RVing With a Purpose

Letchworth State Park

Monday, July 22, 2024

After enjoying our extended time at the Huddle and Bath, Thursday July 18 was our day to say our final goodbyes. We did our usual morning walk, (try to get about 5,000 steps in the morning before it gets too hot) said goodbye and made our way to Letchworth State Park in Castile, NY. We arrived before lunch and really didn’t know what to expect. We had no reservations but had learned from some friends that it was a great park, and we would probably need a couple of days to do it justice. Cost to enter park $10.00 which we had to pay before we could go see if there were any camp sites available. We made our way to the campground check-in to see if there was any possibility of getting a site for a night or two. We really were not very hopeful. This is when the God winks began. We walked up to one of the two windows to get some additional information about the camping and the park. Of course, early in the conversation the ranger asked us where we were from (Seems we talk a little differently than most of his customers.) Surprise, the ranger’s grandmother lived in Eva, AL, which is just a few minutes from where Anne worked at Cullman Internal Medicine. So after visiting with the ranger for a bit, we learned that even though usually you must make online reservations at this park, they do usually have a few walk-up sites available after 3pm. So, we could wait and see if maybe there was anything available at 3:00. After a little more conversation about the park and things we should do there, the ranger said, “we have a hidden site that I can let you have for two nights.” Seems the park keeps a few sites off their rental list to use for emergencies, VIPs or when they must move someone from another site for some reason. What are the chances that we would “happen” to walk up to a ranger in New York whose grandmother lived in Eva and we could have great conversation about the small German town of Cullman? God wink one! Anne began giving him all the necessary registration information when Max began talking to another camping couple who were in an Ekko RV. By the time Anne completed the registration process, Max was in deep conversation about NOMADS with the couple. They were newly retired (1 month) and are looking for some purpose for their travels. By the end of the conversation, they had a brochure and instructions on signing up. God wink two! Don’t know if they will join but we just keep sowing seeds. God just asks that we be faithful in sharing Him with others.

This campground has a nice camp store – the only one we have seen that has a produce and baked goods stand.

After going to our wonderful camp site, we went to the visitor center for maps and to see the displays.

New York State Parks are celebrating 100 years now.

As we were entering the Visitor Center, we stopped to talk to a maintenance man who was hanging a sign. He was very proud of this map box he had built to look like the building. If you look carefully, you can see he embedded “LSP” in rocks on the side. He also seemed pleased (and somewhat surprised) that someone would stop to thank him for his work.

We know someone who needs this bench on their front porch.

From there we began our viewing of some of the larger of the many waterfalls in Letchworth. First, we visited the upper falls, 70 feet tall. Part of the beauty of that waterfall comes from the arched rail bridge over the Genesee River. We climbed up to the rail bridge where we saw some of the remains of the old bridge. However, for those of you who climbed the Watkins Glen steps, this was even more steps! Next we hiked down to middle falls. This one, 107 feet high and most afternoons you can see a beautiful rainbow in the mist. Letchworth is pretty smart because they have an ice cream vender between the upper and middle falls. Most of you know – we hike for ice cream! Oregon blackberry cheesecake ice cream is mighty fine. Lower falls were a little harder to find. Another 70 foot water fall. After all that hiking it was time to return to our camp site. It was a long and active day – 8.27 miles and 22,464 steps. Time for bed.

Upper Falls with the arch bridge that was designed to not detract from the beauty.

The Arch Bridge is the third bridge to cross the river just above the Upper Falls. The first was a wooden trestle that burned. The second was steel but had pilings in the river. Some remains of the second bridge are kept on the property for viewing.

The Letchworth house, which is now an inn, was built so Middle Falls could be seen from the front yard.

Canada geese feeding at the top of Middle Falls

The Mount Morris dry dam is only to control flooding on the Genesee River. Hopefully, they have time to move the earth moving equipment before it starts holding back water again.

One of many scenic views along Park Road

The remainder of our time at the park, Friday and Saturday, we visited the Nature Center, Museum, the Mt Morris Dry dam, hiked some shorter trails and revisited the Upper and Middle falls and of course the ice cream vendor.

This is a real mastodon fossil on display in the park museum. It was found by a farmer not far from the park.

In the Nature Center we learned that salt is still mined here.

After two busy days hiking, we sat at the Nature Center for a while and watched the bird feeders. Among many others, we saw this rose breasted grosbeak (identified by the nature center employee at a Baltimore oriole)…

… and this goldfinch and red-bellied woodpecker sharing a feeder.

Historic Tiffany Designed Sanctuary

Sunday, July 21, 2024

The huddle officially ended Monday, July 15. We have learned just how hard it is to say all the goodbyes and be able to get out of the campground on time so we now, along with many others stay over until at least Tuesday morning. We had some work to do for Sheila and some things we still wanted to see in the area, so we stayed until Thursday, July 18.

By staying a couple of extra days we finally had a chance to use the RV park’s mini golf course.

Wednesday morning, we visited the First Presbyterian Church of Bath. Wow! Some church history first. This church formed in 1808 and erected their first little white church with a 100-foot spire at East Morris Street in 1825. At the time it was the only church in Bath, NY and the first spire in Steuben County. In 1853 the little white church was enlarged and remodeled. In the 1870’s the church was torn down, and a Venetian Gothic church built with native stone was erected in the same location. The exterior of the church still looks much like it did in 1877 when the church was dedicated. When church member, John Davenport, died in 1895 his brother hired Tiffany Glass Company of New York to remodel the sanctuary. First Presbyterian, Bath, is one of five remaining churches with an entirely Louis Comfort Tiffany designed interior. It is gorgeous. Of particular note are the Tiffany acorn light fixtures, the geometric stained glass Tiffany windows and the detailed inset mosaics of the chancel rail and pulpit. There are still original gas lamps that have been converted to electric, hanging in the sanctuary and narthex. Pictures can’t really do this justice, but we took them anyway. You should put this on your bucket list. We are so thankful we saw the flyer that was in the campground office! Currently they give tours on Wednesdays from 10:00-1:00.

