Columbus Day and Canadian Thanksgiving
NY, Grand Island RV campsite, Branches of Niagara
Essential campsite equipment
If you are not from the East Coast, or Canada, you may be as ignorant as we were about this critical holiday weekend. We just assumed our no reservations, no schedule attitude would be just fine. We got lucky at Branches of Niagara Camp ground and Resort, because we only wanted one night, Thursday night. This is where we found out that Columbus Day weekend is prime tourist real estate. Add on the Canadians flocking across the border to celebrate their Thanksgiving (still not sure why they do that, but hey, they’re Canadian!) it was going to be challenging to find a place to stay for the weekend.
Thank Goodness for Branches, and for Harvest Hosts. First, Branches. One of the loveliest parks we have ever seen. Quiet, clean, green, with its own small lake and marshland. There are great facilities, so we managed to catch up on our laundry :) The campsites are quiet and relatively private. There is a pool and playground for kids, as well as row boats to take out on the lake. The park is only 15 minutes from Niagara Falls, and only 2 minutes from The Village Inn, my new favorite restaurant.
Amazing sunsets, Branches was one of the best sites we have stayed at.
Harvest Hosts is a membership organization for RV people. You pay $42 a year, and you can park your RV for free at various farms, breweries, vineyards, wineries, etc. across the country. They came to our rescue this holiday weekend for sure. I struck out at 3 wineries, because they were hosting weddings. But, I was successful at securing a spot at Boathouse Beer Garden along the Seneca Lake Wine Trail. We enjoyed a great day, and then pulled in to rest for the night. We walked over to the beer garden and heard some live music, met some people, before tucking in for the night. Tomorrow they are hosting their annual brew fest. Who will be able to participate all day, enjoy, and not have to drive? Oh, that would be us! Sunday night we are staying at the oldest bonded winery in the US...I feel like I have my money’s worth already :)
