Day 86, 87 & 88 of 166 Days of RV Adventures in the Summer of 2026

Day 86 was Friday July 31st, where has the time gone? July is over today?! This morning we installed our RV Fuel Vaults. We ordered them in the first round, before the production even started. It was a great idea and once they went into production, we were ready for them to arrive! The installation was a piece of cake and they look amazing! As you can see from the top picture our diesel fills were exposed and anyone could do anything unscrupulous to them that they wanted. Now they are covered, locked and look pretty! 

If you have exposed fuel fills, check out the RV Fuel Vault, https://thervfuelvault.com/

We are camping at The Ridge Campground for two nights with Rob & Sheila, Marty & Heather and Don & Brenda. The last time we camped with these 3 couples, Don & Brenda did not have their own camper! We are excited to see them again! The Ridge is in Mt Morris, so the drive over was uneventful, as we have traveled through Geneseo and Mt Morris a few times this trip. 

The Ridge Campground was established in 2013 as a family-friendly, privately owned camping facility. Situated in the scenic Genesee Valley just 5 miles from Letchworth State Park. It has spacious sites ranging from primitive tent camping to 50-amp full RV sites. The owners have immersive weekend themes—such as the Monster Water War and Chocolate Slip 'n Slide—to foster a community-first atmosphere. They also host an annual action-packed Camp Good Days Weekend fundraiser weekend supporting Camp Good Days & Special Times, a non-profit organization providing free programs for children and families touched by cancer and major life challenges. That is happening this weekend, which is one of the reasons we came here.

We found our favorite No BS beer trailer here! It was manned by Scott, his wife and daughter! 

Ohhhhhh, just as delicious as it is from the brewery! We purchased chances on the lottery ticket vest and the 5/50. 

The drawing was during the break of the band, Lucky Number. Since 1991, Lucky Number has been a cornerstone of the Southern Tier classic rock scene blending talent, passion, and timeless hits. They play hits of the 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s. We were not lucky on our tickets!

August 1st, WOW! Camping at the Ridge are the "dog days" of summer! 

We did not spend much time here this morning, as we headed back to Hemlock. But before we left, we participated in the basket raffles. We did not put a ticket in on this one, but P&CG (Power & Construction Group) is our friend, Randy's place of employment.

Our oldest granddaughter in New York graduated from Honeoye Central Schools this past June. It is hard to believe that Natalee is a high school graduate and 18-years old now! Where does the time go?! Today was her graduation party! 

Tony and JD cooked pork and brisket. 

Margo decorated and set it up so special! They had hundreds of pictures of Natalee and all of the big poster size pictures that Honeoye schools are famous for! 

They have them for every student that plays any sport! Natalee has soccer, softball, her senior sign and my favorite one for clay shooting!

Grandpa is pretty proud of this one! Natalee is heading to my alma mater, SUNY Brockport. We won't tell her that I graduated from there over 40 years ago! I am sure I would not even recognize the place!

We ended the night with a visit from Mat & Rebina (they visited Watkins Glen in the morning and Letchworth in the late afternoon) and a fire with friends. Tomorrow is supposed to bring in the rain!

Day 88, Sunday August 2nd, it was a rainy morning to depart The Ridge. While we were hooking up the car, one of the owners, Rick, swung by to say "thanks for staying with us." Great customer service is still alive at some campgrounds! Rick & Tina, posted this on their Facebook page. It is the outcome of their fundraiser weekend for Camp Good Days and Special Times. "Once again, we are amazed by everyone's GENEROSITY!!! Thanks to everybody who was in attendance at our annual Camp Good Days Fundraiser Weekend!! We want to give a shoutout to everyone who donated to our ticket raffles, cake & pie auction and those who came out for the Bike & Car Show / Cruise. And we can't say Thank You enough , to all of our Seasonals who helped run such a smooth, successful event! We couldn't do it without you!! We are EXCITED to announce that we were able to beat last year's amount!!!!!! The Total for 2026 CGD's Weekend was a staggering $35,621.50! From the Bottom of our Hearts!! Thank You, Rick & Tina"

