Niagara Falls is the collective noun for three waterfalls which straddle the international border between the Canadian province of Ontario and the American state of New York.

About 10,000 years ago, the falls were created by the Wisconsin glaciation. When the ice melted, the upper Great Lakes emptied into the Niagara River, which followed a re-arranged topography across the Niagara Escarpment. In time, the river cut a gorge and because of the interactions of three major rock formations, the rocky bed did not erode evenly.

During peak tourist hours, more than six million cubic feet (168,000 m) of water goes over the crest of the falls every minute. According to the timeline of the far future, in roughly 50,000 years Niagara Falls will have eroded away the remaining 20 miles (32 km) to Lake Erie and will cease to exist!

The Horseshoe Falls border the international boundary between Canada and the US, are 2,600 feet (790 m) wide and have a drop of 180 feet (57 m).

The American Falls are solely within the US, are 1060 feet (320 m) wide and have a drop of between 70 and 100 feet (21 to 30 m) because of the presence of giant boulders at the base.

Thank you, dear LeAnn, who gave us the best advice ahead of our visit … take your passports, park the car on the American side of the falls, walk across Rainbow Bridge into Canada, board the Hornblower boat, put on your rain coat and enjoy the thrill. We did, and, amazingly, there appeared a rainbow in front of rainbow bridge!

American author, James Fenimore Cooper, lived most of his life in Cooperstown, New York, a town originally founded by his father. Cooper served in the US Navy as a midshipman, an experience that was to influence many of his novels and other writings. Cooper’s best-known works are five historical novels of the frontier period known as the Leatherstocking Tales, but among his most famous works is the romantic novel The Last of the Mohicans, often regarded as his masterpiece.

Other than learning about the history of baseball, and Cooperstown is where it all began in 1839 by Abner Doubleday who is credited with inventing the game, the town is blessed with a beautiful body of water known as the Otsego Lake. Cooper referred to it as Glimmerglass Lake in his series of Leatherstocking Tales, which is the native-American name.

The lake is beautiful with crystal clear water which is the source of the Susquehanna River, the longest river on the east coast draining into the Atlantic Ocean. All the usual water-based activities are popular in the summer season including fishing for Rainbow Trout, Atlantic Salmon and Walleye (which Mike and I love to eat when we’re in Wisconsin and which is similar to a Cod/Plaice mix). There is also the Glimmerglass State Park that overlooks the lake, which we didn’t visit as the weather wasn’t playing ball!

Lake Otsego – beautiful, even on a rainy and overcast day!

As baseball fever crossed the nation, newspapers and magazines exposed people to the game and the early reporting of the 1850s focused on the scores and statistics.

The media eagerly supplied dramatic coverage on rumours, rivalries and records. Advances in printing technologies enabled images to enhance the words, showing readers the action on the field and putting faces to the names they admired.

Spurred by the Industrial Revolution, baseball mirrored the emerging American culture of making everything bigger and better to gain a competitive edge.

Both the desire to win and the concern for safety pushed innovations in equipment. New rules streamlined the game and struck a competitive balance between batting and pitching.

Business seized the opportunity to turn baseball into a money-making machine. Memorabilia invaded every market – from books and music to playing cards and board games. Baseball wasn’t just a fad, it was everywhere, and it was here to stay!

Mike and I spent a very enjoyable day in Cooperstown, New York, home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Above is the ball from the first series of games where an admission was charged – September 10, 1858!

George Herman “Babe” Ruth Jr. is considered by many to be the greatest baseball player of all time. He began his career as a stellar left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, but achieved his greatest fame as a slugging outfielder for the New York Yankees. In 1936, Ruth was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

After five days of rain, thankfully the skies turned blue as we set off from Essex Junction in Vermont heading to Glenville, New York where we are now staying.

For most of our journey, we poodled along highway 22A south which is a two-lane road through magnificent countryside, made even more spectacular by the splashes of autumn colour appearing here and there.

One thing is certain, there is absolutely no shortage of trees in Vermont! Mile after mile that’s all you see, oh, and farm dwellings, but glorious trees and tree-lined mountains!

The day was made extra special by my eldest brother face-timing me to let me know that I am now a great-aunt! How neat is that! My nephew, Tom, and his partner, Christine welcomed a baby boy this afternoon. Mother and baby (no name as yet) are both doing well! My first great-nephew. My brother is now a first-time Grandpa and my nephew is a first-time Dad!

What a special week on the calendar this is: My Mum’s birthday was on the 2^nd, my brother-in-law’s birthday was on the 3^rd and now my great-nephew’s birthday will be on the 5^th! Hello October!

Driving down the road with Lake Champlain in the distance!

This was our view for most of our journey! It doesn’t get much better than that! 

In Vermont they call it “leaf peeping,” a phrase which is one-part awkward and one-part charming, as if the people doing the looking are catching nature in flagrante!

Technically they aren’t wrong as “in flagrante” translates from Latin to “in blazing.” I believe that the stately mountains of Vermont and its undulating forests in autumn are ablaze with colour, so, I have read. I have certainly seen magnificent yellows, some striking oranges and a little red here and there, but I am hoping that on our drive tomorrow through the winding, forested roads of the state, that I will experience and be able to capture the magnificent fall colour that this state is famed for.

