Thanksgiving with MaryAnne in Syracuse

     Do you believe what you're seeing to the left?  Seems like the goal of this journey across America was to eliminate this from our world! So we've been on the road for 28 days now, and we're sitting within 6 hours driving time from our home in upstate NY!  Somehow that doesn't seem right.
     Alright...Thanksgiving is the time of year to gather the family as best you can, and celebrate and be thankful for what life has given you.  Debbie and I have been blessed with 2 wonderful & successful kids, an incredible daughter-in-law, and of course Jamo, the PGD (precious grand dog).  We both know that we are extremely fortunate to be able to live as we live, and to travel. Visiting old friends and making new ones all across America is definitely an added bonus.  We hope all of our friends and family have a wonderful and blessed Christmas season.
     On Tuesday, Debbie and I departed Cherry Hill RV Park in D.C. after making arrangements to leave Big Red for a few days.  Everything is closed up, and the heat was left at 50.  We've been watching the weather, and all we've seen are cool temperatures and some rain, so he should be just fine.  While we were in D.C. last week, the temps dropped down into the 20's and we didn't have any issues with frozen pipes.  We definitely don't want that to happen.  Our 5 1/2 hour drive up to Syracuse took us about 7 hours, but that wasn't bad. Morning commuter traffic on I-95/495 around Washington slowed us down for the first 45 minutes, and then a tractor trailer accident backed traffic up a bit.  But other than that, it was clear sailing all the way into Syracuse.  As we drove up I-81 through Chambersburg and Carlisle, Debbie and I remembered the Thanksgiving dinners we shared with Ben, Joanne, and the Pearson  Family in 2011 & 2012.  Family is ultimately the goal, and hopefully in the future, everyone will be able to spend the holidays close to family and friends.  Fortunately we left on Tuesday, as Wednesday driving the I-95 corridor was treacherous at best with snow, sleet and rain stretching from Florida to Maine.  But we were nestled in comfortably in Syracuse, by the time the storm hit.  (This photo represents "nestled in"....not necessarily Syracuse!)

     We put the pressure right to MaryAnne with Thanksgiving at her apartment.  But I'm happy to report that she did a terrific job and had everything ready to go when we arrived.  Debbie and she had spoken about all the necessary preparations, and as Debbie went through the list, MAE had them all checked off.  The only thing I was worried about was the turkey, and Debbie reported that MAE had it defrosting in the fridge and it was ready to go.
     Thanksgiving morning arrived with about an inch of white powdery snow covering the ground.  Lots better than what Buffalo had been experiencing.  We were surprised to hear that Albany had received about 9.5 inches of snow.  Can't quite figure out how the storm missed Syracuse, but we'll take it.  We headed out early for MAE's as we knew that mimosa's were waiting for us.  We settled in, and the girls started studying the sales flyers in the day's newspaper.  I knew that this was going to be a long day.

 As I sat there enjoying football on TV, MAE was busily preparing the turkey and trimmings.  Soon, Mrs Doody was in the kitchen with her, although she claimed it was for moral support.  As I recall, they were trying to divide the recipe by 1/2 when I snapped this photo.  "Don't screw up the pumpkin pie" I exclaimed!  Actually there was no doubt in my mind that it would be perfect.

 Next came the turkey, and as it settled into the oven, everyone could relax for a few hours.  We got a phone call out to Ben in San Diego, and he reported temps in the 90's!  Way too hot for Thanksgiving Day.  Joanne had to go to work for 8 PM at Target, but they had been invited up to the Lanier's for turkey the day before. The Lanier's have been taking care of Ben since he was a baby in Pine Valley, and it was very thoughtful to invite them all up for dinner.  Even Jamo got to go.  Seems that Little Tommy has a dog too, and he and Jamo can work off a little energy out in the yard.  
      Right on schedule, MAE's first Thanksgiving dinner hit the table.  The menu included turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, mixed vegetables, cranberry, rolls, and pumpkin pie for dessert.  MAE even remembered the Andes' Mints!  Perfect job!

