FLIRTING WITH CANADA

A cross-country backpack to Alberta

Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park & World Heritage Site

Travel Alert 2026:

There is a small but non-zero chance that this flirting opportunity will bring you into contact with US or Canadian customs

A few years ago I visited the International Peace Garden, which is open to Americans but part of it is in Manitoba.  I blogged about that.  Since then I’ve returned to the U.S.-Canadian border looking for other places along the US-Canada border where Americans are permitted inside a hermetically sealed little chunk of Canada.

Given the current repressive climate against PFR’s that has come to be known as the Epstein Shadow, combined with the violent climate against immigrants and others deemed suspicious at our borders, I now warn any current or formerly registered person against putting yourself in any situation where you might come into contact with U.S. Customs unless you have a valid passport in hand.

Although I believe the chances of coming into contact with US or Canadian Customs in the back country are small, I strongly recommend having a passport if you attempt this.  If something bizarre happens, Canada won’t let you in, but they’ll send you back, and that’s when having a passport will be really handy when going through US Customs.

One thing I want to make clear is that this is just a game.  Nobody is trying to sneak across the border.  I don’t even want to do that and it would violate the rules of the game – which are that it has to be a bona fide place where any American is allowed to be without a passport.  So let’s play the game:

From the  50 State Visitor Guide : Montana

Mont. Code Ann. 2021  §§46-23-504 through 46-23-520.

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

Three business days for initial registration and updates; transients shall register within 3 business days of entering state. 

Visitors: Must register within 3 business days of entering the state for a temporary residence of 10 days or more, or for an aggregate period of 30 days in calendar year.  §§46-23-504, 46-23-505.

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

None.

Per Montana SOR office, visitors required to register should return to the locality where registered and “check out” and will be removed from registry. Whether this system works in practice is untested.

Duration & updates:

Life. Petition to remove – T1 - 10 yrs; T2 – 25 yrs.

 Updates by mail: T1 – annual; T2 – 6 months; T3 –90 days; Transients in person- 30 days.  §§46-23-504, 56-23-506.

Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park & World Heritage Site

High Adventure Rating – A+

Flirt Rating – D

One of my goals in this game has been to find at least one flirting spot for each Canadian province.  Until August 2026 I had found flirting spots for – Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick.  Alberta is a particular challenge. 

Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park & World Heritage Site, known to Americans as Glacier National Park, is the obvious (and only) choice.  However, it’s a 60 mile round trip backcountry high difficulty hiking adventure to get to the Canadian border and back from the closest trailhead on Going-to-the Sun Road, which is “The Loop.”  I’m way too old to even think about this one, but if you attempt it you should do so for the love of backcountry hiking through a spectacular World Heritage Site that you as a registered person are allowed to go to – and only secondarily as a flirting opportunity.

In addition, Montana law only allows you nine days for the whole adventure, because the 10th day triggers your obligation to register.  Your first reaction might be, oh surely that’s enough time! But think about it – That’s 4 days each way plus one day to hike a loop around the international area.  Plus, you’ll have to base yourself in Idaho, the closest neighboring state, a half day drive from the trailhead.  If you divide 30 miles by 3 1/2 days, you get about 8 1/2 miles per full day.

I hear someone thinking, okay, well that’s not too bad.  But just keep in mind, every step is high difficulty backpacking.  Be realistic – how far can you get in one day? How about nine days?  Plus, you’re going to have to pack in all 9 days of supplies, because you can’t stop in Watertown, Alberta for supplies halfway through because if you do you’ll just get deported. 

However … I’ve been thinking, that might not be a bad way of cutting the trip in half, right?  Hike the 30 mile trail to Waterton, turn yourself in and really, the only consequence is you get deported on Day 5.  Now you have all the time you need in Montana for arrival and departure.  But I sure wouldn’t do that without a passport to show US Customs when the Canadians drop you off on Chief Mountain International Highway (MT Hwy 17).  Also wouldn’t hurt to have someone waiting to pick you up.

