We departed Donny & Donna’s house, our home away from home
and headed north on Route 415. We headed North on Route 15 through Wayland,
into Springwater and onto Route 15A north into Hemlock. Hemlock was where we
lived to raise our family.
We took a left onto Route 20A, and entered Livonia, the town
where some of our kids graduated from high school. We went to Leisure’s, a restaurant
we used to frequent quite a bit.
We met some of our “fair friends” (Debbie,
Jim, Dick and Jackie.) We ran into Shea, another “fair friend”, who was eating
breakfast with co-workers. We also had breakfast with our son, Tony and our
grandson, Connor. Connor just go a kitten and that was all he could talk about!
He added animation to the breakfast table! After breakfast, Charlie, Tony and
Connor all had haircuts scheduled at Dan’s Place.
Coming into Lima, there is a Veterinarians’ office that has
resurrected a barn that sits close to the road. This barn used to be an
eyesore, now it offers a silhouette montage of animal outlines. The Vet’s office has created a unique storage facility for its
practice.
In Lima we turned left off Route 15A, which is also known as
Plank Road, onto Routes 5 & 20. On Routes 5 & 20 East, between Lima and
Bloomfield, we passed Rochester Rigging and Erectors. That is where our
daughter-in-law, Margo, works. Hi Margo!
The greatest ice cream shop in New York is along Routes 5
& 20, just outside of Bloomfield … Sharks Ice Cream. Their homemade flavors
are so rich and indulgent, you will be coming back for more … or maybe not! The
small is more like a medium or large … so, one cone maybe enough! The flavors
vary from Almond Joy, to Banana, Toffee Bar, and Vanilla Peanut Butter Cup! Too
bad we went by early in the morning, otherwise we might have stopped!
As a kid, growing up in the late 60's and early 70's, it was
a treat to go to Roseland Park! Roseland Park is a now defunct amusement park
previously located along the north shore of Canandaigua Lake. Roseland started
operation in 1925 and continued to operate for 60 years until its closure on
Labor Day in 1985. Roseland originally opened up under the name "Lakeside
Park" with little more than a dance hall and a few rides. The dance hall
itself was named "Roseland" after the Roseland Ballroom in New York
City. After three years it had become such an integral component to the park's
identity, that the park itself was renamed from Lakeside to Roseland. Over the
years as the park changed and grew, it saw many rides come and go, for a period
of time there was even a live circus act. Following the park closure, an
auction was held to sell off all of the park's remains. Two of the park's most
notable rides can still be found in operation. Philadelphia Toboggan Company's
carousel No. 18, was purchased by the Pyramid Companies of Syracuse. It was
refurbished and restored to its original colors, and then installed at the
Carousel Center mall in Syracuse in 1990. Carousel No. 18 was originally built
in 1909. The other ride still in operation is the Skyliner, a wooden roller
coaster. This ride was also built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. It was
built at Roseland and opened in 1960, where it operated until the park closed.
It was then moved to Lakemont Park in Altoona, Pennsylvania reopening in 1987
under the same name. It was designed by John C. Allen who later went on to
design the Blue Streak at Cedar Point. It is a double out and back coaster with
a track length of 2400 feet, and a maximum height of 60 feet. A housing
development now sits on the property where Roseland Park once was. Though the
park has long since shut down, its name still exists today in the form of
Roseland Waterpark, which is also located in Canandaigua.
In Flint, there is an old railroad bridge over Routes 5
& 20 that has become part of the "connector" for the Ontario
Pathways Trail. It is a 23-mile rails-to-trails project. The "path"
is a cleared 12 foot wide trail with 10 of the 12 bridges already rebuilt. The
Trail is composed of "legs" that connect Canandaigua, Stanley, Seneca
Castle, Orleans and Phelps/Clifton Springs. The trail is open to the public
year round for hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing. I
would love to take our bikes on the pathway one of these days!
Between Flint and Stanley, there is an awesome Antique Shop, it is located in an old carriage factory, hence the name "The Carriage Factory." It has been there since I can remember. I used to come here often, because my friend Stephanie, used to love in Stanley New York.
