Arts and Entertainment

There are so many places in New York State that it is impossible to visit all the great sites. We have been exploring the state for years and are still amazed at the new places we discover. A good way to plan an adventure is to travel one of the state’s Scenic Byways. The Seaway Trail is a National Byway that extends from the Pennsylvania border to the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation which is part of the bi-nation Akwesasne Mohawk Reservation. It would take days to explore the entire length of the Seaway Trail so it is best to break it up into segments.

Most people are not aware of the free Fiddler’s Sunday concerts in Osceola or even the Hall of Fame. In 1973 fiddle enthusiasts got together for a “Fiddler’s Picnic.” Over the next couple of years, they were joined by other fiddlers and in 1977 they formed the Old Tyme Fiddlers’ Association with the goal to preserve, promote and perpetuate the art of old time fiddling and the dance pertaining to this art.

It has been years since John and I have been to Vermont so it was time to return. We had never been to Stowe and always thought it was a solely a ski destination. That is not the case. In fact, Chuck Baraw, the owner of Stoweflake Resort said that the 80% of his guests visit outside the winter season. I can understand that. There is so much to see and do. First of all the drive is much nicer when there is no snow and ice on the roads.

When John and I were in Cooperstown, we visited the Ommergang Brewery, which is part of the Cooperstown Beverage Trail. It is New York State’s first official cuisine trail. Ommergang Brewery is located in a large building that is reminiscent of the breweries in Belgium. The tour of the Brew House points out the attention to detail in the production of Ommergang beers. The water comes from aquifers located on their property.

It had been years since we had been to the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton and the museum has expanded so it was as if we had never visited. Our main purpose for visiting Clayton was to check out the new hotel which we heard was the best in the 1000 Islands. The 1000 Island Harbor Hotel has a wonderful location on the waterfront right in town. Our room had a balcony from which we would watch the sunset each night. The days were often cloudy with some sprinkles but come sunset time the horizon was ablaze with color.

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.