Our second week in Hamlin Beach was pretty quiet, except for a little drama with the truck. Leaving there, we made our way east and then north along the St. Lawrence to Alexandria Bay. Each step a little closer to Massena and our grandson Jayden.
What’s that alarm?
The first time, the message on the truck’s message display disappeared too fast to read. But after it displayed again and again, we knew what it was saying, but not what to do about it. Dave found the nearest Ram dealer and arrived as the service bay opened the next morning. The message was an ABS brake warning light. We had replaced a pump on this system a couple of years earlier. Could it have failed so soon?
The diagnosis was swift, but the solution wouldn’t be. It was the same part that had failed before. Ram had no replacement parts available. We were asked to call back in a week to see whether any were available. When we did call, we were told he parts would be in by the time we were back in Hamlin. So, the Monday after our return, Dave was up early again to get into the service queue. After several hours, the truck repair was complete, and the bill was mostly covered by our warranty.
We were ready to go again, which was a relief that our travel plans were still on track.
The first time, the message on the truck’s message display disappeared too fast to read. But after it displayed again and again, we knew what it was saying, but not what to do about it. Dave found the nearest Ram dealer and arrived as the service bay opened the next morning. The message was an ABS brake warning light. We had replaced a pump on this system a couple of years earlier. Could it have failed so soon?
The diagnosis was swift, but the solution wouldn’t be. It was the same part that had failed before. Ram had no replacement parts available. We were asked to call back in a week to see whether any were available. When we did call, we were told he parts would be in by the time we were back in Hamlin. So, the Monday after our return, Dave was up early again to get into the service queue. After several hours, the truck repair was complete, and the bill was mostly covered by our warranty.
We were ready to go again, which was a relief that our travel plans were still on track.
Boonville, NY:
Leaving Hamlin on a Thursday, we were heading to a stay at a Boondocker’s Welcome location in tiny Boonville NY, a little north and east of Rome NY. Through advance discussions with the host, we were able to extend our stay from 3 to 4 days to cover the gap in our schedule between Hamlin and a reservation at Alexandria Bay in the 1000 Islands.
Leaving Hamlin on a Thursday, we were heading to a stay at a Boondocker’s Welcome location in tiny Boonville NY, a little north and east of Rome NY. Through advance discussions with the host, we were able to extend our stay from 3 to 4 days to cover the gap in our schedule between Hamlin and a reservation at Alexandria Bay in the 1000 Islands.
Although the hosts were not home when we arrived, their parking instructions were easy to follow, and we had a quiet, spacious site at our disposal with electric. There were trees to keep us cool, a nearby creek to provide pleasant ambiance, and within a short walk, a quaint downtown.
Over the next few days, we explored the area and found more than we expected. There was a farmer’s market in the town park, a walk along the towpath, a covered bridge, some delicious ice cream, and best of all, the Boonville Black River Canal Museum.
We were surprised to learn of the existence of the Black River Canal, which linked Rome to Carthage. With the success of the Erie Canal, the desire for a similar waterway to provide access to downstate markets for the northern NY industries drove the communities along its proposed path to lobby for a new canal. The first 35 miles of the 75 mile waterway would be carved out of a canyon, requiring 109 locks. It would raise boat traffic almost 700 feet over the Tug Hill plateau.
We chose to visit the canal museum on a rainy day, mostly as something to get us out of the RV. But we were pleasantly surprised at its offerings. A docent gave us an introduction to the canal’s history, above a diorama of the canal boats loading the various natural resources for transit. It was followed by a movie, then a hands-on display where we operated the locks to raise and lower our canal boats to a high point and back down. They had a life-size canal boat and blacksmith shop with antique equipment and carriages. We were blown away. All this for a donation. The local supporters do an amazing job.
Our hosts could not have been more gracious and sociable. Bob offered us suggestions on things to do in and around town. And on our last night hosted us at a campfire on his patio. We really enjoyed this “filler” stay, which turned out to be much more.
