Back to Syracuse to pick up Patience and then back on the road.  After a few fits & starts (the road kept disappearing on me thru Syracuse), I headed south toward PA.  When I left for San Diego, there was just a hint of color on the hillsides but two weeks has given them a chance to glow. Followed a fork of the Susquehanna River which took me on back roads through beautiful countryside.

A sign for the Marie Antoinette Overlook caught my attention so pulled in to learn more.  During the French Revolution, Royalists made their way to the Susquehanna Valley and set up a colony which included a stone castle-style home for Marie and her son.  You probably already know; she didn’t make it to PA.  Almost immediately across the road was Stephen Foster’s home and the inspiration for Camptown Races probably came from here – Camptown, PA.

Worked my way down to Lancaster County to spend a rainy day in Amish country. Greeted by the welcoming commitee and then joined a group of four friends from North Carolina who were taking a mini-bus tour of the countryside.  Stopped at a quilt shop and am going to be very sorry I didn’t snap up a beautiful quilt/pillow.  Quite ingenious, a lap quilt that folds up into a hand quilted pillow.  Also stopped at farm that raised the cutest miniature horses.

Next was a movie about Amish life which focused on a young man’s decision to choose which world he wanted to live in.  The choice is yours; you aren’t automatically a member of the community when you’re born into an Amish family. You can live among the “English” but you can’t live in both worlds.  

Next was a tour of a replicated house and schoolroom.  Children attend school until they’re 15 but there’s no high school. The books covering math, writing, reading & history reminded me of 50’s style texts.  Their first spoken and written language is a type of German but the texts I saw were in English with the prayer books in German.  No electricity is allowed in the home – propane and gas generators are allowed for some appliances (washers, refrigerators, etc.) and phones must be used outside in a phone “shack”.  Learned that although the Amish pay taxes, they refuse any federal benefits (refunds, SS, etc.)

Lastly, was the most delightful buggy ride where I got to sit up front with the driver behind two beautiful Belgians, Bert and Bobby. Indulged in some chocolate chip cookies and homemade root beer.  A wonderful day in spite of the dreary weather.

Headed toward Harrisburg and then up the Susquehanna River Valley.  Found there’s a north

and western branch of the river.  It would have been a beautiful drive except for the pouring rain.  Stopped to take a picture of the capital from across the river and then went in search of some sunshine.  Left just in time as I heard Harrisburg got almost 10 inches of rain.  Kept looking for a place to cross the river but there wasn’t one anywhere between Harrisburg and Northumberland.  Thought that was a bit strange until I read the display in a Danville park that told about all the bridges which had either been flooded out or destroyed by ice flows.

Have seen some interesting highway signs along the way on this trip but PA takes 1st place for getting the point across.

Have also seen some pretty interesting homes.  If you look closely, you can see a stone tree imbedded in the side of one.

Drove to the top of a hill overlooking Northumberland and then stopped in to visit the Father of

Chemistry, Joseph Priestly. He was the discoverer of oxygen, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide (among others).  Never patented anything; felt science discoveries should be shared for open exploration. Could have made a fortune in carbonated beverages but Schwepp’s jumped into that spot.  Left England when the church folk set fire to his house because as a Unitarian minister, he was labeled a Dissenter (not in agreement with the Church of England) and supported the American and French Revolution.  Wm. Penn invited him to settle in the religious freedom colony of PA where he set up a laboratory to continue his research and teach. The house contains some of his laboratory equipment and descriptions of the experiments he conducted.

Left Northumberland for a ride through the Alleghenies. The shutdown closed the Allegheny Portage Railroad Park but stopped to see a skewed arch remnant of it.  The railroad was built on inclined planes over the Alleghenies to connect Pittsburgh with Philadelphia. The road I traveled was built to accommodate the stone arch, a brief divide in the road so it could be preserved. Am so glad I visited Gettysburg and Valley Forge earlier. 

Although Johnstown was also closed, I walked up to the visitor center to get a view of the valley

and read about the history of the 1889 catastrophe.  The valley once held a man-made lake to supply water to the Main Line Canal.  It was abandoned when the railroad came in and taken over by a hunting and fishing club made up of steel and coal magnates.  Neglect eventually led to that day in May when the dam gave way and the lake poured into the valley, 

Had to bypass the Flight 93 Memorial also due to the closings.  Add Fort Necessity and Friendship Hill to that list too.  

