It’s a bit peculiar to wake up in the bus, with it hurtling around, and not know where you are. The signs on the road indicated we were near a city, as the exits were named ‘Superior Ave’, and other such street names. But no idea which city…. Until I saw another sign for Cleveland Sanitation Services. So we’d reached Cleveland, Ohio, and about an hour later swung off the main road to a car park with a psychedelic toilet block and access to a lovely beach on Lake Erie. We did the usual toilet race then had breakfast and settled with chairs, ice cream, books, suntan lotion etc on the beach for a few hours’ R&R. Very nice!
Early afternoon we set off again in the direction of Buffalo and Niagara Falls, reaching there about 5.30 in the afternoon.
Unfortunately some of us were told by an official that the last trip on ‘Maid of the Mist’ was at 6, so we’d missed it. Shame. We went into town on the USA side from Goat Island where we were parked, and had a look at some of the Indian restaurants – one was a van and the other pretty empty…. so we went to the Hard Rock Cafe! and had a pretty good meal there. As luck would have it, or not, we then went down to the observatory point (8.19pm by this time) to take photos, and found we’d missed the REAL last boat which had sailed at 8pm. Bugger. 
In spite of all this, I found it a beautiful area and was glad not to have tried to go over the bridge to Canada, which was apparently much tackier and tourist-ridden. The river races down towards the two falls areas on either side of Goat Island, quite torrential and foaming green and white in places, and carrying whole tree trunks with it. The parkland on the US side is lovely and tranquil. A pretty spot.
Back at the bus again, some of us watched the fireworks while waiting for the return of those who’d walked across the bridge to Canada. Then we bedded down again, and set off into the night. I had a strange encounter at a toilet stop/petrol station: half-past three in the morning there I was in my pyjamas buying a bottle of water, getting bemused look from a guy who’d just bought petrol – sorry, gas. I then waited outside at the toilet when he came up to me and asked where we were headed. ‘New York’, I replied. ‘You serious? New York, New York?’ he asked. I said yes. Then he asked where we’d come from; ‘London’, I answered. He gave me a look, said ‘Uh’ and got into his car and drove away. Obviously thought I was kidding. Or mad.
So, back to bed, too hot in my sleeping bag and too cool without, due to excellent air-con. Slept a bit, but woke early, did my dressing gymnastics inside my sleeping bag and settled comfortably with my Kindle. We seemed to drive across country for a while – judging from the narrow roads and U-turns in villages we strayed into by mistake! 
By the time we reached Bethel, the home of Woodstock and our next visit, most people on the bus had woken up. Lush green fields with a memorial to the big gig that America has never forgotten. After breakfast in the car park we spent a few hours at the ‘Museum at Bethel Woods’ as it is now known. What a memory trip! It was great to hear all the music from the 60s – my decade – and see the groups etc. How young they looked….I saw Joan Baez in concert in Cardiff just a couple of years ago, and it was so strange seeing her on film from the Sixties. They also had collections of singles and LPs – some of which I have. Does that make me a museum piece too?
We’re now on the bus again; just stopped at a small town called Liberty to get some shopping. Ice, beer, food for our last breakfast tomorrow. Tonight we’re in Phoenicia at a campsite called Sleepy Hollow; we should be meeting up with Margaret, who left us in Beijing, and Sandra and Tony who left us in Anchorage (but who couldn’t stay away and came to our hostel in Vancouver!). Tomorrow we hit New York, and the trip is over. I have 5 days in the Big Apple, then a few more in London before going home, so need to do washing and sort out my bags, send a parcel or two to myself in Barry, and of course, dye my hair. This is therefore not the last post – there will be more!
Patamateria 