One last comment:  Obviously you’re not going on a 30 mile high difficulty hike in the wilderness by yourself.  That’s a good way to get eaten.  So my advice is, anybody in your group who has any past felony should definitely have a passport when attempting this.  But … anybody in your group with a clean record should probably leave their passport at home – so you all can be deported together.

As part of my research I stopped at the St. Mary Visitor Center and approached the young lady behind the reception desk.  I told her exactly what I was doing, with the only generalization being that I said my website is aimed at “people with past felonies.”  Which is completely true.  Then I asked:

“If I was to hike up there, at what point would I actually encounter Canadian Customs?  I mean, they don’t have some guy sitting at a desk at the border, right?”  Answer: No, they don’t.  But you’ll definitely encounter them in Waterton.

Looking at the map, you’ll see I have labeled the area between the US checkpoint at Goat Haunt Ranger Station and the Canadian checkpoint in Waterton as “Land Between the Ranger Stations.”  This is the open border zone. 

The rest of Glacier National Park

The first thing you should know about Glacier National Park is that it is, of course, magnificent.  In 2023 the clouds shrouded the jagged mountains such that I thought I must be taking the road tour through Middle Earth.  Unfortunately in 2026 the air was smokey.  At the mountain peaks (the U.S. Continental Divide) it was cold even at mid-day – I was glad I’d brought gloves and winter clothing just in case.  However, the sad news is that due to global warming there are few glaciers in Glacier National Park, at least when I was there in August 2026.

 

Fabulous mountains, but on a smokey day with just a couple of tiny glaciers

The second thing you should know is that as with most great national parks, this one can be very crowded during peak season.  In 2023 I was distressed to find they were only allowing “reserved admissions” during daily peak hours.  However, if you get there early like I did in 2026 there was no problem.

 

Amazing animals and fields of flowers

Nevertheless Glacier National Park was quite crowded that day.  I found it impossible to find parking anywhere close to the main visitor center at Logan Pass.  In fact people were parking street-side over half a mile away, so I had to skip that even though it meant missing out on a freezing cold mountaintop tundra hike. With some effort I was able to find parking at other stops along the main park road.

Waterfalls

Perhaps this is why Glacier runs frequent shuttle bus service along the length of the main road all the way from Agpar Visitor Center to St. Mary’s.  It has stops at every major point of interest along the park road. The only catch is you’ll need to plan your trip so you park at the big parking lot at one of the park entrances and return there at the end of the day to continue on your Pacific Northwest journey.

Regional Fruit:  Huckleberry

Gift shop displays at and around Glacier National Park feature huckleberry jams, candy bars, taffies, pancake mixes and syrups.    Most native people of the region, including the Blackfeet Tribe just east of Glacier, have also adopted the huckleberry as their tribal fruit.  It’s all made by the same company with different labels.  Choose which national park or tribe you wish to support with your tourist dollars.

PS – Huckleberry bits dark chocolate bar – YES!

 

 Montana

Kootenai Falls State Park

From the 50 State Visitor Guide :

Mont. Code Ann. 2021  §§46-23-504 through 46-23-520.

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

Three business days for initial registration and updates; transients shall register within 3 business days of entering state.  

Visitors: Must register within 3 business days of entering the state for a temporary residence of 10 days or more, or for an aggregate period of 30 days in calendar year.  §§46-23-504, 46-23-505.

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

None

Duration & updates:

Life. Petition to remove – T1 - 10 yrs; T2 – 25 yrs.

 Updates by mail: T1 – annual; T2 – 6 months; T3 –90 days; Transients in person- 30 days.  §§46-23-504, 56-23-506.

Most recent visit - August 2026

Triceratops skulls at the Museum of the Rockies, Bozeman MT

For registered visitors Montana is a relative safe haven among Northwestern states.  While it’s true that anyone moving to this state must register within three business days, if you are only visiting you get nine consecutive days to visit (because the tenth day triggers your obligation to register) and return visits are permitted up to 30 days aggregate per calendar year.  Furthermore, there are no residency or presence restrictions to be concerned about, at least at the state level.