I guess she was paying attention to her mother all these years!?!   She is settling right in down here in Syracuse.  I guess she's gonna do fine.  Her only downfall that I can see is she's a Dallas Cowboys fan.  Where did I go wrong???
     Now, as amazing as it may seem, Debbie has moved into Christmas mode here in Syracuse. There's nothing more important to her than opening presents on Christmas morning.  So she's brought along some of her wrapping paper (never throw paper away), and she's busy this morning getting gifts wrapped up for shipping all over the country.  I hope everyone who is reading this, gets to enjoy the Christmas Season half as much as Debbie does.

Sunday in D.C. and preparations for the holidays

   
      Well the nice weather has returned to D.C. and the temps are well into the 60's today.  It rained most of the night, which is the perfect time for it to rain. The windows and front door of Big Red are open and a nice breeze is blowing through.  I've got to backtrack a few days to get caught up, which translates to:  We are pounding the sites around DC and we're too tired when we get home!
     One thing we have discovered is you can't see everything DC has to offer in just a few short days.  We really should have spent more time in ALL the museums and sites we've visited, but we kept moving forward hoping to get a glimpse at everything and deciding what we wanted to visit on our next journey.  Everyone has an important story to tell, but visitors with limited time are forced to pick and choose.  Saturday was a beautiful day....still just a slight breeze,,,but very pleasant temperatures. Debbie and I have become real pro's at maneuvering through the various modes of transportation around D.C.  The other night, we arrived back at the bus terminal after exiting the metro, and met some people from the RV Park waiting for the bus nearly frozen to death.  They had been waiting for over 1 hour.  Just by chance, we had timed it so our wait with them was only about 15 minutes.  The following night, Debbie and I were waiting for the Metro in DC and remembered that our bus only runs every hour.  Debbie pulled out her trusty bus schedule, and we decided to wait in the nice warm Metro terminal in DC for about 20 more minutes and then catch our train.  When we arrived at our bus station, our wait was only about 10 minutes.  Of course this theory only works if the bus is on time.....which it was....so we looked like pro's.
     So Saturday, we had planned quite a full day.  I had touched base with Rep. Owens and had scored some tour tickets for the Capital Building for the 2:20 pm tour.  So first we headed to the Archives Museum located right on the Mall.  No pictures can be taken at the Archives, but the Declaration of Independence is on display along with thousands of other documents of American History.  It is definitely a place a visitor to D.C. needs to visit.  We managed to wander through only 1 floor of the museum and decided that we needed to keep moving.

 Exiting the museum, we turned right and headed down the Mall toward the WWII Memorial.  It was about a 15 minute walk to get there, but the sights along the way make it an enjoyable walk.  You have to pass by the Washington Monument, and from there the White House is visible.  At the other end of the Mall is the Lincoln Memorial, and probably half way in between is the WWII Memorial. The WWII Memorial is divided into the Atlantic & Pacific theater.  A pool with multiple fountains lays between them and each state is represented with a vertical tower and a large wreath at the top. The Memorial honors the 16 million who served, the more than 400,000 who died, and all who supported the war effort at home.

    In the center of the Memorial is a wall containing 400 gold stars, commemorating the more than 400,000 who died.  We need to remember that more the 605,000 died during our Civil War.
     At the opposite end of the Mall, is the Capital Building, and Debbie and I had spent a little too much time at the memorial.  So we headed out at a pretty crisp pace, for the 1 mile walk back.  But we made it with a few minutes to spare, and luckily it wasn't a busy day at the Capital.  We worked our way through security and entered into the Visitor Center, newly constructed since 9/11.

They have a pretty good system, and once inside we got our passes and were able to sit down and just enjoy the surroundings.  There was a replica of the statue Freedom in the visitor center that matches the statue on the top of the dome.  It stands at about 19.5 ft and weighed more than originally anticipated, which forced the original architect to make a few changes in the construction of the dome to support the weight of  Freedom.  The interior of the Capital is full of magnificent paintings and statues depicting our nation's history, but unfortunately the tour guides move way too fast to let you see them.

 This was the only unfortunate part of the visit.  Our guide had her story down pat, but lacked any enthusiasm is telling it.  But don't let this deter you from taking the tour if you get the opportunity.  There's also an Exhibit Hall which is off of the Visitor Center, which has hundreds of photos of the Capital's construction and a video explaining the Legislative Branch of our gov't.  Again, unfortunately, you can't take any pictures which I really didn't understand.

