CANYCA: California to New York (and back) pg. 4
Somewhere on this page I promise I'll show you a few of the cool things to see at Niagara Falls. But not quite yet, as there are
a few details of the trip up to this point that I have not yet expressed. 
It would seem that between Oneonta and Buffalo the engine had been losing some oil. Not enough to be totally alarming, but enough to pay attention to and wipe off the back of the bus. There were the standard seepage drips, but these seemed minimal enough, but the puddle I was leaving under the oil cooler/filter area was giving me the heebie-jeebies. I harassed a couple more friends to try to find out how likely it was that the cooler itself had burst or the seals given way, and how hard that was to fix with engine in situ, but the other option, a bad oil filter seal on the antique oil filter I was using from the garage was what the problem turned out to be. Thankfully. We took care of this at an oil change place in Buffalo, who shall remain unnamed due to the fact that the guys who let me drain the oil and change the filter were not supposed to have anything to do with VW's.....and the owner wasn't home. Thanks guys!
Prior to Buffalo, we accidentally ran a tollbooth....the same that is pictured above. There was a big truck blocking the signs, and the lane indicators were confusing....so we ended up in an "EZ Pass only" lane, and I can picture those State Troopers swarming down from their HQ to apprehend us, but in vain. (Think Blues Brothers) They're probably still combing the highways of America for us! (For the record, we did try to contact the Toll Authority, but they can't be reached...... whatever) The toll highways are numerous and expensive for rental trucks, I'll tell you what!
So! Niagara Falls. What a strange place. Take an expansive natural wonder, enslave it, regulate the bejeezus out of it, surround it with the trappings of "civilization", charge a hefty fee for parking, and share the joys of experiencing the awesome forces of nature.....but on a leash behind a safety rail. *end sarcastic input* Apparently, if you have the time to spend, Niagara Falls can provide a full day of interest and exploration.....I have this from the best of sources, so if you go, plan to give it some time! On the other side, the high-rises and casino things of Canada made some neat cityscape silhouettes against a decent sunset, and the floodlights over the river (Niagara East) not only lit up the water in a cool way, but also attracted lots and lots (and lots) of flying insects who were unwittingly supplying the billions of spiders who had constructed their webs on the bridge, in the trees, off of the stanchions of the lights themselves, and everywhere else you could imagine with the ultimate all-you-can-devour buffet (see picture of the creepy close-up). The gargantuan Ferris wheel on the Ontario side looked fun too!
Whew! So there you are....Niagara Falls. After getting slightly lost somewhere in the American Niagara Falls township, and having a discussion as to the adviseability of knocking over the row of expensive-looking Harleys in front of a bar (would our current wannabe 007-style oil slick keep them from killing us, or should we just keep our thoughts where they belong and go get some food and rest? We chose the latter.
In the morning, after the oil change and the daily "where do we find the good espresso?" quest (more on that later!), we headed out on the freeway, which, in itself was not too exciting, and was fairly continuously treed on both sides, so only tiny snippets of photo-worthy America whizzed by, usually too late for application of my handy photon-capturing device.
As I was going over my notes to see if I had forgotten to mention something interesting, I found the place where I noted that after the oil guy put the drain plug and filter on, I had to check them back at the hotel, so I did, and found that they were just a little bit loose for my liking, which was OK....that's why I was checking. Anyway, the drain plug, tapped into aluminum, wasn't feeling "right" to me so I dabbed a bit of hi-temp black silly-cone on either side to keep it from rattling loose. I don't know for sure if it was starting to strip, but golly, I wasn't wanting to find out in the middle of the Nebraskan plains!
This brings to mind also the "other" first time I used silicone or RTV on a VW: To seal the gaps in my makeshift engine-to-body seal, which was handcrafted of the finest pipe insulation and house door weatherstripping. It all held together fairly well, except for the bit right at the rear center, where it melted away. (I did check for flammability!) Under the jumpseat of the bus was an old backpacker's foam sleeping pad, which, while not making the prettiest of fixes, did the job with the help of some more of that silly-cone, and did not melt! I also used RTV and wire-nuts to seal some gaping holes in the EGR system that were obvious vacuum leaks, and they all held nicely. I pity the person (fool or not) who gets to clean my mess up, but hey, I did my job: I got the bus to CA in one piece and under its own power to boot! (Sorry I have no pics of these "mods" for you to flame me about, so I'll give you a few consolation photos and another page of The Log:)
By the way, the purple park lady is in Healdsburg, CA, and I wasn't really tailgating, (read "drafting") but don't tell anyone! Sometime in Pennsylvania, we had to stop and re-tie a broken rope on the beetle tarp, and finish it all off with some sexy duct tape! Then there was this 2-for-1 sale at the fireworks depot......
Onward to Cleveland and Toledo!