All this means that Montana is your best staging point for a visit to Yellowstone National Park.  Wyoming, where most of Yellowstone is located, allows you only two consecutive business days in-state (because the third day triggers).  So stage yourself in nearby Montana on a Thursday, enter Yellowstone early on Friday (in both states any partial day in-state is going to count toward your total, so make the most of those first and last partial days), enjoy America’s most famous national park over the weekend, and return to Montana late on Monday.  

I visited Montana twice in 2025, first in July when I visited Yellowstone over a weekend as described above.  See my Yellowstone/Wyoming blog entry.  The second time was in early September, when I camped at Ft. Peck Recreation area.  On that trip I also visited the Nakota/Dakota Nation (Ft. Peck reservation).  See my Lakota Nations blog entry.

 In August 2026 I spent five days, including two partial days, traveling through Montana as part of my 2026 Pacific Northwest road trip.  Partial Day 1 I entered Montana from Wyoming on I-90 and easily found a campsite – with no reservation on a Wednesday night – at Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, which is within the Crow Nation.    See Crow Nation under “Montana’s Native Nations” below.

Day 2 I traveled north on US 87 and US 191, passing through the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge.  This enormous NWR also includes many recreation opportunities.  In 2025 I had camped at Ft. Peck Recreation area, over 100 miles to the east, while visiting the Nakota/Dakota Nation (Ft. Peck reservation).  To the west, Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument is also part of this complex.

 

Great Plains Dinosaur Museum and Phillips County Museum

That day I also visited Great Plains Dinosaur Museum and Phillips County Museum (which also has dinosaurs).  They are next door to each other in Malta, MT.  That night I found a motel in Harlem, the anglo town just outside Fort Belknap Aaniih & Nakota Nation, which I visited the next morning.  See my Lakota Nations blog entry.

Day 3 I continued west on US 2 with my only aim being my reserved campsite at Red Eagle Campground in the Blackfeet Nation.  See Blackfeet Nation under “Montana’s Native Nations” below.  Day 4 was Glacier National Park.

Mountains shrouded in clouds at Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park

Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park & World Heritage Site is one of the most spectacular places in North America, and most of it is in Montana.  A smaller part is in Alberta.

Siyeh Creek, Glacier National Park

However, as you can see in its name, it’s an International Peace Park, which I visited on Day 4 in Montana.  In addition to having a great day in a national park I researched the Canada-flirting opportunities available to visitors.  I will be reporting on all that in my next blog post as part of my Flirting With Canada Series.  That evening I had a reserved campsite in Kootenai National Forest, west of Glacier

Partial Day 5 I was on my way to Washington State, but on my way I stopped to have a look at a couple of small towns:

Small town notes

Eureka – A little better than average.  A lot of mobile homes, but well-maintained.

Libby – I have to say, the Eagle at their main intersection is impressive (see photo). However, what was originally supposed to be a grand promenade through the neighborhood is neither grand nor promenady. You know what I’m talking about, Libby.

Roundup – Prosperous anglo agricultural town named after a dangerous chemical.

Chester – Another prosperous anglo agricultural town, this time named after fast food chicken franchise.

Regional Fruit:  Huckleberry

As you travel through Montana you’ll see gift shop displays for huckleberry jams, candy bars, taffies, pancake mixes and syrups.  Most native people of the region have also adopted the huckleberry as their tribal fruit.  It’s all made by the same company with different labels.  Choose which national park or tribe you wish to support with your tourist dollars.

PS – Huckleberry bits dark chocolate bar – YES!

Montana's Native Nations

Crow Nation

I have visited the Crow Nation twice, most recently in August 2026.  I entered Montana from Wyoming on I-90 and easily found a campsite – with no reservation on a Wednesday night – at Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, which is within the Crow Nation.  Bighorn Canyon NRA is part of the Yellowtail Dam Hydroelectric Project.  I hope they got a favorable deal on electricity in return for drowning the Bighorn Canyon.

