Traveling Around: New York

In the town of Holland Packet we see signs for a Farmers Market. The last one of the season. we bought a "fruits of the forest" pie, a braided loaf of savory bread and a few last of season vegetables. I also bought a cute alpaca and rag braided hot mat. I've bought a lot of gifts for me on this trip. The nooks and crannies of this vehicle are filling up.

We arrive at Fort Stanwix National Monument. Wow, it is really lovely. The fort was gone and buried under the town of Rome, New York. But the people of Rome were proud of being the site of the fort. In 1976 there was an opportunity to reconstruct the fort on the original site. The program in the visitor center is great and the reconstruction is very authentic.

Fort Stanwic had been originally built during the French and Indian War by the British in 1758. The Revolutionaries had control of it now and there were more of them than the British planned for. St. Leger was supposed to take this fort and join up with Burgoyne. But he wound up mounting a siege for 3 weeks. He gave up when reinforcements for the Americans were arriving.

Model of the fort

Officer's quarters

Got to have a selfie

Because this is not only Columbus Day weekend and also Canadian Thanksgiving weekend we have had a hard time finding an RV spot. So we wind up going a bit sideways to Herkimer. We are at the Herkimer Diamond Mines and KOA Kampgrounds. This place is really geared up for the weekend with tons of activities. We take advantage of the Laundromat.

Today we are heading off to ride the Erie Canal. So historic to ride on the canal and think of the Erie Canal song. But children about 8 years old were the ones who led the mules on the tow path. 15 to 20 miles a day with your mule and then you slept with your pal the mule. Not too romantic, if you were living it.

The remains of Fort Herkimer was made into a church. Old edge of the canal is in the foreground.

Now we have been through a lock. Lock 18. Leonardo da Vinci designed the way the gates of locks function. The gates leak now because the men who made the shims are all gone and the next generation don't do as good a job. 

After the children got to drive, William got a turn. Looks good there.

Erie Canal Cruises

Back to the RV park for our own bonfire. 

The bonfire music is always Doctor John

Do you think this is enough wood? Don't worry about the leaves on the ground.