Sandra Scott Travels

In 2008, John and I were on a tour in the Philippines. One of our stops was on the island of Cebu where we stayed overnight at Plantation Bay Resort & Spa. I was impressed with their pools – eight of them, four of which are saltwater lagoons and four are freshwater pools – covering a total of six acres. I never forgot the pools, so in March 2015 when we returned to the Philippines we booked a stay at Plantation Bay Resort. Riding the vintage horse and carriage around the property I spotted the chef cooking a whole pig near one of the pools.

The Hill Cumorah Pageant is an amazing spectacular performed every summer on the hillside near Palmyra. It is an incredible light and sound show with special effects and hundreds of performers from all over the world. The pageant is based on the Bible and Book of Mormon. There is seating for 8,000 but some bring blankets and/or folding chairs. One does not have to be a Mormon to enjoy the show even if some of the scenes may seem a bit mystifying.

Even the most dedicated and compulsive travels often miss places close to home. John and I have driven through Fulton for years and many times I often comment “I would like to see the Pratt House.” Finally, after all these years, I visited the John Wells Pratt House and I wasn’t disappointed. There are many interesting features and things to see. It is open Wednesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. John Wells Pratt’s family was one of the earliest settlers in Fulton.

Everyone has heard of Route 66. But, few know of historic U.S. Route 20. It extends from Boston, Massachusetts, to Newport, Oregon. Spanning 3,365 miles, Route 20 is the longest road in the United States. The more famous Route 66, called the Main Street of America, is 2,451 miles in length. New York and other states are promoting tourism along Route 20. I have chatted with people along the route in New York State and they admit that they are having a problem making people aware of the great things to see along the way.

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.