Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, NY

We decided yesterday to take a day off and go to the Baseball Hall Of Fame (BHOF)  today.  It rained hard all night and into the early morning so we thought our decision may have been a bad one, but we thought we'd be indoors most of the time, so off we went.  It turned out to be a beautiful day and didn't rain again during our visit.

It was a nice drive down Rt 80 to Cooperstown and we bordered Lake Otsego most of the way.  There were a number of beautiful homes, golf courses and huge old hotels along the way to keep up our interest.  This tower was built circa 1876 for Edward S. Clark, who made his fortune on the Singer Sewing Machine Company and vacationed in Cooperstown. It was built"to beautify the lake" and "to provide construction jobs during an economic downturn"

The KOA manager told us about the trolley that had stops all over the town and was at a reasonable price.  Since we had some geocaches to check out in the area, I elected to drive downtown and take a chance on finding a place to park.  We lucked out and parked in a space right in front of the BHOF.  Great!

I took a picture of two guys with their camera and then had them snap a picture of us at the entrance to the BHOF.  

Grant wanted to see pictures, statues, etc of Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente and Babe Ruth.  Right in the entrance to the museum were three statues and Robinson & Clemente were two of the three honored players.

Grant's favorite baseball team is the Pittsburgh Pirates and he was fortunate enough to find two Pirates jerseys to wear for a picture.  I remember one of the jerseys, but the other was before my time.  He looks goods as a Pirate.

 

I don't think blue baseball shoes were popular during the era when this jersey was popular.  On the subject of jerseys, a Roberto Clemente jersey was on sale for $100.  Ouch!  It was a nice jersey and I remember seeing Clemente play any number of times and he truly deserves to be in the BHOF.

We toured the hall where all the inductees had their plaques and checked them all.  It was an impressive group of players and the display of the plaques looked great.  They go back to the first group to be inducted in 1936 and are through 2012.  The first group of inductees were super stars long before super stars became diluted by illegal drugs and the dilution of the baseball leagues.  They played 10 fewer games a year and posted numbers that are hard to believe.

The 5 original members were:
Christy Matheson
Honus Wagner
Walter Johnson - won 414 games as a pitcher
Ty Cobb = hard nosed player and fantastic player
Babe Ruth = best baseball player of all time

The lifesize statues of Babe Ruth and Ted Williams are very close to the plaques of the 1936 group.  Ted Williams was the greatest player I have seen play at a ballpark and I always marveled at how great of a hitter he was.  He once said batting isn't difficult, all you have to do is watch which way the ball is spinning to see what it is going to do.  I could hardly see the ball coming in, let alone see which way it was spinning.  Babe Ruth is on the left and Ted Williams in on the right.

There were hundreds more exhibits, photos, old uniforms, bats, stories and too much to even mention in a blog.  We took over 140 photos and decided that might be overkill for a blog.  The BHOF is a fantastic sight to see and this is our third visit and we've enjoyed it each time.  As Henry says, place it on your Bucket List if you are a baseball fan.  One exhibit Grant checked out was this old view finder with baseball player photos.  Sort of like the old time peep shows I heard about when I was younger.  Maybe some of you guys remember them. 

The Doubleday Stadium is behind the museum about two blocks away and it a neat field.  Abner Doubleday has appeared in four different places on this trip, Antietam Battlefield, Williamsport fortifications, West Point and now here at the BHOF.  He sure got around a lot.

By this time, even Grant was tired out and hungry.  We stopped for dinner in Cooperstown and then headed back to the campground.  We all agreed it was a great day and well worth the visit.

The sun was setting by the time we got back to the motorhome and Gerry captured this picture to end the day.

Grant was invited over to the neighbors campsite for s'mores and joined them for 30 minutes or so.  They had 12 yr & 16 yr old daughters and seemed very nice.  By this time he was worn out and came back to the motorhome and was ready for a glass of milk and bed.  We are heading that way soon. too.

That was our day, how was yours?

Richfield Springs, NY KOA

Gerry and I rarely stay at  KOA campgrounds since they are universally overpriced for what you get.  When I checked for a campground near Cooperstown, NY the choices were very slim for a nice spot for a reasonable price.  They have a very short time period up here to make any money on a campground and they make the most of it while they can.  Can't blame them for that, but it does get expensive in a hurry.  We lucked into this full hookup space with a nice pool for $46 a night.   We have shade trees and a nice picnic table on the large site and easy access.  

The owner is really friendly and helpful and makes you feel like he really appreciates our business.  I would recommend staying at the Cooperstown KOA which is near Richfield Springs, NY.  It is located just off of US 20 about 16 miles north of Cooperstown.

We have been on the go so much the last week or so that it was decided this would be a take it easy kind of day so we could recharge our batteries.  Take it easy as in doing laundry and grocery shopping, but not sightseeing.

Grant and I went down to the town of  Richfield Springs to the local supermarket to take on some much needed provisions.  Milk being the most important since Grant goes through a gallon every other day.  That is fine with us, since it means he isn't drinking coke or sweet drinks all the time.  They give him a lot of energy. 

