Four Mile Creek State Park (New York) and Old Fort Niagara

This was a nice short commute of about 65 miles to a state park near Youngstown, New York.  Folks, this park is on the extreme northern border of New York right smack on the shore of Lake Ontario.  Talk about some fantastic sunsets and cool and quiet nights for sleeping.  Our campground shoreline had a western exposure.  Interesting to have a water front sunset when not on the gulf coast of Florida.

The park itself was somewhat mixed.  It had a great location to visit Fort Niagara and of course the falls.  The park also had some vast green spaces and was very scenic.  The space between campsites was huge.  The downsides were a narrow lane to access campsites and two large wooded posts at each roadside corner of the site making backing into the spot more of a challenge than it really needed to be.  The park also only offered electricity and no water or sewer.  You just have to make sure to fill up the RV water tank upon arriving and to shower in the camp showers.  We were conserving water like crazy so as to not have to hitch back up and go re-fill the tank and then have to back into the site again.

While staying six days at this park we explored the local small towns of Youngstown and Lewiston, toured Old Fort Niagara and made 3 or 4 day trips to the falls.  In this post, I will focus on the fort, Youngstown, and Lewiston.

Old Fort Niagara

History of the fort from the  website:  “The history of Old Fort Niagara spans more than 300 years. During the colonial wars in North America a fort at the mouth of the Niagara River was vital, for it controlled access to the Great Lakes and the westward route to the heartland of the continent. With the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825, however, the strategic value of Fort Niagara diminished. It nonetheless remained an active military post well into the 20th century.

The three flags flown daily above the parade ground symbolize the nations which have held Fort Niagara. Each competed for the support of a fouth nation: the powerful Iroquois Confederacy. The French established the first post here, Fort Conti, in 1679. Its successor, Fort Denonville (1687-88) was equally short lived. In 1726 France finally erected a permanent fortification with the construction of the impressive “French Castle.” Britain gained control of Fort Niagara in 1759, during the French & Indian War, after a nineteen-day seige. The British held the post throughout the American Revolution but were forced, by treaty, to yield it to the United States in 1796. Fort Niagara was recaptured by the British in 1813. It was ceded to the United States a second time in 1815 at the end of the War of 1812.

This was Fort Niagara’s last armed conflict, and it thereafter served as a peaceful border post. The garrison expanded beyond the walls following the Civil War. Fort Niagara was a barracks and training station for American soldiers throughout both World Wars. The last army units were withdrawn in 1963. Today, the U.S. Coast Guard represents the only military presence on the site.”

We were able to have a self guided tour and watched the many in-character demonstrations they provided including solders marching, firing rifles, and “off duty” playing a dice game and gambling.  Three different countries had possession of this critical fort and their influence was clearly seen.  I would encourage anyone interested in history to go to the link and read more of the details of this fascinating  fort.

Youngstown, NY

This quaint little village (pop 2,000) located just 11 miles north of Niagara Falls is absolutely a must see for someone visiting the area.  While some people are more attracted to the larger cities, we truly love exploring the small towns.  It is very scenic located at the mouth of the Niagara River where it meets Lake Ontario.  There are a few harbors and beautiful old homes lining the high river banks.

We have budgeted to go out to eat about twice per week, but have been averaging slightly more than that due to all the very alluring places that we chance upon.  It is actually one of the great things about this nomadic life to find these little gems for a lunch or dinner.  In Youngstown, we found a great one.  The Youngstown Village Diner is a casual, home cooking, blue plate special type of place, with freshly cooked meals prepared from local ingredients.  Pat had the Greek Chicken and I had the chopped sirloin covered with mushrooms, onions and gravy with mashed potatoes.  Okay, this may not have been a Michelin 3-star type of place, but it exactly what we enjoy.  The wait staff were friendly and the place was packed with locals or people who live here during the summer months.

On Friday night, the town has concerts on the lawn at a local park.  It was well attended and had “big band” type of music from a 16 piece band plus a female singer.  It was very nice.  We were among the youngest in the crowd.  Maybe it was the music genre or perhaps because it was a quiet little quaint and somewhat wealthy village.  Don’t know.  Also, I found it unusual that during the music the crowd was all hushed.  No visiting with neighbors.  My comparison is the Blacksburg, VA Friday night summer concerts are more of a social scene.

Lewiston, NY

This is a larger community at about 16,000 people and has a beautifully restored downtown area that is very walkable.  Many evenings after exploring the falls area, we would stop by Lewiston and either have a coffee or a cold beverage.

Here are the photos.  Please make sure to sign up for email updates and leave a comment if so inclined.  The next blog update will be on the Niagara Falls – An incredible sight to behold!  We have just moved yet again to a campground just west of Columbus.

See ya down the road!