The Cloisters, Washington Heights, New York City, Part 1

What can I say. It’s exquisite. It’s been a long-time goal to see this fabulous museum. As a student of medieval history and art, visiting this museum — one of North America’s most extensive collection of medieval art and manuscripts — was one of my big travel goals. The Cloisters is an extension of the [...]

A Visit to Fort Ticonderoga, Part 1

Fort Ticonderoga, an historic site in New York near the Vermont border (Lake Champlain) has everything: breathtaking views of the Adirondack high peaks, walking paths through gardens and restored pre-colonial buildings, hands-on stuff and lots of climbing and exploring for the kids, and oodles and oodles of ancient history– well, as ancient as America can [...]

Blue Mountain Public Beach and Park, Rt 28

The drive on Route 28 from Utica to Blue Mountain is a cornucopia of sights, sounds and smells. We catch glimpses of azure lakes peeping between the Scotch pines and Douglas fir trees that stand at attention on each side of the road. I often have a difficult time staying in the lane, because the [...]

Oneida Indian Settlement, Nichols Pond, in Smithfield

This is the historic site of the ancient lands of the Oneida Indian tribe of Central New York. It was also the resting place of the mysterious glacial erratic stone, sacred to the Oneidas. The place oozes history, archaeology, and wonder, with a strong mix of nature and spookiness mixed in. This is also the spot where Samuel de Chaplain and his Huron friends attacked the hapless Oneidas, hearing gunshots for the first time.

Happy Birthday, Fort Stanwix!

Oh, how we love Fort Stanwix! Fort Stanwix, in Rome, NY, was built during the French and Indian War, to provide protection for “The Carry.” The Carry was a trail on dry ground between the popular waterways, Wood Creek and the Mohawk River. It was so named because settlers and traders had to hop out [...]

Chittenango Falls State Park, Chittenango, NY

What a beautiful park! Chittenango Falls State Park is the crowning jewel of Madison County. It has extensive trails with glorious views of the Falls. We thoroughly enjoyed our trek!

The List of New York State Parks to Be Closed

I have not heard much of anything since Governor Paterson announced in February that New York State government would be closing 41 state parks and historic sites. Is this really going to happen? In February, Governor David A. Paterson had issued the following statement: “New York faces an historic fiscal crisis of unprecedented magnitude. It [...]

Fort Stanwix, Rome, NY: A Great Park!

Fort Stanwix in Rome recently celebrated it’s 75th anniversary as a state park and National Historic Site! This week is National Park Week, and Fort Stanwix has some special events at the park. This is from National Park Service: “We are excited about this coming year and celebrating the 75th birthday of Fort Stanwix National [...]

Camping, New York Style

What a terrific resource I just found! It’s Campground Owners of New York. Looks very good! It looks comprehensive, and is very user-friendly. The website is “Dedicated to the promotion, growth, improvement and development of privately owned campgrounds in New York State.” I love the search features. It has a clickable map of New York [...]

Fort Stanwix in Rome, New York, Part 1

We absolutely adore Fort Stanwix in Rome, NY. It’s one of the finest national parks, I think. The rangers and volunteers are really devoted to history, and are extremely knowledgeable as well as friendly! We try to go to this fort every year. And this year, it was extra special: we went on July 4th, [...]

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