   
 On Sunday we attended noon mass at The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.  The Basilica is the largest Roman Catholic Church in the United States and North America, and one of the ten largest churches in the world.  The website refers to it as "America's Catholic Church and it has been visited by Pope Benedict XVI, Saint John Paul II, and Blessed Mother Teresa.  It is truly magnificent and relatively modern structure, with its construction spanning the 19th, 20th, and now 21st centuries.  It contains over 70 chapels.  It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the Patroness of the United States, and throughout her are statues and paintings of her.  We spent a few hours walking through the numerous chapels, and viewing the magnificent artwork.  The Basilica is open daily, and there is ample free parking for those coming to attend mass or just visit. There are free guided tours,dining area, and of course 2 gift shops.  If you can come to D.C. plan on spending a few hours visiting the Basilica.

 

       Today we are getting our lives cleaned up and packed up so we can head back to Syracuse for Thanksgiving with the Princess.  It's going to be interesting watching her fly around the kitchen putting a dinner together!!  On Sunday, we'll be heading back here to D.C. to pick up Big Red, and then we're off to Tennessee, Alabama, and finally some warm weather in Florida.  We'll be hitting Gainesville for Aunt Anita's 89th birthday, so we had better be on time.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Naval Academy and Washington

     The weather here in DC continues to be a little cool at night, but the days continue a slight warm up each day.  Nothing like the weather that the rest of the country has been experiencing.  Seems quite amazing that we're in the middle of November, and  most of the country has been experiencing multiple days of below freezing weather.  Debbie and I have been fortunate by staying on the fringe of this weird weather pattern, and now it seems that NY will be looking at weather up in the 60's the next few days.  Buffalo is still digging out of about 7' of snow the last few days, and even the National Guard has been deployed to help.  As long as it's nice while we're in Syracuse.  That's all I care about!
     Debbie and I continue to play tourist each day.  Yesterday we drove over to Annapolis and took a guided tour around the campus of the U.S. Naval Academy.  Of course our first stop was a visit over at their athletic facility.  And of course we went straight to a display of gold footballs signifying Navy victories over Army!  Now, I think Army has won the last 12 in a row, but as you can see, Navy won the 1st one back in 1890.

I'm sure we'd get the same tour if we visited West Point as both branches seem to take this rivalry pretty seriously.  We also passed by a bronze statue of the Navy mascot which has a plaque stating that Navy Midshipman allegedly stole the Ram from West Point prior to one of these early contests, and has remained the mascot of the Navy ever since.
     We also took a tour through the USNA Museum, which was truly a magnificent place. Amazingly, the Academy has encompassed the Midshipmen's curriculum into the museum and they are conducting classes and lectures among the exhibits.  The museum contains thousands of artifacts of Navy life, documenting the leaders and their service from its earliest days.  There are interactive displays and battle maps that document  the Navy's history during both war and peace.  There are numerous ship models from the 1600's and 1700's, which were made prior the actual building of the ships.  They are accurate down to the smallest details.  Just recently, they've discovered that the artisans actually left notes and signatures inside the models.  There is even an amazing display of ship models built by French prisoners of war using material in the prison yard including wood, straw, and bones from their beef rations.Some of the models took years to make.

      Last night, Debbie discovered that if we wanted to take a tour of the U.S. Capital, we needed to obtain a reservation.  I logged in to the Visitor Center, and unfortunately there were no openings until 12/1.  Well that wasn't going to work for us.  So I logged onto the website of our Representative Bill Owens, to see if he could help us.  Today when we got back, there was a nice email from his office with an attachment for 2 passes to tour the Capital tomorrow.
     Today we headed over to tour the Natural History Museum and the American History Museum. The Metro is a quick trip in from College Park.  The slow part was the bus ride getting to the Metro. But the bus actually enters the RV park to pick us up, so that's pretty convenient.  We stepped out onto the platform and made our way up to the sunlight and began our adventure.

The metro is very easy to figure out, and any visitor to DC will have little problem getting around.  The wind was a little bitter as we made our way around the Mall which had quite a renovation project ongoing.  The Capital Building with all its scaffolding was visible at one end of the Mall, and the Washington Monument was at the other.

