After returning from Ohio and Ontario, we resumed life in the Village; I played golf almost every day until my back finally gave out, and Kay kept busy with social engagements.  Notable activities were as follows.

Our older granddaughter, Harper, started pre-kindergarten this month—They grow up and we grow old way too fast.  

We joined Ron and Kathy Felger as a team in a couple’s scramble on Sunday afternoon, September 11, and won low gross score.  I joined the Hot Springs Village Ageless Bicycle Club on September 14 for a 30+ mile ride on the Arkansas River Trail and other routes in and around North Little Rock and Little Rock.  The rode at a quick pace, and rested too little for my taste, but I really enjoyed the ride. Kay, as Care Zone Co-Leader for our Care Zone, hosted a small get together at our house on September 15.  Our team of Mike Cigleman, Don Atchley, Jim Piersol, and myself played in the United Methodist Men’s golf tournament on September 19 at Diamante Golf Club.  We had a good time, and scored well, but didn’t win, though Mike won closest to the line on a drive, and lost the putting contest in a “Putt Off”.  The Zoysia fairways at Diamante are very nice and provide nice lies, but the rest of the course is average; I’d rather play any of ours.  Also, they ran out of beans, potato salad, and cobbler before we made it to the buffet line, and that was a big disappointment. 

Though the daytime heat continues with highs in the low 90s and heat indices in the low 100s, mornings began to cool down to the high 60s—comfortable enough for enjoying hot coffee and tea on the deck after awaking—shortly after mid-September. 

Kay had a long birthday, stretching some 5 days!  She and I celebrated on Thursday, September 22, with a trip to the Apple store in Little Rock for a new iPad and an Apple watch, followed by dinner at Vesuvio Bistro.  Vesuvio Bistro is a very highly rated restaurant, but our experience was not good.  First, Kay ordered a glass of wine and it came about 1/4 full, $10; the expensive G&Ts were so so, but nothing compared to those made by Jim Passe.  The Caesar salads were small, the dressing good, but sparse, and the croutons too large to eat.  The pasta, at $18, was average at best.  Kay’s entree of grouper, at $32, was good, but the Osso Buco (braised pork shanks) was less than average—the meat was too crispy,  on the outside, and chewy, i.e. tough, otherwise.  We shared a small dish of spumoni, at $8, and it was okay.  Our total bill, including taxes and tip, was over $170.  We expected more, much more, and won’t eat there again!.  On her actual birthday, she spent the morning shopping and having lunch with daughter Karyn in Little Rock, and in the evening had dinner with Ron and Cheryl in Hot Springs.

The high temperatures of summer finally broke on Monday, September 26 as a cold front ushered in daytime temperatures in the 70s. 

Kay wrapped up the month, attending a Women’s Conference with Karyn at Karyn’s church, New Life Church.

We never tire of the view from the sunroom, deck, and master bedroom.

On Wednesday morning we loaded the bicycles and drove to Queenston Heights Park, approximately midway between Niagara Falls and Niagara on the Lake. The Queenston Heights is a geographical feature of the Niagara Escarpment immediately above the village of Queenston, Ontario, Canada.  Its geography is a promontory formed where the escarpment is divided by the Niagara River. The promontory forms a cliff face of approximately 300 feet (100 meters).  It was the site of the famous Battle of Queenston Heights in October of 1812, when Sir Isaac Brock fell while planning a charge on the American Forces; a photo of a statue of Sir Isaac Brock is included below.  Incidentally, the War of 1812 is very important to the Canadians, and they tell a more “complete” version than what was presented to us in American history books!

Arrangements were made to meet Van and Bonnie at Queenston Heights Park for a bike ride to Niagara on the Lake. Van and Bonnie, close friends from the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, had driven down from their home in Haliburton, Ontario, to visit/ride with us.  They were waiting in the parking lot when we arrived, and we all unloaded bicycles, donned helmets, and began the ride by coasting down the Escarpment—wow, was it ever fun!  We rode the relatively flat path along the Niagara River stopping occasionally to visit, and rest our butts.  The Niagara River empties into Lake Ontario, and Niagara on the Lake is at the confluence of the two.  It is a quaint village of shops and eateries, and we should have spent more time there.  Kay and Bonnie opted to only ride part of the way back, sending us to get the vehicles and pick them up.  Van and I did fine until we hit the Escarpment.  We both almost made it without walking, but the steep rise of 300 feet was a bit too much.  Back at the vehicles, Van found his missing camera on the bumper of his truck, after which we loaded and picked up the ladies and their bicycles.