Charlie and I are driving to the Richfield Springs Cooperstown KOA for our overnight stay. We can get on Route 39 in Mt Morris. We took that right to US Route 20 and we took US 20 all the way to our overnight destination! Route 20 began as a Native American trail in the early years of America. Soon it became a dirt road for westward traffic by horse and wagon. Eventually it was called the Cherry Valley Turnpike. In the 1860's the Cherry Valley Turnpike became property of New York State. In 1926 it was designated as US Route 20, the longest road in the country, running from coast to coast, a distance of 3,365 miles! 

We have been on Route 20 to Canandaigua already on this trip. But after Canandaigua, we go under the Ontario Pathway near Stanley NY. Ontario Pathways is a twenty five mile system comprised of multi-use, non-motorized rails to trails pathway with additional loops for hiking only. Located in Ontario County, the trail is open year round from dawn to dusk and is free to the general public to use. The main trail is composed of two “legs” of abandoned railroad corridors, the Canandaigua leg from Canandaigua to Stanley and the Phelps leg from Stanley through Flint, Seneca Castle, Orleans and ending in Phelps. 

Geneva, at the north end of Seneca Lake. Originally the ancestral land of the Seneca Nation. During the Revolutionary War, Continental forces under General John Sullivan destroyed the indigenous settlement in 1779, clearing the way for future European-American settlement. Geneva was incorporated as a village in 1806, and chartered as a city in 1898, growing through agriculture, education, and lakefront trade.

Waterloo was founded on the traditional lands of the Cayuga and Seneca tribes, and began as the indigenous village of Skoi-yase. Permanent European settlement started in 1792 when Samuel Bear built a grist mill. Formed officially in 1829, the town is globally recognized as the official birthplace of Memorial Day. I know, I know... we found a town in Pennsylvania earlier this summer that claimed to be the birthplace of Memorial Day. 

Seneca Falls is widely recognized as the birthplace of the American women's rights movement. On July 19–20, 1848, the historic Seneca Falls Convention brought together about 300 people at the Wesleyan Chapel to launch the organized fight for gender equality and women's suffrage. We saw a new mural since the last time we passed through this town. "The Flame Keepers" is located at the corner of Fall and Ovid Streets, just steps from the National Women’s Hall of Fame. It was painted in October 2025 by artist Mandi Caskey (Miss Birdy) and local artist Samantha Sciotti. It is a powerful depiction of historical suffragette passing a living flame to a contemporary young woman, symbolizing the generational transmission of knowledge and justice.

Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge between Cayuga Lake, a Finger Lake, and Black Lake. It is an over 10,000-acre federal bird sanctuary. It is managed by the US Fish and Wildlife. It serves as a critical stopover for migratory waterfowl along the busy Atlantic Flyway. I love to see the Osprey or Eagles in the perches on power poles!

Just outside of Auburn NY is Finger Lakes Drive In. It is New York State's oldest continuously operating drive-in theater, treating moviegoers to films under the stars since July 15, 1947. This landmark retains its nostalgic, decades-old charm with retro design accents, a classic snack bar, and vintage car-side speaker poles alongside modern digital projection.

Auburn was founded in 1793 by Revolutionary War veteran John L. Hardenbergh. It began as a small settlement called Hardenbergh’s Corners. It grew into a major industrial and abolitionist hub, famously home to historical icons like Harriet Tubman and William H. Seward. I found The Armory neon sign fascinating. The Armory is an underground speakeasy located beneath the Prison City Pub and Brewery. The original building is a historic Civil War-era armory. Today, the space functions as a clandestine lounge serving craft cocktails and small plates, and hosts special themed community events.

