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The Adirondack Museum, Blue Mountain Lake, NY

Mrs. Mecomber — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 18:19:30 +0000

I’ve visited some amazing museums in my time — the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Natural History, the New York State Museum — the Adirondack Museum in the central Adirondack region is perhaps one of the largest museums in Upstate New York. It certainly ranks as one of the most interesting and enjoyable. It took us two days to get through the museum!

Surrounded by the exquisite Blue Mountain and other Adirondack peaks, the Adirondack Museum sits nestled on the side of a mountain. The front of the museum faces Route 28, a well-maintained and easily accessible road to the museum. The rear faces the illustrious Blue Mountain Lake, with a deck offering incredible views of the lake and forested splendor beyond. Throughout the museum grounds, modern buildings and reconstructed Adirondack cabins house zillions of Adirondack paraphernalia and history.

View of Blue Mountain Lake from the observation deck.

As soon as you enter the museum’s main building, you are greeted with a full-sized sailboat. The boat perfectly epitomizes the Adirondack experience: luscious natural materials, superior craftsmanship, emphasis on the region’s hardy self-sufficiency, and the main mode of transportation amongst the park’s innumerable lakes and rivers.

We perused the building’s many display areas before embarking on the museum’s many trails to other buildings on the campus. The main building had a lot of “odds and ends.” I liked the variety and several displays brought back such memories, like this old 1960s Enchanted Forest felt hat. Oh, how I always wanted to see giant 20-foot tall Paul Bunyan at Enchanted Forest! I was a girl growing up near Syracuse and I would watch the television commercials for the place with great interest. Today, Enchanted Forest is a water amusement park, but I do think ol’ Paul stands in the Storybook Lane part of the park.

The museum is filled with local paraphernalia.

I got a kick out of some of the old advertisements, like this old Camel cigarettes one:

The museum has a large building with an impressive display of boats, boat making and more. After chatting with a very informative museum usher about the region and perusing the many life-sized boats in the building, we sat to watch a ten-minute video on how canoes are made.

Boats were extremely important before the automobile and road system, and are still a very popular method of transportation around here. In old times, residents crafted their canoes to be extremely lightweight. This allowed them to carry the canoe across portages, or carries — swaths of land between the numerous lakes and rivers. Here’s Adirondack Abe, the epitome of the traditional Adirondack resident.

We sauntered over to another building on the campus. This one soon became my favorite, as it was filled with information about the geology of the Adirondacks region.

We loved this interactive map of the park! You could press buttons for various locations, and lights on the map would display the location.

That’s a mighty impressive mount.

We also took a brief tour of the artwork of Arthur Tait, a New York City painter who illustrated the Adirondack region in paintings and lithographs. He contributed to making the park a summer destination for wealthy Americans before and after the Civil War era (mid 19th century).

More quirky displays awaited us in other rooms. To view larger sizes, click the photo to go to my Flickr photo page and select “more sizes.”

This bottle was a pleasant surprise. Fort Schuyler was the original name of Utica, NY. It’s the home of the FX Matt Brewery where they make the famous Saranac beer. We toured the FX Matt Brewery in Utica, NY. I had no idea that Utica, NY, had a brewery before FX Matt!

This is a 3,000 year old steatite bowl! Fascinating!

The room also held dozens of old postcards showing interesting natural and commercial places of interest in the area. We sat and looked at them for a long time. The collection is marvelous!

I have so much more to tell you about the Adirondack Museum, but it will have to be in Part 2. Stay tuned for more!

The Adirondack Museum, Blue Mountain Lake, NY

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Olana State Historic Site, Hudson, NY

Mrs. Mecomber — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 15:42:07 +0000

The Hudson River School of art has been my favorite fine art genre since I studied founder Thomas Cole’s stunning Voyage of Life paintings as a young art major in school.

Sunrise, by Frederic Church

Such deep, dramatic, and luminous paintings these artists produced in the mid to late 19th century! As a matter of fact, their paintings were so wildly romantic and lustrous that a new genre spawned from their works: luminism. Luminism seemed very appropos for the period– a time of exceptional industry and invention but also a time of rising utilitarianism with the tragedies of the Civil War punctuating the century. These artists brought us back to the simple treasures of nature, where man is at peace with God’s good creation. Far from exalting nature as a Shangri-La type of deity like Voltaire so erroneously extolled, these artists emphasized nature as the beautiful, inspirational backdrop for peace with God and other men, celebrating with art the psalmist’s cries, “Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night shows forth knowledge” (Psalm 19:2).