Just before you enter the town of Geneva, you come to the Red Jacket Farm Store. Three generations of the Nicholson Family have mastered the art of harvesting and pressing premium fruits and juices. Continuing a long tradition of selling farm fresh fruits and juices direct to the public, their farm store is stocked full of Red Jacket Orchard products along with a curated selection of local and regional fruits, vegetables, cheeses, meats, and other specialty pantry and sundry items.
The Cobblestone Restaurant located in Geneva New York is a
restored 1825 farm house. Originally built as a Tavern and Stage Coach Stop in
the 1700's, the second floor was added on in the mid-1800's for living
quarters. Soon after, the building was purchased by the Fordon Family, known
throughout the area as large landowners and farmers. The restaurant is at the
crossroad of General LaFayette's encampment, on the former Massachusetts border,
in this historically rich region.
Geneva is rich in history, famous for its beauty and unique
in spirit. Along historic South Main Street you will find the scenic campuses
of Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Located on 320 acres in the heart of
Geneva, Hobart and William Smith are independent liberal arts colleges. The
Colleges enjoy a rich heritage based on a two-college system rooted in teaching
and research. Originally founded as two separate colleges (Hobart for men in
1822 and William Smith for women in 1908). Hobart William Smith now operates
under a coordinate college system. All students share the same campus, faculty,
administration and curriculum. Each college maintains its own traditions,
deans, student government and athletic department, giving students additional
leadership opportunities.
There is a full-sized mural located on the side of a
building in downtown Geneva that depicts the steamship afloat on Seneca Lake. I could not find out anything about the artist, but it is well maintained and beautiful!
Seneca Lake is the largest of the glacial Finger Lakes (with
a surface area of 42,800 acres) and the deepest lake entirely within the state.
It is promoted as being the lake trout capital of the world, and is host of the
National Lake Trout Derby.
Because of its depth and relative ease of access,
the US Navy uses Seneca Lake to perform test and evaluation of equipment
ranging from single element transducers to complex sonar arrays and systems.
The lake takes its name from the Seneca nation of Native Americans. At the
north end of Seneca Lake is the city of Geneva. At the south end of the lake is
the village of Watkins Glen, famed for auto racing and waterfalls. Seneca
Lake’s natural combination of deep water (at 632 feet it is the deepest of the
Finger Lakes) and sloping hillsides provides the ideal climate for grape
growing. Its unique geology and topography protect the growth of hardy native
grapes and premium hybrids as well as more delicate varieties.
In 1986 the Seneca Lake Wine Trail was formed in the heart
of New York State’s Finger Lakes Wine Country to attract more visitors to
experience its rich history, beauty and production of world-class wines. Today,
Seneca Lake Wine Trail is the largest and most active wine trail in New York State
with a community of 34 wineries, a distillery, two breweries and a meadery. The
rich wine history of Seneca Lake can be traced back to 1866, when the Seneca
Lake Grape Wine Company opened a winery on the western shores. However, with
the passage of Prohibition in 1919, the bottom of the grape market fell out and
many of Seneca Lake’s vineyards either closed or were replanted to produce
grape varieties for the juice or fruit market.
Waterloo was the next town we came to, it is the birthplace
of Memorial Day and home to the Memorial Day Museum. The Civil War, which had
torn our nation apart, had come to an end. In Waterloo, as in the rest of the
nation, the great sacrifice of our most precious asset, our young men, weighed
heavily on the minds of our citizens. During the fall of 1865, Henry C. Wells,
a local Druggist, proposed that a commemoration be held to honor their
sacrifice. Late in the winter of 1866, he enlisted the aid of General John B.
Murray who immediately threw his support behind the proposal and on May 5, 1866
the first Memorial Day was held and Memorial Day has been celebrated for over 150 years.
