New York - Empire State
Since we have spent a lot of time in New York City on other occasions, we started this trip by driving from Newark airport to West Point. We stayed at the Thayer Hotel, which is seated on a hilltop with commanding views of the Hudson River and the United States Military Academy. This historic hotel, which opened in 1926, has been visited by past US Presidents, international leaders and many celebrities. Our guest room was lovely, and we enjoyed dinner on the Zulu Time Rooftop Bar and Lounge. We toured the campus the next day, where we visited the Cadet Chapel, which is a late example of Gothic Revival architecture with its cross-shaped floorplan, soaring arches and ornate stone carvings. There was a peaceful solemnity about it that seemed so appropriate for the academy. Outside, the dogwoods were blooming all over campus and they softened the appearance of the stately buildings.
It was a short drive from West Point to the FDR Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park. Outside the Visitor’s Center is a stunning bronze statue of Franklin and Eleanor sitting at a table, smiling, looking out at the world. They look so comfortable and life like, it makes you want to sit down at the table and join them. Inside the Visitor’s Center is a beautiful mosaic map of the Hudson River Valley. We took a tour which included the grounds and buildings and our guide plied us with interesting anecdotes about FDR and Eleanor.
Nearby we visited the Vanderbilt Mansion Historic Site. This 1898 mansion exemplifies the elegance of beaux-art architecture during the late 19th century “Gilded Age.” The opulence was enhanced by the gaslight lamps which made us feel we were back in that time period.
On our way to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, we stopped to enjoy the view of beautiful Otsego Lake, one of the Finger Lakes. As a baseball fan, and particularly a Giants fan, I was very excited to visit Cooperstown. There were memorabilia of Willie Mays, of course, and a dynamite action picture of Tim Lincecum, my favorite Giant, pitching with his unique form. We visited every room and had a great time.
I had read about Rose Hill Mansion in Geneva, which overlooks Lake Seneca, so that was our next stop. Built in 1837, it is one of the nation’s finest examples of monumental residential Greek Revival architecture, complete with tall white columns in the front. Very impressive building! We stayed the night in Geneva before heading to Niagara Falls the next day.
Niagara Falls can be seen from two locations, one in the US and one in Canada. We had been told that the Canadian side was nicer, so we opted to stay there. It is impossible to adequately describe the power and majesty of Niagara Falls. There are many different areas to explore, we did them all, even took one adventurous tour by boat in which we donned ponchos and went underneath the falls on a boat called Maid of the Mist. On this “Journey Behind the Falls,” the noise of the crashing water was deafening! Horseshoe Falls is the largest of the three waterfalls that collectively form Niagara Falls on the Niagara River along the Canadian US border. Approximately 90% of the Niagara River Flows over Horseshoe Falls. The American Falls is the second largest and the ledge is shaped like a modified “W” caused by numerous rock falls over the past 150 years which have resulted in a huge mound of rock at its base.
We took a respite from the falls one afternoon to stroll through Queen Victoria Park. This lush garden was filled with roses, digitalis, a rock garden, hanging baskets, and benches where you can relax and enjoy an astonishing view of the falls. Later, we followed White Water Walk along the rapids of the Lower Niagara River. Here we witnessed Class Six rapids, which we were told are non-navigable. I certainly wouldn’t have tried it! More flowers were to be seen in Niagara Parks Botanical Garden. Among the iris, camellias and mums was a pond with lily pads from which a little frog cooperatively posed for a photo.
As we left the Canadian side, we drove across beautiful Rainbow Bridge, an arch bridge across the Niagara River Gorge that connects the Niagara Falls cities in Canada and the US. We concluded that Niagara Falls lives up to its reputation for grandeur, power and beauty, no matter which side it is viewed from.
Heading southwest, we drove to Corning where we visited the Rockwell Museum of Western Art, a Smithsonian Affiliate Museum of American art. Frommer’s describes it as “one of the best designed small museums in the northeast,” and we wouldn’t disagree. Its purpose is “to explore the people, land and ideas that shape America through the eyes of American artists”.
We had a great dinner that night at Three Birds restaurant on Market Street, the main street of Corning while staying at the nearby Radisson Hotel. Our final experience, and certainly one of the highlights of this trip, was our visit to the Corning Museum of Glass, which is dedicated to the art, history and science of glass. We received many pieces of Corningware for wedding presents and that’s all we knew about Corning glass. Well, this museum, which was founded in 1951, has a collection of more than 50,000 glass objects, some over 3,500 years old. There were demonstrations by master glassblowers and flame workers that were fascinating to watch. In The Studio, artists and students come to learn, share and create. We spent quite a bit of time at this museum and learned so much. It was a great way to finish our sojourn in the state of New York, which has so much to offer on top of the magic of iconic New York City, one of the most important cosmopolitan cities in the world.,