Moonrise, by Frederic Church

Many of the Hudson River School paintings depict clear scenes or illusory hints of Biblical themes and events. I love the Voyage of Life series because of the stories each painting tells, that of a man eventually finding his faith in God and the joys of heaven after a tempestuous life of sorrow. It’s simply…. beautiful.

Frederic Edwin Church was a young student of the illustrious Cole, staying with Cole’s family in Catskill, NY, and studying painting. This area of New York State bursts with inspiration, as it has been the birthplace of such legendary notables as Rip Van Winkle, Uncle Sam, and numerous other tales of fact and fiction.

Church was born in 1826 in Connecticut. Early on, his artwork showed immense talent. In 1848, he became the youngest associate of the National Academy of Design, an honor he still retains. Church married Isabel Carnes in 1860, and the couple purchased a parcel of land with magnificent views overlooking the Hudson River, the Catskill Mountains and the Taconic Hills.

CLick the photo to go to my Flickr website for a larger view.

The couple built a simple little cottage that they named “Cozy Cottage.” The structure still stands, but it is not available to tourists.

Two children were born early on to the young couple: Herbert in 1862 and Emma in 1864. Church painted two beautiful works after the birth of the children: Sunrise for Herbert and Moonrise for Emma. (See the two small images at the beginning of this post). Tragically, both children died in 1864 from diphtheria, and the parents never completely recovered from the horrible loss. Even after four more children were born to the Church family in later years, Frederic hung his Sunrise and Moonrise paintings in the family room, next to the fireplace where he often brooded and mused.

The family traveled all over the world, returning home with crates crammed with furniture and knick-knacks. Construction of a new home, perched high atop the mountain, had begun in 1867. Church designed the home himself in an eccentric mish-mash of Persian, Moorish, and Victorian styles. The home is colorful and lively. I just adore the design.

Photography is strictly forbidden in the house, so I nabbed a few photos from the Olana Historic Site website to give you an idea of the interior of the house.

The home is furnished with all the Churches’ possessions from all over the world. Church’s paintings saturate the decor. The dining room was the only room not filled with Church’s works; rather, it held dozens of paintings from other men all around the world, pigmented vignettes of his travels. I identified several Dutch masters’ works and a few Italian and German paintings, too.

The name “Olana” first appeared on a letterhead written by Isabel Church. According to the Olana website:

Scholars have linked the name to a translated volume of Strabo’s Geographica, a Christmas gift from Isabel to Frederic. Strabo’s publication describes the geography of the Roman Empire and references the city “Olane,” as one of the “treasure-storehouses” on the Araxes River, which offered a view of Mount Ararat, where Noah’s ark was said to rest. It is likely that the Churches appreciated the associations this name had their own Persian-inspired stone “fortress” situated high above the Hudson River with majestic views west to America’s promised land.

The house is lovely, simply exquisite. Our tour guide, Ellen, was filled with interesting information about the home and the Churches. I was delighted that Mark Twain often visited the home, reading portions of his works for after-dinner entertainment. The family also gave small skits or plays on the large wooden landing before the stairs, a heavy colorful tapestry serving as the “curtains” of the stage.

Colorful stencils and Persian tiles peppered the walls. I noticed that many of the door frames were stenciled with curly writing, which appeared to be Farsi (my husband spent time in Iran as a boy and introduced me to some of the culture). I asked Ellen about the meaning of the stenciled words, to which she replied, “It’s all gibberish!” There were only two places in the house that had “real” Farsi: above the door as you enter “All are welcome”; carved on the pink marble fireplace in the family room “I muse while it burns.”

The Churches lived here until the couple died in 1900. Frederic willed the property to his youngest son, who married and lived at Olana for the rest of his life. His widow remianed here until 1964, at the age of 96.

