We were told that you haven’t really experienced Ottawa until you have had a Beaver Tail. We wandered through the open-air market past a variety of shops and dining establishments to the Beaver Tail stand. Beaver Tails reminded me of fried dough that was stepped up by adding one of their many varieties of toppings from M&Ms to crushed Oreos to sliced cinnamon apples.
Oh, my, they are yummy.
Ottawa, Canada’s capital, is a world-class city closer to Central New York than New York City. The architecture of the Parliament buildings and colorful changing of the guard brings to mind London. Local wits like to say Ottawa was picked as the capital because Queen Victoria threw a dart and claimed that was where she wanted the capital.
I have visited Boldt’s Castle many times and have seen it go from a crumbling castle to one that is being upgraded. John especially loves the Yacht House where some of Boldt’s 57 boats are on display. What I didn’t realize until we stopped overnight on Wellesley Island is that there is an easy, less expensive way to visit the Yacht House and Boldt’s Castle.
Of Frederic Remington, Teddy Roosevelt said, “The soldier, the cowboy and rancher, the Indian, the horses and the cattle of the plains will live in his pictures and bronzes, I verily believe all time.” In the late 1800s, Remington popularized the West through his illustrations in a variety of magazines including “Harper’s Weekly” and “Boy’s Life.” He has been hailed as “The Interpreter of the West.”
It had been several years since I had visited the Rosamond Gifford Zoo. I felt that it was a place to take youngsters. And, yes, it was a beautiful day and there were many adults with children who were thrilled and amazed by the animals. But, there were many adults especially those interested in photography.
I enjoyed the visit because it brought to mind some of my travels.
Gerrit Smith was one of the New York States’ strongest supporters of the abolitionist movement. Smith is just one of the many people who helped slaves get their freedom. Actually, Smith purchased some slaves and then freed them. Smith was a close friend of Frederick Douglass, the African American who, after his escape from slavery, became a leader in the abolitionist movement and an advocate of other social reforms.
Once called the “Mistake on the Lake,” Cleveland is now the “Remake on the Lake.” I love Cleveland and so do music lovers. After all it is the city that gave birth to the name “Rock & Roll.” No matter your music preference you will find a place to keep the beat going. The musical term “Rock ‘N Roll” came from disc jockey, Alan Freed, who used the term to describe the upbeat rhythm & blues records he played on WJW, a Cleveland radio station.
I think the Erie Canal is one of the most under promoted treasures of New York State. The building of the Erie Canal is considered an engineering marvel on the scale of the pyramids. In the early 1800s when New York governor, DeWitt Clinton proposed building a waterway that would connect the navigable Hudson River to Lake Erie by a 300-mile canal through the wilderness, Thomas Jefferson said, “It is a splendid project and may be executed a century hence… but it is a little short of madness to think of it at this day.”
Cooking classes or experiences are a fun and delectable way to learn about a local culture. When John and I were at the Pan Pacific Niwana in Bali, Indonesia, we participated in a cooking class. We have found that people are happy to share their culture and during a cooking experience we often learn more about a local culture the goes beyond the culinary aspects.
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