The Great New York Exapnse - Day One

I left Somerville later then I had intended but I couldn't get my lazy butt out of bed. So around 8:30 am I said good bye to the kitties (Miko escaped out the door and had to be dragged back in by the tail) and made my way out. I hopped on Route 90 and made great time through MA. Right before entering NY I got off the free way and made my way to Route 20. The road meandered through the gorgeous mountains of the Berkshires and I new I was in the center of one town or another when I went past white, steepeld churches. Each town has one, no lie.

Route 20 through New York was equally as picturesque. I went by a Shaker Village Museum which is a bit like Sturbridge Village but about Shakers instead of puritans. There was the not to be missed museum of fossilised things. It was just a little house of the side of the road with smiling faced dinosaurs painted on a sign. I didn't stop though because I was trying to make it Niagara falls today. Route 20 took me through many little villages in NY and between them there were great rolling farms. I really couldn't tell what they were growing. I didn't see to much corn and I think that may be the only crop I could identify from a distance anyway. I did see some Amish/Quaker farmers out with their horses and plows. That was a big highlight for me, it was just so Americana, but I didn't take any pictures of them. As I recall they don't approve of having pictures taken and I thought I would respect that.

I lost track of time so I'm not entirely sure how far in to NY I was when I went by the little town of Madison. Madison was having the LARGEST antique fair. They had over 1000 vendors and from what I could see they had some really gorgeous furniture, phonographs and just really great odds and ends. I was tempted to stop. But no! I can't fit one more thing in my car. and How sad would it be if I just found the perfect item at a great price and then be crushed by not being able to buy it. So zoom zoom I went on towards Buffalo.

I'll take a moment to expound on the vast difference between traveling on Route 20 and 90. Route 90 is an impatient, single minded route whose only two thoughts going through New York are, how quickly can one get from one side to the other and how much money can it lighten from one's pocket meanwhile. Route 20's intentions are wildly different. Route 20 seems to be there more as a connection between villages and feels more like a a friend guiding you safely through the fields, mountains, rivers of the state. Route 20 won't toll you but it does not much care if you are on a schedule and need to get somewhere soon.

I had intended to arrive to Buffalo before 7 pm so that I could go to Niagara falls do my little ferry ride and be on my way the next. But at last my mornings delay caught up with me and even though after Syracuse I switched of and got back on Route 90 I didn't arrive to Buffalo until just about 7 pm. I didn't want to waste time and drive up to the falls only to find out the last Maid of the Mists boat ride had already sold out for the day. So instead I headed for my Hostel and planned to make it to Niagara tomorrow.

Well I'll write more about Niagara later. Meanwhile check out the pictures on my flicker site.