After her death, Olana narrowly escaped the auction block. The widow willed the home to a nephew, who didn’t like the house and wanted to sell all its contents at auction. A group of motivated people scrounged financial support to purchase the home. New York State pitched in, and Olana was preserved intact and deemed a state historic site. Most of the home is restored, but the children’s nursery, servant’s quarters and kitchen are not and therefore unavailable for viewing. This was a great disappointment, because I like seeing the kitchens and nurseries best of all in historic homes.

I have so much more to tell about the home and our visit, but it would fill books. The best thing I can say is go see the house for yourself. You won’t regret it. The 250-acre property also features numerous trails for hiking. Picnic tables and benches provide repose for visitors.

You can see more photos of Olana at my Flickr photo page here.

Olana State Historic Site, Hudson, NY

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Discounts on NYC Sightseeing Tours

Mrs. Mecomber — Thu, 26 May 2011 15:54:21 +0000

Well, I knew that I could find online coupons and promo codes for clothing, toys and electronics, and even hotels and rental cars… but I never thought to check for coupons travel attractions! My bad, because there have been times that I really, really wanted to go on a tour or do some sightseeing but the price was too costly for me. Well, now I know! And you can know, too!

The coupon site is PricePickle.com. Like any other coupon site, PricePickle.com has reams and reams of coupons, discounts and promo codes for all sorts of online products: computer ink, t-shirts, perfume, books, electronics, etc. But they also have a section dedicated to travel, a whole spotlight on the illustrious City Sights NY.com! Check out this page for City Sights NY Coupon deals.

Last summer, I spotted CitySightsNY.com ticket agents. Oh, I was so tempted to take a tour! I have mentioned them here before– CitySightsNY.com offers tours of New York City, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and the Boston Freedom Trail! I’ve heard that the tours are excellent. I’d like to try their double decker bus tour (sitting on the upper deck, of course!). Unfortunately, I had neither the time nor the money at that moment. Hopefully, I’ll be able to take advantage of the experience next time, especially now that I’ve discovered some good discounts and coupons! And we are definitely going to take the Freedom Trail in the future.

If you’re in New York City or Washington or Philadelphia and have been wanting to relax on a nice tour of the city, check out PricePickle.com for a great listing of discounts. You can also surf the site for coupons for rental cars and travel gear and everything travel! Very nice

Discounts on NYC Sightseeing Tours

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The FX Matt Brewing Company, Utica, NY

Mrs. Mecomber — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 02:23:16 +0000

Mr. Mecomber and I had a little time together, so we took a short drive to check out the FX Matt Brewing Company of Utica to take the tour. I am always interested in how things work and in local history, so this was a fun trip!

First, a little history. Utica is a very proud city, and they are very, very proud of the Matt Brewing Company. This company started up in 1888 by German immigrants. It is the second-longest running brewery in the nation, and it’s undying devotion to the city has saved the city through quite a few financial plights. The brewery even continued it’s operations during the Prohibition (secretly, of course). The password for getting into the brewery’s “speakeasy” was the inauspicious phrase “Joe sent me.” LOL, no one would notice that in Utica, New York!

The brewery sponsors the Utica Boilermaker every year. The Boilermaker is THE event in Utica. It attracts people from all over the world.

The Boilermaker had the unique distinction of being the largest 15K road race in the country. This from the Boilermaker website:

The Boilermaker 15K Road Race was established in 1978 by Earle C. Reed. Reed was looking for a way to give back to the community that had supported his family’s business, Utica Companies (ECR International). The race began with just over 800 runners and a budget of $750. Now, the Boilermaker is the largest 15K in the nation with more than 10,000 runners.

The name is credited to the late Frank S. Owens, Jr., former Vice President of Advertising at the F. X. Matt Brewery. It was he who suggested the name, combining the nature of Reed’s company, Utica Boilers, with an old-time drink that was made by dropping a shot of whiskey into a mug of beer.

The Analytic Distance Runner shows the men’s Boilermaker field as the most competitive in the world for 1993, 1995-2005, and the women’s field as most competitive for 1996-2003 and 2006.

At the end of the Boilermaker race, everyone gathers to the brewery for free Saranac beer.

