The Erie Canal Village, Rome, NY, Part 1

The Erie Canal Village is in Rome, NY. We were there for most of the day, on July 4th, and had an absolute blast.

You can see all the photos I took here at my Flickr site. I’ll showcase only the basic photos for the blog posts. I think our visit, which incorporated seeing and learning so many different things, may take up a few posts. First, some history about the Village. It’s a huge, outdoor living museum where time stopped almost 200 years ago. Really, if it wasn’t for the sounds of traffic on the main road, or the power lines visible behind the fields, you’d think you were really in the early 19th century.

On July 4, 1817, the New York State governor was in this booming town of Rome, NY. This area was the location of the official beginning of the famous Erie Canal, said to be the most incredible engineering marvel of all time. It had been the brainchild of various New Yorkers shortly after the Revolutionary War, who wanted to open up the NY wilderness. Transportation in NY in those days was over rugged country and thickly-forested hills. A man-made waterway connecting the Hudson River/Atlantic Ocean to Lake Ontario and Lake Erie was the dream. Very few leaders were willing to sponsor this “insane” idea. Thomas Jefferson, when hearing about the plan, refused to give any federal aid to the project, saying, “You talk of making a canal 350 miles through the wilderness… it is little short of madness to think of it at this day!” Long before the Erie Canal was bringing in millions of dollars into New York’s coffers, it was called “Clinton’s Folly,” or “Clinton’s Ditch.”

The Erie Canal was completed in 1827, and brought instant wealth to the state. It also proved to be the springboard for Western Expansion, as this area of New York was the only passable way west from the eastern seaboard of the United States. Not long after the completion of the Erie Canal, the railroad system surpassed the Erie Canal as the main method of east to west transport. With the development of the automobile and the interstate highway system after World War II (and accompanying perks such as Liverpool Victoria car insurance!), the canal and railroad system became less used.

The Erie Canal Village, opened in 1978 when Rome, NY, was going through an historical awakening of it’s roots, takes us back to that “boom” time of prosperity in New York. There are numerous museums you can explore– a few settler’s houses decorated as if the families would be back at any moment; a blacksmith shop and horse corral; a schoolhouse and Methodist church; the Harden Museum filled with various horse carriages and sleighs depicting transportation of that era; an ice house, general store, railroad station, and tavern (where you can actually buy food and drink); a museum inside an old cheese factory showing the cheese industry of New York; and more! Best of all– a 30-minute ride on the old Erie Canal packet boat, horse-drawn. What a great day!

We started off by exploring an interesting little museum Read more

Get Good Rates

Got a business? It’s important to get a comparable business insurance quote, to obtain the right coverage to ensure that you are fully protected. Moreover, you don’t want to pay more money than you need to, do you? And who has tme to go chasing down insurance agents anymore, going over the numbers and coverage details? I know I don’t!

See Netquote.com for an easy, convenient way to compare insurance quotes. Netquote has been featured on CNN Money, Oprah, and The Today Show. It’s easy to use Netquote– you can do everything online. All you do is enter the coverage you want, submit your contact information, and wait for Netquote to provide that data to insurance carriers; you will be contacted with quotes tailored to your preferences and needs. You can get quotes from all the top insurance carriers: Allstate, Liberty Mutual, Nationwide, Progressive, and more) for your location, whether it be Alaska business insurance or Hawaii business insurance or group health insurance, or New York State home or auto insurance. It’s all very easy to do.

No one wants to pay more than they have to for insurance! Get some good rates and compare what’s best for you and your business or personal needs. Check out the site!

This post was brought to you by your friends at Netquote.com.

Finding Good Prices in New York State

Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? “Good prices” and “New York State”? How can those words possibly go together?! Especially when it comes to local New York business insurance. The politicians here obviously don’t get it– their hostile policies toward businesses and taxpayers are driving people out of the state, leaving a gaping deficit hole. So what do the politicians do? They create even MORE hostile policies toward businesses and taxpayers! huh?

Well, thankfully, it’s not (yet) an impossibility to find good deals and comparable prices on insurance. That’s because you can go online to get your home or business insurance quote. I’ve done it a few times over the years. It’s very convenient because it saves time and effort– you do not need to travel around to various agencies, or spend all day on the telephone getting quotes. Moreover, you can get a very comprehensive estimation from all insurance agencies that provide coverage in your areas for your specific needs. LocalInsurance.com is a good website (I’ve tried them), and Netquote.com is another one. The online forms are easy, and do not require you to submit any sensitive information besides name, address, and telephone number. You can submit a general estimation of your needs, and the website does all the rest. It is very convenient!

Remember, New York State law requires that auto insurance be covered by an in-state insurance company. See the NYS DMV website for more information about this. And see the NYS Worker’s Compensation Board regarding business insurance (mandatory for New York businesses).

Yes, it is expensive enough to buy the mandatory insurance in New York State. Why make it harder, running around town, hunting for the best quotes? Let the quotes come to you!

This post was brought to you by your friends at LocalInsurance.com.

