So as to NOT “bury the Lead,” I present you with a compendium of our Leaf Peeping Vistas. After which is the dialog associated with a month and a half of travel thru vistas like this!
As we started east from Chicago, we stopped near Cleveland to visit Kathy and Bob, friends from our Alaska sojourn in 2019. It was great to find them well, over beer! Then, our next stop on the eastward track was the Rochester Area. We actually stayed in a city park next door – in Webster, NY. This is a little bit of land saved from the mansion-building trend on the Lake; close to The City of Rochester.
Proof that having the money to build a mansion does NOT automatically present with the taste to do so well, I present you the world’s ugliest chandelier in the worlds most ruined entryway…
Perhaps the world’s foremost marketing misstep?
Rochester, itself, is a city that is a shadow of what it once was – perhaps it was a “Kodak Moment?!” Back in the day, Kodak’s Global Headquarters and a major manufacturing facility anchored Rochester’s economy. But, Kodak might just be the world’s foremost example of a marketing misstep…possibly rivaling Sears for that unwelcome record! Kodak was an early pioneer in digital photography, but in their infinite wisdom, Kodak decided not to pursue or marketize this technology because it directly competed with it’s film business. Well, guess what: Digital killed film, and basically Kodak, too! Kodak now has about 3,000 employees worldwide (down form 150k) and makes a little bit of film for the remaining few analog purists!!! It’s manufacturing facility in Rochester is boarded up and unused; its “World Headquarters” is still a stately building, but no longer the center of anything relevant.
Most towns that experience the loss of their major economic engine do not survive. From our travels, I can point to Pine Bluff, Arkansas, which has and is nothing after the Military arsenal and manufacturing facility closed. That Rochester still exists and supports any residents is a testament to higher education and healthcare. The former includes RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology), which still employs a significant number of people and generates a little bit of culture and “buzz,” and the latter something we unfortunately had some direct experience with…
While in Rochester, we needed to get some routine Vaccinations –Flu, Covid and, in my Case, MMR. The latter is as a result of our upcoming Winter Expedition (that was a teaser…you’ll find out about this in our next post!!!). In discussion with my Doc about our travel plans, we are current on Yellow Fever, HepA and B, Tetanus, etc. Need Malaria Prophylaxis. Recommended Typhoid Fever Vaccines for both of us. Then he asked about Measles…Neither of us knew for certain our status from Childhood, so the Doc ordered Titer tests. It turns out that Liz had full immunity, but I had NONE!!! In Kids born in 1958 or sooner, only one shot was given, and many folks would therefore have low (or no) remaining immunity!!! So, in order to be safe in our winter destination (not to mention Pennsylvania and Texas!), I needed to repeat the MMR series!!!
And, since when did vaccines and public health become political???
A brief political aside… I am the reason herd immunity is so important! For people out in the wild who unknowingly have no or low immunity!!! I would absolutely not have known I was vulnerable had we not been proactively discussing our travel plans and implications with an excellent Doctor!!!! Simply and bluntly…The folks who are not vaccinating their kids are putting others in danger! In a civilized society, we all have an obligation to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of those around us!
But, that wasn’t our only touch-point with the healthcare system in Rochester, unfortunately. The next day after our shots, we both felt kind ‘a sh*tty (the usual vaccine reaction). Still Liz, for some reason known only to her, decided running 4 miles and doing a full weight workout was a good idea. Later, as we were heading out to the grocery store, Liz said she was not feeling well. I pulled over on an off-ramp, she opened the door, and passed out, rolling in slow motion from the car onto the curb/shoulder. Within SECONDS, A nurse on the way to work pulled up behind us, and 3 construction workers appeared out of nowhere to help. 911/Ambulance was about to be called when Liz regained consciousness, and said she was feeling much better. The nurse STRONGLY encouraged us to go to the emergency room, and she gave us directions. Since she seemed OK and felt OK, I decided to drive instead of calling the ambulance.