On the east side of Waterloo, a large grassy field provides the perfect setting to display a field of honor of United States flags. They are posted together with the flags of the five military services and the Prisoner of War flag to honor our nation and the men and women who have sacrificed so much in the defense of freedom. A Field of Honor is hard to describe, but once experienced it is not to be forgotten. Seeing this Filed of Honor, in Waterloo, on Memorial Day weekend amplifies these feelings!
We drove through Seneca Falls, which is home to the Women's
Rights National Historic Site. The First Women's Rights Convention held in 1848
marked the formal beginning of the women's rights movement. At the time of the
convention, women were not allowed the freedoms assigned to men in the eyes of
the law, the church, or the government. Women did not vote, hold elective
office, attend college, or earn a living. If married, they could not make legal
contracts, divorce an abusive husband, or gain custody of their children. Five
women organized the First Women's Rights Convention.
When Elizabeth Cady
Stanton, a Seneca Falls housewife and mother of three sons, sat down with the
Quaker and abolitionist women, and decided that these wrongs should be made
into rights. They called for a Convention, open to the public, to be held in
Seneca Falls at the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, July 1848. There they presented
a Declaration of Sentiments, based on the language and content of the
Declaration of Independence. Stating that "all men and women are created
equal," they demanded equal rights for women, including - a radical idea -
the right to vote. An estimate 300 people attended the Convention; the document
was ratified and was signed by 68 women and 32 men. The First Women's Rights
Convention and the Declaration of Sentiments have earned the Village of Seneca
Falls a large place in the hearts of people all over the world. There is no
major part of our lives today which has not been affected by this revolutionary
document.
Whether you are traveling on Route 5 & 20 or on the NYS
Thruway, you see portions of the Montezuma National Wildlife Management Area. Montezuma
was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1973; the citation notes that
"A small, 100-acre area within the site is one of the best examples of
undisturbed swamp woodlands in New York or New England." The New York
Northern Montezuma Wildlife Management Area borders the national wildlife
refuge and protects additional parts of the Montezuma Swamp. A significant spot
along the Atlantic Flyway, the Refuge provides crucial habitat for migratory
waterfowl and other birds. Keeping the refuge a productive place for wildlife is
all about the water. Grasslands provide critical habitat to migratory birds and
other wildlife. Whether providing a place to nest for mallards and bobolink, or
feeding grounds for hawks and fox, grasslands are critical to Montezuma. The
short-eared owl, endangered in New York State, depends on Montezuma grasslands
and marshes for wintering habitat, using these open areas to hunt their prey. The refuge
boasts two types of forest, upland and bottomland hardwood. Upland forested
sites are mostly successional forests dominated by black walnut, black willow,
and green ash occurring on former agricultural fields. Most of the mature
forested sites on the refuge are wetlands. Major plant life includes red and
silver maple, American elm, green ash, and swamp white oak. In Florida, Osprey roost on the tall poles, in Montezuma is is the American Bald Eagles that nest there!
Routes 5 & 20, skirt along the top of the Finger Lakes. The
Finger Lakes is a group of 11 long, narrow, roughly north-south lakes in a
region called the Finger Lakes region in Central New York. The shape of the lakes
reminded early map-makers of human fingers, and the name stuck. The 11 Finger Lakes, from west to east are:
Conesus Lake (where we started the morning,) Hemlock Lake, Canadice Lake, Honeoye
Lake, Canandaigua Lake, Keuka Lake, Seneca Lake, Cayuga Lake, Owasco Lake,
Skaneateles Lake and Otisco Lake. Cazenovia Lake to the east, although smaller,
is sometimes called "the 12th Finger Lake", because it is similar in
shape. The lakes, developed by glaciers, have been crucial to the development
of this area. The lakes, particularly Seneca Lake, the largest of the Finger
Lakes, have created microclimates for the area surrounding the lake and have
made them perfect for growing grapes. These microclimates have led to the
production of some amazing, top-notch wines from the Finger Lakes. Although
there are a number of wines for every pallet, the Rieslings and other white
wines are what the Finger Lakes are most famous for. Receding glaciers did more
than just create the lakes; they also created a landscape that is absolutely
breathtaking.