Owasco Lake is one of the major Finger Lakes in central New York. It spans roughly 11 miles long, reaches a maximum depth of 177 feet, and serves as a key drinking water source and recreational destination for nearby communities like Auburn and Moravia.

The winds certainly howl across the open spans of Route 20. Look at the bend in that power pole! Great place to have a windmill! I bet they have to replace that flag often!

The Lincklaen House is a historic boutique hotel, restaurant, and tavern in downtown Cazenovia, New York. Built in 1835 and opened in 1836, it is recognized as the oldest grand hotel in Central New York, renowned for its 19th-century colonial charm, high ceilings, carved wood moldings, and working fireplaces.

Morrisville, home to SUNY Morrisville main campus. The college utilizes a "living classroom" philosophy where students gain immediate, real-world experiences. Most bachelor's programs culminate in a semester-long internship. Some of its most notable specialized programs include: Equine Science & Management, Automotive Technology, Agriculture & Sustainability, Nursing, Criminal Justice, Environmental Conservation, and Game Programming.

Ye Olde Landmark Tavern is a historic dining and lodging staple located near Bouckville. Operations dating back to 1837, this historic inn features a storied past with ties to the Underground Railroad and offers an upscale, cozy restaurant run by a CIA-trained executive chef. The menu blends classic and modern dishes utilizing fresh, locally sourced ingredients.

We arrived at Richfield Springs Cooperstown KOA, our home for the night. Stay tuned for more Two Lane Adventures!

Day 82, 83, 84 & 85 of 166 Days of RV Adventures in the Summer of 2026

Today is Monday July 27th, there was some more haze in the air from the Canadian wildfires. In the past, the week after the Hemlock Fair included a bunch of catch-up, because for the last 7 days, everything was focused on the fair. This year, our plate was not as full and we did not need to rest up. However, we try to limit our trips to the store. So, we need to get a few groceries and my favorite store in NY is Tops Friendly Markets. The closest one to us is in Avon. For grocery shoppers up in the Northeast, Tops Friendly Markets remains one of the region's most dependable destinations. It's been in business for 60 years, and with over 150 locations in New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. From the very beginning, Tops Friendly Markets' roots have been firmly planted in Upstate New York. It's only become easier over the years to shop under its red and white roof. Simply put, there's a lot to love about this supermarket chain. Shopping for hand-picked apples or fresh eggs feels like a pipe dream at your average grocery store, but not at Tops Friendly. The chain makes it a delicious reality, maintaining a fleet of 200+ farms, orchards, and small businesses to stock the shelves of stores every day. My favorite thing remains the deals... buy 2 and get 3 free. They are crazy and truly do save you money! 

Today is day 83 of our Two Lane Adventures, Tuesday July 28th and the rain has arrived and looks like it has settled in for a while. That makes it a perfect day to do laundry. We found a great facility in Geneseo. Colony Dry Cleaners and Laundromat in the Genesee Valley Shopping Center, near Wegmans. It is always clean and has a fair price for self-service laundry. $3.00 for a double load washer and twenty-five cents for 5 minutes of drying. 

A rainy day is also a perfect day for baking. I have been saving our "old" bananas in the freezer. It's a great day to get them thawed out and used! I used to make tons of mini-loafs of bread. But, I have switched to muffins. They bake quicker, the silicone pans are easy to get the muffins out of and it makes it easier for our "camp host" to take a few out of the freezer and enjoy them after we are gone.

Wednesday July 29th was a second day filled with rain. So, our "camp host" Jimmy, decided we needed to go to Tee & Gee for lunch. We have lived in this area for more than 35-years and we have never been to Tee & Gee Bar and Grill. It is a long-standing historical landmark located at the north end of Conesus Lake. 

At first glance Tee & Gee looks and feels like a typical dive bar with a mismatched roof line, low-lit interior with the requisite, quirky paraphernalia adorning the walls. 

