EVERY RED-BLOODED AMERICAN BOY should visit the Baseball Hall of Fame . . . even if he’s 69 before he makes it to Cooperstown. I was surprised to learn that the Hall is a private institution; it’s not affiliated with Major League Baseball. That doesn’t make it any less interesting or impressive. It’s a history of America’s pastime and the men — and women (one section is devoted to the wartime women’s league) — who made it great. And while you’re there, check out the Fenimore Art Museum; definitely worth a looksee.
Ft. Stanwix
Baseball isn’t the only reason we are in New York State. The National Park Service is celebrating its Centennial Year and there are many new National Monuments, Battlefields and Historic Sites, including Ft. Stanwix, which earned its stripes during the early days of the Revolution when the fort withstood an extended siege by British, Loyalists, Germans and Indians.
100 Years of National Parks
Others in the area we had yet to visit and get cancellation stamps for Connie’s NPS Passport inlcuded the Martin Van Buren House, Saratoga National Historic Area, Hudson River Valley National Historic Area, and the home of artist Thomas Cole. And my friend Paul (the Geologist) said we shouldn’t miss the “famous” Herkimer Diamond Mine in the town of the same name.
Diamonds are a girl's best friend
Yes, we're back in the States, via Edmonton and Ottawa. Just in time to experience the vehemence of the upcoming election. Honestly, it makes me want to head right back to Greenland. And it hardly matters which nincompoop wins. Special interest money will still dictate policy and Congress will still plod along glacially. Guess we'll just have to keep on truckin'.
Martin Van Buren House