Kay and I returned to the rental to unload the bicycles and pick up a change of clothes.  We met Van and Bonnie, Al and Sharon, and Sue at a local hotel, and had a grand reunion, similar to a small happy hour at the palapa in the RGV.  It was so good to see Sue, but Chuck was missed by all.  A late dinner together followed, after which we called it a night.

We all met again Thursday morning for breakfast at Betty’s, a well-known restaurant near the rental.  We said goodbye to Van and Bonnie, and continued visiting with Al, Sharon, and Sue at the rental.  We once again said goodbye to longtime friends; it will not be the same in the RGV this winter without Al and Sharon who may opt to winter somewhere else, or without Chuck! 

Kay and I debated our next few days, and we both agreed that we had seen what we came to see, and were both ready to return home.

We arrived at our rental in Chippewa, Ontario, near Niagara Falls, late afternoon Monday, August 29.  After unpacking into the spacious, basement apartment, we drove the 10 minutes to Niagara Falls to “scope” things out.  A mistake I/we made was to assume that schools had started in Canada the week before Labor Day, just as in the US—no way, and the place was packed!  An early night was in order—we’ve been sleeping 9-10 hours a night on this trip.

Tuesday was promised to Kay, all day, for viewing Niagara Falls and its many attractions; a bucket list item for us.  We made the decision several years ago to see the Falls from the Canadian side based on advice from many travelers who had been there, and seen it from both sides.  Before leaving home in the US, we purchased a Niagara Falls Parks Adventure Pass,  online, allowing us to ride the Hornblower, a Niagara Falls River Cruise boat, and to take a walk behind the Falls.  After being dropped off at the Park Centre, Kay picked up our passes, I picked her up, and we drove to casino, the best place (exchange rate wise) to exchange US dollars for Canadian dollars.  We then drove to a large parking lot several blocks away from the main attractions, and began a full day of sightseeing.  Our first stop was the Hornblower, and we were give the red plastic ponchos for the ride into the mist of the Falls.  We selected a place on the lower deck, out of the sun, which offered partial protection from the mist and also provided ideal viewing.  The seemingly large boat was packed, but did not seem crowded.  And, the Falls appeared somewhat small.  First, the American Falls, second, Canada’s much larger Horseshoe Falls.

This illusion, of course, changed when we viewed both from an overlook later, and the Hornblower from Canada and Maid in the Mist from the US both appeared as if they were mere toys.  After many photo ops along the Falls walkway, we made our way to the Niagara Falls Park Centre to take the tour behind the falls.  The line was long and slow, and it was hot, as we waited almost 45 minutes in queue to view the “back” of the falls from a couple of observation openings.  We did get a few photos from an observation platform on the Falls’ left descending bank, but frankly, this part of the Falls experience wasn’t worth the time or money!

Making our way to the car did not take too long, and a stop at the Beer Store found us buying Chuck’s favorite Upper Canada beer.  He would always manage to bring me a can or two to Texas each winter.  Though he is no longer with us on this earth, he will not be forgotten!  Our last stop of the day was at a grocery store for some breakfast items, fruit, summer sausage, cheese, and crackers, and dinner from the deli.

After packing and waiting for traffic in the metro area to subside, we departed Norton, Ohio, for Hamilton, Ontario, to visit friends Al and Sharon Crawford.  The day’s drive took us through northeast Ohio, northwest Pennsylvania, upstate New York, and into Ontario, Canada.  Much of the drive was along Lake Erie and included the largest area of vineyards we’ve ever seen short of those in Germany.  The border crossing involved only a 15-minute wait, and we arrived at Al and Sharon’s place mid-afternoon.  They have a really nice house in a fabulous setting, and we immediately felt at home.  With a few hours of daylight left, Al and I immediately headed for Dragon’s Fire Golf Course adjacent to his house, and got in 17 holes before darkness set in and dinner called.  Despite unusually hot weather and a drought, and the resulting damage to the bentgrass fairways, the course was very nice, and challenging.  After dinner, we played bridge—our favorite card game!

