitress road a Harley. We left Lewistown and continued up route 15 to the motel we would stay in Saturday evening in Mansfield, PA. After checking into the motel we headed west on route 6 for about 15 miles, through Wellsboro, to see the PA Little Grand Canyon. Back to the motel and dinner. Spent about 30 45 minutes in the motel hot tub and pool before turning in.
Sunday morning we left about 8:30 for Kinzua Viaduct (bridge). This was about 95 miles from Mansfield. Route 6 is a great two lane country road but it took us two hours. The Kinzua is 300 feet of what is left of the railroad viaduct that use to cross the valley. I am not fond of heights and had no intention of standing on the glass floor at the end while looking down 300 feet to the gorge below. This was pretty and interesting but not worth the two-hour ride for me. The worst part was the road into the park is gravel, about ¼ mile long, and then you have to park in a gravel lot.
We planned to eat lunch in Olean, NY. When we got there the restaurant I had dialed in the GPS was closed on Sunday. Checked several other restaurants close by and all of them were closed. Ended up eating lunch in a Subway Sub Shop.
Left Olean about 2:00 and made the two hour trip to Geneva, NY where we stayed for four nights. We had planned to stay in Watkins Glen but there was a historic car race at the track that weekend and there were no rooms.
Monday we left the motel and headed south on route 89 to Taughannock Falls State Park, about a 35 mile ride The water fall was awesome, falling some 215 feet.
After 90 minutes of waking around the park we headed south to Ithaca, NY, about 6 miles, to see Buttermilk Falls State Park. Again the falls were beautiful. Had lunch at Fat Jack’s BBQ where they serve a great brisket sandwich.
Bikers are ripped off when visiting state parks in this area as you pay the same entrance fee as a car even if just one person is on the bike and 10 are in the car.
Tuesday morning we left the motel and headed south on route 14 to Watkins Glen State Park, about 30 miles. This is one of the most beautiful parks I have ever seen. The water has cut a 1 ½ mile long gorge through the rocks. There are some 18 waterfalls in this gorge. We didn’t realize that if you park in the south lot there was a shuttle bus to take you to the north lot. This way we could have been walking down the estimate 400-600 feet of elevation rather than up, and I don’t know how many steps.
On the way back to the motel we stopped at one of the high-end wineries and took a tour. If you like wine, the atmosphere around the Finger Lakes is good for growing grapes, and there is a winery, literally every 4-5 miles on any road around any of the lakes.
Wednesday we left the motel and headed south on highway 54 to Glen Curtis museum, about 35 miles. I was amazed to learn this guy did as much or more for aviation then the Wright Brothers. He was the first to land a plane on a Navy ship, built one of the first planes to land on water, designed and built planes for the military, and at one time had three factories employing 10,000 people. In the museum were lots of his planes and engines. The life-size Harley in this picture was made entirely of wood. The chain alone had over 400 pieces in it.
Thursday morning we wake up to rain. Looking at the live weather radar app I can see the rain will not last long. We hang around the motel for an hour, the rain stops, and the roads dry off. I punch in the address for the motel we will stay at for two nights in Niagara Falls, Canada. It’s about 145 miles from Geneva to Niagara. The cross winds this day were pretty strong and blew our bikes around even though we were loaded pretty heavy. We have to stop at Homeland Security at the border because one of our group is a leo and has to check his pistol before crossing the border. (They will only do this for a leo not a person with a concealed carry permit). It takes about 20 minutes to cross into Canada because of the traffic at 2:30 pm.
Fortunately our motel is only 8-9 blocks from the falls. Every place charges $5-$20 to park, and some of the motels charge for their lots even when staying there. We park the bikes and for the next two days get around using a $10 bus pass. This is my 4th time at Niagara, the last one 17 years ago to the month when I proposed to my wife. One couple hasn’t been in 19 years and the other never been before. We eat dinner at Montana’s next to the motel where the BBQ brisket was excellent, especially with the honey BBQ sauce. We do the touristy things for Thursday evening and Friday. Friday night we have dinner at the top of the Skylon Tower. It cost $10 to ride the elevator to the observation deck or the ride was included in the $35 buffet dinner. Seemed like a no-brainer and the food was great. The prime rib was cooked a little past medium, and was excellent. I had four pieces, along with two trips to the desert bar and paid for it that night with acid indigestion for stuffing too much in my face. We spent some time on the open air observation deck overlooking the falls, take some pictures, and then take the bus back to the motel.