Finally, a clear day and it couldn’t have happened at a better time.  Stopped at Falling Water to tour the house and grounds.  Built for the department store Kaufman’s to escape industrialized Pittsburgh’s poor air quality, their “cabin in the woods” turned into an internationally famous design that jump-started FLW’s sagging career. Loved seeing the student art projects displayed at the Visitors Center.  Very creative photo arrangements of FLW architecture and decorative designs. 

Decided to add to this gorgeous day by taking a short stroll through Ohiopyle State Park along and across the Youghioghny River. I wasn't alone, lots of hikers and bikers were there.  Topped it off by a stop at Cucumber Falls.

Fort Stanix, in the middle of Rome, NY has an interesting exhibit featuring four perspectives on the Revolutionary War.  The first is a young woman torn between her husband who has joined the militia and a brother who joined the Loyalists.  Next is an Indian woman from the Six Nations who saw her tribes divided between the two sides.  The third was a Scottish trader who had developed a fur trading business with the Indian tribes, only to see his land (and all land belonging to the Indian tribes) confiscated.  The final was an arrogant Continental soldier who saw the land he’d received as the “spoils of war”.  The implication was, it was the land the Scottish trader had owned.

Turned north to catch the elbow of Lake Ontario.   In my efforts to get closer to it, I found a pretty floral mailbox in the same neighborhood as the Oswego nuclear power plant.  It’s also apple orchard country and it looks like a bumper crop this year.  The trees are loaded, with some branches almost touching the ground. Stopped at a roadside stand and pick up some apples and apple brownies.

The original Fort Ontario was built and destroyed several times during the early wars but the new fort is reconstructed to its 1867 appearance when it housed Civil War disabled veterans.  It also became a Safe Haven for victims of the Holocaust and returning WWII veterans and their families. Got more info about the War of 1812 - an extension of the Revolutionary and the English/French tussle.

Went to Rochester for my second meeting with Susan B. Here is where she joined with other northern New York abolitionists and suffragettes. She was a good friend of Frederick Douglas but they had a brief falling out when he failed to support voting rights for women when the Negro men got theirs with the 15^th Amendment.  “Are there no Negro women?”  Although she never lived to see the passage of the 19^th Amendment, she never stopped advocating for it; haranguing Congress every year. 

Found a pathway out of the middle Rochester which surprised me.  It goes from the city and looks like any old country road along grassy ravines through a little town called Irondequoit then empties into a county park where you drive through the middle of a golf course and then bump up against Lake Ontario.

Took the Lake Ontario State Parkway down to Niagara Falls and it reminded me of the Blue Ridge Pkwy (only lower) because no commercial vehicles were allowed on it.

My curiosity got the best of me (and my rumbling tummy) so stopped a Celtic Festival held at Olcotta along Lake Ontario.  It’s an annual festivity and attendees sure got into the spirit of it by dressing in kilts and whimsical Irish characters.  Passed up the shepherd’s pie and bangers but munched on a hot beef sandwich and listened to the kilt-clad band playing Irish songs. 

Took 1 ½ hours in the evening to get across the Rainbow Bridge to the falls.  Good news is, it was raining so I got to park right across from the falls to see the colored light show.  The area has changed considerably since I was here almost 25 years ago for a high school Student Council convention.  Huge hotel and casino towers now line the roadway.  Came back the following day to see the falls in daylight –minus the long wait to cross. Watching the power of the water coming over the edge is truly spectacular.

Continued my ride down along Lake Erie and noticed Sea Cliff Roadway (part of the Great Lakes Seaway Trail) and happened upon Graycliff, a Frank Lloyd Wright home built as a summer home by a wealthy Buffalo family.  It’s a lovely see-thru house out to the lake and a preservation group saved it from destruction and becoming condos, like the land next door.

