New York Ruins
A sample of sites that I visited during
my August 2010 road trip.
Some ruins, some not-so-ruins, and some not ruins at all.
I camped out every night except the one night it was raining. One drawback to camping is that late check-ins are usually discouraged, and one can waste valuable daylight trying to get to a far-flung campsite in time. Sometimes the comforts of an enclosed room and electric lights are most welcome.
Mill, Fonda.
The Beech Nut factory (still active) in
Canajoharie is a landmark to travelers on the New York State Thruway. It seems
that Beech Nut will soon vacate this site for a newer factory.
Canajoharie.
Unbeknownst to me until after my trip, the dummy
traffic light on the pedestal in the middle of the street is said to be one of
three such devices in use in the United States. Two are in the Hudson Valley:
Beacon (Matteawan) and Croton-on-Hudson.
West Hill School, Canajoharie.
I'm not sure why this abandoned school is so
heavily fortified. It hasn't suffered any fire damage that I am aware of. The
surest way to draw attention to a site is to board up every window. I sure wouldn't
have thought twice to check out this place if I hadn't noticed all the boards
from downtown. The boards will also help people who sneak in at night for
destructive purposes because their flashlights won't be visible to the outside
world.
West Hill School, Canajoharie.
Glimmerglass Lake State Park.
Petrified Creatures Museum, near Richfield
Springs. A great way to waste nine dollars.
The only ancient things here were the displays, and the tacky mailboxes
provided 1960s-style voiceovers explaining the significance of papier-mache
dinosaurs. The site has a digging area where you may take home whatever you
find, but the only thing going on was a bunch of bored kids hammering away at
the ground to produce gravel. I thought you might actually be able to see
preserved fossils in the rock, but no such luck. It's basically a dumbed-down playground
for parents to occupy their kids, at a steep price, for a few hours on the
family vacation.
Petrified Creatures.
Petrified Creatures.
Richfield Springs.
One of my missions on this trip was to
avoid the New York State Thruway and see the bypassed downtowns, where there are
many old and still operating motels. Most don't have a web presence,
so often advance research may not find a place to stay for the night if need be.
Abandoned Bombardier factory,
Auburn.
They used to make parts for planes and
trains here.
This page copyright © 2010 by Robert J. Yasinsac.
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