Poplar Ridge, NY
September 8-17, 2006
Our first stop (September 8): an overnight stay in the Residence Inn in Downtown London, Ontario. This year we decided to stop a few places along the way to give my stomach a rest (motion sickness trouble). I didn't take any pictures of our room. It was basically the same as last year's stay at the same Residence Inn except that the bedroom was separate from the living area.
The adventure of the day: After we checked in Dan and I were both hungry so we decided to get Chinese take out. I already contacted a local Chinese restaurant to find out if they cook with vegetable oil or butter. We lucked out, they cooked most of their stuff with vegetable oil. So, Dan called the order in, and said that he'd come pick it up (saving the delivery fee). From the looks of the map, it seemed that the restaurant was only 7 blocks away. Doable, Dan said. Well, it turned out it wasn't 7 blocks, it was 7 main cross streets (1 1/2 miles away!) Dan walked all the way there and decided to take the bus back...only the bus fare was $2.50 and he only had $2.10 left after paying for the food. Thank heaven for kind Canadian bus drivers! The driver let him ride anyway! :-)
Next stop (September 9): The Red Coach Inn, Niagara Falls, New York. <br>
This inn was built in 1923 as an apartment building. It was later converted to a Bed and Breakfast. This is the sign at the side of the building after you come from the parking lot. The parking lot is at the back of the building.
Our first stop (September 8): an overnight stay in the Residence Inn in Downtown London, Ontario. This year we decided to stop a few places along the way to give my stomach a rest (motion sickness trouble). I didn't take any pictures of our room. It was basically the same as last year's stay at the same Residence Inn except that the bedroom was separate from the living area.
The adventure of the day: After we checked in Dan and I were both hungry so we decided to get Chinese take out. I already contacted a local Chinese restaurant to find out if they cook with vegetable oil or butter. We lucked out, they cooked most of their stuff with vegetable oil. So, Dan called the order in, and said that he'd come pick it up (saving the delivery fee). From the looks of the map, it seemed that the restaurant was only 7 blocks away. Doable, Dan said. Well, it turned out it wasn't 7 blocks, it was 7 main cross streets (1 1/2 miles away!) Dan walked all the way there and decided to take the bus back...only the bus fare was $2.50 and he only had $2.10 left after paying for the food. Thank heaven for kind Canadian bus drivers! The driver let him ride anyway! :-)
Next stop (September 9): The Red Coach Inn, Niagara Falls, New York. <br>
This inn was built in 1923 as an apartment building. It was later converted to a Bed and Breakfast. This is the sign at the side of the building after you come from the parking lot. The parking lot is at the back of the building.
This is part of the Red Coach Inn. Quite charming from the outside. We stayed in the part that's covered up by the trees.
The door to our suite (3 flights up, no elevators!) was roughly near the back of the silver minivan near the tree. The
red awning covers up an outdoor restaurant. The restaurant is indoor too. Nothing for me to eat at the restaurant (at least in terms of a full dinner), but Dan special requested a light pasta dinner for himself and a small fruit plate for me, room service. Room service is excellent. A very cute waiter brings the food, sets the table, and serves the food. A small bottle of Champaign is complementary with the room. We toasted to our marriage! :-)
red awning covers up an outdoor restaurant. The restaurant is indoor too. Nothing for me to eat at the restaurant (at least in terms of a full dinner), but Dan special requested a light pasta dinner for himself and a small fruit plate for me, room service. Room service is excellent. A very cute waiter brings the food, sets the table, and serves the food. A small bottle of Champaign is complementary with the room. We toasted to our marriage! :-)
Here's a little look-see into our suite. Charming, no? It's just too bad that the place needed so many repairs (falling plaster in the stair landings and water-logged plaster in the suite. For all the money that they charge at this place, you'd think that they could get things fixed properly... I was not impressed. But, if you're willing to overlook all that (and most guests seem to, according to the guest log in the room. Most seem to be on their honeymoon or second honeymoon, so... ;-) ), it can be an enjoyable stay. Once in the suite, it did seem like a cozy home away from home... Nice for curling up on the couch and reading some Qwilleran with my honey!
Throughout the suite they had charming pictures all over the walls. Kind of reminds you of an earlier time...This one happened to be in the bathroom.
After settling in and eating some lunch we ventured out for a walk. Across the street are the rapids leading to the American Falls. We then took a walk to Goat Island (the bridge is just on the corner of the street, non-restaurant part of the inn) and then we walked to the Top of the Falls Restaurant/Overlook.
Dan taking a picture of the above rapids. On the bridge to Goat Island.
Dan taking a picture of me standing on the bridge to Goat Island. Rapids in the background.
Here I'm looking from the overlook by the Top of the Falls Restaurant
Looking from the Top of the Falls Overlook down at the Maid of the Mist boats.
On our way down for a closer look we encountered this interesting sign...
This was taken from a bridge leading to the overlook right near the falls.
This was taken from the other side of the bridge leading to the overlook right near the falls.
Here's the American Falls up close.
Another shot up close.