Finished my ride along Lakes Ontario and Erie and then doubled back through the Chautauqua Valley toward the Finger Lakes. Chatauqua is a lovely drive thru the wooded areas – a bit of color to contrast with the evergreens and also some  roadside wildflowers still blooming. A beautiful mix of marshes and ponds, lakes and creeks. Gotta be careful because I’m also in Amish country so have to watch for horses and buggies.

Went from apple country to wine country.  The top area of Lake Seneca seemed to be mostly corn and soybeans but by the time I got to the tips, it was all grapes. It was a clear bright day and the ride through the grape country was on a higher perch so you could see forever – across the lake to the rolling hills beyond. Decided I had to stop taking pictures or I would never make it up Lake Cayuga.  Saw a sign for “Falls” road and thought I should turn around when voila, there it was - Hector Falls, right beside the road.

Went down to Ithaca, made a U-turn and followed Hwy 89 north along Cayuga Lake.  Saw a rowing team practicing along the river and a couple of butterflies decorating the side of the road.  Found another waterfall, Taughannock , which at one time emptied directly into the lake.  It’s retreated about ¾ of a mile back and now stands at 215’ tall.  The tallest in the east.

Had to have Patience’s shoes checked. The temp dropped into the mid-30’s and so did her tire pressure so the light came on. The kind folks at Goodyear checked her out and added more air. Had lots of businesses help me out along the way and reply “no charge” when I ask.  I decided to ask for the name of their favorite charity and when I get back, I’ll check my list and send donations to them.

Had to pull over to the side of the road and felt like I was watching a parade.  A huge of piece of equipment was coming down the road with several police cars and trucks with hydraulic lifts preceding it; raising wires that crossed the road so the equipment could pass under them. Have no idea how far they had to travel like that. 

Almost passed up Watkins Glen but the young attendant at the gate said the falls were just inside the entry tunnel.  What he failed to mention was there were 11 more along a 2 ½ mile trail along a chasm that included a 200’climb.  Well worth it – the climb was all stone steps and there were plenty of opportunities to “admire the view”.  That’s code for catch your breath.

Next was Seneca Falls, home of Elizabeth Cady Stanton.  What a whirlwind she was!  When she was locked out of an abolitionist’s conference in London (because she was a woman), she returned home and within 5 weeks, she and a group of 5 friends organized a conference attended by over 300 people.  Eventually she joined up with Susan to become a formidable force. Elizabeth, a mother of six, did lots of strategic & tactical planning at home while Susan took to the road.

Came back to Syracuse to catch a flight to San Diego and spend 2 weeks as a grandma.  

Arrived at my host’s home in Hadley, MA..  They’re both professors at U Mass and I’d landed at the beginning of school so there wasn’t much time for visiting but they made me feel very welcome. Began exploring the Berkshires and came upon the Peace Pagoda, situated on the top of a fairly inaccessible hill.  It was constructed by a Japanese Buddhist monk (one of several he initiated throughout the world) in response to

the bombing of Japan during WWII. A lovely, quiet place to do some contemplation.  Decided to skip Rattlesnake Gutter but winded my way

thru some small towns tucked into the crevices of the Berkshires.  Also took a short hike to Doanes Falls, a series of small falls down through a ravine.  Finally figured out the MA speed limit system.  They don’t tell you if it’s a 10, 15 or 20 MPH curve; they just post it as a speed limit.  It can change 3-4 times within a mile so best to keep alert.

Couldn’t leave Amherst without a visit with Emily.  The tour of the Dickinson house included many readings from her poetry.  It also included a photographer from the Boston Globe following us (me and three young senior women from Hampshire College) for a story on the renovations taking place at the home.  Emily lived in almost complete seclusion, except for contact with members of her family and would not allow any of her poetry to be published.  After her death, a tussle regarding their publication broke out between her sister and her brother’s mistress, each having access to different poems.  In fact, they think there may be others squirreled away.  

