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Back-To-Back Grandson Trips
When you have a good location for grandchildren to visit, why not plan back-to-back trips. That is exactly what we did while in Erie, PA.
Flight To Buffalo, NY
When Ethan and Judah flew home after their boat trip, I joined them so I could accompany their younger brothers, Isaac and Titus, to Meraki for their sailing trip.
As Isaac and Titus get older, they’ll also be able to fly on their own, but for now I enjoyed being along for the flights. After all, the airplane ride was part of their overall adventure. Knowing the window seat gives the best view, one grandson sat there on the way to Erie and the other on the return flight. Whether you fly often or not, take a moment and think about the concept of getting in a big metal tube that lifts from the ground and flies in the clouds. It is quite amazing!
Niagara Falls
Tony picked us up at the airport and we promptly headed to Niagara Falls. It was such a special way to start Ethan and Judah’s trip, we wanted to experience the falls again with Isaac and Titus. If you read about our previous visit here, you might remember we got two free tickets for the Maid of the Mist boat ride. No free tickets were offered to us this time, but we knew the view from the water and being in the mist and waves at the base of the falls was worth the price.
This boat driver went well into the base of the falls and stayed for a nice long time. Long enough for Tony to get water down the front of his poncho and drenched a portion of his shorts. As we were walking to town to find lunch, he thought of a T-shirt slogan “I don’t need depends, I rode the Maid of the Mist”. For lunch, we went to a culinary school restaurant and all ordered the kids meal hamburger. Titus was the first to voice it was the “best burger he’s had”. We all agreed with Titus, it was the best burger any of us have had!
Erie, PA
Once in Erie, we did the same car shuttle as the last trip with having Tony and the boys moving Meraki from the marina slip to Presque Isle State Park anchorage and I drove the car. This time it didn’t feel quite so strange to see Meraki leave dock without me onboard.
Flip Flop Blowout
During one of our first outings off the boat, Titus’ flip flops blew out. Kendra (Titus’ mom) is an expert at finding quality items for the boys at thrift stores. Titus’ recently acquired pair of used Nike flip flops appeared in “like new” shape, but sadly they didn’t hold up very long. “You’re joining the flip flop blow out club” Tony joked since usually this is what happens to him. He has found a solution now with Bedrock Sandals that are like a flip flop, but with a strap around the back so it doesn’t flippy flop. Back to Titus’ flip flop blowout, we went shopping for another pair of flip flops and Tony repaired the Nikes as a backup.
Nature Pontoon Ride
Presque Isle State Park offers a free nature pontoon ride on Sat and Sun mornings. That sounds fun! We like all types of boat rides! Our first attempt to go on the pontoon ride was eye opening. We arrived and quickly learned it is very popular and this ride was already full. If you want a spot, it’s best to get there 45 min to an hour early.
The next day, we arrived 45 min early and secured our 4 spots. Within five minutes, it was full. While we waited, a volunteer passed around some nature artifacts and gave explanations of each item. Once on the boat, another volunteer drove and two others narrated and pointed out wildlife. A particularly interesting portion of the tour was when we went into a little bay called horseshoe pond which has 24 houseboats. Some were well kept and others were in disrepair. What an interesting neighborhood!
Onboard Activities
Puzzle Competition
You never know what interesting item you’ll find at a local book store. I spotted a Star Wars puzzle competition that looked fun. Even though Isaac and Titus were jigsaw puzzle experts and beat us by a long shot, it was still a lot of fun!
Wind Powered Robots Kit
Speaking of fun onboard activities, another fun find was a wind powered robot kit at Tom Ridge Environmental Center. The boys enjoyed it and they weren’t the only ones. Long after they went home, we were riding out a Nor’easter for three days in a harbor on Staten Island and Tony was looking for something to do. So, he made a couple more of the robots. You’re never too old to play with a building kit!
Cooling Sunburn
Speaking of wind power, a handheld fan proved a useful way to cool down any sunburn patches if we missed some spots while applying sunscreen. I learned that the question “did you put on sunscreen?” needs to be more specific to include all the body parts.
Stuffed Animals
A couple of stuffed animals travel with us all the time; boat bear and turtle. We love it when Titus brings a few more aboard from his massive collection. Last summer, the animals were much more mischievous than this year. This trip they were content to hang out and occasionally read a book; Isaac’s book to be exact.
