Adirondack Experience, Raquette Lake Lunch Cruise, Great Camp Sagamore - Oct. 7, 2019

The Adirondack Experience  is a 'hands on' museum  to experience the Adirondacks.

 How many people can you get into a stagecoach?

 Lou remembers when his family traveled non-stop cross country in one of these!

He and Claire Lee got to sleep in the back end.

Lou's dad made a similar trailer out of plywood!!

(His dad was early in to the RV experience!)

 We read that the moose had not been in this area since 1861.  

Glad we could see one here and take a break from all the history!

 We had a wonderful lunch on Raquette Lake cruise

The scenery was wonderful, and all the 'cottages' or Camps on the shore were so pretty.

 GREAT CAMP SAGAMORE

Another new insight into the history and background of the New York elite.

A "Camp" is basically a playground for the wealthy.  It consists of 49 separate buildings, is totally self contained, and a retreat for entertainment and enjoyment of the wilderness.

It was build in 1897 and sold to the Vanderbilts in 1901.

 Alfred G Vanderbilt III bought the Camp and expanded to lavish proportions.

He was known as a hero for trying to save others in the sinking of the Lusitania.

 Elegant but 'rustic'

 Dining room with a view

Lovely colors and reflections

Fort Ticonderoga - New York - October 5, 2019

Fort Ticonderoga

A very important outpost in the new colonies of North America, 

occupied by the French, then the British. 

Three days after the Battle of Lexington and Concord in 1775, Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold surprised and captured the fort’s small British garrison without firing a shot.  

In the middle of winter they were able to transport the captured cannons to Boston for the battle of Bunker Hill and drive the British out of Boston. It was a significant turning point in the beginning of the Revolutionary War.

Having seeing Lexington and Concord and now Ticonderoga, 

we have a much better grasp of the history.

Cannons overlooking Lake Champlain

George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Ethan Allen, Benedict Arnold have passed thru here 

and Lou - too!

The "Living History Museum" and the firing of the muskets demonstration-

These soldiers are from the "New France" era

 "READY"

 "AIM"

"FIRE"

 The mounted calvary

They didn't fire from the horses, but dismounted and had the other riders hold on to the horses.

The calvary were used extensively to transport food and supplies, because they could travel faster and farther than the soldiers who traveled by foot.

It's hard to imagine the conditions that they all had to endure.

The winters were awful, moving troops and supplies could take months,  

 and we complain about being cold - go figure!

 The "Living History Museum" means that the clothing the actors wear is made right on site, 

using authentic materials and technique

 They ate well, (the officers did)

one of the most interesting firearms on display

One of the guide told us that the Indians watched the battle between the French and British 

to see who won, so they could align with them.

A little different than the sign above!

Lou gets to hold an authentic 4 pound cannon ball.

 The preparation to fire the cannon took 5 men and 15 minutes---

They won!

(they had lots of cannons!)

Shelburne, Vermont - October 4, 2019

A day at the Shelburne Farms (Burlington Vermont)

"Electra Havemeyer Webb, daughter-in-law of William Seward and Lila Vanderbilt Webb, founded Shelburne Museum in 1947 as a place to preserve her father-in-law’s horse-drawn carriages. This soon grew into a “collection of collections,” with items as diverse as American folk art, miniature dioramas, duck decoys and straight razors. The museum has 39 structures on 45 acres."

There are so many buildings with so many different collections that we decided Electra had too much money and too much time. Even though we would call her a hoarder, it was a wonderful way to display all the items.

The Ticonderoga is the only remaining single cylinder steam engine, 

double sided paddle wheeler.

The only part of the engine tour that I understood was that 

it took two tons of coal per hour to sail it.

Mrs. Webb decided to move this from Lake Champlain to the Farm/Museum for her collection.

After providing passenger and freight service on Lake Champlain for 44 years, Ticonderoga was moved 2 miles inland. In 1955, a double railway system was built to haul this 900-ton vessel through forests and fields to its new home.

One of the previous owners had refurbished the ship at a cost of 

three million dollars.

Separate buildings house separate displays

Another room full of weaving looms

This one is unique -Scrimshaw 

A knitting swift (yarn winder) made out of whale ivory and bone.

It has about 3 layers  - could expand to a very large circle (for very large skeins of yarn!)

This quilt was made by a man - a Civil War Vet 

the solution then to PTSD??

details of this huge quilt

How many 16 year olds could do this kind of cross stitching today??

Apparently this covered bridge has a speed limit!

In the Shelburne Village--They decorate each October

 Fashionable 'Scarecrows'

A bit of whimsy all over town.

The Granite State - State Capital, Granite tombstones, Granite Quarry - Oct 2, 2019

Morning tour of the State Capital Building 

beautiful gold leaf dome

Ethan Allen

A Vermont hero - more than a furniture namesake.

He was a Green Mountain Boy.  They were the first to respond to the British attack in the Revolutionary War because they had become armed to fight the tax collectors from New York and New Hampshire. Both states had claimed Vermont as their territory and the Green Mountain Boys were fed up with the double taxation and decided to fight them off. Thus they were the first ones armed and ready to fight the British.  

Today, liberty and independence are still of utmost importance to them.

Hope Cemetery

This is more than an ordinary cemetery, it is mostly viewed as an outdoor art gallery.

People spend lots of time, money, energy in selecting a granite stone and a granite sculptor to secure their space in this unique territory.  

Many of the head stones have no date, because people plan way ahead for their 'location'.

It is very much a social status preoccupation to get the 'best sculptor' and the 'best stone' from the 

Barre Granite Quarry.

The tour that we got was hysterical - funny stories, and sculptures which ranged from beautiful to very odd.

This one cost well over a million dollars and took 34 years for the owner to select the

 'most perfect stones' that he could find!

He wanted his wife to be comfortable when she came to visit.

Michelangelo's Pieta

(copy)

The sculpture was hidden until the burial.

What it revealed was sweet

but the lady was not his wife--

to all the very surprised attendees of the funeral.

The wealthy person had a grave site next to this, but was horrified that he would have to 

"look at this pornography" for all of eternity - So he bought a new grave site.

This one might be more 'ordinary'

On to lunch at an old barn - turned into part of a B&B in the granite region.

 Rock of Ages Granite Quarry 

The world's largest deep hole granite quarry.

The quality is extremely high, very dense, and highly sought after.

The entire region and its economy is centered on this granite.

So interesting to see them cut those huge blocks of granite.

Last stop - a working Maple Farm - Sugar Shack

Fortunately, we were not able to see the process take place. 

The season is after winter, after lots of snow, and still very cold.

Artistic wood piles