Left the Amherst area and arrived in Springfield for a visit to their museums.  It’s a complex near downtown with four buildings and a sculpture garden.  Started out at the science museum where they were featuring an exhibit on butterflies.  In addition to the story of the change from caterpillar, you could walk thru an enclosed area where live butterflies were kept among plants. Walked outdoors to the Theodore Geiser Sculpture Garden to admire the Dr. Seuss characters.  He grew up in Springfield and many of his ideas for the books came from living there.  Another fun exhibit at the History Museum was a collection of fancy leather motorcycle jackets from the 50’s (rekindled some old memories) and an old Harley Davidson.  Also didn’t know that the Rolls Royce was manufactured here.  In fact, Springfield had a lively manufacturing base that included  Breck Shampoo, the Indian Motocycle, Parker Brothers and others.  Sadly, its seeing some hard times, as are all the New England areas that relied on those industries.

I just can’t seem to get enough of Eleanor.  Back to Hyde Park and a visit to Val Kill.  The tour was led by a 90 year old woman who knew Eleanor and had some great stories about her kindness e.g. a woman in town had mentioned she was sad about missing her granddaughter’s graduation from Hunter College (the first in the family to do so).  Only 2 tickets were available and so those were going to her parents.  “Don’t worry”, said Eleanor, “you can have mine”. Imagine her granddaughter’s surprise when she marched down the aisle and saw her grandmother seated on the stage.

Val Kill was built because Eleanor had expressed regret that the “big” house always closed for

the summer.  FDR decided to build a “shack” which could be used year round.  The cottage was  then added for a furniture and pewter training facility began by Eleanor and her friends during the Depression.  When it was closed, Eleanor made it her home until her death.

Took a ride through the Catskills to check up on Rip Van Winkle. Had a great goat cheese sandwich on an artichoke focaccia in Rosendale.  Wish I’d bought more than 2 of the oatmeal cookies too

Decided to swing over to Stockbridge and chose a couple of

places I wanted to see.  First was a salute to the Gilded Age, Ventfont, a huge, almost entirely renovated summer home of JP Morgan’s sister.  It also houses a lovely exhibit of 30” dolls dressed in period costumes (1855-1914) designed by a senior wedding dress designer from Pricilla’s of Boston.  The dolls were a traveling exhibit but are now in the process of being purchased by the museum.  The house (in its day of shambles) was also the site of the movie, Cider House Rules.

Also took a stroll thru the Berkshire Botanical Garden where my Chicago Botanic Garden membership again got me a pass.  They were featuring an exhibit of garden potting sheds and with large pottery sculptures throughout the grounds.  I was sorry to be too late for the day lily walk featuring 200 kinds of flowers, each planted in the year they were introduced.

Ran into Grandma Moses again in Hoosick Falls, NY.  There’s a huge painting of hers on the

side of a building (am assuming she didn’t get up on the ladder to paint it) but she’s at home in her final resting place in their cemetery.

Saratoga Springs has always been a resort community with many visitors coming to experience the healing powers of the springs and horse racing.  Huge beautiful summer homes of the eastern wealthy.  Went to the museum in Congress Park (dotted with spring fountains).  The museum (a former casino) has three floors.

  The first, a history of the area, the second, a representation of casino where Cornelius Vanderbilt and others came to play and the third, a re-creation of rooms from the Walworth family.  Although gambling was technically illegal, there are privileges awarded to the moneyed. The ladies (of course) were not permitted in the gambling area so a private library was set aside for them to gather. The upper floor is more interesting, in fact ghostly.  A marriage gone bad because the wife was mistreated, dad is killed by the son and a long dead aunt (killed during the Civil War) visits the bedside of the dying mother.  The woman at the desk swears things have a habit of being moved about and there’s a clip from the SyFy channel showing the ghostly investigation.

There’s also a lovely National Museum of Dance which begins with the place of dance in the life of nature – animals, insects, birds and us.  A great explanation on the En Pointe form of ballet, stories from ballerinas about what age they began, a series of exhibits on how the shoes are constructed and a beautiful display of decorated slippers. They also had a special exhibit on Judith Jamison who performed with the Alvin Ailey dance company.  The town has been decorated with ballet shoes (a la the catamount in Bennington).  