The little dam town of Fort Smith is a prim and proper anglo town. The following morning I took a look around.  As usual, the agricultural economy is similar to it’s surroundings, which in this case appears to be adequate.  The principle tribal town is Crow Agency.  It is a picture of reservation poverty.  So is Lodge Grass.

Native memorial at Little Big Horn National Monument, Crow Reservation

The Crow Nation does have a couple of things going for it.  Ready access to electric power is one.  I-90 going right through their nation is another. Just east of I-90 on US 212, the Crow Nation is the home of Little Bighorn National Monument, which I visited in 2023.  This monument was established not by the Crow, but by the American government.  Therefore most of the original monuments and displays were pretty tone deaf to any native point of view. 

Fortunately most of that cowboys & indians mentality has been removed over time.  There is a memorial honoring the tribal warriors who fought and died here (and celebrating the victory).

Blackfeet Nation

August 2026 was my second time visiting the Blackfeet Nation, and my second time staying at Red Eagle Campground, which is in the Blackfeet Nation on SR 49 about 45 minutes from the east entrance to Glacier National Park. Also, the second time I had to settle for that crappy little drive thru restaurant in Browning because there are so few food options there.

Museum of the Plains Indian at Blackfeet Nation

Browning is the Tribal Headquarters town and has all the facilities and symbolism you would expect there.  It also has the Museum of the Plains Indian and I would have liked to have seen that but unfortunately it was already closed for the night.  Browning is also another case of reservation poverty.  On the other hand, as usual, the ranchland economy of this large native nation appears in good shape.

Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Flathead

In 2023 I traveled through the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Flathead Nation.  Being curious, I stopped in the little tribal town of Hot Springs to see if there was really a hot spring there, which there is but unfortunately it was long ago privatized and incorporated into what’s by now a fleabag hotel.  

National Bison Range, Flathead Nation

The principle town of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Flathead Nation is Polson, but it’s not really a tribal town.  It’s really an anglo enclave town with all manner of commercial chains, hotels, fast food and recreation infrastructure geared around Flathead Lake, which despite its name has nothing to do with the Flathead Nation.  It’s a lake created by a hydro-electric dam.

My last stop at the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Flathead Nation was the National Bison Range, which redeemed every other disappointment of the day.  It’s great!  It was unclear which “nation” is referred to in the name, but I do hope it’s the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Nation and not the United States.

Nakota/Dakota Nation (Ft. Peck reservation) and Fort Belknap Aaniih & Nakota Nation

See my Lakota Nations blog entry.

 Ohio

From the 50 State Visitor Guide :

O.R.C. Ann. 2019§§2950.01 through 2950.99.  AWA Compliant

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

3 days for initial reg. of residence or “temporary domicile” if in state for more than 3 days. §2950.04.  Those employed for more than 3 days or more than 14 aggregate days in a calendar year shall register w/in 3 days. Ohio SOR interprets “day” as beginning when you spend a night.

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

Residence restriction: 1,000 ft. from school, preschool, or child day-care premises.  §2950.034. Per Ohio SOR office, applies only to certain types of resident registrants. Does not apply to visitors not yet required to register. Procedure available for removal from registry after departure.

Duration & updates:

10 years to life. Updates:T1 – annual, T2 – 6 mo.T3 – 3 mo.§2950.15.

Most recent visit: Cuyahoga Valley Nat. Park – July 2026

Ohio’s rules for visiting registrants are a mixed bag.  The bad news is that you only get three consecutive days in-state before you will be required to register.  However, according to the state SOR office they interpret “day” as beginning when you spend a night (so the first partial day when you enter doesn’t count), and supposedly it’s the fourth day that trigger’s registration.  Still, it’s a pretty short period of time.

After that the news gets better.  There appears to be no limit on return visits per month or year, so technically you could leave Ohio for a day or two, return and start the clock all over again.  Also, although certain types of resident registrants face a 1,000 ft. residence restriction from schools, preschools, or child day-care premises (§2950.034), according to the SOR office this does not apply to visitors not yet required to register.  Lastly, if you do end up on Ohio’s registry there is a procedure available for removal after departure.