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 has demanded many difficult but necessary decisions to help ensure the fiscal integrity of our State. The unfortunate reality of closing an $8.2 billion deficit is that there is less money available for many worthy services and programs. In an environment when we have to cut funding to schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and social services, no area of State spending, including parks and historic sites, could be exempt from reductions. We cannot mortgage our State’s financial future through further gimmicks or avoidance behavior. Spending cuts, however difficult, are needed in order to put New York on the road to fiscal recovery. Going forward through the budget process, I look forward to a productive dialogue with the Legislature on parks and historic sites, as well as other issues.”

OPRHP Commissioner Carol Ash issued the following statement:

“The 2010-11 Executive Budget included reductions to every area of State spending. As such, the Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation has today put forward proposed closures and service reductions to meet its agency savings target. These actions were not recommended lightly, but they are necessary to address our State’s extraordinary fiscal difficulties.”

The National Park Service sent a warning letter to Governor Paterson, saying that closing any parks that have received federal funding in the past might disqualify them for federal funding in the future.

National Park Service officials have warned the state that closing the parks could put New York in violation of federal requirements. Under the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, New York has received approximately $230 million in assistance since 1965. According to the NPS, most of the parks and sites slated for closure have received federal funding from the LWCF or from the Federal Lands to Parks programs. NPS said closure of any state park or site that has received that assistance would be seen as noncompliance with federal requirements, which could jeopardize the state’s eligibility for participating in the program and could prevent the state from receiving thousands in federal assistance.

In a March 31 letter to Gov. David Paterson, national park service officials said closure of any park acquired through FLP could result in “reversion of the property to federal ownership and subsequent sale of the property.”

“Our position is that these are temporary closures, not permanent. We have no plans to convert the lands to other purposes,” said state parks spokesman Dan Keefe. “They’re temporary closures in response to the state’s fiscal crisis and they should not jeopardize federal funding.”

On Friday, Paterson’s office also responded to the National Park Service’s concerns, promising the parks and historic sites will be maintained as public outdoor recreation use in perpetuity. He said he’s asked Ash to meet with NPS to ensure that spending reductions won’t jeopardize the state’s eligibility to receive funding through the Land and Water Conservation Fund. His letter also pointed out that the state now receives only $2 million annually from the LWCF.

Here’s the list, issued by the State, of the recommended closures and service reductions:

Saratoga-Capital Region
• Bennington Battlefield State Historic Site (Rensselaer)–Close Historic Site
• Hudson River Islands State Park (Rensselaer)–Close Park
• John Boyd Thacher State Park (Albany)–Close Park
• John Brown Farm Historic Site (Essex)–Close Historic Site
• Johnson Hall State Historic Site (Fulton)–Close Historic Site
• Max V. Shaul State Park (Schoharie)–Close Park
• Schodack Island State Park (Rensselaer)–Close Park
• Schoharie Crossing Historic Site (Montgomery)–Close Historic Site
• Schuyler Mansion Historic Site (Albany)–Close Historic Site

Central Region
• Chittenango Falls State Park (Madison)–Close Park
• Clark Reservation State Park (Onondaga)–Close Park
• Fort Ontario State Historic Site (Oswego)–Close Historic Site
• Helen McNitt State Park (Madison)–Close Park
• Herkimer Home Historic Site (Herkimer)–Close Historic Site
• Hunts Pond State Park (Chenango)–Close Park
• Oquaga Creek State Park (Broome)–Close Park
• Old Erie Canal State Park (Onondaga)–Close Park
• Oriskany Battlefield/Steuben SHS (Oneida)–Close Historic Site
• Pixley Falls State Park (Oneida)–Close Park
• Robert Riddell State Park (Delaware)–Close Park
• Selkirk Shores State Park (Oswego)–Close Public Swimming Beach

Finger Lakes Region
• Beechwood State Park (Wayne)–Close Park
• Bonavista State Park (Seneca)–Close Park
• Chimney Bluffs State Park (Wayne)–Close Park
• Newtown Battlefield State Park (Chemung)–Close Park
• Springbrook Greens State Park (Cayuga)–Close Park
• Two Rivers State Park (Tioga)–Close Park
• Buttermilk Falls State Park (Tompkins)–Close Public Swimming Area
• Seneca Lake State Park (Seneca)–Close Lake Swimming Beach
• Stony Brook State Park (Steuben)–Close Public Swimming Area

Thousand Islands Region
• Canoe Island State Park (Jefferson)–Close Park
• Cedar Island State Park (Jefferson)–Close Park
• Eel Weir State Park (St. Lawrence)–Close Park
• Keewaydin State Park (Jefferson)–Close Park
• Macomb Reservation State Park (Clinton)–Close Park
• Mary Island State Park (Jefferson)–Close Park
• Point Au Roche State Park (Clinton)–Close Park
• Sackets Harbor State Historic Site (Jefferson)–Close Historic Site

Genesee Region
• Hamlin Beach State Park (Monroe)–Close Swimming Beach 3 Days per Week
• Oak Orchard State Marine Park (Orleans)–Close Park
• Regionwide Multiple Eliminate Camper Recreation Program