The tour starts with a history of the first building as shown by this model.

There are many mosaic decorations around the sanctuary such as this panel behind the pulpit. They look like tile …

Our guide told us there are over 30,000 pieces of Tiffany glass inlaid in the front of the pulpit.

Scripture and embossed metal details around one of the Tiffany glass windows above the pulpit

Our guide told us this lamp in the narthex won a first prize at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. It has also been loaned out to museums from time to time. It has been converted from gas to electric.

The acorn lamps were also converted from gas to electric.

Interments of ashes are allowed in the church. Notice the scripture.

After the fabulous tour of the church, we visited the nice but small farmers market across the street. The same park the Switch Crew clean up and placed mulch on Friday. Good job crew!

The yellow beans we bought at the market

New York Huddle

Saturday, July 20, 2024

(This post was delayed because we have had almost no connectivity for the last couple of days.)

With our last post, we had just arrived at Hickory Hill Camping Resort in Bath, NY for a Switch It Up Huddle. We arrived on Wednesday, July 10, a day before the Huddle began but many of our friends were already there. Jack and Mary, who were parked across the street, greeted us when we arrived. We appreciated Jack letting us know that the area was currently under a severe thunderstorm watch. Being in BB, (Beyond Blessed, our class B RV) it took us only a few minutes to be settled in our site and all was safe and secure before the storm arrived. We thought we left that sort of weather in Alabama. There was no damage in Bath but we understand there were some tornadoes north of us.

After our Bible Study group meeting on Wednesday night, we were free to explore, rest and visit with friends until Thursday afternoon when the Huddle began. There were lots of hugs as we visited with friends we had not seen for a while.

We were ambassadors at this huddle, meaning we were responsible for greeting and shepherding seven of the first-time couples. We had great fun meeting and getting to know our “newbies” and hope they enjoyed the huddle. We look forward to meeting them again down the road.

This huddle in NY was another amazing experience and we thank Todd, Shelia, and all the rest of the crew for the great food, fun adventures and new friends.

There were campfire gatherings almost every night (when it wasn’t raining).

After our opening dinner on Thursday night, we were up early Friday for breakfast and then off to work at our “give back”. We had three projects for the village of Bath. About twenty-five worked with us at the school, clearing a fence row – a long fence row. Others worked downtown at the city park. There one group worked painting a gazebo and another group cleared out around the trees and put in mulch.

The high school property where we worked

Many hands make light work. Okay, it really wasn’t that light, but we got more done than the school expected.

The finished fence row. The maintenance supervisor told us he didn’t even know the wooden railing was there.

The downtown park where another part of the crew worked

We were all hot and tired but after lunch headed to Watkins Glen State Park. What a beautiful area. Just the drive from Bath to the park was so beautiful and when we began hiking the gorge it was amazing. The hike was challenging, and the two of us made it harder by walking up and back down the gorge rather than taking the shuttle one way, but glad we could do it. The entire Watkins Glen area is just so beautiful and if you haven’t been you should add it to your bucket list.

One of the waterfalls you walk behind on the Gorge Trail

After sleeping really well after the give back and our hike, our adventure for Saturday was the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, NY. We could have spent two days and still not seen it all. We particularly enjoyed watching some of the artists and visitors doing some glass blowing.

A museum visitor experiencing glass blowing

The picture doesn’t do it justice but this layered glass sculpture is a 3-D ocean scene with fish swimming around a reef.

There is even a Dave Chihuly (Google it) sculpture in the museum. We saw some of his work in Laurel, MS when we worked there a few years ago.

Of course we had to get a picture of the glass polar bear.

These glass insects are only about 3″ long. The delicate details are amazing.

Some of you might not appreciate this one.

Saturday evening was the potluck where we always have a good time sharing great food. We finished off the day munching on popcorn and watching a movie on the big screen at Todd and Sheila’s RV.

The most important time of the Huddle is Sunday morning when we have worship. Dellynn, Jason and family provided the worship music followed by Shelia sharing the message from her heart. You could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. Hearts were touched. Lives were changed.

We had one more dinner together Sunday night in the peaceful setting of a vineyard out in the country. The hugs and goodbyes began Sunday night after dinner but Monday morning when we gathered for coffee and doughnuts there were hugs, tears, and pictures galore. We don’t know when we will be together again but…until then safe travels to all and we will keep you in our prayers.

Kentucky Artisan Center, Berea, KY

Sunday, July 14, 2024

After a few days with family in South Carolina we moved back into BB and headed to Middlebury, Indiana to have some upgrades done on the van. Of course, we had to get our first Chick-fil-A peach shakes of the year before we left.

On the way to Indiana we overnighted in Berea, Kentucky. Coincidentally, just before the trip one of the YouTube channels we watch posted a video about the Kentucky Artisan Center in Berea. We delayed our next day travel for a couple of hours to visit the center. We are glad we did. The Artisan Center is a state agency that supports local artists and provides a place for travelers to shop for unique craft items and art pieces. It is a fascinating place.

There were several displays of ceramic pieces.

We wondered if hanging this in our RV window would keep the real cardinals for attacking their reflections.

The Center also has various food products …

… but we don’t think we will try this pepper jelly.

We had another productive visit to the Coachmen factory service center and after some good Amish food we drove to Bath, New York for a Switch It Up huddle. More about that next time.