I took advantage of the slow day to download a few geocaches in the area and we picked up three of them.  The first cache was about 1/4 mile down the road from the campground and attached to someone's mail box post.  I assume they are the owners of the cache or very understanding people.

Right across the road there was a beautiful horse in a corral and when Grant went over to see it up close and personal, the horse got even closer to Grant than was expected.  It was a peaceful horse and quite gentle so there wasn't any danger to Grant, but look how close the horse came to him.  Grant said the horse made little noises and it sounded like it was whispering to him.  Maybe Grant has a future as a horse whisperer.

 We managed to find three caches and also located two more that were in the middle of huge poison ivy/oak patches.  The two were left for winter days when the ivy is long gone but by then we will be back in warmer weather.  We also picked up another travel bug that we will drop off somewhere down the road.

We had planned on making a fire, but it began to rain before we could even get the wood out to start it.  Hot dogs on a stick cooked over the fire were to be the main entree for dinner.  So much for that idea.  Plan B came into effect and the George Foreman grill was brought to the rescue and a can of chili heated to spread over the dogs.  Side dishes and homemade rice pudding capped off the meal.  The chili is talking back to me at this moment, so I guess this would be a good time to sign off.

Cooperstown, NY to the baseball Hall Of Fame is on tap for Tuesday.  Hope we have nice weather and the crowds are small.

One side observation.  US 20 is an older road running east/west, but is in good condition.  It has a number of 8-11% grades of about a mile long or so since it runs across the mountains.  It seems that all the towns are at the bottom of the grades and have a stoplight, then you have to start from a dead start to get back up the grade ahead.  I guess the towns were laid out along running water in the old days and that is why they are along bottom land.  Made sense 200 years ago, but is quite a pain driving the road in a motorhome now.

That was our exciting day, how was yours?

Vermont, Ferry Boat Ride & Otter Creek Brewery

As I mentioned in my blog yesterday, there was too much to write about for one day and I'm adding the second segment today

After the Ft Ticonderoga trip, we took the ferry boat across Lake Champlain to Vermont. It started out as a two fold trip with geocaching and having another state for Grant to add to his list.  We lucked out and the ferry was waiting for us and we boarded without difficulty.  Grant didn't know I had planned this and was pleasantly surprised to be going on his first ferry boat ride.  It was nice seeing the big smile on his face.  I thought the sign to his right was very appropriate and I don't mean the No Smoking sign.

It had been sprinkling on and off during the time spent at Ft Ticonderoga and rained a little harder as we crossed the lake on the ferry boat.  The engine tender was next to us and Gerry got this picture through the rain drops.

Shortly after we exited the ferry boat we stopped and searched for a geocache in Vermont.  

 

Plaque next to geocache

We had intended to just pick up a few geocaches, but changed that and drove to Middlebury, VT and checked it out.  What a beautiful small town with a thriving main street and a Middlebury College located there to boot.  We stopped for a late lunch at the Two Brothers bar & restaurant and had a great meal.  Well worth going back there for another meal when/if we are in the area.

I asked the waitress if she knew where the Otter Creek Brewering Co was located.  Sure she said, about 2 miles from us.  We took our grandson Ryan there way back in 1996 and stopped by the brewery then and took the tour.  They don't give tours anymore, but do serve a lunch menu and a number of fantastic brews.  We tried the 6 glass sampler and liked all of them and had a hard time picking one to buy.  Each sampler glass was 4 oz and with the 16 oz glass we had for lunch, it was almost too much for us.  We made it back safely, so I guess it was ok.

Grant at the bar.  Sorry Jane, the devil made me do it.

We bought a 64 oz growler of Mountain Ale to take back to the motorhome for later.  It is 7.4% beer and pack a punch, but is very smooth and tasty.  I wish they sold it down by the cabin.  Grant spoke up and asked if he could have the empty bottle and that was fine with us.

  

We had to beat a hasty return to take the ferry back to New York before they closed it down at 7pm.  If you miss the ferry, then it would be a ride of 75 miles out of your way.  We managed to pick up a few caches in Ticonderoga, NY after we got back.  Now I can add VT & NY as states we have found caches in.  Poco a Poco.

By the time we returned to the motorhome all of us were wiped out and didn't bother with dinner.  We did have a muffin as a dessert and then called it a night.  

We went on to Cooperstown, NY area on Sunday and will be touring there on Monday.  Should be fun.  We are staying at a KOA about 16 miles north of Cooperstown since the campground nearer have bad reviews.  The KOA is great and has a pool.  That is all Grant looks for in a campground.  Maybe a few cute girls, but he doesn't talk about that with his grandparents.

Tired out, but we did have a great day.  How was yours?

Ft Ticonderoga, NY

We were up early this morning and hit the road running as the old saying goes.  The destination was Ft Ticonderoga, NY and we wanted to get there for the 10:15 tour.  The tour had just started when we got there and we didn't miss anything.  A young man in a French Indian War uniform was leading the tour and really knew his stuff.  He explained in detail a number of events leading up to the battles and the importance of the fort.