Reading
When we were just hanging out on Meraki, Isaac was often reading. During the school year, the boys do a ton of reading for their assignments. In the summer, they enjoy free reading. While on Meraki, Isaac was re-reading a couple of his favorites: Skyward and Steelheart.
Story Telling
Titus and I on the other hand, preferred to make up our own stories. Story cubes give us a prompt and we take turns creating the characters, setting, and plot. We’ve “written” some interesting adventures in this way. Too bad we haven’t been recording them for a book!
Solar Panels and Batteries
On the boy’s trip last summer, we had an issue with our batteries not holding a charge due to our alternator needing replacement. During this year’s trip, we were monitoring our batteries again, but for a different reason. With an added draw for the recently added refrigeration, we were watchful to see if our solar power could keep our batteries powered up. Titus helped grandpa with the battery watch and celebrated when the sun and solar power were doing their job!
Shore Based Outings
Concerts
Erie has no shortage of summer community events. We were able to attend two outdoor concerts during Isaac and Titus’ stay with us; one we heard by water and one at the beach.
It’s become a tradition to have charcuterie board for a concert on the water (we did it once before with their brothers so that makes it a tradition). Waiting for the concert to begin, we spotted our friends on SV JoJo joining us in the anchorage. Because this style of music wasn’t our favorite, we left a tad early. As a result, we enjoyed a gorgeous sunset sail enroute to our anchorage for the night.
The other concert was at one of the State Park beaches and advertised food trucks. We went for the food! The empanadas truck was popular and we had to be patient. Tony and I have fond memories of getting empanadas frequently when in Marathon, FL. Isaac and Titus have never had empanadas before and wanted to try them. These were worth the wait, they were delicious!
View From Up High
On our visit to the Bi-Centennial tower, the boys had a nice view to watch the pirate ship come in towards the dock. Before docking, a small pirate ship, with a pirate in costume at the helm, approached the big ship. Thus began quite a show. Soon water was being shot back and forth between the ships. We assume the big ship won the battle as the little ship retreated around the corner to a small harbor.
Slides Built Into The Hill
One of the nearby parks has twisty, bumpy slides built right into the landscape. The boys took multiple rides down each slide while Tony and I opted to watch and take photos.
Beach Fun
Let’s Go Fly A Kite
One of the beaches at Presque Isle State Park is nicknamed “Kite Beach”. The beach name was enough of a nudge for us to plan a time to go there and bring our pocket kite. It was the perfect wind and a clear beach to each take a turn flying our kite.
A bonus fun activity at this beach was spotting a log that worked perfectly as a teeter tooter. Tony and I were proud to get it balanced. Isaac and Titus took things to the next level and were able to get it balanced and stand on it!
Other Beach Fun
We’re never at a loss for things to do at the beach! We dug in the sand dunes, threw the football and frisbee, built some sand castles, worked on our rock skipping skills, and of course swimming. Can you tell we enjoy time at the beach!
Swimming Off The Boat
Swimming at the beach and swimming off the boat are two different things. Fortunately, we had a calm enough day to bring Meraki out on Lake Erie, anchor, and jump off the side into the water.
Brisk Sail
We also had some windy days. We attempted to go out the inlet and enjoyed the motion and waves on our way out, and then we opted to turn around and sail in the bay. Lake Erie waves build quickly in higher winds! Even in the bay, we were able to enjoy a brisk sail with a reefed main. We were heeling so much that our paper towels unrolled all the way!
Different View
Having family visit brings a different view and experience of our boat, the places we visit, and our cruising lifestyle. Isaac was documenting different areas of our boat with photos. Seeing Meraki through his lens gives us a new appreciation for the nautical beauty of our boat! And I think he might have a future in photography!
Until Next Time
It doesn’t seem to matter how long a grandson’s trip is, it always goes by too fast. Until next time!
so happy to hear of your other grandsons visits, sounds just perfect, and based on the smiles in the pics it must have been! 😉 You have the ultimate sailors dream, many adventures yourselves as well as those enjoyed with family, I enjoy these blogs of your adventures, with appreciation, s
And I appreciate you! Thanks for cheering us on during our crazy adventures on Meraki!