Day 67 of our 2025 RVing Adventure with Historical & Musical Interludes

It's Monday July 7th, day 67 of our 2025 summer adventure. My morning walk included a deer, beautiful wild flowers and several snakes. Yes, Janet... they were dead! It was my last walk in Darien Lakes State Park. I like walking here, but I truly enjoy walking at the County Park we are headed to in another day.

Today we drove back east from Darien Lakes State Park. We drove east on Route 20 all the way to Route 15 south. We stopped in Avon, at Tops, for some milk and grapes. We also stopped at Quicklee's a convenience store and gas station for some petrol. 

We are spending the night at a Harvest Host location. Harvest Hosts is a membership program that allows self-contained RV's to stay overnight at unique locations like wineries, farms, breweries, and attractions. Instead of traditional campgrounds, members can park their RVs at these businesses for a single night, with the expectation of supporting the host business by purchasing their products or services. Harvest Hosts are a network of over 9,600 farms, wineries, breweries, distilleries, and attractions that invite RV's to stay. Our host for the night is Solitude Brewing Company in Lakeville, New York. 

Founded by Cal Hasler, Solitude Brewing was born from a transformative backcountry camping trip in the untamed wilderness of Utah. Surrounded by the awe-inspiring beauty of untouched nature, the vast expanse of Mother Earth in its raw form, Cal was struck by the desire to share this experience with others. It was in those moments, sitting by a secluded mountain lake under a canopy of stars, that the idea began to take shape. "What if craft beer can be blended with the serene ambiance of the great outdoors? What if a space could be created where people could come together, unwind, and connect with nature, all while enjoying exceptional brews and delicious food?"

So, the vision for Solitude was born – a place where the spirit of adventure meets the comfort of home, and where the beauty of nature is celebrated in every detail. From the moment you step through our doors, you're transported to a world of rustic charm and natural beauty, where every sip of beer is a toast to the wonders of the wilderness.

At Solitude Brewing, they use an American-made brew system crafted by Global Stainless Systems in Oregon. Speaking of the beers, they offer a great selection. I had the Raspberry Buffalo. It's light, crisp, and brewed with local corn and real raspberry. Smooth, slightly sweet, and endlessly crushable, 3.7%ABV. Charlie had the Fog Line Hazy IPA. It's a hazy session IPA with notes of citrus, stone fruit and a hint of pine, with a smooth pillowy mouthfeel. 5.5% ABV.

They are very community friendly. I forgot to get a picture of it, but they have a board where you can buy a beer for a hero. If you are a hero, you can get a free beer!

We met the founder / Co-owner, Cal Hasler, the Taproom Manager, Andy Chatfield and our bartender, Nathan. All three were very friendly, personable, and helpful. We enjoyed sitting at the bar with Nathan to start. 

We eyed the Monday special of wings and pizza. We were not into the pizza part, but the wings were good! Charlie had Parmesan Garlic and I hat Hot Honey! Delicious!

Then we moved to a table to eat dinner with Rob, Sheila, and Parker. 

We moved back to the bar when they left and waited for Jane to arrive. We enjoyed visiting with Jane for 90 minutes. It's always a good time with Jane Barnette!

We move tomorrow to our home for the next week. Stay tuned for more Two Lane Adventures!

Day 66 of our 2025 RVing Adventure with Historical & Musical Interludes

It's Sunday July 6th, day 66 of our 2025 summer adventure. This morning was back to warmer temperatures for my walk. I took the dirt road to the start of the trail that has access from Route 20. I just went to the bridge. I am surprised that Ellicott Creek is so low, for the amount of rain they have had. Ellicott Creek originates in the southwest corner of Genesee County, near Darien Lakes State Park. It flows generally westward, eventually entering the Niagara River. 

The grass was dry. So, after I left the path, I was able to walk on the Angry Apple Disc Golf Course at Darien Lakes State Park. 

