New Carlisle, OH to Niagra Falls, NY

After receiving routing recommendations from the Leonards we began the daylong journey from southwest Ohio to northwest NY travelling through more cornfields, and eventually into wine country in northwest PA and NY. Arrived in Buffalo late in the afternoon and when we got to the tollbooth to cross the Niagra River to Grande Island where we had reservations we found ourselves in a 6 lane traffic jam and at nearly a standstill-a good thing as the people in their vehicles on either side of us wanted to tell us about our bicycles and spare tire which were apparently about ready to come off the back bumper of the camper! Traffic was such that we just had to trust that these items would remain attached until we could get across that bridge and find a place to stop and make whatever repairs might be indicated. Once onto the bridge the 1st sign we see is: "Rough Road" -exactly what we weren't hoping for! But we edged our way off the bridge and onto the shoulder of the road. When Hank went to examine our latest "issue" he found he needed my assistance. Along our whole journey that day we had experienced some rather rough patches of road and the bumper took all that it could then started to split away from the frame of the camper-just enough to make the bikes bounce! So....we took the bikes off the bumper and put them inside the camper-hoping that we could get to our campground without destroying the inside of the camper. The spare tire went in the back of the car and we were on our short way to the campground! (We'll deal with the tired bumper on the camper when we get to NH. The bikes will have to ride in the car with us and the spare tire-after the front wheels are removed. ) We set up and got some dinner, then drove into Niagra Falls. Many years ago I had seen the Falls from the Canadian side, but I don't remember ever seeing them from the American side-it was about time I did! It was a delightful evening and we wandered along the paths with 40 kabillion other tourists-most of them from foreign lands was my assumption after hearing many languages! Took lots of photos of various aspects of the falls while we waited for darkness so we could see the lighting effects. Since we had been there an observation deck was constructed near the Maid of the Mist docks and fighting with those 40 kabillion visitors for a place by the railing was a challenge that neither of us felt up to-so we gave it up as a lost cause! Our photos taken when the lights were on the falls are a dissapointment, but at least we saw them!