Packing with the Pagáns

We've been to Niagara Falls before, so this was just a quick stop. But I'm always in awe at the sheer amount of water! It was a beautiful day. Then on to Frankenmuth, MI. But not before we had a 2 HOUR wait at the border at Point Edward! Frankenmuth was founded in 1845. A group of German Lutheran missionaries settled here to bring the Word of God to the Chippewa Indians. The German influence is everywhere. The clock moved and played The Pied Piper story. Note the rats following him? "Roll out the barrel..." "99 bottles of beer on the wall" "BEER, BEER, BEER, BEER" Ein, zwei, drei The queen on her throne "I believe I can fly..." The flowers were amazing! Let's Polka! Bronner's Christmas Store is HUGE. If you know me, you know I'm a Christm...

We were invited by lifelong friends, Susan and Jim to join them at their summer retreat, The Pines. On the way there we stopped in Syracuse to have lunch with Kathy and Russ.( we will be cruising with them this fall). Unfortunately, time was short and I forgot to get photos!  ( I know that's hard to believe!) Susan and Jim The Town of Skaneateles was adorable. Took a dinner cruise around the lake to see how the other people live. This was going to be our new house and boat house, but Mega Millions didn't come through for me! The lake sunsets were beautiful every night. Lake Skaneateles is crystal clear. The name in Iroquoian means " long lake". It is long...16 miles. It's 315 ft deep in the center. The lake supplies drinking water for Syracuse. Playing in the lake. My " Lucky Stone" Jim gave me. These are rocks with fossil worm holes. T...

Loved the street signs.  "Three Brewers" Old vs new in the streets of Montréal  Note the outline of the old building left behind on the wall if the new one Loved the quaint side alleys One of my favorite statues "Les Chuchoteuses" or "The Gossipers" Established, officially, in 1902 is Montréal's Chinatown. Great restaurants there and an easy walk from our hotel. The area began with a group of laundromats in the late 1800's. "Smoked meat" sandwich. It's smoked brisket, and surprisingly what Montréal is famous for in the food world. We had it at Reuben's Deli on Catherine St. Goodbye to Montréal and on to visit our friends in NY.

Quebec City is everything and more than I was hoping for! It reminded us of Paris...minus the Eiffel Tower, the Louve, the museums and the attitudes! On our way to Quebec City we stopped at a park on the banks of the Saint Lawrence River. It is a massive river that runs from Lake Ontario to the Atlantic Ocean. The river drains more than a quarter of the world's freshwater reserves. The tides on the river are impressive. We can only assume he anchored at high tide! Beautiful views of the Canadian mountains across the water. Quebec City from our hotel window. Old vs new. Our hotel in back with the walled city Kent Gate entrance in front. Adorable side streets There are 13 murals in Quebec City illustrating the city's history. We only found 2. Flambed shrimp on our foodie walking tour. Amazing food Dave strolling the streets..o...