The National Distance Running Hall of Fame is located nearby, too. In the first week of July (Boilermaker week), the city of Utica is packed solid with runners from all over the world. It’s quite a festive time! When we arrived at the brewery, the tour had already started, so we hurried through the entrance lobby, to join the group in the next room. I had never been in the building and I admit, I was totally awestruck by the luxury and ostentation of the beautiful architecture and fixtures of the sitting room. The rooms are very dark, so I am hoping you can see the photos well enough. Look at the photo below– I think that ceiling is all carved wood! The wallpaper was heavily textured. The moulding and other woodwork was maple or oak (a little hard to tell, I’m no wood expert), and the old floors gave out a groan now and then, letting us know that it has supported thousands of feet for over a century. Very impressive. I probably looked silly, snapping photos of the ceilings and walls, and fawning over the gorgeous woodwork while I virtually ignored our talkative tour guide (Mr. T). I was so awed by the opulence of the room. I did eventually stop my salivating over the decor and turned my attention to our young and talkative tour guide, Mr. T. He quickly ran over the historical highlights of the brewery, emphasizing its importance to the Utica area’s economic health.The brewery has an innumerable number of beer varieties. Their flagship beer, Saranac, comes in many different tastes (including but not limited to pomegranate, india pale ale, black and tan, chocolate amber, and pumpkin). We have tried several varieties of Saranac, and they all do have a very distinctive taste. If I was blindfolded, I could probably determine if someone was giving me Saranac– it is that memorable. After our excursion through the gilded rooms, Mr. T took us through the area where all the action happens. Matt Brewing Company is very picky about their beer-making process. They still do some things by hand (for example, spreading hops or shredded pomegranates over a vat of fermenting beer for flavor), and these little nuances have made them famous.The tanks are enormous. The amount of beer they produce is incredible. Actually, Matt Brewing Company makes so much beer that they contract their beer out to other companies. Mr. T explained that the Matt Brewing Company purchases their hops from other states. Madison County in New York State used to be called the hops capital of the state, but the blue mold, competition from the west, and the ubiquitous bad policy coming from Albany killed the industry. We walked through a fermenting area. It was a bit smelly here, like refrigerant. While we walked between the tanks, it reminded me of a dairy farm, when you walk between “the ladies” with their big rearends facing you down a row. After this, we toured through the packaging area. Mr. T kept our steps lively with his narrative. Once in a while he threw in a joke to make sure we were still listening. By the way– if you ever go on this tour and he asks what does “Saranac” mean, say “cluster of stars” and you’ll win a free beer. This was the end of our lively tour. Mr. T escorted us into the saloon for a complimentary taste of the brewery’s product. It was my first time trying the Utica Club, and it was very tasty!The saloon is quite grand, so once again I was swooning over it’s architectural elegance. This chandelier reminded me of a Viking hat. What is this in the photo below? A polyphon, of course! Uhhhh….. I had to look this one up, folks. The thing looks like a music box, and lo and behold, it is! Kind of… It’s from Germany, judging by the engraving on the metal disk. I think it was considered to have been the German jukebox of the 1800s. I couldn’t tell what song was engraved on the large metal disk, but I strongly suspect it was a rousing rendition of “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall.” The mantelpiece had a collection of collectible Schultz and Dooley steins. What a flood of memories! I remembered those old television commercials with the two talking, animated mugs, Schultz and Dooley. We kids loved the commercial so much that we would come running into the living room at the sound of Jonathan Winters’ voice.The mantelpiece woodwork is truly exquisite. We relaxed and got to chat with Mr. T a little more about the history of the brewery and of the many types of beers it produces. I also promised to blog a post about interesting things to do in Dallas, for Mr. T! I’ll be getting to that right away, T!I was pleasantly surprised at all there was to see at the brewery. I had been unaware of the local importance over the decades. Utica has seen some very difficult times; a friend in need is a friend indeed.

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The FX Matt Brewing Company, Utica, NY

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Aboard the U.S.S. Slater in Albany, NY

Mrs. Mecomber — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 02:05:42 +0000

The U.S.S. Slater is one of the many places we visited during our weekend in Albany. The Slater rests in the illustrious Hudson River. It’s a beautiful river, so wide and flat. It is unlike other rivers I’ve seen closer to home. The Hudson is much more impressive and cosmopolitan than the meandering Mohawk River, and bluer and deeper than the earthy Susquehanna River.