On the last leg of my 2026 Northeast tour I left enough time to stop in Ohio at someplace I’d never considered before.  If the Cuyahoga River sounds vaguely familiar, it has the distinction of be the river that caught fire in the 1960’s from being so polluted. 

Brandywine Falls                                        The Ledges

Ohioans banded together, cleaned up the river and turned the entire Cuyahoga Valley into the unexpected recreation wonderland it is today.  I saw several of its points of interest (see photos) but as usual hadn’t left enough time to see everything.  Stopped at the Boston Mill Visitors Center.  There is even a scenic train ride but I wasn’t there on the right day.  Gotta come back for more next time!

Previous visit: Cleveland - June 2025

In early June 2025 I was, as usual for Ohio, in no danger of testing any of these rules.  I was on the return leg of a tour of the Northeast, entering the state from Pennsylvania on I-80 early on a Tuesday morning on my way to spend an afternoon and evening in Cleveland.  But because Ohio interprets “day” as beginning when you spend a night, this day and my entire Cleveland adventure would be “off the books” as far as the state SOR office was concerned.  Only when I awoke the next morning at the most disgusting Motel 6 I’ve ever stayed at that (however, since then the Badlands Motel in Kadoka, SD has struck a new low) Ohio Registry Day 1 would begin – and I’d be out of state by that afternoon.

Century Village, Burton, OH

But my first stop was Century Village in the town of Burton, about 20 miles east of Cleveland.  This is one of those small town parks where they bring together authentic old buildings from the region and make it look like a village – and this is a particularly nice and large one.

Next stop Holden Arboretum which is also on the east side of town.  They have a trolley type ride you can take through the gardens, and adventure woods and a loop hiking trail to see the nearby canyon.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Once in downtown Cleveland my first stop was of course the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.  It is Cleveland’s must see attraction and it lives up to expectations, but one thing I discovered while trying to find someplace to park is that instead of creating waterfront open spaces, Cleveland has used that prime real estate for attractions like the Hall of Fame, FirstEnergy Stadium and the Great Lakes Science Center.  The Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Art aren’t downtown, they are a few miles east, and they are of course great museums. 

Cleveland Museum of Fine Art

I’m sure the Hall of Fame and the Stadium are exciting places most evenings, but outside of its attractions Cleveland has, I would say, successfully avoided a decaying retail district by not trying to have one in the first place.  Instead it’s a successful mix of government buildings and corporate headquarters.  It was tough to find a place to eat! 

On my way westbound out of state I made one last stop at the ironically-named (for us PFR’s) Lake Erie port town of Sandusky.  I was there to inquire about a ferry to Pelee Island, which is in Ontario.  My question was, do you have to go through customs before getting on the ferry in Sandusky, or do they do that on Pelee Island (so technically you could go there and get sent back)?  Answer: Sandusky, so NO Zee, you can’t flirt with Ontario here.

However … there are a few other islands out there in Lake Erie (Kelley’s Island and the Bass Islands) that are in Ohio and look like a fun day day trip.  I took the brochures and said to myself, maybe next time.

Previous visit: May 2023 

National Museum of the Great Lakes, view from the bridge of the cargo ship, 

with downtown Toledo in the background

 I wasn’t expecting much from the National Museum of the Great Lakes in Toledo, but it turned out to be one of the high points of my entire trip.  Not only is it a great museum, they also have an entire cargo ship tied up to the dock next door that you are invited to tour all of (for a small additional fee) including the cargo holds!  Also a tugboat!  

In addition, this museum is but Phase 1 of a gigantic riverfront “Glass City Metropark” currently under development.  Phase 2 which includes an ice skating pond, kayak rentals, Market Hall and campground (note for future reference) was scheduled to open Memorial Day weekend not long after my visit.  By the time you’re reading this it’s all open for business!