A metal basket encircled by rows of hanging chains. Also known as Frisbee golf, the rules of the sport are very similar to traditional golf. Play­ers use specially designed discs or frisbees to throw from a tee area with the goal of getting the disc into the disc golf basket in the least amount of throws possible. Score is kept over 18 holes and the person or team with the lowest score wins.

The course at Darien Lakes is designed for both finesse and accuracy with a bit of distance. The course offers lots of cover and shrubbery, in some cases it is very dense. The 18-hole course, officially established in June of 2012. 

We enjoyed coffee with our friends and their four-legged family members. Our friends, who have to go to work on Monday. left close to check-out time at 11am. And then there was one rig left.... 

We ate breakfast after everyone left and the rest of our day involved some of this...

a little bit of this.....

and a lot of this....

We move tomorrow! 

Our destination is top secret... Stay tuned for more Two Lane Adventures and find out tomorrow! 

Day 65 of our 2025 RVing Adventure with Historical & Musical Interludes

It's Saturday July 5th, day 65 of our 2025 summer adventure. I enjoyed my walk and found some maple leaves that were starting to turn colorful. It's a bit early, but they are still very pretty! Early color changes in maple leaves, while sometimes a normal part of the transition, they can often indicate stress on the tree. This stress could stem from various factors like drought, root damage, or insect infestations.

We went for a sugar filled "lunch" at the Pink Cow in Alden. The ice cream lunch was enjoyed by all! The Pink Cow is a popular ice cream shop located in Alden, NY. 

They are known for their wide variety of ice cream flavors, sundaes, milkshakes, and other frozen treats. They have a walk-up window, drive-thru service and a storefront in the strip mall. The shop also offers dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan options. 

None of the sugar-free options sounded good to me, so I opted out of the sugar overload! 

But, you can tell by the smiles, the ice cream was enjoyed by each of them!

In Alden, every Saturday night from Memorial Day to Labor Day, you can see bull riding events! The rodeo is hosted by Alden Community Church and produced by Cross Over the Line Rodeo Co., a professional rodeo company. Spectators can enjoy bull riding, barrel racing, roping, and other exciting acts. For the 2025 season, bareback and saddle bronc riding will also be featured. 

The main community theater in Alden, NY is the Alden Community Theatre Society (ACTS). ACTS is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing community life through enrichment, education, and entertainment via the performing arts. They present various performances, including typical theater productions and dinner theater. They also offer programs for students and community events. They produce five full theatrical productions per year along with a number of special events. In July they are auditioning for "Two Witches, No Waiting." Their last performance was Matilda the Musical. Thanks to the community for supporting them, they sold out all 8 Shows!!!

We enjoyed an afternoon at the campground. Some went fishing, some went to the beach and others enjoyed the time with friends! Stay tuned for more Two Lane Adventures!

Day 64 of our 2025 RVing Adventure with Historical & Musical Interludes

It's Friday July 4th, day 64 of our 2025 summer adventure. Happy Independence Day! This mornings walk was refreshing and peaceful. 

We enjoyed coffee around a small fire, to take the chill off of this 55 degree morning.

We had a discussion today about why this park is called Darien Lakes State Park. There is not more than one lake here? 

When you hear the name ''Darien Lake,'' you think of the sprawling Darien Lake Theme Park Resort on Route 77 or, does your mind go to a lesser thought of, scenic Darien Lakes State Park on Route 20. 

But before either of those places existed, there was another Darien Lake in Genesee County — a beach and picnic area billed as ''Western New York's Water Wonderland.'' 

Darien Lakes State Park's origins trace back to the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) during the Great Depression. The CCC, established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, employed men on public works projects, including the creation of Hamlin Beach State Park. Relics of the CCC's work, including an old farm pond used for ice skating, can still be seen in the park. In 1963, a local dairy farmer, Henry Kohlhagen, envisioned a state park on his land, which included a ravine, stream, and woods. This vision led to the State of New York purchasing a 1,000-acre tract, which eventually grew to 1,846 acres. 

