Massena–Where boats sail over cars

It is really interesting why we stop where we do.  Sometimes it is on our way to a city where we have reservations like Kansas City, other times we are offered suggestions on where we should visit.  Massena was one of those places; Richards Dahl, our friend that worked with Tom at the CDE, suggested we visit the Eisenhower Locks in Massena.  We made reservations at the Robert Moses State Park for 3 days.  Normally, we stay 3 days because that gives us 2 days to see attractions then move on.  Recently we have been extending our stay because there are so many fun things to see and do in the area we are staying.  This State Park was real nice, roomy, and $20 a night for 30 amp.

We relaxed for a day or two and just explored the area, did some caching, just enjoying this beautiful upstate New York area.  Every road we drove on was a classic country scene, barns, green pastures, old farm houses; we love this area. 

One of the days we visited the Almanzo Wilder Farm. Remember the Little House on the Prairie book series written by Laura Ingles Wilder?  Her husband, Almanzo’s family lived on this large farm.

We had this cute high school sophomore guide showed us around the barn, the main house, and the other outbuildings.  Her family descended from the Wilders so she was very knowledgeable. The most amazing thing was she looked and talked just like our granddaughter, Jamie.  We showed her a picture of Jamie and she was shocked that she had a double. She said she would just love to visit California. This is our guide on the left and Jamie on the right.  Uncanny.

When we first drove to the Moses state park we had to drive through a 13'6'' tunnel. Tom was a little concerned that the rig would not fit, but hey, if they had a park that was set up for big rigs they had to have a tunnel tall enough for us to fit. And it did (although we did duck).

Now it was not until we had gotten settled, read about the Eisenhower Locks that we realized that what we drove through was ACTUALLY the lock that brings huge ships down the  Greater Saint Lawrence Seaway and lowers them 50 feet in 15 minutes.  We watched for several hours standing only feet from the locks.

		A small excursion boat coming through the locks. VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

A ship this big is too hard to get it all in.  It was interesting to see how the Captain brought the ship into the lock.  He came in real slow at an angle on the far side of the lock.  He then shoved the ship against the outside of the lock until the bow cleared the entrance of the lock then he drove it in.

		A really big ship is hard to photograph. VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

We did get a couple of caches to finish our stay in New York, but it was on to Vermont to cache on the road again.