1000 Islands – Alexandria Bay
Moving north from Boonville, we planned to stay at a private campground near Alexandria Bay in the 1000 Islands. With a pull-through, full hook-up site, we were well-situated, but the campground’s biggest attraction was just outside. The Gal’s Place was a popular local destination for – you guessed it – ice cream. Similar to Lugia’s in Rochester, the small ice cream was plenty, and the large was ridiculous. But most importantly, the ice cream was great, making it a required stop each day.
Moving north from Boonville, we planned to stay at a private campground near Alexandria Bay in the 1000 Islands. With a pull-through, full hook-up site, we were well-situated, but the campground’s biggest attraction was just outside. The Gal’s Place was a popular local destination for – you guessed it – ice cream. Similar to Lugia’s in Rochester, the small ice cream was plenty, and the large was ridiculous. But most importantly, the ice cream was great, making it a required stop each day.
Being along the St. Lawrence, we looked for ways to get out on the water. The popular Uncle Sam Boat tours was an obvious choice, with a “Two Nations” tour of the islands, dropping us off at Boldt Castle on the return. We crossed into Canada, but our new passports weren’t required, since we weren’t disembarking there. There was a nice lunch on board, and some narration which was interesting. We were having a hazy “smoke” day from the Canadian fires, but it was fun to be out on the water.
The biggest surprise was Boldt Castle. Located on Heart Island, this structure had a sad history. Constructed by George Boldt for his wife, Louise, the castle was near completion when the message was received that construction should stop because of her untimely death. The structure was abandoned for 75 years and those years took a toll. Dave had visited the castle as a child before it became the property of the Bridge Authority. The interior walls were completely covered in graffiti. Anything of value had been stripped. Together, we had visited in the late 80’s and it was not much different. (That trip was in a much smaller row boat with an outboard, which we had taken from Canada. We had to check in at customs on our return, and the officials couldn’t even see our boat on the dock meant for large tour boats. We were nuts.)
But today’s Boldt Castle has been beautifully restored. You can envision the family and servants living here. Each of the main floor and 2nd floor rooms has been restored with care. A beautiful stained glass dome that was part of the original vision has been installed. The outbuildings – a yacht house, power house, Dovecote tower and a game house – have been stabilized and open for touring. The grounds are beautifully landscaped and the statues and fountains restored. It is truly an amazing transformation, and one that is on-going. We put together a video of our tour there.
RV Stuff
We have 2 slides on our RV – a small one in the bedroom that contains the closet and a much larger one in the living area that contains, well the living area (table, bench seats, reclining chairs). These slides are drawn in and out by cables. Since a slide failure can be a really big deal (keeping you from moving), we researched the maintenance required to keep them in working order. However, for the cable system, there didn’t seem to be anything to do.
That’s why we were a little concerned when the larger slide started jerking on its way in. Since we couldn’t find anything in the cable mechanisms that looked problematic, we had a theory that the problem was just moisture. We had many days in a row with rain, and at least once we had to retract it in the rain. Sure enough, once it had time to dry out, the slide moved smoothly in and out.
Faith Work
Our work with the folks at Faith was focused on their Church Windows software. A required update had to be applied to multiple computers, and a new instance needed to be installed as well. With new users being added, Dave coached them through the process of adding or modifying authorizations as well. Nothing goes exactly as planned, but after a few hours, the software was in place and up to date.
We have 2 slides on our RV – a small one in the bedroom that contains the closet and a much larger one in the living area that contains, well the living area (table, bench seats, reclining chairs). These slides are drawn in and out by cables. Since a slide failure can be a really big deal (keeping you from moving), we researched the maintenance required to keep them in working order. However, for the cable system, there didn’t seem to be anything to do.
That’s why we were a little concerned when the larger slide started jerking on its way in. Since we couldn’t find anything in the cable mechanisms that looked problematic, we had a theory that the problem was just moisture. We had many days in a row with rain, and at least once we had to retract it in the rain. Sure enough, once it had time to dry out, the slide moved smoothly in and out.
Faith Work
Our work with the folks at Faith was focused on their Church Windows software. A required update had to be applied to multiple computers, and a new instance needed to be installed as well. With new users being added, Dave coached them through the process of adding or modifying authorizations as well. Nothing goes exactly as planned, but after a few hours, the software was in place and up to date.