Saturday, August 27, was my 67th birthday and one thing that is apparent is that getting older is not for sissies!  However, despite all the aches and pains and prescriptions, we’re so much better off than most—praise the Lord!  After a light breakfast, Al drove Kay, Sharon, and me to Toronto; my, what a large city.  I was surprised by the myriad of high rise condos everywhere!  After finding a rare parking place, Al and Sharon treated us to a harbor tour aboard the Oriole.  The Oriole sailed around the major part of the Toronto Islands, providing a spectacular view of the harbor (harbour) front including the CN Tower and the Rogers Centre, formerly known as the SkyDone, where the Toronto Blue Jays play baseball.  The harbor area was bustling with activity, and filled with young urbanites.

(NOTE:  Traffic congestion to/from Toronto is the most I’ve ever seen, despite it being a weekend.  Imagine if it had been a work day.)

Following the Toronto tour, we stopped for dinner at Mandarin, a 4-star Chinese buffet, for dinner.  It was spectacular, and perhaps one of the best, and definitely the cleanest, Chinese buffets at which we have eaten.  Back at Al and Sharon’s, we played bridge and they let the birthday boy win big (seriously, I got great hands, and Al and I made a small slam on the last hand of the evening).  

Sunday was a quiet day; late morning, Al showed us photos of Chuck Mercer through the years, and for Kay and me it was a memorial service celebrating Chuck, a great friend who passed a few weeks ago; we shed more than a few tears and he will be greatly missed.

We also saw photos of some of their RV trips and of Bentsen Palm RV Resort through the years. though Al and Sharon took Kay on a tour of Hamilton while I enjoyed a short afternoon nap.  We played bridge again Sunday evening, and they all trounced me, payback for the day before.

Al and I were up early Monday, and joined a couple of his friends for golf at Flamborough Hills Golf and Country Club.  Again, the course was quite good and plenty challenging, and the 19th hole beer was even better.   Kay and I departed for Niagara Falls, Canada, after returning from golf, our last stop on the “Escape the Arkansas Heat” tour.

Al and Sharon were consummate hosts and treated us like royalty; we can only hope they give us a chance to repay them with Arkansas hospitality.  Thank you, Al and Sharon, for the complimentary golf and harbor tour.  We had such a great time—maybe next year we’ll stay a couple of months!

Still lacking bicycling the remaining portion of the towpath trail within the boundaries of CVNP, we drove back to Peninsula on Wednesday, unloaded the bikes, and rode almost 15 miles north to Rockside Station in the southern part of Cleveland.

Along the way we stopped at the Canal Visitor Center where a “working” lock was adjacent to the towpath.

At Rockside Station, we waited for the arrival of the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad train to ride back to Peninsula.

The private, volunteer supported, not-for-profit Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad is one of the oldest tourist excursion railways in the country and operates in conjunction with the CVNP.  A feature of the railroad is the Bike Aboard! in which you bike the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail in one direction and ride the train in the other.  One can bring their bike aboard and ride for only $3—what a deal—simply by flagging down the train at any of the boarding stations by waving both arms over one’s head!

Our ride back to Peninsula was relaxing, and after unloading the bikes from the train and loading them back on the car, we drove to the Jailhouse Tavern and Pool Hall for a last Warsteiner beer before leaving northern Ohio.

On Thursday, our last day in northern Ohio, and with a pile of dirty clothes awaiting laundering, Kay volunteered to drop me off for a final long ride while she washed, dried, and folded clothes.  I unloaded at Botzum in north Akron, Ohio, and rode north 20.1 miles to Rockside Station in south Cleveland where Kay picked me up.

Tomorrow, we leave for Hamilton, Ontario.

A return to CVNP was the order of the day this Tuesday, to include visiting all the ancillary parks and reserves, followed by riding the south section of the park’s towpath trail.  Our first stop was the Boston Store Visitor Center housed in an old canal-era building, adjacent to the canal and towpath.  CVNP volunteers provided information on places to see and things to do in the park, recommending a couple of waterfalls and an area known as the Ledges.

Brandywine Falls is just east of the Boston Store Visitor Center, and involved a long trek down a wooded walkway.

