Arts and Entertainment

It has been years since John and I have visited the Farmers’ Museum in Cooperstown. One of the first things we saw as we entered the Main Barn was the stone Cardiff Giant. The Cardiff Giant was one of the most famous hoaxes in American History. The supposedly petrified man was uncovered in 1869 by workers digging a well in Cardiff, New York. The 10-foot tall giant was George Hull’s way to add credence to an argument during a Methodist revival meeting about Genesis stating that giants once lived on Earth.

There is something magical about a carousel or a merry-go-round that appeals to all age groups. The Binghamton area has been dubbed the Carousel Capital of the World because out of only 150 antique carousels remaining in the United States and Canada, six are in the greater Binghamton area. All six are on the New York State Historic Register and the National Register of Historic Places.

For years, John and I have been driving Route 81 and finally stopped in Binghamton and visited the Cutler Botanic Garden. The garden is one of about 360 gardens in the United States designated as a display garden for All-American Selections. Each year, the staff previews the AAS winners that will be available commercially the following year. What started as a vegetable garden in the 1970s grew to become the cornerstone of Broome County’s Master Gardner program.

Rochester is a great destination. Often dubbed the Flower City, it was first known as the Flour City. At one point in time Rochester made more flour than any other place in the world. Even Queen Victoria reportedly stocked her kitchen with 6,000 barrels of Rochester flour because, “…it made the best cakes.” In the mid-1800s, Rochester became the Flower City due in large part to nurserymen George Ellwanger and Patrick Barry then later Frederick Law Olmsted, called the Father of American Landscaping, who created the city’s park system.

Las Vegas has changed dramatically over the years. Before the glitzy gambling areas of Las Vegas, the area was a stopover on the way west. Much has changed since John C. Fremont traversed the valley in 1844. At that time it was still part of Mexico. The one thing that hasn’t changed much is the stunning scenery just outside the city.

If you haven’t been to Albany recently, put it on your travel calendar. The city hosts many festivals, concerts, and special events throughout the year but the most popular is the Tulip Festival held each year in May, but anytime is a good time to visit. Albany’s history spans four centuries. Commissioned by the Dutch East India Company in 1609 to report on the new world, Henry Hudson sailed the Half Moon to the upper reaches of the Hudson River. He told of the magnificent river and the bountiful area.

Ho Chi Minh City has been the official name since the fall of Saigon in 1975. But, both are in use. We stayed at the InterContinental Asiana Residence Saigon where we used our once-a-year free night that came as a perk for using the IGH credit card. We had lunch at their Market 39 Restaurant where they had a Vietnamese pancake station. We asked Chef Josh, the executive chef, if he would share the recipe and explain how they were made. He was happy to do so.

I have always wanted to visit Old Nevada, a replica of an 1880s mining town. The property was the homeland of the Paiute Indians and in 1843 became a stopover for wagon trains traveling the Spanish Trail. The walk through what an old town in the West must have been like was fun.