Bruce Hossfield, Atwo Zee Registered Traveler

New York State

Including Adirondack Park, Buffalo – Niagara Falls

Erie Canal

From the 50 State Visitor Guide :

N.Y. C.L.S. 2019 Corrections §§168

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

10 calendar days for initial reg., after “establishing residency” (not defined), and for updates. §§168-f, 168-k.  In-state workers required to register if present for more than 14 consecutive days or an aggregate period exceeding 30 days in a calendar year. §168-a.

Visitors: Per NY SOR office, 10 consecutive days or 14 per month. NOTE: Partial days count (except just passing through).  Procedure available for removal from registry after departure.

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

Certain laws may impose a 1,000 ft. residency restriction from schools and child care facilities for registrants on parole or probation.   

Duration & updates:

20 years to life.  Updates: L3 & “sexual predators” 90 days; all others annually.  §168-h.

Most recent visit: July 2026

When I called the New York State SOR office in June 2020 and again in August 2023,  here’s what they told me: visitors get 10 consecutive days or 14 per month before being required to register. Translation: like many other states, New York’s SOR office is simply applying their requirements for new residents and in-state workers to visitors too.  It also follows that if, like hundreds of thousands of others, you’re a New Jersey or Connecticut resident commuting daily to your job in New York, you’ll also have to register in New York.

The nice lady at the SOR office also said that partial days do count (except “just passing through”); e.g. if you’re staying in NJ or CT and making daily trips into NYC to see the sights or to work, each one of those trips will count toward your allowable total.

Care for a little bike-railing?

In early July 2026 I entered New York from Vermont, on the return leg of a Northeast and New England road trip.  This was also the second time in New York on this trip. On my previous pass through the state I visited New York City (see separate blog post) and racked up two days on both of New York’s visitor calendars (consecutive and cumulative days per month) – except that, Oops! Day 1 that time was June 30 and Day 2 was July 1.  So as I returned to New York a week later I was restarting the consecutive day clock and only Day 2 counted toward the cumulative clock.  Confused yet?

Adirondack Experience                                   Howe Caverns

On this pass I planned three days in New York State.  Day 1 (Cumulative Day 2) was a leisurely trip through Adirondack Park ending with a reserved campsite at Cayoga Lake State Park.  I visited many of the same attractions as on my previous 5/25 trip (see below), and the weather was a heck of a lot better this time.

On Day 2 (Cumulative Day 3) I visited two places I’d never been to before – Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, and the Corning Museum of Glass (in Corning).  Just these two stops took all day even though I didn’t give either of them as much time as they deserved. For one thing, they’re pretty far apart.  I also shoehorned in Howe Caverns – because the last time I was there I was 8 years old and didn’t remember anything about it.

Baseball Hall of Fame

Upon leaving Corning I decided to go check nearby Tompkins Campground at Cowanesque Lake Reservoir, which I had been to before, just to see if they had any sites available.  Lucky for me they did!  But that introduced a little wrinkle into my day counting in New York, because – Doh! – this campground is just over the border off I-99 in Pennsylvania!

How did that affect my New York count?  If I had struck out at Tompkins and returned to NY to find a motel, my next day in that state would’ve counted as Day 3 (Cumulative Day 4) no matter what.  But since I spent the night in PA and had no NY destinations the next day because I was just trying to get to Ohio, New York considered that I was “just passing through” and that day did not count!  Tadahhh!

Corning Museum of Glass

Previous visit: Adirondack Park, July 2025

In late May 2025 I entered New York State from Massachusetts for a five day tour (including partial days), the main destinations of which were Adirondack Park and the Buffalo – Niagara Falls region.  On this trip the only clock that mattered was the 10 consecutive day clock, and even on this ambitious trip I would be spending only half the allowable time in New York.

On Day 1 I just found a hotel to stay at but that was a destination so it counted.  Day 2 I took a leisurely trip north through the east half of the park.  Instead f having park attractions, most are privately operated.  Examples:  Revolution Rail, where you can spend a few hours rail-biking (!); Natural Bridge and Caves Park (very nice); US Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid.  High Falls Gorge is part of the park.  That night I camped at Coles Creek State Park along the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Natural Bridge & Caves Park

Day 3 I cruised through the west half of Adirondack Park, south on Routes 56 & 30 and west on Route 28.  I had visited the Wild Center and Adirondack Experience Museum on a long ago previous visit so I just made note of them this time.  This region has many lakes and rivers with water sports and campgrounds.  I needed to get closer to the NY Thruway so I’d be closer to my next destination of Buffalo – Niagara Falls.

