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Large and Small Wonders of Upstate New YorkBy Valerie Summers
In this part of the Empire State, it was often the people I met who made the visit special. This was certainly the case when we left the park and continued on to tour the Jello Museum, the Cobblestone Society Museum and the Medina Railroad Museum. We drove along through the scenic countryside and quaint country villages, passing through the only tunnel under the Erie Canal on the way to our next stop.
There is a saying about little boys and little toys and big boys and big toys. At the Medina Railroad Museum, our next stop, a big boy made his childhood dream come true when he established the largest railroad depot museum in the country. The building itself was erected in 1905 and is one of the largest and last surviving wooden freight depots in the United States. It includes the longest HO scale layout and diorama all on one floor and more than 4,000 historic prototypical HO scale cars. The museum offers train excursions on a limited basis. On to my final stop which also featured an elaborate model trail display along with a huge selection of trains, gifts, collectibles, all sorts of toys and every kind of Christmas decoration imaginable, all for sale at Ridge Road Station in Holley, New York. I watched the Ridge Road & Rochester Railway as it chugged along in the Train Room, where five trains transited an elaborate set up of 3,300 feet of track on four levels. It’s Christmas all year ‘round at this 30,000 square foot fun-filled mega-store. I, of course, did not leave empty handed, having purchased a few souvenirs of my visit. Exiting the crowded, boring highways, I discovered a quiet, charming, interesting and very beautiful part of the USA. Exploring the unique attractions of the Greater Niagara region created a memorable excursion through the country byways of upstate New York. For information: Jell-o Gallery Museum Medina Railroad Museum Niagara Tourism & Convention Corporation Ridge Road Station William Pryor Letchworth State Park |
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Niagara Falls, three of Mother
Nature’s most awesome gifts, draws visitors from around the world. The sheer
power of the tons of seemingly never ending churning waters tumbling over the
cliffs creates a spectacular sight from above or from below. Although a few
people have experienced the falls by going over them, it is far safer and more
enjoyable to observe them from Niagara Falls State Park’s many viewing locations
or via a voyage on the Maid of the Mist. Both the boat ride into the fall’s
horseshoe and a trek to Cave of the Winds at the base of Bridal Veil Falls
provide an up close, although soggy, but memorable experience. Waterproof
ponchos which are provided do mitigate the watery encounter somewhat but the
view is certainly worth the wetting. Horseshoe Falls, The American Falls and
Bridal Veil Falls, once seen, can never be forgotten.
Nearby, in Lewiston, I signed on for a
Whirlpool Jet Boat Tour topping off my water-based encounters. A lot of
pre-ride hype accompanied the experience which was the wettest of the day. We
zoomed along the white waters of the Niagara River through the Niagara Gorge and
into whirlpools with huge waves of water engulfing us. Passengers screamed with
delight. It was all very safe however. These boats are like Hummers on water
and a good time was enjoyed by all the adventuresome passengers.
Leaving the immediate area, I headed
for Letchworth State Park. In my travels, I run into a lot of “Grand Canyons of
the whatever.” This park is one of them, but in this case, I thought it
appropriate that it be nicknamed the Grand Canyon of the East. The roaring
Genesee River Cuts a gorge through the park’s 14,350 acres, creating a variety
of cascading waterfalls. More than 60 miles of hiking trails meander through
the verdant woodlands including the park’s most scenic Gorge Trail. Balloons
Over Letchworth provided a bird’s eye view of the area while Adventure Calls
Outfitters offered visitors a Class II white water rafting trip through the
gorge. I spent half a day trotting through the woods with a few friends on
steeds from Wolcott Farms. The Wolcott family offers guided horseback trail
riding, pony rides, horse drawn wagon rides and snowmobile rentals in winter.
We wrapped up the day with a late lunch at Glen Iris, the former home of the
park’s founder, now a restaurant and inn.
The park is named after William Pryor Letchworth, a great philanthropist and conservationist who gifted the state of
New York 1,000 acres in 1907. In the truest meaning of charity, he felt that
his greatest reward was in contributing to the improved quality of life for
society. It was here that I learned the legend of Mary Jemison, the “White Woman
of the Genesee” who was born on a ship as her family came from Ireland to the
New World. At the age of 15, she and her family were taken captive in the
1750’s although she was the only one to survive. She was adopted by the Seneca
Indians who she grew to love and respect. “A Narrative of the Life of Mary
Jemison” by James E. Seaver, M. D., printed in 1824, has become a popular book
on the White Woman and the world she lived in. William Pryor Letchworth returned
her remains to the land which she loved where he erected a statue in her memory
in the park.
Situated in the back of the
historic LeRoy House on East Main Street in LeRoy, the petite interactive Jell-o
Gallery exhibit takes visitors on a nostalgic browse-through. A tour led by
gallery director Lynne Belluscio made all the difference, as our enthusiastic
and knowledgeable guide walked us through while story-telling about days gone by
and the history of the dessert that there’s always time for. “Jell-o advertising
is a story of 100 years of American culture,” Belluscio remarked about the “Most
famous dessert” in the world.
Along routes 104 and 98 in
Childs, seven historic buildings have been preserved by the Cobblestone
Society. Cobblestone masonry was a time consuming and expensive construction
method used to enhance the beauty of architectural styles including Federal or
Greek Revival. My group toured The Cobblestone Church with another very
knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide who told of the history of the building and
of its architecture. Among the original parishioners, George Pullman, of
railway car fame, attended this church prior to moving to Chicago. As we
entered the building we read the inscription over the door, “Erected by the
First Universalist Society A.D. 1834. God is Love.” Adjacent to the church, we
toured The Ward House, built in 1836 as a parsonage for the church. The
interior proved as fascinating as did the architecture with its special
furnishings and very personal touches.