Niagara Falls and a Rainbow

We did Niagara Falls yesterday...Just fascinating seeing millions of gallons of water flowing
from lake Erie. Also went to the Canadian side and had lunch at a Costco there. French fries with your choice of gravy or Cheese curds....Okaaaay......;)

Made it to New York

Made it to New York state...Niagara falls next ...then on to see Leah's Aunt up by Syracuse ...Rhinebeck,NY after that to see more airplanes of course...wink emoticon

Stop over in Erie,Pennsylvania

A little stop over in Erie,Pennsylvania on our way to New York to visit Leah's Aunt.
I did not know the beaches on Lake Erie were so nice,Sand like the Ocean,crystal clear water and actually warm.

Planes,Planes,planes and a boat...Oshkosh Leahs day!

Its Friday....Leah says let me in to the air show!..Its Leah's turn to see the sights...Started off with the Warbirds,then on to the Ultralights, A trip to the seaplane base was next...And tonight we shall see Gary Sinise in concert....Full day for sure!

Oshkosh...by Gosh...Day before open July 19th 2015

Came into Oshkosh for the airshow a day early so I decided to camp and check out the activities. Fun to watch the place being setup.The flightline if you walk the whole thing is 10 miles long!...Obviously will take a few days to cover it. We are camped in a 24hr generator area,that allows any time of day generator use for AC etc. So far temperatures are just low 80's...not to bad. Found out I can get a ride on the Bell 47 helicopter...looking forward to that as well as the Ford Tri-Motor ride.

Madison Wisconsin Farmers Market July 18th 2015

We did the farmers market in Madison this morning...started off the day with a thunderstorm
but it quickly moved on to be replaced by the sun. It is a fantastic Farmers market that is situated
all around the capitol building. The thing we liked most is the fact that only real farmers are allowed
,no merchandise/crafts...just real food....lots of free samples too!  

The Wisconsin Dells July 15th

Well we had not heard of the Wisconsin Dells until we came through Wisconsin this time.One of the oldest sites to appear on maps of the western Great Lakes region is the “Dalles” of the Wisconsin River. It was identified as a convenient reference point by French explorers in the 1700’s.The name stuck after the French explorers left Wisconsin, with the spelling and pronunciation Anglicized as the “dells”

The area now is quite a tourist spot,but it was fun to visit. We had a great hour and a half tour of the area via an WWII vintage Army amphibious duck.(I even got to drive)...Great Fun and at only $23 it was a bargain for sure!

Lake Michigan Parking.

Lots of places to park along Lake Michigan...in Michigan this morning...while Leah Clouse sleeps...

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Sault Ste. Marie,Michigan

Spent the day touring around Sault Ste. Marie. It is a city in Northern Michigan that is split into two parts...one half in the USA and the other half in Canada. The two cities are joined by the International Bridge over the Saint Mary's River divides the city and the two countries. Shipping traffic in the Great Lakes system bypasses the rapids via the American Soo Locks, the world's busiest canal in terms of tonnage passing through it. The locks connect Lake Michigan with Lake Erie. Very fun and
informative day!
  

No motor vehicles allowed.........Mackinac island

July 11 ....Spent the day on Mackinac island (pronounced mak-in-aw) . It is in the state of Michigan.
 It is located in Lake Huron.the entire island is listed as a National historic landmark. No motorized
vehicles are allowed.....so horses , bicycles and walking are the forms of transportation. We had a nice tour of the island by horse drawn carriage.They use mostly Belgian draft horses to pull the carriages,
Fascinating place with history going back to the 1700's

Milwaukee Wisconsin

Had a great Fun day in Milwaukee. We drove up the shore of lake Michigan taking in the sights
of the lake shore and admiring the Mansions along the North shore drive. We also did a tour of the Pabst mansion.  It was the first day of Milwaukee's Bastille days...a French celebration taking over
a large part of downtown, We finished off the day with a tour of the Miller brewery and free samples
of beer....We both slept good that night!...;)

      

West coast of Lake Michigan

Traveling up the west coast of Lake Michigan (in Wisconsin)....Finally made it to the shore
to see the beach and the actual lake. My brother and I sailed across this lake (60 miles one way) back in the mid 1970's. We were in a small 23ft sailboat and about 3/4 of the way across the waves got huge and did not look like we were going to make it....we did though and decided not sail back across. I hitchhiked back to Chicago and got the trailer to bring it back home.

The Jelly Belly Factory!

Driving by the Jelly Belly Factory today in Wisconsin....Leah says "We are stopping here!"..I have to admit it was Fun ..a little bit like Willy Wonkas chocolate Factory but with Jelly Beans. We road a colorful "Jelly bean choo-choo on the actual tour. These are the Jellybeans Ronald Reagan  always had on his desk and aboard Air Force one.. We were not allowed to take photos of the actual tour so I got these at the start and in the Gift store........

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4th of July 2015

Spent the 4th of July 2015 in Cedar Rapids.Iowa.
Downtown festival and a car show...Fun day.

Iowa was a fun state!

Iowa was a fun state..perfect weather ...lots of corn and soybean fields. Got to go through the John Deere Engine factory(Waterloo,Iowa)..a great 1-hour full tour...but no photos allowed except in the museum. Moving on towards Illinois tomorrow after a quick stop in Cedar Rapids for a 4th of July celebration. Hope you all have a WONDERFUL 4th of July...God Bless the USA!