The Natural History Museum was filled with just about any kind of animal you could imagine.  Even a life sized elephant welcomed visitors at the front door. There were some amazing photographs of wildlife from around the world in a separate display.  We tried to sit and enjoy the photos, but the place was full of school children raising Kane and running wildly throughout the place.  It just got to be a little overwhelming.  We're told that Monday is the quietest day to visit.  So we packed up and headed over to the American History Museum.  This museum is going to take some repeat visits to get through.  There's just so much to see.  Debbie was fascinated with the gowns worn by the First Ladies, and a display of some of their dinnerware.

 I myself was impressed with the living room furniture of Archie and Edith Bunker!  There was a nice display of the Gunboat Philadelphia which was discovered in the water off of Valcour Island in 1935.  The gunboat was sunk during the War of 1812.  The displays are too numerous to mention, so if you get a chance of visit DC, look the place over.  It is worth your while.
     Tomorrow we are returning to DC for a tour of the Capital Building and who knows what else.  The temperature should be up in the 60's, so we're looking forward to that.

Chillin' near Washington DC......literally

 

      Debbie and I had a wonderful time visiting Norfolk and Historic Williamsburg area.  The weather didn't fully cooperate, but now that I'm sitting in DC and looking at outside temperatures hovering around 26, Norfolk looks pretty nice.  Sunday was going to be a rainy day, so Saturday night I packed up our bikes and chairs and put everything away.  There's no point in packing away wet belongings.  After church, Debbie put on  a wonderful pancake breakfast with authentic Adirondack maple syrup. That's always a great way to start the day.
     After a late breakfast, Debbie and I headed over to a nearby outlet mall to do a little Christmas shopping.  Couldn't be that bad could it?  After all, football is on TV!  The place was packed.  After a few trips around the parking lot, we managed to find an open parking space, and I soon found myself carrying bags around the mall.  Really not that bad though....found a nice jacket which may come in handy with this cooler weather, and a few other things.  Debbie found a few items for the Princess, but it's looking tough for Ben and Joanne right now. Hopefully their luck picks up soon.  Afterwards we drove a short distance into Williamsburg and attended a jazz concert by the Jazz Ensemble of William and Mary College.  They really put on a very nice show, and we both enjoyed ourselves.

     Monday morning we headed northbound from Williamsburg along what Debbie refers to as the "blue-line."  We traveled along some beautiful country roads through the hills of Virginia which made Debbie a little nervous.  I have to agree the road does look a little narrow from the passenger side.  We move a little further east and found  a nice 4 lane highway, and even though the skies opened up on us, we made it into our RV park, Cherry Hill Park, located just outside of Washington in College Park, MD.  This 400 unit park is situated alongside the Washington Beltway, just outside of DC.  The roads are all paved, and the sites seem to be close to level.  They have a on-site cafe that also includes a hot tub and sauna area.  There is a large outdoor pool, but with the polar vortex pushing temperatures down into the 20's, it's all closed up.  There's also a few subscribers to RVillage, Facebook for RV'rs, here at the park, which we will probably get together with.
      Temperatures last night were down in the 20's, but Big Red appears to have survived just fine.  We've burned a few gallons of propane keeping it warm, but our water tanks and hoses don't show any sign of freezing up.  Today we made arrangements to have our propane tanks filled on-site, and headed over to Sharpsburg, MD to tour the Antietam National Battlefield.  On September 17, 1862, nearly 100,000 soldiers of the Union and Confederate Armies met near Antietam Creek in Maryland.

 A 12-hour battle began at dawn, and between 6 AM-10 AM, Americans were dying at the rate of 1 each second.  By the time darkness fell on the battlefield, over 23,000 were killed, wounded or missing.
     At the southern edge of the battlefield, 500 Confederate soldiers were able to hold back multiple waves of Union soldiers totally nearly !2,000 for over 3 hours, as they attempted to cross the Lower Bridge. Inside the museum at the Visitor Center, a portrait of the battle at Burnside Bridge shows a Eucalyptus tree adjacent to the bridge.  In the photo taken today, that tree is still visible.