FWIW: I did NOT decide to run 4 miles, and did not have any issues… Now, I am sure there are other possible interpretations of the data, but I choose to believe that exercise is bad for you!
Iironically, Liz received another vaccine to protect from the side-effects of 2 vaccines!
The Emergency Room was like all emergency rooms: busy and full of people in various stages of decrepitude. Liz was DEFINITELY the healthiest in the group, so we waited. EVENTUALLY, they took her back, started an IV, did some blood work, including Cardiac Enzymes. Remembering when I had passed out with my cardiac arrythmia, Liz was now experiencing the other side of the story!! After several hours of waiting and repeated Cardiac Enzyme tests, they decided she was fine – a little dehydrated and probably (IMHO undoubtedly!) weakened/impacted by the vaccines. She did get a bonus Tetanus shot (ironically, another vaccine to protect from the side-effects of 2 vaccines!) because she had scraped her face on the VERY grungy curb during her nap!
While in Rochester (and in several other spots along our route), we became aware of The Erie Canal. I mean, we knew it existed, but I really had no idea what a feat of ENGINEERING and IMAGINATION and PERSERVERENCE it was…and indeed still is!! Back in the day, a few people had the idea for a canal and imagined the economic boom that could result. They moved forward, found a way. No doubt trampled on individuals, First Nation Tribes, pristine Wilderness and so on, in the process. I am not minimizing these impacts, but somehow the “big Idea” prevailed, some folks with the vision and persistence made it happen, and forever changed the State of New York and the East Coast and the Great Lakes!
amplified by the fact-less wilderness that is social media
We are, these days, seemingly incapable of “making it happen.” EVERY “big idea” comes replete with argument and ridicule from one group or another and/or from one political party or the other. I can make a list of some “big ideas” currently in the ridicule phase: Solar Energy, Wind Energy, Data Centers, Electric Vehicles, Universal Healthcare, AI, just to name a few. As in the days of the Erie Canal, there are plenty of people who say “no,” but there seems to be no one with persistence and vision to hold the alternate view until some form of compromise/success/advance happens!
Please do not misunderstand: there MUST be proper consideration of unintended impacts…for sure more so than there were in the “good old days” of wealthy industrialists running roughshod over everyone and everything in their way. But, when there is not enough (or none at all) “Yes” in the picture, “no” prevails and advances cannot ever occur!
Let’s take Data Centers as an example… The downside to these monstrosities has gotten a lot of airplay recently, including detrimental impacts on resources (water and electricity), but no one is willing to consider or talk about their increasing necessity in our data-driven economy and the potential upside for well-managed implementations. There can be no dispute about the exponential increase in data demands of all kinds…it is NOT all about AI…and this demand for data MUST be served from data centers. The NEED for data centers is a genie that is NOT going back into the bottle!
Yet, there is seemingly no possibility to find a way that becomes a win-win when a “yes” cannot be heard or allowed! There apparently cannot not even be a discussion about how to manage the impacts in a way that allows for necessary progress? FWIW: There ARE communities where Data Centers coexist with neighborhoods, create tax base for improvement of roads, schools and infrastructure while managing their impact on water and power resources. Why can these not be discussed and used as replicate-able examples – the answer does not have to be “NO” automatically?
So, our next stop was Syracuse. This is the home of Syracuse University, and I would have expected more culture, restaurants – general “Buzz.” Not really impressed, frankly. There was ONE bright spot, though. Whenever we arrive in a new city or area, I always search for “Live Music Near Me…” This has produced some really spectacular, unexpected and unplanned enjoyment along the way; and in Syracuse!
What came up was a small music venue (443 Social Club) and an artist, Selwyn Birchwood, that I had heard of but not heard. And a Fantastic Concept Music Club. I grabbed (apparently) the last two tickets, and those ended up being directly in front of the stage, in a club that holds 75 people, total!
