Well, I'm off to Buffalo on Wednesday, June 17. Will do Barcelona to Dunkirk to Buffalo along Lake Ontario to Rochester to Selkirk, to the Thousand Islands and Ogdensburg. Should see a lot of lights. Those of you who know where I am going will be able to visualize what I'll see. Have done the other Great Lakes, but not Lake Ontario.

Should be great to get away from KC and all our rain this month. Someone told me to be prepared for black flies! Eek! Hope Deep Woods Off will help me through that...

Will try to post photos upon my return.

docsweetie

It's been just as rainy up there. Be sure to try to eat at Dinosaur in Rochester and tell me how it compares to KC barbeque. bEST i'VE HAD SO FAR. Bradford Point LH is a treat. You could have bought it last year for 1.5 million.


Bob

Hi Bob,

Great! I'll take my rain gear... I'm starting to grow mold with all of our rain here...

Where is Dinosaur in Rochester? I love KC BBQ so I am always looking to compare.

Braddock Point - Hmm guess I missed a bargain huh???

I'll take pics. Thanks for the hints.

Docsweetie

We have had the pleasure of The Dinosaur in Syracuse even longer than Rochester or NY. The one in Rochester meets your travel needs better in this case:
http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/

5/23/09
Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - Good Morning America Weekend is asking Dinosaur Bar-B-Que fans to come to the restaurant Sunday morning for a celebration and a chance to be on national television.

This comes after viewers of 'Good Morning America Weekend' voted Dinosaur Bar-B-Que's ribs the best in the country.

The results will be announced Sunday morning on 'Good Morning America' as the show goes live from the restaurant on Willow Street in downtown Syracuse. GMA is asking the restaurant's fan to come on out before 7 a.m. and cheer them on as they make their second national television appearance on the popular morning show.

Saturday, as most of us were in the middle of breakfast, GMA featured Dinosaur's ribs in a segment on the best barbecue restaurants in the country. Dino was among four getting top honors in the unscientific pole. Cousin's BBQ in Fort Worth Texas, Woody's Smoke Shack in Des Moines Iowa, and Archibald's Barbeque in Northpole Alabama also made the list.
CLICK HERE to view the GMA segment.

Enjoy the lighthouses and the ribs!

I've been to the one in Syracuse. I went during my college search when my mom and I spent a night looking at SU. On the wall, which is covered with inscriptions, there's a note from me:

"Please accept me!"

Ended up I didn't even finish my application, since I got into my first choice (Fordham) early, but that's there for posterity now.

BTW, Doc, here's a travelogue of my journey along the same route in 2004. I went the other way, and the photos aren't that great in that early-century no-zoom digital camera way, but it might be fun to read.

http://gregfitzgerald.net/lighthouses/2004_april_seawaytrail.html

Black flies and black squirrels.

The next time the Bradys come through the area, JJ we will have to eat at Dinosaur BBQ.. Sue's favorite meal is ribs!! not this year but probably next summer so mark your calendar, JJ...

And we have never had a problem with a black flies or black squirrels on Lake Ontario, we have encountered them on Lake Superior before but not Lake Ontario!

Greg, I read through all your post. Good info there which I will use.

I've printed off the Dinosaurs map for Rochester. I've got binocs, maps, cold weather gear, and Penrose's Travelers Guide to 100 Eastern Great Lakes LIghthouses. Plus I've run off all the Lighthouse Keepers maps for Lake Ontario and the 1000 Islands. Hmm, overplanning???

Thanks, everyone, for all the info. Anything else I need???

Anyway, I'm off!

Docsweetie

Camera, lots of batteries and even more memory cards . . . I have also gotten to the point where I like to travel with the laptop (with maps on it) just in case. We have fired it up at least once in the past to figure out where we actually were in relation to where we wanted to be. And, a GPS has become a real helpful tool when out trying to find lights.

Have a great trip. Will look forward to hearing of your adventures.

There is no such thing as overplanning for a lighthouse trip.

On the subject of ribs, I have to mention The Rendezvous in Memphis. Presidents, Prime Ministers, and my daughter and I, have all walked down the alley and past the dumpster.

Well, I'm back from my trek to Upstate NY. Had a great time. Saw 34 lighthouses (using the Penrose book to check them off). From Barcelona on Erie to Buffalo to Ogdensburg on the St. Lawrence River. I used the Lighthouse Friends info and found every lighthouse without much trouble. For those of you who might be doing the lighthouses in Buffalo this summer, there is a lot of road construction on the Skyway so you have to really work at getting to the Coast Guard Station and harbour. Watch the signs.

It rained every day and was chilly, but when I got back home to Kansas City, I walked off the plane to 98 degrees! UGH!

My pictures did not turn out too well at first glance due to the cloudy and wet days, but I'll work on them with IPhoto and see what I can do.

Met a great dockmaster named Louie in Clayton, NY who gave me lots of good stories about the St. Lawrence River. Plus 1000 Island Dressing was born there in Clayton! Good piece of trivia to know...

Thanks, everyone for your hints. It was a wonderful adventure!

One more thing... Greg, I printed off your blog from your trip. It was very helpful. I enjoyed reading what you wrote about each of the lighthouses as I saw them. I agree with your statements about Tibbet being so isolated but pretty. You feel like you are on the end of the world...

They've just recently built lots wind turbines across from that location just to the north. I think they spoil the view and change the feeling about the area. There seems to be lots of controversy about the turbines.