Great Falls and Bridal Veil Falls are in the northeastern part of the park and are part of the Bedford Reservation, a City of Cleveland Metroparks facility.  Both were scenic, but small by national park standards.

Our last non-cycling stop was at the Ledges, an area of unique geological features and abrupt changes in elevation.

Having seen highlights of the CVNP, we returned to the towpath trail and biked, roundtrip, from Botzum to the north side of Akron, Ohio.  Kay loaded her bicycle, and drove to Peninsula, while I backed downstream (north) from Botzum to Boston Store and back to Peninsula.  We met on the deck of the Winking Lizard for beer, bacon-cheese fries, and Buffalo wings, before returning to the rental for an early night.

While the Expedition started this morning, the “Electrical Charging System” failure message continued to be shown.  We waited for to traffic to subside, and drove to the nearest Ford dealership about 5 miles away.  They took us, even without an appointment, and after an hour or so advised that it was indeed the alternator, the part had been ordered, and it was expected to arrive about noon.  True to their word, we were out of the shop about 1:15 PM, some $722 lighter.  Except for brakes and other regular maintenance, that’s the first time any repairs has been made on the 2004 Expedition so we considered ourselves blessed.

We returned to the VRBO to change clothes and load the bicycle, and then drove south to Amish country.  Ohio has the largest population of Amish in the world (one of every 6 Amish live in Ohio’s Amish country) comprising several sects varying from the old order Amish (very conservative) to those accepting more modern conveniences.  There are almost 40,ooo Amish living in Holmes, Wayne, Ashland, Tuscarawas, and Coshocton Counties in Ohio, and the population is expected to double every 16 years.  The afternoon drive took us through Orrville, home of Smucker’s corporate headquarters.  The Smucker’s factory was HUGE, occupying several acres, but the town of Orrville was quaint.  Our first stop was at Kidron, Ohio; we ate lunch at a local restaurant which was not very good at all.  Expecting good Amish food, we got greasy open-face roast beef sandwiches, in which the roast beef was shredded, the bread soggy, and the potatoes instant—yuk!  As we were leaving the parking lot, we did see a couple of Amish men buying block ice.

Kidron is the home of Lehman’s Hardware.  Lehman’s Hardware was founded to supply non-electric goods to the Amish in the surrounding area.  Today, it includes 4 interconnected buildings, and the non-electric merchandise ranges from cook stoves to canning supplies to lanterns and everything in between.

As we drove the local roads through Wayne and Holmes County, Amish farms were everywhere and we encountered many horse/buggy and horse/wagon combinations.  The families were busy harvesting hay and tending their fields, all the old fashioned way with horse-drawn equipment.

Kay dropped me off at Fredricksburg, and I rode the Holmes County Trail to Kilbuck, a distance of about 16 miles.  The 16-foot Rails to Trails Holmes Country Trail is unique in that it is 8 feet of paved trail for bicycles and other non-motorized means of transportation and 8 feet of paved trail for horses and buggies.  I saw several horse/buggy combinations while riding the trail.  Kay visited some of the local shops, but didn’t find anything she needed or wanted.  Amish Country in Ohio is very pretty and serene, but the small towns and villages are heavily commercialized!

We stopped at a local pub near the rental for a mug of draught Warsteiner beer and a cheeseburger—both were very good.

We awoke refreshed Sunday morning, and Kay was feeling a bit better.  After a slow start, bicycle tires were inflated, and the bicycles loaded for a drive to Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP); CVNP is between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio, and includes parts of both cities.  They CVNP is the 11th most visited national park in the national park system, due in large part to the original towpath along the Ohio & Erie Canal being converted into a hiking/biking trail, considered by many to be a cycling mecca.  (HISTORICAL NOTE—This large, urban green space faced development pressures in the 1960s, but, along with its historic features, was protected by a coalition of citizens, and local and state governments.  Following its designation as a national recreation area in 1974, the Cuyahoga Valley became a national park in 2000.  Notable among its historic features is part of the Ohio & Erie Canalway,  The Ohio & Erie Canal was opened in 1827 between Cleveland and Akron, consisting of a manmade canal and system of locks for transporting people and goods, eventually connecting Lake Erie and the Ohio River.  Boats were towed by mules walking along a towpath adjacent to the canal.  The Ohio & Erie Canal was vastly important in the westward expansion of the US.)
Our purposes in visiting this area of northern Ohio were to escape the sweltering heat in Arkansas and begin conditioning for a late October bike ride across Missouri.  With temperatures in the mid 70s, and anxious to cycle, we unloaded the bikes at Peninsula, a quaint village about midway of the CVNP, and rode upstream (south) to Botzum, 6.7 miles.  Along the way, we saw and photographed several old lock chambers.