The exchange rate when we were there was $1.29 Canadian to $1.00. Most places, unless they were park of the Niagara parks system gave you an even exchange rate, if the bill was $1.29 Canidian you paid $1.29 American. We charged everything since the credit card company only charged 3% and the local businesses ripped you off for 29%. I wanted a T-shirt in the Harley store but just could not justify $40 for a shirt I could get in most Harley stores for $20-$26. The Harley shirts that button down the front were $110 Canadian!
Weather for Saturday was 50% chance of morning showers. We woke up to sunny skies and some high clouds. The clerk at the motel cannot understand why motorcycle riders leave so early (7:00 am). We tell him we have just over 400 miles to cover this day to get home.
Crossing the border back into the states takes about 10 minutes because of traffic. We stop at Homeland Security so the leo can get his pistol. I punch home on the GPS and we roll SE. We stop for a late breakfast south of Buffalo. We take 20 east and pick up the interstate 390/86 about 80 miles NW of Corning. I am leading and hold my speed at or below the speed limit, as again today as the crosswinds in NY are bad. We stop at the Harley dealership in Corning, NY, to pick up a poker chip (for $1 not $3 like in Canada), stop in Lewisburg, PA for a late lunch, then continue south on PA route 15 and I arrive home at 7:45 pm.
We have covered just under 1400 miles in the last eight days. Almost all the roads we traveled for three days bordered one of the Finger Lakes so the scenery was beautiful. It is the first multi-day trip I have even been on when I didn’t ride in the rain one time. The bike ran flawlessly getting an average of 43, with one stretch coming home at 46.7 MPG. I learn as I watch one of the couples not have to fumble for change at toll booths and I see how convenient an easy pass is, so I order one for the bike and my cars on Sunday. During the week of riding I have eaten well, enjoyed great fellowship, and seen beautiful country. I’ve not had my usual in-between meal snacks, walked 2+ miles on several days, and still managed to pack on 2-3 pounds.
Last edited by CarrollB; 08-14-2015 at 07:57 PM.
#3
08-13-2015, 04:54 PM
#4
08-14-2015, 06:18 AM
Elite HDF Member
Great write-up...Too bad, You didn't check out Bear Mountain Resort about 20 miles to West of Olean off I-86 and sitting on top of the hill overlooking the Village of Salamanca.
Bear Mountain Resort is every biker's favorite place to munch and chug. Also decorated in Harley Davidson just about everywhere inside and outside.
Speaking of Watkins Glen State Park, You mentioned steps. Actually, 800 steps one way. Yes, I agree with you as it's the one of the most beautiful State Parks besides Letchworth State Park which is my #1 favorite.
Glad all of you had a great time.
Thorey
Bear Mountain Resort is every biker's favorite place to munch and chug. Also decorated in Harley Davidson just about everywhere inside and outside.
Speaking of Watkins Glen State Park, You mentioned steps. Actually, 800 steps one way. Yes, I agree with you as it's the one of the most beautiful State Parks besides Letchworth State Park which is my #1 favorite.
Glad all of you had a great time.
Thorey
#6
08-18-2015, 01:41 PM
Good writeup. We were up a few weeks ago from Va. First night in Wellsboro. Great motorcycle town. This was our second trip there. Saw the Canyon, and saw the RR glass bottom platform at Kinzua on our first trip. From there, also three days in Geneva. Visited several wineries and breweries. Beautiful country. Also did Niagara, and stayed on the Canadian side. Beautiful, but crowded and ultra commercialized.
Niagara on the Lake was a pretty stop. From there to Hamilton Ontario..... Not impressed. Dinner in CN Tower in Toronto. Traffic was horrible. Then on to Brockville. This was a pretty town...the Thousand Island area.
Then home...by way of Gettysburg, always a great stop.
Oh, and you weren't following me were you? We actually may have waved somewhere along the way. Thanks for the writeup.
Bomtek44
Niagara on the Lake was a pretty stop. From there to Hamilton Ontario..... Not impressed. Dinner in CN Tower in Toronto. Traffic was horrible. Then on to Brockville. This was a pretty town...the Thousand Island area.
Then home...by way of Gettysburg, always a great stop.
Oh, and you weren't following me were you? We actually may have waved somewhere along the way. Thanks for the writeup.
Bomtek44
#7
08-22-2015, 09:14 AM
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08-27-2015, 12:37 AM
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