It is just a huge, huge river. No wonder Henry Hudson thought he could find the Pacific from here.

The U.S.S. Slater is a museum ship, resting fully in the water. We were given the opportunity to watch a video before crossing the deck to the ship for our tour. We always appreciate a good documentary, so we gladly sat for it.

The U.S.S. Slater is a Destroyer-Escort ship. It is the only Destroyer-Escort ship still afloat on display. The ship is named for a young sailor, Frank Slater, who was killed during World War II during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal.

From the official Slater website:

During World War II 563 Destroyer Escorts battled Nazi U-Boats on the North Atlantic protecting convoys of men and material. In the Pacific they stood in line to defend naval task forces from Japanese submarines and Kamikaze air attacks.

Today, only one of these ships remains afloat in the United States, the USS Slater. Moored on the Hudson River in Albany, New York, the USS Slater has undergone an extensive ten-year restoration that has returned the ship to her former glory. The ship is open to the public from April through November with hour-long guided tours, youth group overnight camping, and has become a popular destination for naval reunion groups.

We paid the fees and boarded the Slater for the guided tour. As usual, my kids knew almost as much as the tour guide, so we had fun and enjoyed some lively conversations with the employees. By the way, if you are ever on a group tour and there is a gang of two adults and four kids who are constantly talking, peppering the tour guides with jokes and questions, and answering all trivia questions correctly, it’s probably us.

The tour was great, if a bit crowded. The ship’s interior rooms have low ceilings, and from time to time we had to clamber through hatches and down precarious mini-stairwells.

The exciting thing was seeing all the equipment– radios, dispatch machines, and the machine guns with scopes!

Our gracious tour guide let us take the ship out for a spin (kidding!).

But boy, my sons loved getting behind the helm, believe me- they talked about this for weeks.

In 1951, as part of the Truman Doctrine, the Slater was handed over to the Hellenic Navy for training of their troops, and was renamed the Aetos-01. Certain sections of the ship were remodeled by the Greeks at that time. Funky Grecian tiles still remain in the kitchen and elsewhere. The ship has been in a number of movies, including “The Guns of Navarone.”

Donations from Destroyer-Escort sailors bought the ship back to us from the Greeks. The Russians tugged the ship into New York harbor in 1993, where the ship underwent extensive renovations. It became a museum on the Hudson in 1997.

The Slater is the property of the Destroyer-Escort Historical Museum, not the U.S. Navy, so the Slater will never be called into active service again.

The tour was really great. The tour guide was amiable and talkative. Our tour lasted about an hour. The walk was rather rigorous– we had to hop over small impediments, duct under low pipes and ceilings, clamber up and down narrow stairs, and scrunch through hatches– all just like in the movies. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit! It is a terrific and wholesome visit for young boys, especially.

Aboard the U.S.S. Slater in Albany, NY

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NYC Transportation

Mrs. Mecomber — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 20:37:44 +0000

I will never, never, never drive a vehicle through Manhattan. It’s CRAZY. I used to live there, and walking was perilous enough! Plus, there never seemed to be any available parking. I used to go down to the city with my friend and her mother, and that poor woman nearly went insane driving her station wagon around the streets and trying to find a parking lot. The best way to get to and from the city, and around the city, is to hire transportation (and it isn’t that expensive, either). New York Bus Charter is one of the leading transportation companies in the metro NYC, New Jersey, Philadelphia areas (they also provide transportation services for Boston; Washington, DC; and Maryland areas, too).

New York Bus Charter has been in the transportation business for over 20 years. They provide shuttle services to and from airports, convention centers, theme parks, corporations, and tourist attractions. They can connect travelers with tourist destinations and guides, NYC tours and sightseeing, and more.

Their online dispatch service is ready 24 hours a day! Traveling by charter bus is fun and very relaxing. I have taken charters buses all over New York and the Northeast, and it is really great. I got to meet some great people, too. New York Bus Charter will customize your transportation experience– need a large, private coach for a special tour? Need a deluxe motor coach with climate control and lavatory, PA system, and reclining seats? How about a small, quick shuttle from the JFK airport to a NYC landmark? New York Bus Charter can provide it, from basic quick transportation to a more elaborate tourist experience. The company is member of several fine travel groups, including the Travel Industry Association of America and the American Bus Association. Get a free quote online at their website, or call 718-875-8200.