As you can see it was a VERY windy day! (cold too I might add... should've brought a jacket!)
On our way back we took the short-cut over Green Island.
That night we went back to the Top of the Falls to see the falls at night. Spectacular!
Here's some mist from the Canadian Falls.
Here are the rapids at night. This was shot right across the street from the inn. Sorry for the blurry pictures...
Next stop (September 10): Simkin Cottage in Aurora/Poplar Ridge, NY
Nothing has changed from last year, except that cousins Pete and Penny bought the cottage a new stove. Yea!, no more mold growing in the oven... well, at least for this year...The cottage outside was also spiffed up for the wedding on Labor Day.
On Labor Day their daughter Lizzie married her long-time beau at the Cottage on the beach. After they said "I do", and they were pronounced man and wife, they both jumped in the lake, wedding clothes and all! That was the talk of Poplar Ridge when we were visiting with relatives. They honeymooned at the cottage for a week. Hope they had nicer weather than we did! But, as honeymooners, I don't think they cared much about the weather... ;-)
At every visit with relatives we were asked: "Did you take the canoe out yet?" Our response: No, it's been too cold. It was in the 60's all week during the day, 40's and 50's at night, and it rained or was cloudy and windy from Tuesday onward! Not a good week to be staying in a screened-in cottage with no insulation. Dan tried keeping the fire warm, but the fire is downstairs and the bedroom is upstairs. (Thanks to his parents for lending us their nice warm sleeping bags!) This was way too much like camping out for me! Hopefully if we go next year, the weather will be better...
Due to my health condition and the lousy weather we didn't do much sightseeing. But, when we were in Ithaca to visit his cousin Sam, we did go see Ithaca Falls. Unfortunately, Dan and I both forgot our cameras! Sam took a couple of pictures with his and he's promised to send them along when he gets the roll of film developed. In the meantime you may want to check out the website below to at least see a picture. But, I can attest, no picture does these falls justice.
The falls are 150 feet tall and are right in the middle of a neighborhood! About 100 yards from the falls there's a street with houses on it. While we were there, a couple of Cornell students stopped by to gaze at this beautiful sight.
Just as this picture shows, and just as we did, a person can get very close to the falls themselves. The cascading effect is spectacular. In my opinion, more beautiful than Niagara Falls.
http://www.alamy.com/stock_photography/8/1/Peter+Steiner/AG15HE.html
If you want to see the Simkin Cottage pictures or the sightseeing tour we took last year, please check out the link to the Poplar Ridge, NY 2005 page in the menu on the left of your screen.
Next stop (September 16): Back to the Residence Inn London.
Next stop (September 17): Home Sweet Home!!!!!
Nothing has changed from last year, except that cousins Pete and Penny bought the cottage a new stove. Yea!, no more mold growing in the oven... well, at least for this year...The cottage outside was also spiffed up for the wedding on Labor Day.
On Labor Day their daughter Lizzie married her long-time beau at the Cottage on the beach. After they said "I do", and they were pronounced man and wife, they both jumped in the lake, wedding clothes and all! That was the talk of Poplar Ridge when we were visiting with relatives. They honeymooned at the cottage for a week. Hope they had nicer weather than we did! But, as honeymooners, I don't think they cared much about the weather... ;-)
At every visit with relatives we were asked: "Did you take the canoe out yet?" Our response: No, it's been too cold. It was in the 60's all week during the day, 40's and 50's at night, and it rained or was cloudy and windy from Tuesday onward! Not a good week to be staying in a screened-in cottage with no insulation. Dan tried keeping the fire warm, but the fire is downstairs and the bedroom is upstairs. (Thanks to his parents for lending us their nice warm sleeping bags!) This was way too much like camping out for me! Hopefully if we go next year, the weather will be better...
Due to my health condition and the lousy weather we didn't do much sightseeing. But, when we were in Ithaca to visit his cousin Sam, we did go see Ithaca Falls. Unfortunately, Dan and I both forgot our cameras! Sam took a couple of pictures with his and he's promised to send them along when he gets the roll of film developed. In the meantime you may want to check out the website below to at least see a picture. But, I can attest, no picture does these falls justice.
The falls are 150 feet tall and are right in the middle of a neighborhood! About 100 yards from the falls there's a street with houses on it. While we were there, a couple of Cornell students stopped by to gaze at this beautiful sight.
Just as this picture shows, and just as we did, a person can get very close to the falls themselves. The cascading effect is spectacular. In my opinion, more beautiful than Niagara Falls.
http://www.alamy.com/stock_photography/8/1/Peter+Steiner/AG15HE.html
If you want to see the Simkin Cottage pictures or the sightseeing tour we took last year, please check out the link to the Poplar Ridge, NY 2005 page in the menu on the left of your screen.
Next stop (September 16): Back to the Residence Inn London.
Next stop (September 17): Home Sweet Home!!!!!
Created by Joyce P. Simkin
Last updated in HTML September 24, 2006
Last updated in Weebly November 25, 2016
Last updated in HTML September 24, 2006
Last updated in Weebly November 25, 2016