Through Leatherstocking's homeland to Poughkeepsie

We left Niagara Falls (pic from hotel room on the left) before 8 am, after a light hotel breakfast, towards Buffalo on I 90 and on the toll road, called NY Thruway (which cost us almost $ 15 toll) on to Mohawk. Since we only took two brief pit stops and made good time, we decided to scratch off one other destination on our bucket list: Cooperstown.

Though we had to take back-roads and made slower progress, SR 28 eventually brought us into this town, which became famous for two things: the author James Fenimore Cooper and his "Leatherstocking" ("Lederstrumpf") and the Baseball Hall of Fame. The location of the town is beautiful, surrounded by lakes and all green, and in the sun the trees were just gorgeous, all in red and orange. We parked on Main Street (pic) and checked out what's there, noting that there is no single remembrance of Cooper and Leatherstocking in town, not even a bar or café by this name! In this regard we were terribly disappointed. We peeked into the Baseball Hall of Fame (pics below), but couldn't visit long, since we were expected in Poughkeepsie at 4 pm at the latest and still had about 150 mi. to drive.

The drive on curvy SR 80 along "Glimmerglass Lake", how Otsego Lake is nicknamed after James Fenimore Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales – at least this name sticked – was beautiful, but, unfortunately, didn't have time to stop.

On to Hwy. 20 into Albany, New York State's capital. Driving along the west bank of the Hudson River we finally crossed the crazy-busy FDR Mid-Hudson Bridge (pic) into Poughkeepsie and, fortunately, didn't get lost and found the hotel immediately, where our contact from Upstate NY was already waiting for us. 400 mi/640 km driven, we left the hotel again after 15 minutes, to walk the famous "Walkway Over the Hudson" State Historic Park, the world's longest elevated pedestrian bridge, spanning 1.3 mi/2 km over the Hudson River, 212 ft (65 m) high up. Opened in 2009, the park is popular for pedestrians, hikers, joggers, bicyclists. Originally it was a railroad bridge, built in the late 19th century to link New York and New England.

On to the town of Rhinebeck then, 17 mi (27 km) south of Poughkeepsie, the Dutchess County seat. 1686 a group of Dutch, led by Henry Beekman, had crossed the river and bought land from the local Iroquois nation. In 1715, Beekman's son brought in 35 German Palatines (Pfälzer) who had fled religious persecution at home and that's where the Germans come into the mix. The village grew, churches and houses were built and
today, the town's historic district is one of the best examples of the early use of the Gothic Revival style in residential architecture.

Terrapin Restaurant, situated in a historic, renovated church building, the former First Baptist church of Rhinebeck from circa 1825, was a unique place: great meals (steak/beef short rip) served under cathedral ceilings and church windows... Back at our Residence Inn 3-bedroom-apartment in the outskirts of Poughkeepsie around 9 pm, working still till 11 pm.

Water - all over the place!

Right now, we are only about 80 mi. away from NYC, in Poughkeepsie, in a Residence Inn Hotel. It's been a long day: we got up before 7 am, drove 400 mi (640 km) from Niagara Falls to the south, partly on backroads, and arriving at 3:45 pm at the hotel, a tourism rep was already expecting us in the lobby. We threw the luggage into our 2-bedroom-suite and out we were again. Back to the hotel at 8:45 pm - that's why we are getting aggravated when somebody is calling this kind of traveling "vacation". So tired,,, but back to our adventures at Niagara Falls.

On Wednesday evening we had arrived in Niagara Falls and checked in The Giacomo Hotel, a 40-room boutique hotel in an Office Building from 1929 in beautiful art deco style - the tallest skyscraper in town. Rooms are nicely furnished and equipped, but best was the view from our corner room towards the high-rises on the Canadian side and the Falls (see pic before).

Krystina from Niagara Tourism picked us up at 6 pm - we had about half hour to "rest" - and she drove us to Lewiston, a town with an attractive main street, situated on the Niagara River, just across the river from Canada. Many thousands of years ago, the famous Niagara Falls has eroded nearly 7 miles south from Lewiston to its present location in Niagara Falls. We had a superb (and quiet) dinner at Carmelo's: duck breast with a heavenly maple syrup sauce and NY strip steak with a delicious mushroom-spinach concoction for Peter accompanied by a glass of local Riesling. Though it was getting late, we still enjoyed the view towards the illuminated falls from the hotel lounge on the 19th floor.