That is until you view their menu: prime rib sandwich, Cajun grilled chicken sandwich, peanut butter bacon cheeseburger with spicy jelly  - say what???! Tee & Gee chef (and co-owner, since 2018) Jonah Sanguedolce took over the restaurant after many years at the Conesus Inn bringing with him those fine dining skills to create some of the best, elevated pub-food around. The Conesus Inn was one of the area’s best restaurants, famous for its prime rib, it closed in 2012.

 

Wednesday evening was a planned night out with the Penfield "girls" at Tom Wahls in Avon. For the last 5 or 6 years, while we are visiting NY, I have managed to get together with 4 or 5 girls that I graduated with. Some of us have been friends since grade school. Usually, we meet somewhere in Penfield, that gives me an opportunity to stop by the cemetery to see my folks graves. This year, we met in Avon. Which for me was very nice, because it saved me the 45-minute drive. Heidi and I have been friends since Indian Landing Elementary School. We met Karen in middle school, her mother Cindy has joined us a few times. Growing up, Cindy was our Girl Scout leader. Ann moved into the district in middle school and we met her there. We usually get to see Kim, but she opted for an anniversary dinner with her husband! It was a great evening reconnecting after 2-years, with lots of laughs!

It was an easy drive home for me and I got to enjoy a beautiful sunset!

Thursday July 30th, is is day 85 of our summer adventure and our grand-daughter, Natalee's, 18th birthday. Where does the time go? This is her high school graduation day, just a month ago!

Charlie and I enjoyed another breakfast with Jane Burnett, Deb & Dick Vallone. Dick & Deb are heading back to Florida soon. So, one last chance to spend sometime together!

Our evening was planned for beers & friends at Solitudes! We were supposed to go over at 5pm, but Charlie was thirsty by 3:30.... so when they opened at 4pm, we were there!

Solitudes is a craft brewery situated right near the north end of Conesus Lake. It has many nature-inspired beers, a tranquil semi-forested beer garden, and is the only brewery in Livingston County featuring rooftop seating with lake views. 

It was founded by Cal Hasler in late 2024. The inspiration came from a remote backcountry camping trip in Utah's Ashley National Forest near Chimney Rock, where Hasler reflected on the peace of nature and the desire to bring people together over great craft beer. The building was meticulously re-invented from a multi-use property that previously served as a gas station, butcher shop, and Pizza Hut Express, into the spacious indoor taproom with views of the brewing systems.

We were praying the rain and dreary day would break through, so we could enjoy the outdoor beer garden surrounded by woods. 

Our prayers were answered, it was a bit dreary when Charlie and I arrived, but as everyone started to show up, the clouds cleared and the sun came out!

It was nice that we had a big enough section of the beer garden for everyone to move around and visit with everyone there!

Royce is "hidden" by the sunlight! But, at least the sun came out!

Stay tuned for more Two Lane Adventures!

Day 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80 and 81 of 166 Days of RV Adventures in the Summer of 2026

This is the 3rd full week in July, that week is always when the Hemlock "Little World's" Fair is held. These upcoming days are going to be filled with helping our "camp host" Jimmy with what he needs.

On Monday July 20th, Charlie and I enjoyed breakfast at Leisure's, a local restaurant inside the Roadway Inn in Lakeville. When we spent the summers up here, it was the almost everyday spot for breakfast with a bunch of our friends from the fair! Ohhhh, the good ole days. Bud & Jim have passed, Jackie moved away, Fay has a tough time getting around, that just leaves Debbie, Charlie and I. Not much of a crowd anymore!

When we volunteered at the Hemlock Fair I had many different jobs, but my last position was the "ticket lady." I handled ordering the tickets, getting the tickets out to our community ticket sellers and filling fair board members requests for tickets. Each fair board member gets tickets and we are helping Jimmy get his out to his sponsors and volunteers.

Day 76 was Tuesday July 21st is day one of the fair. Before our day got busy, we enjoyed our morning coffee with the deer. 