 After taking the bridge, Union General Ambrose  Burnside, after whom the bridge is now named, moved across the fields pushing the Confederates back.  In a scene similar to a Hollywood movie, Confederate General Hill arrived from Harper's Ferry after moving his Light Division 17 miles to the battlefield.  He was successful is forcing Burnside back to Antietam Creek and providing time for Gen. Lee to retreat from the battlefield across the Potomac back into Virginia. These Armies would meet next at Gettysburg, where casualties would reach over 51,000 dead, wounded or missing.
     During the battle, the dead were buried where they fell.  Years later, Union soldiers were reinterred in the Antietam National Cemetery.  Confederate soldiers were not buried in the National Cemetery, but were buried in Hagerstown and Frederick, MD, and Shepherdstown, VA now West Virginia.
     After arriving back at Big Red, Debbie and I enjoyed a wonderful pot roast dinner which Debbie had prepared in a crock pot and left to cook all day in the MH.  We had a nice cocktail, and settled in for a cool-ish night at the Cherry Hill RV Park.

This is what we call "Roughing it Smoothly"

Historical Norfolk, VA

     We headed out from Uncle Bob's on Sunday enroute to Virginia, looking forward to some warmer weather and hopefully a continuation of the Fall colors.  It took us two days to make the journey down here since we've adopted the policy of "230".  We try to either drive 230 miles or quit by 2:30 in the afternoon.  That probably doesn't seem like much, but it sure is nice arriving at a new destination early enough to set up camp, and take a quick tour around the campsite.  Sunday night we stayed at a KOA in Williamsport, MD.  We very seldom stay in a KOA since they seem to be a little overpriced for the amenities offered.  But in a pinch they're OK for an overnight.  Monday morning we headed for the American Heritage RV Park, in Williamsburg, VA.  We made a circle around Washington. DC and picked up 95 further to the south, and cruised into Williamsburg, VA with very little traffic.  The park has all paved sites among mature pine and oak trees and is easily accessible to Rt 64.  Cable TV is available along with over the air TV.  My satellite won't work because of the trees, so we are roughing it just a little bit!!  It's a great park and close by Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown.  It's less than a 30 minute drive to downtown Norfolk.
     On Tuesday, being Veterans Day, we wandered down to Norfolk to visit Nauticus, the USS Wisconsin, and take a tour of Norfolk Harbor.

 As you can assume by its name, Nauticus is a maritime themed science museum located on the waterfront in downtown Norfolk.   After gaining 1 free admission (Veterans Day), we were guided to a slow moving walkway which took us to the 3rd floor of the museum passing by several exhibits describing the history of Norfolk.  The museum is loaded with Naval History and the role Norfolk and Chesapeake Bay had in both the Revolutionary War and the Civil War.  Inside Nauticus is a Naval Museum not associated with Nauticus a free to the public.  Alongside Nauticus, and included in the admission price, was the USS Wisconsin, a WWII Battleship.  We strolled the wooden decks of USS Wisconsin, and were amazed to see the massive guns she possessed from WWII, and the modern armament she carried to the fight in support of the Iraq War.

 Inside Nauticus we remembered a display of a shell fired by a U.S. Navy Battleship and a Volkswagen Beetle  hanging side by side.  Both weighed nearly the same.  Wisconsin could fire the shell about 23 miles.  I also remembered a story told by Spanky Hayden, a BP Agent in Campo, of the USS New Jersey firing 1 round into a fight in Vietnam and saving his platoon.  After seeing the size of the shell, I understood what Spank was talking about.

Probably one of the most fascinating facts we discovered during the tour, was that her initial sea trials were conducted in the James River instead of the Atlantic because of the threat of German U-boats offshore.  And because of her massive length of nearly 850 feet, and the depth of the river, the downward pressure she exerted on the river bed actually propelled her through the water at nearly 59 MPH.  Tour guides located throughout Nauticus and Wisconsin were all Navy Veterans, many of whom served during Vietnam on-board the USS Wisconsin, and they were all eager to add their stories to our tour.  It made the visit extra special.  Norfolk is definitely a Navy town, and is going overboard to thank all Veterans for their service to America.
     Outside of Nauticus, we discovered another tribute to America's Veterans which included letters home from those who didn't make it.

