Recent rain has helped ease the drought here in western New York. We used these wet days as work days and did a few outings when the weather was clearer.
One day we drove to Cooperstown, NY to visit the Farmer's Museum and the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The rains had really greened up the country side and we drove through some beautiful scenery.
The sun peaked out just in time to make these colors really pop!
On longer drives we often use small church parking lots as rest areas. They are usually empty and frequent on our rides.
Cooperstown is a quaint little town built around tourism. Although crowded most of the summer, it is easy to navigate using the Trolley System. Finding a parking space to explore on your own is a bit of a nightmare. All street parking has a two hour limit, so unless you want to feed the meter all day, it is best to find a parking lot and ride the trolley ($2 per person for an all day pass.)
We visited The Farmer's Museum first. We weren't sure what to expect, but several folks had recommended it to us, so we decided to visit. Totally Awesome!
There was a main museum building and then a Village Walk where you could see many town and farm buildings.
The main building showed the progression of farm implements and had examples of each as they improved through the years. It was in the attic of the large barn and not well lit. We spent much time looking and reading, but did not get many good pictures.
As we walked through the town and entered time-period buildings, most were staffed with folks working at tasks folks of the early 1800s would have done. They talked as they worked and answered the many questions that were asked. It was interesting and educational.
Broom maker
Blacksmith
Woman carding wool for weaving
Household weaving loom
Typesetter
Schoolroom
There were also many farm animals all over. Here are just a few.
We watched this guy leave a place in the sun, dig a hole in the mud with his snout, and crawl in. Just looking for a cool place to take a nap.
After the Farm, we ate lunch at a small diner in town. We chose to split the Jumbo burger, rather than each of us getting the Junior burger. Jumbo was not an exaggeration. That hamburger patty was almost 2" thick. Glad we split it!
We then toured the Baseball Hall of Fame. They say that baseball is a game of statistics. The Hall of Fame keeps with that tradition. Fact after fact is displayed along with artifacts from various stadiums, teams, and players. The main thing we came to see was our favorite 2015 inductee.
We also saw this clip in the Hall of Fame. It never gets old!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTcRRaXV-fg
Funny, funny men!
After several hours getting overwhelmed by baseball trivia, we headed home. It was a long, but good day.
Later that week, we revisited Watkins Glen State Park and enjoyed it just as much the second time.
Our time in New York has come to an end and we leave in the morning. This truly is a beautiful area and we have thoroughly enjoyed our visit.