Our daily delivery each day of the fair will be the cornhole boards that they raffle off before the grandstand event. We deliver them to the horseshoe beer stand. This set of cornhole boards was donated by a local gym, Rise and Grind. The boards are displayed all afternoon and they give-away tickets for the drawing. Our friends, Rick & Lynn Swift, run that beer stand.

We watched some of the Sire Stake Races. Sire Stakes races are highly prestigious horse racing series designed to encourage and reward the breeding of racing horses. Our events are funded heavily by local agricultural and breeding development funds, ensuring lucrative purses for eligible horses. Sire Stakes focus on Standardbred (harness) racing involving trotters and pacers pulling a driver in a sulky. Jimmy even gets a real bugler to start each race!

Charlie's sister-in-law, Joyce, came from a Sire Stakes racing family. Her Dad, Joe Robbins was a regular at these events. We say Joyce's sister Tammy, but she did not remember Charlie. Just before the final race, Charlie found Joyce's two sisters and was able to say hello. Their horse actually won the last race!

Wednesday July 22nd included for ticket deliveries and also the delivery of 250th cornhole boards to the fairgrounds. While we are there we occasionally see old friends! Sometime we eat and sometimes Charlie has a beer.

We enjoyed sitting outside our camper and watching more deer. Jimmy has about 8-acres of wooded land around his shop. Part of the land used to be a gravel pit. So, the wildlife is abundant!

The sunsets are always abundant here too.

Day 78 of our RV adventure was Thursday July 23rd. We delivered the cornhole boards and then we needed to run to Geneseo. The corn hole boards today were donated by a dedicated fair board member to highlight the work of the Teresa House. We also have a cooler full of goodies, donated by NAPA Livonia and the Gazinski family.

Charlie and I took tickets over to the Teresa House, so they could come to the fair to give the boards away tonight. Teresa House is a nonprofit, comfort care home located in Geneseo, NY. The facility is dedicated to providing compassionate end-of-life care. As the only facility of its kind in Livingston County, it serves a nine-county region, addressing the physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of terminally ill residents and their families. Because the home is supported entirely by community donations and an extensive volunteer network, families never receive a bill for the care provided.

We made a trip back to the Fairgrounds, because tonight is the first of two nights of truck & tractor pulls. Out friends, Sheila & Randy, are big into these pulls. Sheila has set them up for years, when she was on the board. Randy does the announcing for the pulls. We wanted to opportunity to see them before the pulls started. Our two nights of pulls are operated by The New York Tractor Pullers Association (NYTPA.) They are New York State's premier sanctioning body for professional tractor and truck pulling. The classes that are pulling tonight are Super Farm, TWD Trucks, and 4.1 Limited Pro.

Friday July 24th, there are only two days left of the 2026 Hemlock "Little World's" Fair. Today's corn hole boards were donated by NAPA Auto Parts of Dansville and Mount Morris. A local family, the Rossboroughs, own both locations. We dropped them off and went to Livonia to do some errands for Jimmy.

We headed back over to the fairgrounds later in the afternoon, because I have to meet the gentleman that is singing the National anthem before the main event in the grandstand to get him into the fairgrounds. He is coming from Rochester, near where I grew up. That was just too far to drive to drop off tickets. Before I went to the gate to meet him, we enjoyed a late lunch at the fairgrounds. Charlie enjoyed a burger from Livonia Rotary stand and beer. I had a peanut butter cup milkshake from the Farm Bureau stand.

The Livonia Rotary Club operates under the core global Rotary mission to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders." Locally, the club channels this mission through the foundational motto of "Service Above Self," focusing heavily on hands-on community improvement, civic engagement, and local health support. They operate two food stands at the fair, which is a big fundraiser for them. Thank you Gina Horan Reflections for this photo!

It is the second night of the Hemlock Fair NYTPA Truck & Tractor pull. We have some great pullers coming in tonight. The classes running tonight are 4.1 tractors, modified tractors, 4x4 Trucks and Super stock tractors. We stayed for a while and ran into Mark & Lisa Walworth. Their son and our son, Chris, hung together in high school. It was great to catch up with them. They do winter, part of the time, in Venice Florida.