The letters, from all of our wars, were cast in bronze and appeared to be blowing in the wind and scattering along the ground on the waterfront.  They were all very touching and gave an insight into the minds of our soldiers from the Revolutionary War to the present. Reading them you'll soon discover a common theme among them.
     We completed the afternoon by boarding the Victory Rover and taking a 2 hour tour of Norfolk Harbor and the Norfolk Navy Base.  The Captain was very informative of the history and battles which had taken place around Norfolk, and had an impressive knowledge of the Navy ships we cruised past on our journey.  He provided a fascinating insight into the roles the ship have played in our recent history and the weapon systems each ship could deploy.
We cruised past 2 Navy submarines which are always fascinating to see.  I almost had the opportunity to go inside one our nuclear subs up in Groton, CT when I was doing recruiting work for the BP, but that fell through after 9/11.  That would have been amazing.  We saw guided missile cruisers, supply ships, and hospital ships, and the Captain had stories to tell of each of them.  I would highly recommend the harbor cruise if you get the opportunity to visit Norfolk.

Le Roy, NY and Canandaigua Lake

Last day in Le Roy, NY and then onto Ohio……

     Since I was able to cajole Debbie into departing a few days early, we've been able to slow the daily pace down and do some serious moseying.  There’s no point in being in a hurry, and usually there’s something interesting happening around you.  The trick is finding it.    The weather has been cooperating so far, although it’s been cool enough to require us to do a little heating with our propane furnace.  Hate to do that when there’s electricity sitting on the pole that’s included in the daily fees, but it seems that once the temps start hovering in the mid 30’s, the heat pumps get a little fidgety, and home starts feeling a little cooler.  Not quite sure at what temperature the heat pumps quit working, but they don’t like the 30’s!!   So between Cooperstown and Le Roy, we spotted a True-Value Hardware store with a propane tank in the back yard.  After a quick left turn off of the main drag, loop around a residential neighborhood, and back to the hardware store, we topped off our tank.  People sure look funny at you when you drive a 33 foot MH, towing a Jeep toad, down residential streets.  But I really don’t have any reservations about pulling down these streets.  The Tiffin seems to be very maneuverable, and so far, I haven’t been stuck anywhere. 

     As we arrived in Le Roy, NY the other day, Debbie spotted a sign about a Jell-O Museum in town.  She mentioned it several times, so I assumed it was something we just had to accomplish.  Wednesday morning, over coffee, Debbie asked what was on the itinerary for the day.  Jell-O Museum tour, I replied!  She looked at me like I was nuts, but being a sport, she acquiesced and said OK.   Sure enough, on Main Street in downtown Le Roy, NY, we found it. 

And they had a story to tell.  Seems like Jell-O, that delicious dessert that we were raised on, was invented right here in Le Roy, NY.  The museum is actually located in one of the original school houses from Le Roy’s hey-day, and is a beautiful building that also includes a Transportation Museum downstairs.  Back in 1897, Pearle Bixby Wait, a local carpenter/inventor, combined fruit juice and a gelatin, and created Jell-O.  Mr. Wait tried to market Jell-O for 2 years, but people just couldn't get used to buying a “desert” in a box”.  So in 1899, he sold his rights to Jell-O to Orater Woodward for $450.00.  Seems that the cost of a new house was $450.00, and Mr. Waite needed a house more than he needed Jell-O.  Mr. Woodward was a bit more successful in developing and marketing the product, and in 1923, the Postum Cereal Co of Battle Creek, MI acquired Jell-O for more than $66 million!  And the rest is history.

     After completing the museum tour, we headed downstairs where we viewed a 1908 Cadillac and numerous work wagons and racing sleighs with ties to Le Roy.  They even tell the story of Henry Ford driving through Le Roy on August 1, 1922 and being stopped for speeding.  He paid a $30 fine, but accused Le Roy of being a speed trap.  He even post a billboard on the outskirts of town about it. 

     Our journey continued, and we headed for Canandaigua, NY to take a tour around the beautiful lake and maybe get in a little wine tasting. 