This area, like the Route 104 corridor to the north is dotted with apple orchards. Being from NY, I love everything apple, from the orchards, to the juice, and any spirits derived from them!
1911 Established is a unique name, don't you wonder where it came from? In 1911 George Skiff and Andrew Beak founded Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards in the rolling hills of Lafayette. They use the same personal touch to every bottle of their small batch premium spirits that they have used to grow their apples, for more than 100 years. Their motto is “Tree to Bottle.” Their processes and ingredients for all of their products are controlled in-house, just like they were in 1911.
In Lafayette we saw our first signs for Route 20 a Scenic By-way. It is an 108-mile stretch of Route 20 from Lafayette east to Duanesburg.
It was
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| Photo Credit - Jim McKeever, Irish Investigations. |
"Stacks" is an outdoor sculpture by David Harper at the Stone Quarry Hill Art Park in
Cazenovia, NY. I
love Art Parks, but have never heard of this one! Here is the history of it, on
a summer day in the late 1950s Dorothy and Bob Riester packed a picnic and
drove from their home in Syracuse to Cazenovia to look at a plot of land, 23
acres in size located just off Route 20 on Stone Quarry Road. They decided to
purchase the land and spent the next year building a summer home on the
hilltop, taking advantage of views to Cazenovia and Oneida lakes. Over the
years they continued to purchase surrounding acreage when it became available.
In 1965 the Riesters made their summer hilltop home their permanent residence,
adding a library and front entrance and expanding the small A-frame studio
Dorothy used as work space for her various sculptures. Officially, it was a private
residence, but as an active artist and community member, Dorothy’s home,
studio, and land were always open for the enjoyment of others.
 |
| Photo Credit: Heather & Jake, Nothing Mundane |
By the
mid-1980s, they owned over 80 acres of beautiful land. They built trails,
gardens, and buildings, and many people came to enjoy the magnificent views,
attend special events, and walk the trails. In 1991 in an effort to ensure the
land would always be available to those that had come to enjoy its offerings
Dorothy incorporated Stone Quarry Hill Art Park as a non-profit art park. A
conservation easement protects the now 104 acres of land from future
development and maintains the aesthetics of Stone Quarry Hill's history, first
as a quarry and then in the late 1800s as a working farm. In 2011, during its
20th anniversary year, Stone Quarry Hill Art Park was recognized as #2 in
National Geographic’s “Top Ten Sculpture Parks and Trails” in Secret Journeys
of a Lifetime: 500 of the World’s Best Hidden Travel Gems. In 2014 the Hilltop
House and Dorothy's studio were place on the National Register of Historic
Places listed as "The Dorothy Riester House and Studio." The Stone Quarry Hill Art Park offers
visitors an unparalleled experience that is peaceful yet stimulating,
self-directed yet suggestive, and familiar yet thought-provoking. On our way back, we are going to stop here and explore more!
Wind Turbines (windmills) are sitting atop the hillside east
of Madison. I know there are people that will vigorously argue for and against
these giants. But, whichever “side” you are on … I find them to be an awesome
sight!
On July 9, 1781 scouts out of Fort Rensselaer reported to Colonel Marinus Willett that the British were burning Currytown, NY. A force of nearly 500 Indians and Loyalists under Lieutenant John Dockstader had surprised the settlement burning most of the homes and killing many of the residents. Col Willett marched a small force of 140 Levies and Militia to New Dorlach, now called Sharon Springs, where he ambushed the British raiding party gaining a complete American victory over the enemy.
There was a set of three NY State historical markers along the roadside, as we turned off Route 20 in Duanesburg, heading to the campsite. I love history, but won't bore you with the details of the two men that are buried here and the history of the name of the town of Duanesburg.
We have traveled in light rain for most of the day, it finally seemed like it was going to let up, but no ... just as we were arriving at Frosty Acres Campground, the drizzle started again. The campground is on top of a steep climb, but we made it here safely, now time to rest for a few days!
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