NYC Transportation

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A Bird’s Eye View

Mrs. Mecomber — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 16:04:46 +0000

A few weeks ago, the kids and I spotted a very bright yellow balloon floating our way in the sky.

It was a hot-air balloon, coming straight over us! It was the first time the kids had really seen one so close.

We wondered where it had come from. Well, surfing around for things to do in Madison County, I found this site. I guess you can rent a balloon ride! I didn’t know there was such opportunity to do this around here. It looks like SUCH fun! It would be like a Google Earth experience– for real! (We love surfing Google Earth). Or a really cool way to experiment with a new Garmin GPS gadget; that would be neat! Maybe someday we will do something like this. I’d have to save my pennies, though– Rides are $200 per person. Yow.

A Bird’s Eye View

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More to Do in New York City

Mrs. Mecomber — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:36:37 +0000

I may not be able to get out and do any “real” traveling these days, but I am hoping you are able to. So I’m pulling out all sorts of information and deals out of my traveling hat for you. Travel to New York City is very popular this time of the year. You want to be sure to plan ahead and make it an “Xperience” you will not soon forget. How about a romantic and thrilling NYC helicopter tour? Only $110! This will showcase all that New York City has to offer. It is one of the most popular tours and probably one of the most memorable tours of a lifetime. The tour includes sightseeing over the USS Intrepid, the spectacular view of the Chrysler and Empire State Buildings, the Hudson River, and Central Park. It also makes a wonderful gift for a special someone!

Not into helicopter rides? How about hang gliding? Flying lessons? A chef for a day? These things and more are offered by Xperience Days. Check out their website or call 866-XPERIENCE (866-973-7436) for more information.

More to Do in New York City

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Set Your Sights on the Big Apple

Mrs. Mecomber — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 22:27:55 +0000

Planning on seeing New York City? Here’s a website with loads of deals and ideas: CitySightsNY.com. New York City is such a huge, huge place that it is rather difficult to know where to go and what to see. And let’s say you want to see the Statue of Liberty– how do you get there?? Sometimes it’s helpful to ask the tourist experts.

CitySightsNY.com is absolutely chock-full of great deals. They offer excellent specials on double-decker bus rides, tours of the entire city or of New York’s special attractions, harbor cruises, and even helicopter rides! All their prices are very up-front– everything is listed so you don’t have to go hunting for admission fees, nor do you have to call a “specialist” who will haggle you. I love it when the prices and details are open like that! CitySightNY.com is also a member of the Travel Industry Association of America, the American Bus Association, and the National Tour Association.

New York Tours should be fun and easy. Check out CitySightsNY.com for the experience of a lifetime! CitySightsNY.com is located on Long Island– give them a call if you have any questions, at 212-812-2700. And if you feel like getting out of New York, CitySightsNY.com also offers daily trips to Boston, Washington DC, and Philadelphia.

Set Your Sights on the Big Apple

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A Tour of the Observer-Dispatch News, Utica

Mrs. Mecomber — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 02:50:35 +0000

Over Spring Break, we Mecombers got a great opportunity to visit our local Upstate newspaper organization, the Observer-Dispatch, in Utica. It was an enlightening visit, and the folks at the OD gave us a wonderful tour.

The building, a beautiful structure built in the early 1900s, seems like a fortress on an island in the middle of a flat wasteland of vacant lots. This was once the location of many manufacturing businesses and factories in the heyday of Upstate New York (1880s to 1950s). Utica, a workingman’s town, was never on the level of fancy Branson condos, but there are many handsome buildings in Utica. Several have been razed until a local group got together to purchase historical properties to restore them. Not far from where the OD sits Charles Grandison Finney led his blazing revivals in the 1820s and 30s. Utica was once part of the “burned-over” district, thus called because of the wave of zeal and piety that consumed the area. His revivals, proclaiming tenets of a “social gospel,” inspired the abolition movement and the justice-for-women movement in this nation. Someday I hope to write a post about the riveting history of this city, but for now I’ll (try to) stay focused on the history of the area’s most influential news outlet.