The Finger Lakes Region of NY is quite famous for its many vineyards, and if you are traveling through the region, you really must test a few.  Our first stop on the lake was the marina area, where we found rows of boat houses along the docks.  Seems there's quite a history with these houses, and their development over the years.  All of these buildings contained a boat, but you would never know it from this side.  We heard 2 interesting stories on our journey around the lake.  Most incredible was the assessments the properties face on the lake.  We were told that lake front property is valued at $50,000/foot of lakefront!!!  Ouch!!! Canandaigua Lake is a private lake with very limited public access which would account for the high values.  Secondly, Humphrey Bogart and his family used to summer on the lake.  Being a Bogart fan, I think that’s pretty cool. 

Letchworth State Park

   

     Yesterday we left Doubleday Campground near Cooperstown, NY, and took a leisurely drive west on SR 20 all the way to our destination in Le Roy, NY.  There are a couple of things you should know about SR 20.  It is a well maintained, sometimes 4 lane, sometimes 2 lane, highway that cuts across the top of the Finger Lakes of NY.  There are lots of little towns to pass through, and each seems to have a few traffic lights waiting for you to approach before turning yellow/red.  But that's part of the wonderful experience of Seeing America at your own pace.  Some of the towns reach back in history to the 1700's for their names.  They include Cazenovia, established in 1793 and named after Theophilus Cazenov, an agent of the Holland Land Company.  It is also home to Cazenovia College which was founded in 1824.
     A wonderful town also located along this route was Skaneateles. It was settled along the shore of Skaneateles Lake, and was formed in 1830.  Some Skaneateles men volunteered for the Patriot War in 1848, to liberate Canada, and were ultimately imprisoned by the British in Tasmania.  The Quakers of Skaneateles were involved in the abolitionist movement, and there are numerous documented Underground Railroad sites in town.  The waterfront area of the town looked extremely inviting, and we look forward to returning.
     The second issue with SR 20 is the numerous hills and valleys which worked the transmission and "jake brake"  of our Tiffin.  But Big Red performed flawlessly, as we worked our way up and down some extremely challenging hills.  We arrived at our destination in Le Roy, NY at The Ridge Campground, which used to be a ski area.  The stanchions of retired ski lifts dot the compound.  Check-in was easy, and we were escorted to a level pull-thru site with 50 amp service.
     Today we experienced temperatures in the 60's which we really enjoyed as we headed a short distance south to Letchworth State Park.

     Letchworth is also described as the "Grand Canyon of the East", and after entering the park and hearing the the roar of the Genesee River, you soon understand why.  The park was established after 1000 acres was donated by William Pryor Letchworth in 1907.  Today it has grown to over 14,000 acres or nearly 17 miles, along the Genesee River.
     Along the numerous pathways which meander along, 600 feet above the river along a cliff, we were able to experience 3 magnificent waterfalls, one of which is over 107 feet.  Millions of years of history are evident in the rock formations exposed by erosion.  The upper falls are horseshoe shaped and the Genesee River falls 70 feet before continuing on its journey.

Continuing along the trail, and after climbing numerous stone stairs, we approached the Portage Bridge which was erected in 1875.  The metal bridge replaced the world's longest timber bridge which was built in 1852.    The middle falls are 285 feet across and the water falls 107 feet.

The heritage of the Seneca Indians is evident throughout the park because of the generosity of William Letchworth. In 1872, a Seneca Council House was purchased and moved to the park. Seneca and State Officials were invited to the dedication ceremony.   The other cabin was built by Mary Jemison, also known as the "White Woman of the Genesee".  Mary Jemison was born aboard a ship in the Atlantic enroute to the U.S. from Ireland.  She was captured during the French and Indian War and adopted by the Senecas.  Over the course of her lifetime, she was married twice and raised 6 children.  She spent most of her life where the park is now located.  In 1874, William Letchworth had her remains returned and buried near the Seneca Council House.

     The park is very well maintained, and it is unfortunate that we arrived past the peak of the Fall colors.  The views were outstanding and the pictures really don't do it justice.  I would urge anyone in the area to take the time to visit the park.  The trails are mostly flat and access to view the falls in available to hikers of all ages.  There are several campgrounds with cabins in the park, along with at least 2 restaurants.  The Glen Iris Inn is located near the middle falls, and although closed at this time of year, appeared to be a wonderful place to dine.