Cold - we've been told later it's been the first frost in the area -, but sunny - the next morning. How fortunate we were: blue skies and, also, to have Krystina to drive us around. She picked us up at the hotel and after breakfast we explored the Niagara Falls State Park, first the "Cave of the Winds" (a walkway down to the Falls) with its new "The World Changed Here"-Pavilion, whose exhibitions and film deals with the history of the Falls and famous people involved in the "Free Niagara Movement", like Frederick Law Olmsted (planer of Central Park), Mark Twain, Rockefeller or Nikola Tesla (1856-1943). Tesla (statue on picture) is nowadays known for his electric motor, but originally this Serbian-American inventor experimented with generators to create hydro-power at the Niagara Falls. We have been to the Canadian side of the Niagara Falls several years ago. We regarded the town and its infrastructure as extremely "touristy" and kitschy. Here in the U.S.A. it's not as much about big attractions and show elements, but about the Falls themselves (both falls, Canadian and American, on the pic above).


On Goat Island you get really close to the Canadian Horseshoe Falls (above), on Luna Island you stand between the Bridal Veil (the smaller) and the American Falls (wider) and Prospect Point is another point where you can almost grab the water of the American Falls (below). Much much closer than in Canada, and, free, with the exception of a parking fee! The skyline to be seen on the pics is on the Canadian side, no real highrises on the American.

By mutual agreement, we skipped lunch and just had coffee at the cozy little Cat Coffee Company in Lewiston, before we headed out to Youngstown for Old Fort Niagara. What a beautiful location, even with a direct view of the skyline of Toronto in the far distance, across Lake Ontario! The history of Old Fort Niagara spans more than 300 years: in 1726 France erected a permanent fortification with the construction of the impressive "French Castle" at the mouth of the Niagara River. Britain gained control in 1759, after the French & Indian War, and expanded and fortified, to yield the fort to the U.S. in 1796. Fort Niagara was recaptured by the British and went back to the U.S. again after the War of 1812. It became a barracks and training station for American soldiers throughout both World Wars and was restored 1926-1934. Highly interesting, though the history is very complicated, but they do a great job in explaining, also, with the help of costumed interpreters and demonstrations, among them Iroquois (pic), who settled first in the region.

The Becker Farms & Vizcarra Vineyards in Gasport, our next stop, started out as a self-pick fruit farm, but now is a multi-purpose complex, with shop & café, vineyards & winery, brewery, event space etc. Thanks to Krystina being flexible, we had a chance to check out another winery in town after Vizcarra - called "Flight of 5" -, whose wines were delicious. Different varietals in Niagara than in the Fingerlakes because of the much rougher climate. Before dinner at Shamus Restaurant in Lockport, we checked out the reconstructed historic locks at Erie Canal (opened in 1825), now a recreational canal (pic below). We enjoyed steak (Peter, again) and sea scallops with some nice local beer before Krystina brought us back "home".

Play and Photography in Rochester

Breakfast with Diana from Rochester Tourism at the Highland Park Diner in Rochester – another great place to have waffles, pancakes or eggs benedict in a cozy atmosphere for a decent price. Wish we would have places like this one!

On to the Strong National Museum of Play - frankly, didn't really know what to expect before. The Strong - named for the collector - owns and cares for the world’s most comprehensive collection of toys, dolls, board games, video games, other electronic games documents and historical materials related to play. It is an assemblage explaining the role of play in different ways and how play reflects cultural history. There is even a Toy Halls of Fame, where you'll find famous toys like marbles, hula hoop or barbie dolls, and the biggest collection of computer games in the world.

The George Eastman Museum, our next stop, is connected to "Kodak", since Eastman was the founder of the still existing company in Rochester. It's a highly interesting story how this guy changed the whole world of photography, first with changing from wet glass plates - difficult to carry and to develop - to dry ones and then to films. The museum's core is George Eastman’s fancy historic mansion (pic of the living room) and gardens, where this visionary entrepreneur and philanthropist (1854-1932) lived for almost 30 years during the early 20th century.In 1884, Eastman patented the first film in roll form to prove practicable, and, in 1888, he perfected the Kodak Black camera. The famous "Kodak Brownie" (pic) was the first easy-to-use camera in the world. The mansion on its own and the gardens are worth being seen, the archives are unique and the exhibitions highly instructive. Again,,, another hour would have been great,,,!!!



