New York Traveler.net

A Trip To Cooperstown, NY

This post is about a recent visit we took to Cooperstown, NY. It was years ago (well, more like decades ago!) I used to visit the town frequently with my husband, when we lived in the area as newlyweds. Some of the children had never been here, so I wanted to take them to see quintessential small-town America.

We considered going to the Farmer’s Museum to see the Cardiff Giant, and I wanted to go to the Fenimore Art Museum, but we didn’t. The kids weren’t really up to interacting with crowds, and my youngest rolled his eyes when I suggested going to another museum. However, the Farmer’s Museum is open April 1st with reduced rates, so here’s hoping we go then.

Cooperstown was packed. We drove up and down the streets looking for a place to park. we finally found an empty spot in the marina’s parking lot. We walked to the Lakefront Park and got a look at Otsego Lake.

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H. Lee White Marine Museum, Oswego, NY

It seems like yesterday, but it was in the spring of 2005 that we made our first trip out to Lake Ontario. We have since been a few times. This first trip, we strolled the shores of the lake, and visited the H. Lee White Maritime Museum in Oswego, NY.

According to the Maritime Museum website, H. Lee White was:

…born in Oswego and remembered it fondly as he moved through a career rich in accomplishment. Graduated from both Hamilton College and Cornell University, he attained the rank of commander in the U.S. Navy and became a successful attorney in New York City. In 1953-54 he served as Assistant Secretary of the Air Force in the Eisenhower administration, and later became head of two worldwide shipping companies.

This museum was established to preserve and promote the Oswego Harbor’s importance in our history, with an emphasis on ships, of course. The website says that the museum’s centerpiece is the USAT LT-5, that cute little tug that sat wantonly roped to the pier.

When we drew close, we saw that visitors were not allowed on. The ship was built for service during World War II; you can read more about the ship here.

Because we love Lake Ontario so much and found the air so refreshing, we puttered around the pier for a bit, taking in the Great Lake air. Glorious. Just look at that vast sky!

…and… hey! look at my youngest, trying to peep over the edge of the pier! GRRRR…

The museum looked small and drab on the outside, but inside it is two-storeys- packed full of interesting naval artifacts and history. I was struck by the enormous mural painted across one entire wall. It was painted by George Gray and depicts scenes from early American history here. The portrait of Pontiac is stunning. I was not allowed to use flash to snap a picture, but there are some ok-quality pictures here.

The artifacts were fascinating. We saw huge rings of chains, giant-sized spools of navy-grade rope, miniature model boats of all sorts, navigational instruments and widgets, navy stripes and badges galore, gorgeous Oswego-ish artwork, and all the little gadgets that accompany life on the lake for the last 300 years. There is even a big signal lamp–with shutters– the kind I saw in that old 1940’s Titanic movie, when the crew had desperately tried to flash Morse code to a nearby vessel.

Kids could try on uniforms, test out replica muskets, and wear the ubiquitous tricorn hat of yesteryear. Of course my kids loved it all.

My youngest, known for his penchant for finding little places, nearly flipped when he discovered a secret passageway! This facade of a jelly cabinet was a secret hiding place for travelers on the Underground Railroad.

The museum was put together well. Thumbs up from this crew!

After our excursion there, we decided to wander the city a little. Oswego has some very colorful murals alongside long buildings. The murals depict scenes of its history, or honor their brave.

Historically, there have been some very deadly house fires in the area, and I believe the idea of family life insurance sprang out of such tragedies. The murals depict those who served the community and some who lost their lives doing so.

We neared the grounds of Fort Ontario and walked down the railroad tracks. A small footpath led us down to the shore of the Lake.

Some rocks were discolored by amateur, uh, “artists” who couldn’t hold a candle to the murals on the streets.

The waves were beautiful. So wild and unpredictable but very elegant.

If you squint (or click to enlarge the photo, and squint), you can see the nuclear power plant stack in the background in the first photo, the lighthouse in the second photo, and the buildings of Fort Ontario in the third photo.

Back up to the grassy area, a more somber scene befell us. It was the graveyard of soldiers who had died while serving at Fort Ontario, dating back to the French and Indian War. A monument was erected for the “unknown soldier” there.