By the way: The weather totally sucked the whole time I was there.  Late May is too early to visit this part of the country!

Small Town Notes:

Gloversville – The infrastructure built to support the previous mining and logging economy is more than the current tourist and recreation economy can sustain.

Malone – Okay

Fort Covington – Wow, and not in a good way.  And does there have to be a pot shop on every corner?

Potsdam – Looking good, but not because of tourism.  It’s a college town.

Previous visit: Buffalo – Niagara Falls, June 2025

Day 4:  The weather continued to totally suck the whole time I was in Buffalo – Niagara Falls.  Temperatures were in the 40’s and overcast and it was also Sunday, so as you can imagine the place was mostly a ghost town.  I admit that didn’t allow Buffalo to shine its best light – I can only tell you what I saw.

Niagara River Gorge

I decided to go to Niagara Falls first.  But because I’d already been there a few years ago I decided to go to Whirlpool State Park this time instead.  The bad news is that to get there you have to drive on the most inappropriately named road ever constructed – Niagara Scenic Parkway.  Wow is it ever in bad shape!  The good news is the Whirlpool and the gorge are pretty amazing.

My second stop was Martin House, Buffalo’s Frank Lloyd Wright designed building (you see them throughout the Midwest).  Because it was Sunday the last tour had been at 2:30 pm but the Barton House was open.  Unfortunately no indoor photography! 

Martin House

Next stop – Erie Canal Discovery Center, disappointing because the exhibit is small and the canal lock next door is still undergoing renovation which looks like it’s gonna take a while.  However on weekdays there are canal cruises, walking tours and nature trails.

As is my custom my final stop of the afternoon was Downtown Buffalo which like I said was a real ghost town.  Although, that made it easier for me to walk into the Anchor Bar without a reservation to have my required dinner of Buffalo Wings.  I rode Buffalo’s above & below ground subway and found it to be clean and had more people riding than I would have expected at that hour.  As I looked out the window at Buffalo’s main streets it seemed clean and well kept, but most of the storefronts were obviously empty.

Wings at the Anchor Bar

My last stop of the evening was Canalside, Buffalo’s attempt at a trendy waterfront district.  There is a Naval & Military Park next door.  The problem is twofold:  Despite the City’s best efforts it’s disconnected from downtown so it can’t help revitalize anything, and like so many American cities Buffalo’s interstate highway system barricades the city from its riverfront.

As I admit, I didn’t see Buffalo at its best.  The morning of Day 5 I was on my way to Pennsylvania.

Small Town Notes:

Ellicottville – A successful ski town.

Salamanca – Doing okay.  Seneca Nation headquarters.

Lessons from a medical emergency in New York

After a previous pass through New York that had earned me one day on each of the state's consecutive and cumulative calendars, my ex-wife and still BFF returned to New York State on the Long Island Ferry from Connecticut.  We spent the entire day visiting my BFF’s relatives, so that was a destination and that made this Day 2 of my allowable 14 days. 

I want to interject here that unlike many of my BFF’s friends and relatives, who hate me to the point where they aren’t even allowed to know we spend any time together, this particular group has a family member who has now served 15 years of a life sentence for what as you can imagine must be a very serious crime.  Although there are many differences between his offense and mine, including the fact that they all believe he’s innocent, an I’m not, still they now have a life experience that makes them more understanding of my situation and I was welcome in their home.

Also, news flash – between 12/23 and our next visit in 4/24 the police arrested a second person in the same decade old crime spree that led to this family member’s arrest.  That second person has now pointed investigators at the same third person as the “real perpetrator,” giving new hope to my BFF’s relatives.