They call those coming in from out-of-state to witness the vibrant colours of the autumn foliage “leaf peepers.”  I took this picture opposite a supermarket near where we are staying. The vibrancy of the colour is spectacular!

In chatting with a colleague at dinner tonight, I learned about Vermont’s famed covered bridges, who knew! I hope that I am unable to share a real-life picture with you tomorrow as if I am then we will have had to turn around or even worse unhook, turn around and find somewhere accessible to cross! 

The above is a borrowed picture from the internet. Covered bridges were built to ensure that in winter snow didn’t build-up on the bridge causing the bridge to collapse from the additional weight!

Finally, after four days of rain, it stopped long enough for Mike and me to venture out this afternoon and see what’s around!

Just down the road from where we are staying is the very pretty town of Burlington, home to the University of Vermont and, as with so many college towns, lots of trendy eateries and boutique shops. We enjoyed some rather interesting ice-cream – I had maple syrup and salt and Mike tucked into rhubarb and star anise!

Burlington borders Lake Champlain from the Vermont side. The lake is 120 miles long, 12 miles wide at its widest point and has a shore line of over 550 miles! Named after Samuel de Champlain, a 17^thFrench explorer, it is a natural freshwater lake within the borders of the US in the states of Vermont and New York but partially situated across the Canada-US border, in the Canadian province of Quebec.

Sadly, the weather was overcast and dreary, but one can imagine on a good day the magnificent photographic opportunities that would keep any amateur photographer busy for a lifetime. Sunrises, sunsets, sailing ships……………what more does one want!

A rather poor, and grainy picture taken on my iPhone. You can see how dark it is! Perhaps tomorrow will be better and note to self – don’t forget your camera!

Here we are in Tiffinville – just us and 314 other Tiffin coaches!  It really is a sight to behold, and if it ever stops raining, I’ll take some pictures!

The Tiffin Motor Home company was started in 1972 by Bob Tiffin and it remains a privately owned company with Mr. Tiffin at the helm, ably assisted by his three sons.

Wherever you go, and whomever you talk too, the saying is always the same. If you buy a Tiffin Motor Home then, whatever happens to it, long after the warranties expire, call Bob and he will arrange to get it fixed, anytime, any place.

Mr. Tiffin is an old-school gentleman who has based his reputation on his relationship with his customers. He attends all the rallies where he bases himself in one of the new rigs on show, and is available each day to discuss whatever you want. In his shirt pocket is a notebook and you bring suggestions, issues and ideas that he’ll record and look into.

From Left: Amanda (the blogger), Mr. Bob Tiffin and Mike. I shared with Mr. Tiffin that the photo was for my blog and that my family and friends in England would read about him. He shared that his descendants were originally from Carlisle, England who emigrated to the US and that one of his ancestors was the first governor of Ohio, Mr. Edward Tiffin. Not only that, but there is also a town in Ohio called Tiffin named in the Governor’s honour! 

Mike and I were both working today helping the organizers of the Tiffin Motor Home Rally. Mike was driving one of the golf carts and I was assigned to work with the very lovely Carlton Moore on what was a weather-proofed hayride!

The rally is taking place at the Essex Junction fairground, it’s pretty huge, but pretty basic, so, when it rains, as it did today, it can get pretty muddy, pretty quickly!

Carlton is the boss for the hayride, which over the weekend, was great with its open sides and no roof. After the rain today, it was going to be very wet and muddy for everyone, so quick-thinking Carlton and my co-volunteer Larry Hasiak, washed the hayride down and rigged-up tarpaulin (tarp) over the roof and the sides to keep everyone dry.

It turns out that Carlton and I had more in common than we first thought. We both worked for the same oil company in our careers! Carlton was based in Decatur, Georgia and before I left the company we were taking our first look at the state for a potential wind farm!

The answer to yesterday’s question: Montpelier, the state capital of Vermont, is the only capital in the US that does not have a McDonalds, something that the other 49 state capitals have!

From Left: Carlton Moore, me and co-volunteer Dave Fisher who was driving a golf cart today. It was pretty cold out there hence my Michelin-man look!

Yesterday a hayride, today an enclosed, dry people carrier! 

Vermont is a state in the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York to the west and the Canadian province of Quebec to the north.

The state is 160 miles long and 80 miles wide and is the smallest state by population in the nation. It is famed for its production of maple syrup, producing over 500,000 gallons a year. Forty years are required to grow a sugar maple tree large enough to tap the syrup. A tree, ten inches in diameter, is considered minimum tappable size for one tap and it takes 4-5 taps to produce enough maple sap (40 gallons) to produce one gallon of syrup.

As you drive across Vermont, you appreciate the real beauty of the state, particularly at this time of year when the trees are changing colour. But it’s not until you stop, that you realize that you are able to enjoy the magnificent rolling hills and mountains because of the unrestricted view – billboard advertising is not allowed in the state! (billboard advertising are the adverts placed on a really tall stands that sit everywhere along roadways across the US).

This hedge-row was outside the supermarket that I visited today. I couldn’t resist taking a picture as the autumn red-colour is simply stunning!

Your question? The capital of Vermont is Montpelier. Montpelier is the only state capital in the nation that does not have a what?

I’ll include the answer in tomorrow’s blog!