We lucked out today since they had a re-enactment battle scheduled for the afternoon and many of the reenactors were at the Fort before the battle.  I stopped and chatted with one man who was from Indiana and attends many reenactment battles all over the U.S.  He especially wanted to do this one and was outfitted in an authentic military gear and uniform of that era.

The group below was a mixture of Indians and soldiers of that era.  Many of them sleep outside last night and a number of thunderstorms came through the area.  I don't think they got much sleep.

They had a musket shooting demonstration outside the fort and it was well attended.  The speaker explained in detail how to load the musket, musket range and everything you would ever want to know about muskets of that time period.

The entrance to the fort was very low and I took the following picture to give an idea how confined it was.

Gerry had enough of muskets and cannons and decided to walk down the hill to the King's Garden near the house of the man who bought the land around the fort in the 1820s.  He built a summer home there and began work on reconstructing the fort which had fallen into ruins.  The gardens were beautiful and well laid out.

Outside wall of the fort.

The Fife & Drum group sounded great and really put you back into that time period around 1755 when the fighting was going on.  The battle ground was about a mile from the fort and uphill all the way and the F&D group led the soldiers and spectators up the hill to the battle.  Gerry and I rode the bus, while Grant was so excited and in a hurry he took off running up the hill.  Oh to be young again.

The actual battle back during many years ago when the British attacked the fort involved thousands of men, but we settled for around 20 for the battle.  They managed to fill the woods with noise and smoke during the 20 minute battle among the trees.  The actual battle was fought out in the open, but now the area is heavily forested.

After the battle, we went back to the gift shop to have Grant's passport book stamped.  Since the Ft. Ticonderoga Foundation is private, they have a simple stamp, but Grant was happy with that.  In addition, he bought a souvenir gift for someone special to him.  

We finally left the Fort around 3pm and we were tired to the bone.  However I had one more surprise for Grant which I will blog about on Sunday.  

It's late and time for us to be in bed since we are hitting the road again on Sunday. No rest for the weary.

That was our long and satisfying day, how was yours?

West Point Military Academy & Museum

We pulled out of Locust Lake State Park and pointed the motorhome toward Highland Hills, NY where the West Point Military Academy is located.  It was a fairly uneventful drive except for fueling up at an Exxon station and being limited to $100 per time.  Not only that, but the last $5 took about 4 minutes to complete.  I used our other credit card and put another $100 worth of diesel fuel and that filled the tank.  Good to go for another 1100 miles.

Campgrounds are few and far between in that area and we lucked out and got a site at Round Pond Campground.  It was water and electric only, but that was fine since we only needed two days there and were going to be visiting West Point Academy for the bulk of the time.

It was decided that we take a guided bus tour of the Academy and then come back in the car for more in depth checking out of the place.  The car tour didn't materialize, but we did enjoy the bus tour.  The tour guide knew her stuff and talked non stop for over an hour and threw out more facts than I could ever remember.  We saw the complete grounds where the classrooms, chapels, sports stadiums, parade grounds, housing for cadets and professors and everything in between.

The Plebes ( Latin for lowest of the lowest ) had arrived and there were 1193 young adults taking basic training, learning their way around and the things needed to graduate as a 2nd Lieutenant in 4 years.  This years class has 1002 men and 191 women starting the grind ahead of them.

There is a Chapel on the grounds along with a Catholic Church and Jewish Synagogue.  We spent some time in the Chapel and they had the most beautiful stained glass windows and a huge pipe organ.  At one time all cadets had to attend weekly church service, but recent court cases have made that invalid.

We passed by the outdoor concert stage that has the Hudson River as a backdrop.  The Army band plays there every Sunday, weather permitting.  Gerry wanted to wait until Sunday to hear them, but she was out voted.

 
After the tour of the Academy we stopped by the visitors center to see what we could see.  The gift shop was there with high prices and all things Army.  I was interested in one shirt, but at $70 felt it was out of my range.  Also, I worked for the Navy for years and owe my loyalty to the Midshipmen of Annapolis.  We did get a visitor drop in on us while we were there.

 

 

The grounds and buildings where the Museum and Visitors Center are located was a Catholic Girls College until the Academy bought them out a number of years ago.

The building below is the Museum that has a huge collection of weapons dating back to the Revolutionary War, along with weapons from other countries.  We found it amusing and sad to see the Large Weapons collection area shut down due to the SEQUESTER cuts.  Only the section that was one floor down from the entrance was closed.  I won't say what I think of that foolishness in the blog.

Cadets on Parade

Part of Large Weapons collection

The house above must belong to a real patriotic person to paint his residence this way.  It actually looked very nice and not out of place for Highland Hills.  Super!

There was time for a short swim in the lake for Grant when we returned and a little 10 year old girl really wanted his Geico beach ball.  She threw a fit and stuck her tongue out at her grandmother who was watching her and told the girl it wasn't her ball.  That kid would be on the way back home to her parents if she was with us.  Grant handled it well and kept the ball away from her.  Kids!

That was our day, how was yours?  I don't think anyone is reading the blog anymore since I rarely get a response to my question above.  Are you out there?