The Observer-Dispatch began in 1817, founded as the Utica Observer by Eliasaph Dorchester. It became the Observer-Dispatch after a merger in the 1920s, and became part of the Gannett publication outlet for the next 90 years. The newspaper was recently bought by GateHouse Media. Several new developments to the news organization have arisen, some which we were privy to during our tour.

When we entered the building, we came to the receptionist’s area. The paintings on the walls are very attractive, and, history students that we all are, were greatly encouraged by the precepts written here.

I closely surveyed the walls with interest. They are very well done. Hammurabi, Christopher Columbus, George Washington, and Ghandi are painted. Yet I was disappointed that the person most responsible for altering the entire history of mankind- Jesus the Christ- was not on the wall (although there is a cross).

We met our tour guide, Michelle. She made us feel at home as she directed us to the various parts of the building where all the action happens. We were guided to the third floor of the building, to the media department.

This department interested me the most. We met the new media director, Bill, and had some lively conversations– everything from homeschooling to Ed Hanna to newspaper ethics. Bill kept us hopping through the various departments, keeping up a constant conversation while streams of reporters darted between us. Bill brisked us through the empty sports department (empty since sports dudes work in the evenings).

Because of my background in radio and my interest in computer graphics, I loved learning about the creative aspect of reporting and design. I was absolutely enthralled, learning about the online features of the newspaper. The OD has an excellent online presence among media outlets. We met Fran, who heads up the internet newspaper department. He revealed to us some new developments pending for the online OD, including an entirely new look for the website (it looks great!), and the inception of some really amazing… well, they shared their plans with us but hadn’t told the boss yet. Suffice it to say that I think Fran does great on video.

We talked for so long about so many interesting things that I couldn’t possibly mention them here. My youngest son, Sniffy, wrote an excellent narrative about our tour at my other travel blog. You can read it here. He did a great job and summed up our trip better than I could!

We were fascinated about the online department of the OD. I rely 100% on the online edition and we discussed the two most popular sections of the online OD: Breaking News headlines and the Obituaries! LOL!

After our tour of the media department, Michelle led us to various other departments: advertising, customer service, the classified ad area, etc. She led us down to the lower level of the building, where the papers are printed. I wish I had a better grasp of the process. It was a little sketchy to me, and in some rooms the machines were so noisy I couldn’t have heard anything if I wanted to. I was surprised to discover how technologically advanced printing a newspaper has become. I don’t know why, but I still had the idea of Gutenberg and movable type in my head. My, how naive I was! We watched several enormous machines create printing plates, which were thin metal sheets gently etched with lasers. It was amazing. These plates were created to be attached to large rollers and smeared with newsprint ink (a mix including organic materials). The rollers were run through these huge printing presses (in the next room). I found it unbelievable that such lightly etched metal plates could print such small print as I’ve read in a newspaper, and so meticulously. Regrettably, I couldn’t take any photos (due to the light-sensitive properties of the plates). I can only express my amazement at the technical capabilities of the printing process. Making a newspaper is a complicated process!

The room that held the presses was enormous. We could not delve very far into the room, but I took a few snapshots from my vantage point. If you click on the photos to see a larger view, the objects in the photos may be more comprehensible.

The next section we visited was the area where collation, packing, and stacking of the printed papers occurs. There were many people hard at work in these areas. The work must be grueling after a long day’s work. The photo below shows a collating machine. The Sunday comics (or, “funny papers” as I call them) were being prepared. Workers fed papers into the machine to fold the papers and combine them with other sections.

The folded papers that make up the interior sections of the Sunday newspaper edition were stacked by a noisy machine. The rhythmic banging of the levers was mesmerizing. It made me sleepy.

Workers in this end of the machine compiled the final paper in its entirety.

The newspaper was ready to be packed onto pallets and shipped throughout the Mohawk Valley.

Thus ended our tour! We comfortably chatted with Michelle about the Mohawk Valley and the OD. The paper has a circulation reaching into the hundreds of thousands, especially since the paper acquired its competitor, the Pennysaver, in 2004. It was a great educational experience to see the inner workings of a newspaper organization.

A Tour of the Observer-Dispatch News, Utica

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