Day 40: Niagara Falls, Canada to Herkimer, NY

Friday July 22

Friday July 22 finds us making our way back into the United States.  It is so hot and humid that we do not get as early a start as we had hoped.  We leave the campground around 10:45am and while its only 90 degrees, it feels so much warmer due to the oppressive humidity.  We wish we had more time to go back to Niagara Falls since Alexandria loved it so much, but we have to move on.  We do get a nice view of the falls from the Rainbow Bridge, while we are waiting to get through US customs and get stuck in traffic waiting to get back home.  The customs official actually asks Scott to open the camper for him and wants to see the girls’ room.  Unfortunately there isn’t any room for us to put out the slide and he comments that “I guess you’re not transporting any people back there”.  Once we get through customs we need gas but the Next Exit book is not showing any diesel for awhile.  Hard to believe, coming into Buffalo that we are not finding fuel.  We are as low as we have been on the trip and getting nervous.  We bought fuel in Port Huron just before we went into Canada and did not want to buy fuel in Canada but now we are thinking that was a mistake.  Finally we find fuel, with about 30 more miles to go- too close to empty for us. 

Heading back to USA

We hear on the radio that the NY freeway has been shut down ahead of us and we need to take a detour for several exits.  We stop for lunch at a rest area and get a map and information on the detour.  Fortunately by the time we arrive there, they have reopened the highway to all traffic.  Even with the detour we do not experience any more traffic than normal.  We arrive at the Herkimer KOA campground around 6pm and it is still very humid.  I have an intense headache so I lie down and let Scott set up the camper.  We head out for dinner and discover that Herkimer, NY is a very small town with not much to do or see, other than the 2 diamond mines.  We settle on a pizza and take it back to the campground to eat dinner.  This is the first stop where we have taken the bikes out of the camper.  Even though it is very humid, the girls enjoy riding bikes.  In fact, Isabella has outgrown her bike and Scott adjust Alexandria’s bike for her and Lexi rides my bike.  Guess it is time for a new bike!