After our day-long visit my ex and I retired to our reserved hotel room.  Our intention was to participate in a Wreaths Across America event the next day at Long Island Cemetery where her father is buried. 

Frank & Sons - Everybody's favorite bakery in Mastic, LI

However, overnight my BFF became very seriously ill.  I had become similarly ill two days earlier – at a restaurant.  At the time I wondered if it was food poisoning, but now that my ex was also ill it was obviously some kind of 24 hour bug.  The bad news was that due to a pre-existing medical condition she became much more seriously ill than I had.  We were unable to attend the Wreaths Across America event which had been the primary purpose of our trip!  Instead she spent the entire day either in bed or running back and forth to the bathroom, and I spent my Day 3 of my allowable 14 days in New York caring for my best friend.

Now I would like to use this story of an unexpected major change to our travel plan to illustrate how such a change could affect you as a registered traveler.  The silver lining to our experience was that her illness happened on a day we were already intending to spend in New York State, at a hotel where we already had the next night reserved.  Although it took my ex several days to fully recover, she was feeling well enough to travel as planned by the following day.

Suppose that hadn’t been the case?  Suppose I had ended up having to take my BFF to a hospital for several days – as has happened in the past.  Not only would that have been super expensive, it would have extended our stay in New York State by several days AND extended my travel for several days beyond what I had reported in Florida. 

Suppose also that instead of New York we had been in a state with super-short grace periods for visiting registrants, where I had only hours to leave before an obligation to register would take affect?  Tennessee (48 hours), Wyoming, Nebraska and Kansas (all 3 business days), Illinois and Florida (3 days aggregate per calendar year) come to mind.  My registry status could have been called into question just when my ex-wife needed me most.  This is why you must be very careful about the rules of your destination state while traveling.

Nevertheless, on the morning of Day 4 of my allowable 14 days in New York my BFF and I set off early – we had to be home in Tallahassee by the end of the next day because each one of us had family obligations starting the day after that.  And we made it! *Whew!* 

For another example of this problem, enter “medical emergency while traveling” in the search box on my main page. It should bring up a medical emergency in Arizona and how I handled that.

 Previous visit: May 2023

Fort William Henry near Lake Champlain

In May 2023 I was staying at my brother’s house in New Jersey for four consecutive days to attend his interment and celebration of life.  His house is so close to the New York state line that the closest town is in New York.  I was helping my sister-in-law out with the preparations and clean-up and that took me on daily trips into New York State, each with a destination e.g. the Shop Rite supermarket. 

Presumably every time I went with her to town to pick up food or gasoline that was a “partial day” trip that counted toward my allotted 10 consecutive days or 14 per month, because technically I wasn’t “just passing through.”  I had a specific destination in New York State.

On the fourth day it was time to say goodbye to my sister-in-law and travel north up the New York Thruway on my way to Vermont and Maine.  If I had done no sight-seeing in New York State that day it would have been considered “just passing through” and according to the SOR office would not have counted toward my total. But instead I stopped to see Fort William Henry, a French & Indian War site, and that meant I had a “destination” in New York State.

Not to worry – that’s a total of four consecutive partial days, well below my allowable total of ten consecutive days.  Fine.

On my second pass through New York I entered from Massachusetts, spent two leisurely days traveling across Upstate New York before exiting on I-90 into PA and Ohio.  That’s two days on the consecutive day clock and two additional days on the aggregate day clock for a total of six days.  Again, not to worry – it’s still well below the 14 aggregate days you and I are allowed to be in New York without triggering an obligation to register.

Among the stops I made on this second pass through New York State were: Erie Canal; Cherry Valley Museum, which wasn’t scheduled to open until Memorial Day but there were people getting the place ready who invited me in for a tour; Cooperstown and the Baseball Hall of Fame; Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark, and if you don’t know who Gerrit Smith was you should look him up; Seneca Nations Onohsagweide Cultural Center; and two privately operated rock outcroppings – one called Rock City Park and the other called Panama Rocks.  Both really impressive.

Bruce Hossfield, Atwo Zee Registered Traveler