The area was initially called Harlow Lake and Park before becoming Darien Lakes State Park. In all the reading we did today, we can only come up with the S on the end of Lake, is to differentiate it from the theme park.... 

We enjoyed our time with friends today. It is great to be with them, since we only see them once a year or every other year. In a good year, we get to see them twice! 

Cherish every moment you have with the ones that you love!

Stay tuned for more Two Lane Adventures!

Day 63 of our 2025 RVing Adventure with Historical & Musical Interludes

It's Thursday July 3rd, day 63 of our 2025 summer adventure. My morning walk included the perfect weather. Walking around the park is energizing and peaceful all at the same time!

This morning while we enjoyed our coffee, we heard the tell-tale sound of a military helicopter. We scanned the sky and captured the Chinook. The Chinook is a military helicopter with two propellers. Typically referred to a tandem rotor helicopter, where two large rotors are placed one behind the other on the fuselage. The CH-47 Chinook is used for heavy-lift transport and troop resupply. 

We made a trip into Alden again today. I needed a couple things for our strawberry shortcake dessert tonight. So, back to Tops we headed. We decided to get gas in the car while we were there. Yes, for those of you not from the area, Tops Friendly Markets have gas too. You can build up "gas off" savings when you shop. I shopped once at Tops and I already have $1 off every gallon of gas. So, we paid $2.24 per gallon to fill up the car!

We travel Route 20 between the State Park and Alden. America's Longest Highway, US Route 20, is a 3,365 mile adventure through the nation's history and its most breathtaking views. Spanning the continent through twelve states from the Atlantic to Pacific Oceans. The Route 20 scenic byway corridor celebrates New York's diverse heritage, natural beauty, and agricultural vitality, and is defined by rolling hills and broad vistas framed in a working landscape, lakes, tranquil communities, and historical places. Route 20 in Alden represents a segment of the original east-west route that played a vital role in the development of New York State and the nation. 

We heard loud claps of thunder, lightning, and then rolling thunder with a dark sky around us. But we enjoyed the sunshine above us! No rain for us!

The sun came out everywhere when our four of our friends arrived, Rob & Sheila and Royce and Karen. Charlie and I had "Christmas in July" as Sheila came with all the Amazon and Poshmark packages I had sent to her house! We had a great night eating strawberry shortcake and enjoying the campfire. 

Stay tuned for more #TwoLaneAdventures!

Day 62 of our 2025 RVing Adventure with Historical & Musical Interludes

It's Wednesday July 2nd, day 62 of our 2025 summer adventure. Enjoyed my morning walk around Darien Lakes State Park. It is a well maintained park. I noticed new playground equipment this year and a new concrete ADA campsite in each loop.

There was an interesting camper here last year and it is here again this year. The only difference is the site that they are on! I know everyone has to live somewhere, but I would be afraid to see this rig driving down the road! I made a collage of the two pictures I had from last year and the two I took this morning! Yikes!

Groceries and firewood were the order of business today. We are back in Tops Friendly Markets area. Oh, I do love those stores! I don't know how they do it... but I will buy it! 

They offer BOGO deals on steroids! Today, buy 2 get 3 free... on several things. Charlie's 12 ounce bottles of coke. 8 pack of Coke was $8.99 × 2 = $17.98, then ÷ 5 = $3.60 each. Not bad!! My strawberries, blueberries, blackberries or raspberries were buy 2, get 3 free. Mix them up any way you want! I got 3 strawberries, 1 blueberry and 1 blackberry. $6.99 x 2 = $13.98 ÷ 5 = $2.80 each for fresh fruit! Score!

Tops is in the next town to the west, Alden. Which is in Erie County. The State Park is in Genesee County. Being a small town of approximately 10,000, Alden has a rich history that many residents are volunteering to preserve. 

The Alden Historical Society was formed in 1965 by a group of citizens interested in preserving, presenting and promoting the history of the Town of Alden and its people. In 1966, Walden Roberts presented to the town the gift of his late uncle’s home at 13213 Broadway to be used by the Historical Society. What a gift!

