Sandra Scott Travels

Ok, the Herkimer Home, home of Gen. Nickolas Herkimer, is not in Herkimer. It’s in Little Falls; however, it is where I started my day trip. It has been on my list for years. General Herkimer played a critical part in the American Revolution and was, in part, instrumental is thwarting the three-point British plan to win the war. When the British were marching on Fort Stanwix in Rome, he and the Tryon County militia, marched to reinforce the colonists in Fort Stanwix.

I love small towns and am always amazed at the things I find in them. It is where the “gems” are. Recently I visited Palmyra, a small town that supplied those who traveled the Erie Canal during its heyday. The William Phelps General Store was built in 1826 to supply boats traveling the canal.

In March I needed to get away from the cold and snow of so I flew to Jamaica using my frequent flyer miles and stayed at Samsara Cliff Hotel in Negril. The hotel is a couple hours from Montego Bay airport, but the hotel provided transportation for $87. The hotel is located on the cliffs with steps down to the water.

There are seven mail boat contracts in New York, but not all carry passengers and deliver to personal mail boxes. When I was a teenager summering in Raquette Lake I worked in the soda fountain of the General Store and each morning the mailman who delivered mail by boat to the camps on the lake would stop by for ice cream. One day he invited me to go with him on the mail run.

Kudos to the people who decided to turn unused railroad bridges into pedestrian walkways. I love the Rail Trail River Walk in Oswego. The view from the bridge of the river, canal and Lake Ontario is wonderful. Even on the hottest day there is a refreshing breeze.

It’s summer. It’s hot. Test your thrill factor. Get the adrenaline pumping and let the fun begin. Take a child or a grandchild, or release the child within and head to one of New York State’s many amusement parks for thrills, chills and spills.

Mark Klaus of Medina, Ohio, collected all things associated with Christmas until his collection became so big he had to open Castle Noel. I am always looking for something different to do when I travel. I was in Hudson, Ohio, for the 4th of July and discovered Castle Noel in Medina only 25 miles away and it is only 30 miles south of Cleveland. I loved the Medinas Main Street which has been restored and is part their Historic District.

We, Central New Yorkers, are lucky to be in easy driving distance of so many diverse places. I am a fan of day trips and a day trip to Altmar makes a great dayscation. Altmar?!? Who ever thought Altmar would be a destination? But it is.

In New York State, U.S. 20 extends 372.32 miles from the Massachusetts state line in the Berkshire Mountains to the Pennsylvania state line at Ripley.

It is the longest surface road in New York and makes its way through quaint little towns that seem, in many ways, unchanged since the New York State Thruway diverted traffic from Route 20.