The last day of the fair is Saturday July 25th and it is always a big day! In past years they have always had two days of demo derbies. Tuesday and Saturday. But, this year, they are only having one on Saturday. It will be a big one! Jimmy has over 50 pre-registrations for derby cars. Jimmy accepts that he will get another 25 entries to come in today. 

We delivered the last boards today around noontime. These boards are my favorite. They were donated by Mill Creek Optical. It's a local optometry shop in Dansville. Jenni Leuzzi is a NYS licensed Optician with over 40 years of experience. Jenni started her optical shop in 1996 in her home so she could be available to her 4 kids while she raised them.  Her success was unexpected!  In 2016 Jenni and her husband John bought and refurbished a downtown Dansville 1860's building, finishing the shop with a funky vintage feel including lots of local antiques & memorabilia. She specializes in customer service!  From making repairs to in-home visits for the less mobile-she can accommodate. I love their logo, their are colorful cats. When Jenni founded the business, she balanced building the practice with keeping a busy household that included two cats, a dog, and three goats. Because the boutique specializes in fun, vibrant, and unique eyewear, a stylized, colorful pop-art cat wearing oversized glasses was chosen for the official "Colorful Cat" branding assets. The playful logo perfectly matches the shop's retro, antique-filled, and family-oriented atmosphere.

We came back to the RV for a while. We tried to go back over around 4pm, the demo starts at 4:30pm. We came the backroads from where we are staying. We hit the main road that takes you to the fairgrounds and the traffic backed up about a mile up route 15A towards Rochester. We decided to turn left and make a square and head back tot he RV, instead of turning left into the long line of traffic working their way into the fairgrounds! I will share a picture from earlier in the week, the parking crew, led my pastor Matt Finch, has done an exceptional job. I am sure that they are getting the cars in as quickly as possible! See the straight rows his team created! We have been in the fair for the super crowded Saturday nights in past years, no need to subject ourselves to that tonight, when we can relax at home!

Sunday July 26th is a big clean-up day at the fairgrounds. We were up enjoying coffee with EJ. EJ is as close to a son that Jimmy will ever have. EJ is always around working out in the gym he built in an old garage or helping Jimmy. At about 9:30am, Jimmy comes out, we all say "we did not hear you pull in." He said I just got up! That never happens! Jimmy slept in! Jimmy enjoyed some coffee and then headed over to get the equipment back to the farm that he borrowed from the fair.

We headed over to visit Tony, Donny & Donna. We saw this button buck chasing a young doe across the field. Margo and Natalee were out shopping for SUNY Brockport gear for Natalee. She is going to be a "golden eagle" in the fall! I was a "golden eagle" too. I graduated in 1987 with a BS in Technical Theatre and a minor in Military Science. Brockport operates as a comprehensive four-year college within the State University of New York (SUNY) system, offering affordable, high-quality education with a strong emphasis on hands-on learning, undergraduate research, and community involvement. It is a quintessential college town. The main 464-acre campus sits along the historic Erie Canal and it's a short walk to the Village of Brockport.

We enjoyed afternoon beers at No BS with Dawn & Dana. Charlie and I got there a bit before Dawn and Dana, because he was working on the flat tow system on his new tow car. Randy & Sheila could not make it, because he was announcing another tractor pull in Pulteney NY. On Facebook, I had seen the Strawberry Dragon fruit hard seltzer it was a brilliant pink! I had to try one. They were out the "We The People" light lager Charlie has been drinking, so he went for the Conesus Lake IPA. 

Charlie stayed with the IPA. I tried the other hard seltzer they have on tap, the Pina Colada hard seltzer. It was good, but I liked the Strawberry Dragon Fruit better.

Stay tuned for more Two Lane Adventures.