Selwyn is known for, and truly brought the Church of Electric Swamp-Funkin’ Blues. (I had to check to be sure Autocorrect did not alter the word “funkin’ in any way…).
Which brings me to why the club is such a fantastic concept! One can buy a membership in the club…several levels ranging from a couple $hundred to $1000 a year. For that, you get first crack at tickets and seats. But, more importantly, the club can now afford to pay for better talent than such a small venue in such a small town could support. And, because it is a club, people know each other. And, because it is small, the artists tend to interact with the audience extensively. If we lived in Syracuse, we would ABSOLUTELY join such a club!!
And the club can have rules of etiquette…for example no talking during the set…listen to the damn music!!! Contrast that with our recent experience at Red Rocks…a great venue and a great band, no doubt, but so many people standing, talking, wandering, etc. Like a baseball game, which for many has nothing to do with baseball! We had a REALLY GREAT TIME at the 443 Social Club!!!
Random thought: Our wandering in the Western part of NY noted lots of places names after other places…Russia, NY adjacent to Rome, NY and Poland, NY.
Next we wandered to the Finger Lakes region. Watkins Glen has a SPECTACULAR State Park, which featured a gr8 hike up the gorge. Also Lake Seneca has many, many Wineries, and we did a little tour of several.
And, nearby Elmira has the National Soaring Museum…a very interesting place to spend a cloudy, blustery cold day. No one was flying, but the history of the area and the sport was on display.
Finally, we learned about SALT! Apparently, plentiful in briny springs in the area, there are two large processing plants on Lake Seneca making bags of salt for all sorts of purposes. One was right by the Watkins Glen City Park where we were staying…apparently the Clute Family donated the park and lots of land to the town when they sold the manufacturing plant to Cargill.
The drive out of Watkins to Indian Lakes ascended about 1,000ft and started to display the Fall Colors we had hoped to experience.
There was a hike just outside of town that featured some spectacular views…but not a lot going on in that tiny town, so onwards to Lake George. Very scenic, but also not a lot going on – mostly a summer place.
Saratoga Springs was nearby, a more permanent town with year-around activity. In the old days, there were the waters, and associated spas. And the races. Also gambling…lots of gambling. Lots of “Clubs” (wink-wink casinos owned by mobsters). There are many little fountains around town that freely-flow mineral waters that mostly taste awful but are supposedly good for you! The Visitor Center hands out little dixie cups for taking the water, along with the usual brochures.
Next was Burlington, Vt. In a gr8 city park right on their waterfront bike trail. Altitude lower, but attitude, diversity, acceptance, culture all higher!!! Leaves not yet peak (but soon!). And, still weird, which is how we remember it from when we spent some time in Burlington several years ago.
Burlington is a really fun place. We had lunch at a Cuban restaurant, and the waiter – a Cuban guy from New Jersey – waxed philosophic about all the weird people in Burlington. He made an interesting distinction, tho, noting that there are also weird people in New Jersey, but there are so many people in NJ that you never see any given weird person more than once. In Burlington, you are likely to see the same weird people every day, and live next door to them! So, weird becomes more personal in Burlington, and more welcoming, actually!
We like Burlington so much that I think we could easily live there when the Bus thing is done for us…at least for 6 months a year!
While in Burlington, we explored some of the surrounding area, including Waterbury, home of Ben and Jerry’s original factory. Also Montpelier, the very scenic State Capitol.
One of the things we became aware of in Burlington, and have enjoyed throughout Vermont is a “Creemee.” This is what they call soft-serve…and the ideal flavor is MAPLE…and delicious. Vermont takes Maple Creemees very seriously…there is an official Department of Creemee, and one can obtain a Creemee passport to have stamped at multiple locations.
Next we move about an hour east to Jeffersonville, This is on the West end of Vermont Road 108, which ascend up over the Smuggler’s Notch Pass to the town of Stowe. The road is very steep with many switchbacks. There are signs at both ends that FORBID vehicles longer than 40’ – a fine of $40,000 if you get stuck…and you will in a large RV.