The fort at Ticonderoga has quite a story.  Although it never was a battleground in a Revolutionary War, it was the ping-pong ball between the French and the English during the French & Indian War. The Colonials finally took it over during our War when Ethan Allen & company showed up & the sentry forgot to close the gate.  The fort’s cannons were then moved down to defend Boston.  Two "French soldiers" had set up a camp outside the Fort and

were in the midst of making lunch.  One of them doubled as the

outstanding guide who gave us gave us an hour long history lesson of the battle for possession.  Then it was off to the King’s Garden to see where the occupying soldiers grew their food.  The original fort was blown up several times and the locals had used the stone rubble as their Home Depot so there was little left of the original. Enter the Pells (of Pell Grant fame) who decided to reconstruct the fort, the gardens and build a summer home.  They also added all the land around it (2000 acres), including Mount Defense, across the bay where British guns were placed to capture Fort Carrillon from the French.

Dismal day but a beautiful ride through the Adirondacks.  Lush mountains with leaves beginning to turn, splotches of lakes and beautiful rivers to drive along. Stayed at a B & B in the Hamlet of Jay with a couple who fell in love with the Adirondacks 20 years ago and moved from New Jersey. The next day was pretty gray so I headed north in search of sunshine.  The border guard into Canada wasn’t sure I’d find

it in Montreal, but he encouraged me to take a look.  Wish I’d done a bit more planning.  It’s a beautiful city with a combo of old and new.  Parked near an old cathedral and then wandered over to the underground mall (stopping to admire the chrome sculpture topping it) to get a map of the downtown.  It was a "walk and look" visit.  Next time I’ll be a bit less impulsive and do some more research.  One thing however, did impress me – the number of people who smoked.  Perhaps it’s because it’s been awhile since I’ve been in a large city but I don’t think so.

I was too late to walk the Ausable Chasm but pulled over to take some pictures of what I could see from observation sites.  Then stopped in Ausable Forks and watched a fly-fisherman trying his luck at the convergence of the east and west branches of the Ausable River.





A sign beside the road lists the high water mark for Irene's visit 2 years ago.  I knew it had hit hard in Vermont and New Hampshire but didn't realized the storm had come so far into New York.  

Left Jay and headed for Whiteface Mountain, site of the 1980 Olympic ski events.  It’s a twisty climb up to a castle-like structure at the top which has an elevator that takes you to the very top. The tunnel thru the rock and elevator were added in the 30’s at the request of FDR.  His bout with polio made him especially sensitive to handicapped access. 

Also took a boat ride on Lake Placid to see the “camps” (so-called summer “cottages” for the Eastern wealthy).  Their boat houses are the size of large homes and some are only accessible by water, no roads.  NY decided tearing down all the trees was not a good idea so the New York Preserve was instituted and in the Lake Placid area, 40% of the land is designated unbuildable - called “Forever Wild”  It’s a spring fed lake so it’s one of the cleanest, keeps replenishing itself with spring water.  At one time, it was only summer residents but a small group organized the Lake Placid Ski Club.  A bit snobbish at first but gradually it opened up and through their efforts, the Olympics were brought to the area.  Traffic is controlled, no jet skis or high powered boats.  Lots of wooden Chris Crafts are visible in the boathouses.

Cut through the Adirondacks on a diagonal road which gave me lots of opportunities to ooh and ahhh. Drove along the Raquette River Valley thru Tupper Lake down to Long Lake. Passed some docked seaplanes and stopped to investigate.  Would have loved to see the area from the air but no one was home and I was in a dead zone for phone service so couldn’t contact the owner. Loved the  community involvement tho – the sign said free ride were offered to Long Lake residents and land owners two days in June.   

Finished off the Adirondacks with a stop at the Adirondack Museum. It’s a walk thru park with

several buildings telling the story of the mountain settlements and industries. Also got more information on the establishment of the New York Preserve 1885 Act which instituted the “Forever Wild” program.  It’s not without its critics.  Many landowners feel an entitlement to develop their property as they

wish.  The Act looks at ownership as a kind of stewardship for future generations. They point to Lake George as the worst example of what can happen when over-development is unchecked.  There’s also an exhibit of carriages and buggies that ends with an extravagantly appointed private railroad car.  Got a kick out of the history of

the home owned by Rev.Clarence Archibald Bull.  Would yell across the street at his wayward parishioners, “Why the hell weren’t you at mass?”  Also was famous for his dislike of children, however; was an avid gardener.