EASTERN FALL COLOR SUMMARY

DRIVE OUT • BACK EAST • DRIVE BACK

Day 14 - Today was spent doing laundry, washing my car, cleaning and drying my tent, planning the next part of my trip, and other required maintenance. Oh, and family stuff.

Day 15 - I got to ring the liberty bell! Ok, well, just a copy of it... but it is still the only copy of the liberty bell that one is allowed to ring. During the Revolutionary War, the original bell was hidden here, deep within Zion's Church in Allentown (Pennsylvania).

Day 16 - We drove down to Frederick (Maryland) for the weekend. Even though it was for family, we did take in a few sites. The Mount Olivet Cemetery is the final resting place of Francis Scott Key (writer of the Star -Spangled Banner) as well as rows of Civil War Soldiers. There were even veterans from the War of 1812! The National Museum of Civil War Medicine had many disturbing scenes (such as a photo of a pile of amputated feet and legs) from that devastating time. Unfortunately the Barbara Fritchie house was closed. Legend has it that this feisty 90-year-old woman defiantly waved the American flag from one of these windows as Confederate troops marched past in 1862.

Day 17 - We paid a visit to Monocacy National Battlefield just outside of Frederick. This is where Union soldiers managed to stop Confederate troops from moving on Washington D.C. just long enough for reinforcements to make the ultimate attack unsuccessful. We drove back to Allentown in the evening.

Day 18 - We visited the Mack truck visitor center, show room and museum. What a great tour! I even got to sit in one of the gigantic trucks!

Day 19 - A day of family downtime... and rain. A big storm was moving in. Also, many things have swtiched to 'winter hours' and are only open a few days a week, making site-seeing MUCH more limiting.

Day 20 - I left Pennsylvania and headed up into New York. I enjoyed a tour of West Point, including the new chapel, the cemetery (filled with many important people from history, such as General George A. Custer), the old chapel and the parade field. There was also a spectacular military museum filled with warfare and weapons throughout history... ranging from primitive clubs to tanks. I continued up to Albany where I picked my friend, Scott, up from the airport. We then set out to a charming B&B in the Adirondacks.

Day 21 - The homemade breakfast was amazing and included warm stuffed peaches, coffee cake twists and asparagus quiche! We continued on, stopping briefly at Buttermilk Falls, Saranac Lake, and eventually arrived at Lake Placid. We visited the enormous Olympic Center (with two large ice rinks), had a late lunch at the Lake Placid brewery, then checked into another quaint B&B.

Day 22 - Again, breakfast was sensational, including hot baked apples. Our first stop was the John Brown Farm State Historic Site. He led the raid on Harper's Ferry in 1859 in his quest to help end slavery. While he was captured and hanged, his efforts further fueled the abolitionist movement. We took a lovely walk on the Brewster Peninsula. There was some lovely fall color but we learned this wasn't the best year for it due to the seasonally warm weather. The highlight of the day came in the form of a train ride on the Adirondack Scenic Railroad from Lake Placid to Saranac Lake and back. The journey led us past many scenic views (and beaver ponds!).

Day 23 - It was another amazing culinary morning, complete with waffles under a pile of strawberry homemade whipped cream. We did a short but VERY steep hike up Cascade Mountain. The 360° view from the top was incredible! The afternoon consisted of a hike up to Cobble Hill. The lush vegetation had some color in it, but not a lot. The day ended with another flight of beer at the Great Adirondack Brewing Company.

Day 24 - The day began with a delicious stack of pancakes and lingonberry jam! We began our drive south, passing along Lake Champlain (although we didn't see the monster). Our first stop was Crown Point State Historic Site, home to two fort ruins from the 1700s (one French, the other British). Next came a wonderful tour of Fort Ticonderoga. Reenactments and costumes from 1756 made history come alive. Detailed museum exhibits completed the picture. We swung by the cascades of the La Chute River, then spent the evening at a motel in Lake George... after another flight of local beer at a pub, of course!

Day 25 - Most of the stores and restaurants had already closed down for the season. We did a quick self-tour of Fort William Henry since the morning guided tour had been cancelled. We continued our drive south. At Saratoga Springs we took a 'water' tour... sampling the various springs around the city. Some tasted like seawater or rust but others were scrumptious! I dropped Scott off at the Albany airport then entertained myself until rush hour traffic subsided. I stopped by an old Shaker settlement (which was closed but I could walk around outside) and a cemetery where I witnessed a sun dog (or phantom sun) over the gravestones. I then made my way deep into Albany for a nice stay with couchsurfer Dave (and his house of roommates) in a charming row home built in 1916.

Day 26 - In the morning, I took a tour of the capitol building with its lovely staircases. I then drove down to Newburgh to visit one of George Washington's (many) headquarters from the 1780s. Next I swung by the historic racetrack at Goshen. A few horses still lingered around the stables. The accompanying museum was very well done and even included a 3D simulator to experience the thrill of harness racing! Absolutely wonderful!! I took the scenic route back down to Allentown (PA).

Day 27 - Recovery day filled with family visits, laundry, and last-minute travel plans for the final leg home. Now that it's into October, most museums and sites have even MORE limited visitation hours.

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