We stopped for a rest break about midway at Hunt Farm and noted Szalay’s Farm Market across the trail; what a find!  It was packed with people shopping for fresh fruits and vegetables and eating roasted corn on the cob fresh from the field.

Continuing to the day’s terminus of Botzum, we saw more old lock chambers before turning around and riding back to Hunt Farm.


Kay opted to quit for the day, and I rode on to Peninsula to the car, driving back to Hunt House to pickup Kay.  She had used the time to eat ice cream at Szalay’s.  On our return to the Vacation Rental by Owner (VRBO) apartment, the “Electrical Charging System” failure light came on in the 12-year old Expedition.  We unloaded the bicycles at the apartment, and drove to Walmart for an electrical system check and possibly new battery—the battery was okay, but something else was wrong—I suspected the alternator. This means a trip to the Ford dealership tomorrow morning.  Back at the VRBO, it was showers and bed.

We were up early Friday morning, finished last minute packing, locked up the house, and hit the road.

Kay was coughing and had a scratchy throat, suspecting an upper respiratory infection or allergies.  It rained almost all the 530 miles to Elizabethtown, Kentucky, our overnight destination.  The drive through Kentucky, from the southwest to the central north, proved to be relaxing as the Purchase Parkway was surrounded by forests and cropland, and in very good condition. To our surprise, we had crossed the time boundary, and were now on Easter Daylight Savings Time.  Kay’s conditioned worsened during the day, identifying it as an upper respiratory infection.

Our original plans were to depart Elizabethtown and drive to Cincinnati for a brief visit with Kay’s nephew, Greg, and his wife and baby, Sunny and Carter.  However, Kay’s infection continued to worsen and not wanting to infect Greg, Sunny, and/or Carter, she opted to delay the visit until another time.  Before we left Elizabethtown on Saturday morning, she bought a bag full of over-the-counter remedies.  We drove through Louisville before rain struck again, but it ended before Cincinnati, and while cloudy, it did not rain the remainder of the day.  As we drove through Columbus, we veered off the interstate, driving to Millersburg in Holmes County, Ohio.  Holmes County is the center of Amish country in Ohio, one sixth of the world’s population of Amish live in Holmes County and surrounding areas, and the largest population of Amish in the world live here.  Interesting enough, we saw few Amish farms, or even Amish buggies driving on the “main” roads.  We drove through Millersburg to Berlin, having lunch at one of the notable restaurants in the area.  It was just okay, and not quite as good as the Amish restaurants in northern Indiana.  We’ll return and try another eatery in a couple of days.  After lunch, we were both tired from the drive, and Kay was especially tired having slept little the night before because of coughing.  We arrived at the Vacation Rental by Owner (VRBO) in Norton, Ohio, about 4:15 PM, and Kay immediately fell asleep; I followed after unloading the car and bicycles.  We took it easy the rest of the evening, going to sleep early.

All this week, at least through Thursday, was spent taking care of last minute items such as doctors’ appointments and social engagements, and preparing for a road trip to northern Ohio; Hamilton, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, Ontario (Niagara Falls is a bucket list item).  

Regressing a bit, On Monday, I had a spinal injection and Kay had a follow-up visit relative to her cataract surgery.  Tuesday was a chiropractor appointment.  On Wednesday, Kay accompanied Pam to an eye appointment in Little Rock while I had another chiropractor appointment.  Thursday was Book Club day for Kay, and I had a last chiropractor appointment for a few weeks.  Honestly, I can’t tell whether or not the 12 chiropractor visits have helped, but the spinal injection on Monday certainly did as I am having almost no pain at all.

We filled in these few days readying bicycles and packing for the trip north.  We leave tomorrow, and can’t wait to escape hot weather and rain.