Before lunch at the Genesee Brewery (Bratwurst & Sauerkraut / Avocado Burger) and a beer tasting flight we had a chance to see the Rochester High Falls of the Genesee River, which are pretty impressive (pic).

Our planned Erie Canal boat tour had been cancelled, but instead we had a tour at the Genessee Country Village & Museum - not a bad choice neither! It is the 3rd largest Living History Museum in New York State, a working, 19th-century historic country village with the largest and most comprehensive collection of 68 buildings, with costumed interpreters, workshops and animals like the oxen on the pic. From a Pioneer Settlement (1790-1820), when the people moved into Upstate NY, to Center Village (1830-1860) and the Gas Light District (1860-1900) it gives a good overview over how life has been in the area in different time periods.

Always in a hurry, just made our drive to Niagara Falls in time, in heavy rain and rush hour traffic around Buffalo. We just had about half an hour to check in, unpack and dress up before we were picked up again for dinner. But, the hotel was great and the whole experience (more later) terrific!

From Waterfalls to Shopping

Hard rain on Tuesday night, but it cleared up in the morning and in front of our vacation home the lake started to "shine" - what a great wake-up experience and what a peaceful and quiet place! Got up early, walked the lakefront, collected shells and wished we could have stayed longer.

Cindy picked us up for breakfast at the Penn Yan Dinner in town - a 10 min. drive - another picturesque little town with a typical American Main Street. In this "authentic" diner you still get a full plate of homemade pancakes or a filling egg dish for a bargain. We had French toast and biscuits & gravy and, at the same time, good conversation with the manager of the vacation properties.




On we went, to another "natural wonder": Watkins Glen State Park in a town of the same name, where a famous road race took place long time ago. Initially, public roads in the village were used for the race course and only in 1956 a permanent circuit for the race was built. Also, "The Glen", an automobile race track located at the southern tip of Seneca Lake, was long known around the world as the home of the Formula One United States Grand Prix.

Watkins Glen State Park is the most famous of several Finger Lakes State Parks. Within two miles, the stream descends 400 feet past 200-foot cliffs, generating 19 waterfalls along its course. Trails wind over and under waterfalls and through the Cavern Cascade and there are overlooks of the gorge, bridges and tunnels constructed by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) during Depression in the 1930ies. In 2015, the park was declared the 3rd Best State Park in the United States by USA Today! We walked the trail with Josh for 1,5 hours – an enthusiastic ranger, educator, biologist, manager and multi-talent and, again, learned a lot about geology, geography, flora and fauna.

We would have loved to spend more time, to explore this and other State Parks nearby more intensively. Also, would have loved to make a couple of stops on our drive along Seneca Lake - another Finger Lake, dotted with lots of wineries and breweries - and in the city of Geneva, but we had to head on, after a lunch stop in Watkins Glen (I had the pulled pork salad on the picture) to see a huge shopping mall.




"Destiny USA" in Syracuse was the next point on our itinerary. This 6th largest mall in the U.S. with over 250 places to shop, dine and play (including an antique carousel, a raceway, "Canyon Climb" and others) is visited by 26 mio. guests a year. It's partly a conventional, partly an outlet mall.

Well, it had been quite a bit of driving, over 3 hours in total back and forth to the mall, and after a half-hour-tour we had approx. another half hour for shopping before we had to leave for Rochester. About 45 min. after arrival we were picked up from the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown by Diana for dinner at Next Door by Wegmans, a great restaurant across the street from Wegmans. This superb supermarket, found in Rochester, has lots of organic and regionally sourced produce and a huge variety of things. Once you have seen this supermarket, you'll ask yourself even more, why variety and quality like this one is not possible in German supermarkets.

And, finally, since it's really fantastic: our view right now, Wednesday evening, towards Niagara Falls and Canada from our hotel (the "smoke" comes from the waterfalls). More tomorrow,,, it's been another long day.

