Day 18 - Buffalo / back to Pennsylvania

Yesterday we relocated because a friendly sheriff confirmed to us that we are not allowed to stay overnight on Goat Island. As planned, we moved to the nearby Walmart after our night hike. And surprisingly, we were not alone this time. About a dozen RVs had settled there. It seemed to confirm that Niagara Falls is one of the most crowded tourist destinations in North America.

We slept well, the nights are no longer unbearably hot. In the morning, we discovered that there was a factory outlet in the immediate vicinity. So that was our first stop in the morning. We were there before it opened. At Entrance 6, we sent Mom and Uwe on an expedition to find out when it would open. They were gone for a long time, a very long time, and were then chauffeured back to us by the security service. Mom already had experience in dealing with security forces from the previous day. They had gotten lost on the huge site and the friendly security lady had long known where we were parked. At 10 a.m., we attacked. A nice covered outlet center with over 200 designers in the portfolio. The pants I wanted to buy were on sale. I love American Eagle :-)

Then the plan was to go to Buffalo, but for the first time we had bad luck with the weather today. We were repeatedly surprised by very heavy rain showers, so sightseeing in Buffalo didn't make much sense. We just drove by, I saw the Buffalo Sabres' venue, beautifully situated right by the lake. But not much more - the rain. Then we headed inland, out of the state of New York, southwest to Pennsylvania. There we had our first contact with people who belonged to the Amish community. It is easy to recognize them because they still live today as they did 100 years ago. A religious community with a very unique approach to life. So it's not surprising when a woman comes towards you in a horse-drawn carriage and you feel like you've stepped into a time machine.

Now we are at a campground very close to the Ohio border. Today it cost us $40, and it's raining... well, so far we have been really lucky with the weather. Tomorrow we want to go to Cleveland, hopefully the weather cooperates. Keep your fingers crossed.