Alden's history is noted for its black water baths. During the drilling process, one of the few unsuccessful operations had struck a vein of mineral rich black water. The reservoir of mineral rich “black” water was discovered at a depth of about 1000 feet while drilling for natural gas in 1891. At first considered a nuisance, the testimonies of workers as to the benefits of soaking aching limbs in the water led Frank Westcott, owner of the drilling operation, to have the water analyzed. It was found to be stronger than the water at the nearest black water spa in Mt. Clemens, Michigan. The first of several functional wells was drilled in 1903 by Westcott. The curative values were soon confirmed and entrepreneurial efforts began capitalizing on this new discovery. In November of 1904, the first Black Water bath house officially opened for business. This led to expansion and incorporation of many other businesses and activities in the village and town.

Our afternoon was spent relaxing at the campground. My afternoon included separating the meats and cleaning all of my fresh fruits and vegetables. Charlie stacked our firewood. It is so nice in the evenings here that its almost 9pm before we even realize it! It's starting to look a little more like home!

Stay tuned for more Two Lane Adventures!

 

Day 61 of our 2025 RVing Adventure with Historical & Musical Interludes

It's Tuesday July 1st, day 61 of our 2025 summer adventure. My morning walk offered a beautiful sunset shining off the lake along the trail in the primitive campsites at Pine Loop. 

The serenity that I get from my walks, especially in places like this, is the best part of most of my days!

The wildlife that I saw here at Ives Run never disappoints! There were rabbits, chipmunks and deer.

We had a leisurely morning and departed the campground about noon. We only have about 125 miles today.

Traveling part of our trip on US Hwy 15 N, a familiar route to us. We have traveled this route many times between NY and Florida. Parts of US 15 are also designated as the "Blue and Gray Highway" and the "Marine Corps League Highway". "Blue and Gray Highway" is due to its route passing through sites of the American Civil War. 

We arrived at the NYS border. There are so many good reasons to visit New York. But, there are many more reasons that we left New York State over 20 years ago. And sadly, things in New York have not gotten better since then. It is always great to see family and friends while we visit.

In Addison, NY there is Towner's Christmas Tree Farm. It has a history rooted in the Towner family's entrepreneurial spirit, with origins dating back to the 1960s when Llewellyn Towner's son, Terry, began planting Christmas trees on his father's land. The farm has evolved from a wild forest and pasture to a thriving business selling both wholesale and retail trees, and recently, painted Christmas trees. 

We transitioned onto I-390. Last year we took the back roads from PA into NY and onto Darien Lakes SP. This year, we hung out longer at Ives Run, so we opted for the more direct route. In Savona, NY there is a place we will be checking out. The Mud Creek Bison Ranch. I learned they are a Harvest Host location and we will be staying there on our way south. We stayed at Eel Bison Ranch in Indiana and we had such a great time!

The Baron Winds Project is a wind-powered electric generating facility in the Towns of Cohocton, Dansville, Fremont, and Wayland within Steuben County, NY. Baron Winds is located primarily on agricultural and recreational land. There are 32 wind turbines in the Towns of Cohocton, Dansville, and Wayland.

We exited 390 onto US Route 5 & 20 near Avon NY. Heading through Avon I was watching the height of the corn. Avon is home every summer to a huge Corn Festival in August. 2025 marks their 37th festival. West of Avon 5 & 20 split, we stayed on Route 20. On our way to Darien Lakes State Park.

Darien Lakes State Park, originally known as Harlow Lake and Park, began as a 1,000-acre tract of land acquired by the State of New York in 1963. The park, which has since grown to 1,846 acres. The park's history also includes a connection to the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression, with remnants of their work still visible. We are here for 7-nights. So, we settled right in! We are in A-loop site #42. We stayed in this site last time we were here. We love it. The trick to getting this great site is.... it says it only fits a 25 foot rig, so we say we are 25 foot and bam... the site is ours! Stay tuned for more #TwoLaneAdventures