From here, we attempted to gain admission to Fort Ontario (something the kids had wanted to do for a while) but it was closed. Aw! I could only promise the kids that we would return as soon as possible. We actually did get to visit the lake once again, and the fort. Our visit to Fort Ontario is here, and our visit to the lake again during some blustery winter weather.

Sodus Lighthouse, Sodus Point, NY

We drove to the other side of New York to visit Lake Ontario again. This time we saw the lighthouse at Sodus Point, New York. There is a museum here, a nice park, and a refreshing jaunt down to the water’s edge.

Very few places are open during the winter, and the lighthouse museum is no exception. But we love the lake, and having seen it in the summer, we wanted to see it in the winter, too. We got the added benefit of experiencing lake effect snow firsthand, too (without having to wait for the snow to blow across the state to Central NY, where we live).

Sodus Point is in Wayne County, and the place has a lot of history. The town was formed in 1789. It is said that the name “Sodus” comes from an Indian word “gleam in the water.” I didn’t see too much gleam (due to the thick clouds and snowfall), but I did see an overwhelming multitude of apple orchards. I have never seen so many apple farms and orchards as I have in this location in New York State.

Sodus Point has a lovely, natural harbor, and became a central port in New York State for trading along the Lake. As it’s importance grew during the early 1800s, and as America and Britain were clashing over sea trade agreement, it is no surprise that Sodus Point became a target. The village of Sodus was burned and destroyed by the British in 1813, during the War of 1812. After the war, it was rebuilt again. Sodus Point is now a popular vacation resort.

The lighthouse on the premises was built in 1871. It replaced one that had been built in 1824. The lighthouse no longer functions as a lighthouse; it closed in 1901, and is now a museum.

The grounds are very nice, but sparse. There are benches. A worn path lead us to an ivy-covered arbor. Beyond the arbor is a stone with a plaque, commemorating the old lighthouse.

From here, we wandered to the lake. Great thick sheets ice covered the sandy beach. Waves crashed into the ice, producing sprays of icicles that sometimes went airborne. Our feet crunched on top of the ice. The edges of the ice looked like the baleen of whales. Underneath these “teeth,” the water rolled, causing the ice to emit crackling and groaning sounds. We dared not move too close to the edge of the ice.

The kids collected seashells (even in the snow!) and did their usual exploring. The snow was beginning to fall heavily. We decided to trudge our way back up the hill and drive around the lake edge.

Sodus is a little town. I think the population is about 1,000 or so. Many of the houses looked weary. Then again, it was winter and the clouds were thick and gray and overcast everything with their gloom. The falling snow made the scene cheerier.

This cute tree caught my eye. It’s a Christmas tree, fully decorated, hanging on a crane! Funny!

And this little red tugboat looked so perky, despite being beached for the winter.

This section of the lake (the marina) was frozen over. I wish I had been able to take a photo of what we saw next– people atop these little sailboat-like boats scouring the ice. The sails were white but the boat was bright yellow. There must have been skis or something like it. The wind was blowing and the skiffs were shooting across the ice very quickly. It looked like such fun! I was driving when we saw them and couldn’t take their picture. Sorry. It was so neat to see them!

We got a few pictures of the boats. They were covered with bright blue tarp, but looked sad underneath. I guess I’d be sad, too, if I had to sit out winter on the ice, waiting for spring to be free again.

We did see large areas of open water. Signs spelled it out for anyone who didn’t notice: “DANGER. Open water!” We saw people all over the ice. Some folks seemed to be out for a stroll on the lake; others were fishing.

Brrr. It’s looking blustery on the lake by now.

I don’t know if Lake Ontario freezes over during the winter. Anyone have any ideas? My kids say it doesn’t, because the lake is so active. This winter has so far been rather mild (with only a few days below zero so far), so this year’s weather may have changed the outlook. Does Lake Ontario freeze over?

The weather was turning more threatening, and the skies were growing dark, so our travel here had to end. We will return in the summer and explore this end of the lake a little more next time. Life by such a large and influential lake is so unique. An entire subculture grows around it, I’m sure. I’d love to visit during a fishing event or when cargo barges come in. I’ll bet there’d be a lot of action then!

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