19 BALTIMORE PROPELLER CLUB CRAB FEST, DELAWARE WATER GAP,

August 11 Thursday

A beautiful day for the Baltimore Propeller Club Crab Fest, and we made it right on time.  Thanks to Chuck Donofrio and UTC Overseas for inviting Reyna and me.




Conrad’s Ruth Villa, 3301 Edwards Lane, Middle River, MD

  





Thanks again to Chuck Donofrio and UTC for inviting Reyna and me.



Part of a bucket of beer left and lots of crab parts.  All you can eat served 6 at a time.  Reyna and I may have had 2nds or 3rds.

We left the Crab Fest and headed back north on I-95 toward Trenton, NJ where we had appointment on Friday at R.E. Carroll Company.   

August 12 Friday

Another beautiful day on I-95.

 

We got to R.E. Carroll Company in Trenton without any trouble and met with Simon Bula and Denise Bush.  R.E. Carroll provides the rubber industry, as well as other industries, with quality raw materials, fillers, extenders and petroleum products.  We help them with warehouse and distribution services.

Simon Bula and Reyna on a tour of R.E. Carroll’s warehouse.

7926 

Some souvenirs from race cars fueled by R.E. Carroll methanol.

Totes and empty drums in R.E. Carroll’s immaculate warehouse.  The totes had been filled from a tanker truck.

We went to lunch with Simon and Denise and discussed our route from Trenton to Buffalo, NY over the weekend.  I just checked and it’s a bit over 400 miles, and we had no particular plan in mind.  Denise mentioned Delaware Water Gap which I had never heard of.  What a GREAT tip.  Thanks Denise. 

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SR 31 going north from Trenton



on US46 still going north




Probably should have stopped to check it out – but didn’t.



Pretty typical diner design.  Just passing by

Delaware River in mid-summer.  I can't imagine how full it was after Hurricane Irene last year.  The Delaware Water Gap starts just around the bend in the river at the gap in the hills, which I think is the gap that gives the area it's name -- but I'm not swearing to that.

Kayakers, canoe folks, rafters and many others enjoy the river.

We drove past a produce stand and then decided after 3 or 4 miles to turn around and come back for some corn, as we expected to campout tonight after a week of motels and hotels, and didn't know whether we'd find another or a store ahead.  I liked their sunflowers.

US46 joined NJ94 /I-80 which parallels the Delaware River here on the east bank.

We exited the Interstate just before it crossed the Delaware and entered Pennsylvania, so we were in NJ when we entered the Delaware Water Gap via this one lane alternating direction (controlled by signals at each end) road.

The Delaware River runs through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area which straddles the river and includes both sides of the river in Pennsylvania and NJ.  The highest waterfalls for both states are in the Delaware Water Gap.  The Delaware River is one of the few free-flowing rivers in the eastern United States, and provides 10% of the nation’s population with drinking water. Since 1978, more than 37 miles of the river have been protected as a Wild and Scenic River.

Definitely one of the odder flowers I've seen anywhere.



 Structures from the mid 1800s.  Some were built here and others were moved here.



rebuilt in the 1970s from 1860s plans

Nice garden fenced from the critters and from hungry travelers.

I followed this guy around from outside the fence trying to get a decent picture and finally did get one out of the dozen I took.  Looks like birds have taken a couple pieces out of the wings.



 turned off highway onto this side road to Buttermilk Falls- said to be tallest in New Jersey





You drive right to base of the Falls.



Falls are right behind me.

I think this is Goldenrod.



Toll is $1.00 -- we're not in NYC anymore. Sign says bridge chartered in 1834.





Dingmans Falls – 130 feet tall and 2^nd highest in PA



Silver Thread Falls  - 80 feet tall

Part of Raymondskill Falls

 Another part of Raymondskill Falls

  It was getting toward dusk at about 8:15 when we left the Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area going northeast to Port Jervis, NY where we turned northwest on state highway 97 and ended up at Kittatinny Campgrounds in Barryville, NY on the Delaware River.  Canoeing, kayaking and rafting are big attractions here.  This being Friday night and only a few hours from New York city metropolitan area, the campground was pretty full and pretty noisy with folks relaxing.  The sites are close together as picture shows. 

I met my neighbor to the right of our site over a beer about 10 that night (wives in tents) and learned he was in the heating oil business and from Queens.  This was off-season for his business, so he was able to leave the city for weekend of “serenity”.  He was expecting 8 more folks to join him on Saturday.  We sure have different ideas of serenity.

 

It's serene on Saturday morning, but with folks to the left side of us waking up and our friend in the picture from Queens expecting 8 more, it wasn't going to stay serene too long.

  

Sad sign of the times.  Fortunately we were traveling with plenty of water, so no nuisance to us.

August 13 Saturday

Today is Saturday and we are heading diagonally northwest across central New York Finger Lakes area to Buffalo.  Except the Lakes are between us and Buffalo, so a bit of zigzagging and wandering ahead.