Finger Lakes and Niagara Falls

[BigV]

Originally Posted by glatt

We may have waited too long to make all the hotel reservations. We had a few days here and there to fill in, and the hotels we wanted in some of the smaller towns have been all booked.

Some of the Trip Advisor reviews are saying gas workers in the fracking fields are filling up these hotels, so it may always be like this.

You really can't take spontaneous trips to small towns and expect there to be vacancies!

We're still doing the trip, but need to adjust plans a bit here and there.

Is camping an option for you guys?

[glatt]

Not this time. We don't want to carry that much stuff. Especially through a border crossing. I know there is tons of good camping there though.

[glatt]

We've since got hotel rooms lined up. Different hotels in different towns.

[Griff]

I was camping/riding with a kid who lifeguards at Treman State Park, that's a good one as well but they've had to close the swimming a couple times after heavy rain due to e coli from upstream cows... I believe they test the water daily.

[glatt]

One last question.
We're going to be in Canada for an afternoon, overnight, and the following morning. We're paying with a credit card for the hotel and meals. Should I change any cash into Canadian $? I can't think of any reason to need Canadian cash, but is there something I'm not thinking of?

I'm going to the AAA office on my lunch break today, and can change money there.

[Perry Winkle]

We were in rural Alberta, CA for a week 2 years ago. Had no problems using plastic.

[Undertoad]

Tipping?

Buying food or things from street vendors?

[glatt]

I decided against it. I walked over to AAA and got a couple maps. Always good to have a paper map in case the GPS is acting wonky.

[orthodoc]

Plastic should be good. Be sure to call your credit card company ahead of time to warn them you'll be using the card outside the US. If you don't, and you charge for gas, it'll be inactivated.

[Jacquelita]

Foreign transaction fees may apply

[glatt]

I might post the occasional picture on this trip.

[Sundae]

Probably too late, but pretty much everyone I know takes plastic abroad.
If your credit/ debit card charges, then get a prepay. You will always get a better rate of exchange withdrawing from an ATM in your country of destination than you will in changing money. Well, I admit my knowledge is based on UK/ European banks

I used ATMs in Amsterdam because many, many places don't take plastic there - odd in a capital city but perhaps because fraud has been a big problem. But at the time there was a zero charge for using LINK cards anywhere. Since the banking crisis I believe this has changed. In fact British banks are now even floating the idea of charging for current accounts. So I'll be withdrawing my wages in full once a month and putting them under my mattress...

More pictures. Moar, moar, moar.
Toilets and food and landmarks and family mugging for the camera and a travelogue when you get back please. Never been to Canada and would like your take on it as a furriner but neighbour.

[Clodfobble]

Why is the bridge crooked? Am I missing something?

[BigV]

crooked??

do you mean the appearance of a bell shaped entrance to the covered bridge?

maybe a wider path narrows to the width of the bridge? maybe it's distortion from the wide lens?

maybe I don't know what you're talking about.

[Flint]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

Why is the bridge crooked? Am I missing something?

It's not leaning sideways, it's leaning forward. Observe the triangle created at the fenceposts.