Let the Festivities Begin

The excitement is in full force, as friends meet, new and old, and the events for the 2018 Great Race are underway. We arrived on Tuesday after a day of travel to find Jane in better shape then we left her three weeks ago in Jefferson City, Missouri. Thanks to our friends Brad Epple, Daniel Epple, and James Goode. These are friends and fellow participants, and they not only stored Jane for us, but fixed her minor issues, and organized the shipping. She is running and handling like a champ.

Our day came to a great finish when one of our friends had called as we were leaving the airport. She was flying into Buffalo from Florida separately, and her husband Roger had spent the last couple of days driving up from Florida and would be arriving shortly. He called right as we were thinking about dinner plans. We told him we were in Buffalo, and we were heading out to eat wings. He was happy to join us, and drive us in his 1957 Chevy to the home of the original Buffalo Wings. We made the short drive to the Anchor Bar, an eclectic bar and Italian restaurant. We enjoyed a great meal, and the story of the first Buffalo Wings. It was the perfect start to a week full of fun.

Brad and Roger at the Anchor Bar, Buffalo, NY

We are adjusting to the three hour time zone change, but fortunately had a free day Wednesday. We had a lazy morning, and then spent the afternoon at Niagara Falls. It was our first trip to The Falls. We were not too sure what to expect, but the Falls were humbling. The sounds of the water, the width of the Falls, and the spray were all incredible. We visited the Canadian side for an hour or so and then headed to the American side. Both sides were equally impressive for different reasons.

We met a young couple from Kansas City with their dog Cody at the Falls. They were driving to Acadia National Park, a spot we might visit in the next nine days. Any dog is the catalyst for a meeting, and it is always fun to get to know new people throughout our travels.

Brad and Erin Canadian viewing deck Niagara Falls (I am sorry to say we didn’t get a picture of Cody)

Thursday morning started with Registration for the race. The 120 race participants are given times four minutes apart (everything is by the clock around here!), to show up for Registration and Inspection. It is very organized and civilized. We were fortunate to have an early registration time, leaving us the afternoon to calibrate our speedometer, and enjoy a late lunch on the Niagara River. Brad spotted a restaurant along the river. We checked out the reviews online, and decided to give it a try. We hit the jackpot! Not only was it a chamber of commerce kind of day, the atmosphere was so relaxed, we couldn’t be in a better spot. As we sat enjoying each other’s company, a cute little red BMW convertible, with the top down pulled into a parking space near us. I said to Brad, “Look, there is that 80’s BMW you like so much”. We both ogled over the car as a couple walked inside. A few minutes later, the man walked back out to the car to cover the dash board. I stopped him as he walked back in, and asked what model year was the perfect little red car. He told me it was a 1988. He shared with us his good fortune in purchasing the car, and we shared with him that we were in town for the Great Race, and if he likes old cars he should come to the hotel. We ended up talking to our new friends Vicki and Bruce for quite a while. We shared our mutual love of cars and their love of Halifax. Their enthusiasm for Halifax has us excited to reach the end of our journey.

Vickie & Bruce at Eddie’s River Grill (1988 BMW)

We hung out a little longer on the deck, and then headed back to the hotel. It was a great way to spend the day knowing what is coming our way.

Tomorrow will be a different day, stay tuned……

Author: emcniff

This is not really about me, but about an adventure we are lucky enough to take each year. Each trip provides new discoveries, and the opportunity to see this beautiful country we are so blessed to live in. View all posts by emcniff