"Wine, Water and Wonders"

The drive from Corning into the Finger Lakes region was beautiful, even with cloudy skies, also, thanks to our great "guide" Cindy, who knew all the picturesque back roads. Passing farm stands with maple sirup and honey, Mennonite farms, dairies, wineries and breweries, and, with breaks at two smaller lakes, Lamoka and Waneta Lakes (picture), we arrived to Keuka Lake, one of the officially declared eleven glacial "Finger Lakes". First stop there was Hammondsport and the Curtiss Aviation Museum, one of the most famous aviation museums in the U.S. focused on Glenn H. Curtiss, aviation pioneer and early motorcycle manufacturer. The museum includes a sizeable collection of early aircraft and motorcycles, which illustrate the innovative genius of Glenn Curtiss.


The centerpiece of the motorcycle collection is an exact reproduction of the famous 8-cylinder motorcycle which earned Curtiss the title of "Fastest Man on Earth" in 1907 with a land-speed record of 136.4 mph. Also, Curtiss - a jack of all trades - made the first officially-observed, 1-km flight on July 4th, 1908. It was the first officially witnessed flight in North America. In addition to planes, there is a seaplane, the U.S.Navy's first airplane, a "Flying Boat" as well as different automobiles and boats.

Sticking to the point, our next stop was the Finger Lakes Boating Museum. It's all about the rich boat building history in the region, the many boat-builders and the distinctive boats they made. The collection consists of more than 150 boats built by many of the 40+ commercial builders throughout the Finger Lakes Region during the last century. Besides canoes, rowboats, hydroplanes and sailboats, the restauration workshop (where also courses and workshops take place) and the building itself are equally interesting. The property was home to the former Taylor Winery and there are still the old barrels in the basement and a lot of solid oak doors and wall panels and ceilings.


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In the Village Tavern Restaurant and Inn - in downtown Hammondsport, which was voted coolest small town in America – we regained enough energy by eating a meatball sandwich (pic) and a Greek Burger (with feta) to continue with wine tasting in the afternoon. Spectacular views towards the lake all the time, just wish we would have had blue skies in addition. But, at least, it was still over 20 deg. C warm.

In the Heron Hills Winery, which just had celebrated its 40th anniversary, we met with Barry, the winemaker, after a regular tasting, for a wine cellar tour and some more interesting barrel tasting. Riesling is the region's flagship varietal and, mostly Northern European varieties are planted. Besides Riesling it's most notable Gruener Veltliner, Gewurztraminer and Blaufränkisch (the latter one of the few reds which are growing well). In general, it's mostly white wines which are being produced in this special cool climate around the Finger Lakes.

On to Dr. Frank Wine Cellars for another tasting, passing several other wineries and breweries. Dr. Konstantin Frank was the one who probably made the New York wine industry to what it is today. A European immigrant from the Ukraine, Dr. Frank - with a Ph.D. in viticulture - and his family arrived in the U.S. in 1951. He introduced proper rootstock basing on his research for growing the delicate European vinifera grape varieties in cold climates. In 1962 he founded Vinifera Wine Cellars, which quickly earned a reputation for spectacular Rieslings. Today it's grandson Frederick Frank, who took over and his daughter will continue the family tradition. Frederick was very eager to practise his German and let us try his wines, different Rieslings, but also some rare Eastern European varietals and a great champagne.

Stopping by at the Mennonite Store in Penn Yan, another little town on the northern tip of Keuka Lake, Cindy picked up a whole box of picnic items for our dinner – sandwiches, soups, bisquits, muffins, cake. This shop had an enormous variety of items, mostly produce made by Mennonites, therefore you could also get Sauerkraut, Kassler and sausages there. Especially, the baking goods department - different flours, aromas, toppings, nuts and stuff - is heaven, but, also, the adjacent bakery, operated by Mennonites, is fantastic and prices really reasonable.

We would have had problems to find the cabin, where we spent the night, but, fortunately, Cindy showed us. What a surprise: A 3-bedroom cabin, directly on the lake, with a patio, a fire pit, its own boating pier, very luxurious, fully equipped and very tastefully furnished. The cabin is one of many luxurious properties "Finger Lakes Premier Properties" is renting out in the lakes area. We just wished, we could have spent a couple of days here instead of just 14 hours. But, at least, we were having a quiet, peaceful evening (though working), sitting on the patio, having a glass of Dr. Frank's wine, and listening to the waves. Life can be good.

Keuka Lake sunset: