A New Year’s Stroll Through Little Falls, NY

Little Falls, NY, is a lovely and picturesque city in Herkimer County. First settled in 1723, it was originally called “Rock City.” No kidding– many of the city’s plentiful buildings were built perched on the rocky slopes and cliffs. Driving through the streets in an exciting challenge, but the views are simply stunning. Downtown was [...]

Burr, Hamilton, Chase Bank and the Wooden Water Pipes

What do wooden water pipes buried beneath Manhattan and the formation of a bank have to do with the duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr? Truth is stranger than fiction…

The Erie Canal Village, Rome, NY, Part 3

This is a continuation of our wonderful visit. We explored the barns, fed little horses handfuls of clover, and visited the local blacksmith.

The Erie Canal Village, Rome, NY, Part 2

This is part two of a terrific visit. We visited a cheese factory, church, and schoolhouse; enjoyed refreshments at the tavern; and investigated the old modes of transportation. A great time!

The Erie Canal Village, Rome, NY, Part 1

Finally! I’d been wanting to visit this Village again ever since I visited when I was 14 years old. What a wonderful, wonderful place. Step back in time, literally. If it wasn’t for your wristwatch and cellphone, you’d think you were back in 1807.

Erie Canal Museum in Syracuse, NY, Part One

This museum in Syracuse is dedicated to everything Erie Canal. The museum is right on the historic banks of the Canal, and it’s housed in the old weighlock building– one of the Canal’s tolling places. So the museum has a history of its own, as well as offering a complete history of New York’s famous and nation-building Erie Canal.

The Erie Canal Blacksmith

I finally got this video uploaded to YouTube. Took me all day! It’s the Blacksmith demonstration we saw while at Erie Canal Village in Rome, NY. I love watching these things. This guy is relatively new, but I think he did a great job. And those double-bellows are amazingly large.

Whatever Happened to Fort Bull?

Fort Bull was one of three forts constructed during the French and Indian War to protect the Oneida Carry, a portage route in central New York State. The Oneida Carry lay between the Mohawk River and Wood Creek, as one of the important trade routes between Albany and Oneida Lake. This fort was destroyed in an Indian raid, and some say Mel Gibson borrowed its history for his Fort Wilderness take in “The Patriot.”

The Erie Canal Packet Boat Ride, Rome, NY

Some called the Erie Canal the Eighth Wonder of the World. Many had said it couldn’t be done. The completion of the Canal and the burst of business it brought catapulted New York State into fame and riches, earning its nickname, “The Empire State.” The Canal is gone, preserved only in a few places in Upstate NY. But here at the Erie Canal Village, the Erie Canal lives on. We rode the packet boat for an enchanting step back in time.

Trip to Hinckley Lake

Hinckley Lake is a lake at the southwestern border of the Adirondack Park. It supplies the drinking water for the Mohawk Valley. It also supplies water for the New York State Canal system. (By the way, today is opening day for the Canal). There’s been an ongoing battle between numerous groups which all want a [...]

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