Despite all the signs and ll the fines and threats, some must have still attempted “The Notch,” so the state installed Chicanes at either end. This is a wiggly section of road…If you are a large vehicle, you WILL knock over cones that define the Chicane. And chicanes have more signs stating that If you hit the curbs or knock down the pylons making up the chicane, YOU WILL NOT MAKE IT THROUGH THE NOTCH – TURN AROUND!!!!
We did transit the notch…in the car…and visited Stowe. A postcard town on a spectacular fall day. And just outside of town was the Von Trapp (yes, THOSE Von Trapps!) Brewery. Liz wanted to break out in song!!
On our last day near Stowe, there were SNOW FLURRIES and the wind blew down most of the leaves. Fortunately, we were planning to begin our journey southward, hoping to follow the color and escape from the cold. And the color did, indeed, follow us (or we, it). Near peak everywhere!!!
Our route from Stowe included Concord, NH; Scussett Beach (on Cape Cod); Newport, RI. and, eventually, Croton-on-Hudson in New Jersey.
It could also be dubbed the “Labstah Roll and Chowder Tour.” A few highlights:
Scussett included a fantastic visit with friends Martha and Bill Philbrick.
We were there concurrent with a huge tropical storm/Nor’Easter, and the wind was impressive!
One thing that happened in Scussett that I still find difficult to believe: Ice Cream Topped by Caviar. VERY forgettable (like Salted Caramel without the Caramel) except for the price…$55! Our Ice Cream Budget (yes, we have a line for Ice Cream in our budget…how could you do a budget without accounting for one of the largest cost-categories?!) does not allow for this!!!!
Newport, RI. Was as ChiChi as it comes…the Guilded age-era is still resplendent there. Our time there included a Trolley tour of ALL the mansions, and an actual visit to the Breakers…where the Vanderbilts held court. The degree of gold leaf-excess is impressive…the White House will always pale in comparison! Indeed, there is a new Guilded Age happening, with mansions owned by the Nouveau Riche, such as Jay Leno, Larry Ellison and JUDGE JUDY! Also more out-of-budget experiences, such as a $200+ lunch at the Castle Hill Inn on the Harbor.
Yet, there is also a substantial military presence there…NOT ChiChi!
We also found another fantastic music club in nearby Fall River, The Narrows, with a new favorite artist playing on a Wednesday Evening — Ally Venable.
The end of our leaf-peepin’ swing was NJ, where we tried out a new parking spot and spent a couple days with Liz’s sister, Annie. The Park, Croton Point, was really awesome – exactly the opposite of the other spot we frequent when in the NYC area…Liberty Harbor RV. Croton has big sites in a wooded park area right on the Hudson. Really delightful, quiet and scenic. Liberty Harbor is a parking lot near a marina…but an easy walk to the Path Train that goes directly to Manhattan.
Visiting Liz’s sister was built around Election Night…overall included several awesome meals, but a WORLD-CLASS Charcuterie on Nov.3 We spent the evening Gnashing and Gnoshing while the world turned Blue.
And, finally, we did move down to Liberty Harbor to enable easy access to the Big Smoke!
We spent a LONG time stuck in NYC Traffic, which reminded me how one knows when one is fully retired: Because one doesn’t give a sh*t about traffic!
We arrived in the rain, which stopped just long enough to get parked, then started again. There was another break just at Sunset, and the Rainbow we were presented with was the most spectacular I have ever seen!
Our time in Jersey City will be spent seeing a collection of friends from various circles and eras of our lives…each day a chance to re-acquaint and pick up where we all left off! More on that in future posts…
In the meantime, re-reading this post, I realized it got a little more “Political” than most…perhaps an homage to the Wave we all witnessed last week? Anyway, let me leave you with this, to snap things back to a dialog about our amazing world…before we bring you the BIG REVEAL we have been teasing for months…that’s in the NEXT POST!