Niagara Region
• Joseph Davis State Park (Niagara)–Close Park
• Knox Farm State Park (Erie)–Close Park
• Wilson-Tuscarora State Park (Niagara)–Close Park
• Woodlawn Beach State Park (Erie)– Close Park
• Regionwide–Reduce interpretive programs

Allegany Region
• Allegany State Park (Cattaraugus)–Close Quaker Area Swim Beach; Close Quaker Cabins Area on December 1st; Eliminate Winter Trails Maintenance; Reduce Recreation Programs
• Long Point State Park (Chautauqua)–Close Park

Long Island
• Brookhaven State Park (Suffolk)–Close Park
• Bethpage State Park (Suffolk)–Eliminate Winter Sports; Reduce picnic area and polo field
• Caleb Smith State Park Preserve (Suffolk)–Close Park
• Cold Spring Harbor State Park (Suffolk)–Close Park
• Connetquot River State Park (Suffolk)–Close Weekdays
• Heckscher State Park (Suffolk)–Close Swimming Pool
• Jones Beach State Park (Nassau)–Close West Swimming Pool; Eliminate July 4th fireworks
• Montauk Downs State Park (Suffolk)–Close Swimming Pool
• Nissequogue River State Park (Suffolk)–Close Park
• Orient Beach State Park (Suffolk)–Close Park
• Trail View State Park (Suffolk)–Close Park

New York City Region
• Bayswater Point State Park (Queens)–Close Park
• Riverbank State Park (New York)–Reduce Operating Hours; Close Outdoor Swimming Pool; Eliminate Seniors Classes, and Community/Cultural Events

Palisades Region
• Fort Montgomery Historic Site (Orange)–Close Historic Site
• Harriman SP– Anthony Wayne (Orange)–Close Park Area
• Harriman SP – Group Camps (Orange)–Reduce Maintenance
• High Tor State Park (Rockland)–Close Pool
• Knox Headquarters Historic Site (Orange)–Close Historic Site
• New Windsor Cantonment SHS (Orange)– Close Historic Site
• Schunnemunk State Park (Orange)– Close Park
• Stony Point State Historic Site (Orange)–Close Historic Site
• Tallman Mountain State Park (Rockland)–Close Pool

Taconic Region
• Donald J. Trump State Park (Westchester)–Close Park
• FDR (Roosevelt) State Park (Westchester)–Reduce Swimming Pool Season
• Hudson Highlands State Park (Putnam)–Close Arden Point Area
• James Baird State Park (Dutchess)–Reduce Golf Course Season
• Mills Norrie State Park (Dutchess)–Reduce Golf Course Season
• Olana State Historic Site (Columbia)–Close 2 Days per Week
• Philipse Manor Hall Historic Site (Westchester)–Close Historic Site
• Rockefeller State Park Preserve (Westchester)–Eliminate Interpretive Programs
• Taconic Outdoor Education Center (Putnam)–Eliminate Interpretive Programs
• Taconic State Park – Rudd Pond (Dutchess)–Close Rudd Pond Area
• Wonder Lake State Park (Putnam)–Close Park

As I’ve stated before, closing New York’s parks would save very little money, and would most likely cost the state much more. Moreover, this seems more like punishment toward us New Yorkers, especially when a.) this “financial crisis” has been evident for decades but NY government refused to address it at all, b.) New York government could slash a lot more government and bureaucratic jobs to save money, c.) there’s so much waste and corruption in Albany and New York City that squeezing out a few nickels and dimes from our tourism department would be humorous if it wasn’t so explosively outrageous.

Montezuma Wine from Upstate NY

New York State is a huge wine producer for the state. I don’t have any idea how well the wine competes with the other domestic wines here in the U.S., particularly California. I tend to think that New York wine is probably more favored in the Finger Lakes region (from which most of the wine is produced), but is not as popular nationally as California wines. I have tried several varieties of NY wines, and I can’t say I’ve been terribly impressed (although I do prefer domestic wines to imported, which are too heavy and spicy for my tastes).

With that said, I recently tried this wine produced in Seneca Falls, NY, and– WOW! This stuff is amazing! It’s Montezuma Cranberry Bog wine.

“Montezuma” refers to the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, in Western New York and the Finger Lakes region. This wine is made from Upstate New York cranberries and is 100% cranberry wine. It is terrific wine! The alcohol content is relatively low, and the wine is sweet and smooth. I think it would be PERFECT with a Thanksgiving turkey dinner.

I have to drink cranberry juice regularly as part of my health maintenance plan, but I despise the stuff. It’s bitter, expensive, and it is usually mixed in with a lot of apple and grape juices. :-p Half a glass of this cranberry wine fulfills the cranberry requirement. Of course, the Montezuma wine is a little pricey (this bottle cost us $12), so it’s purely for special occasions. But it’s nice to know that it’s got some health benefits.

Anyway, I give the Montezuma Cranberry wine a hearty Thumbs Up! If you drink wine and are looking for something light and fruity, you might like it, too.

Next Page »