Thursday August 11, 2011
Whitehall, NY 3 -- Upstate--
We met and talked with some - Upstate- New York people... good salt of the earth folks. Leaving Rutland, Vermont late afternoon heading west on hwy 4west and made it to Whitehall, NY. ... about 5 miles past the Vermont / New York state line. This is Upstate NY.
Every place ... town and village... had tons of historical sites and tales. The early formation of the United States.... it started up in this region; thus... there's plenty of old colonial buildings and architecture. The local historical organizations preserved some significant places... and the general flavor of each town had a history dating back to the American revolution. Very interesting town and villages. The farms/ barns were old and unique.
Unique.... The harbor...this is the southern port of Lake Champlain... like the town... seems "tired". It's been decades,... if not a century since any inovation or progressive thinking was in this place. You look around and it visually smells stagnant lagoon; of a time past.
The lock...to lift or lower boats onto Lake champlain is the centerpiece of the town. An old iron bridge across the river is the main transit point here. It overlooks the lock,... then a left/ right turn onto the main drag of Whitehall. A few blocks each way.
The old marble mansion -- Skeen Manor-- on the high above cliffs of Skeen mountain is a tourist site of the town.... A founder of the town? No, that was British Capt. Skeen in 1759. Judge Potter built the manor house late 19th century. Whitehall was a main trade route-- up through Lake Champlaine -- up to Canada as an early shipping lane.
We camped at the marina RV park.... and were told it had flooded the previous spring. ?How does a river, with a lock... flood? -- See Whitehall 1 post --
The RV camp was $42+ a night; overpriced i thought. We had stayed at much better places for half ... even less most of the time. The owners wife at the "bar" said they had taken over the note of the park as ownership. .... then asked if we'd like to come back for happy hour shooters. They came up from Florida to manage their foreclosure and were working hard to make the note. I was glad for a campsite and hot shower.
The lagoon off of the main river channel was the RV park...lined with electric and water hookups. The water on the lagoon / river spur / was hideously ugly; looking stagnant and brown among the lilly pads. I chose not to hook up to any water; only electric. T-bird asked what I thought ; This looks like a place to bury a body.... ;cause no one would want to spend any time poking around here. ... or where you'd want to pass time if you were laying low in the witness protection program.... nobody is going to spend much time here seeeing the town. A screech owl sounded spooky all night.
Whitehall was not a New England picturesque place... but for a 350+ year old place with history from the American revolution; interesting.
MARNE 49 #179
Thursday August 11, 2011
Whitehall, NY 3 -- Upstate--
We met and talked with some - Upstate- New York people... good salt of the earth folks. Leaving Rutland, Vermont late afternoon heading west on hwy 4west and made it to Whitehall, NY. ... about 5 miles past the Vermont / New York state line. This is Upstate NY.
Every place ... town and village... had tons of historical sites and tales. The early formation of the United States.... it started up in this region; thus... there's plenty of old colonial buildings and architecture. The local historical organizations preserved some significant places... and the general flavor of each town had a history dating back to the American revolution. Very interesting town and villages. The farms/ barns were old and unique.
Unique.... The harbor...this is the southern port of Lake Champlain... like the town... seems "tired". It's been decades,... if not a century since any inovation or progressive thinking was in this place. You look around and it visually smells stagnant lagoon; of a time past.
The lock...to lift or lower boats onto Lake champlain is the centerpiece of the town. An old iron bridge across the river is the main transit point here. It overlooks the lock,... then a left/ right turn onto the main drag of Whitehall. A few blocks each way.
The old marble mansion -- Skeen Manor-- on the high above cliffs of Skeen mountain is a tourist site of the town.... A founder of the town? No, that was British Capt. Skeen in 1759. Judge Potter built the manor house late 19th century. Whitehall was a main trade route-- up through Lake Champlaine -- up to Canada as an early shipping lane.
We camped at the marina RV park.... and were told it had flooded the previous spring. ?How does a river, with a lock... flood? -- See Whitehall 1 post --
The RV camp was $42+ a night; overpriced i thought. We had stayed at much better places for half ... even less most of the time. The owners wife at the "bar" said they had taken over the note of the park as ownership. .... then asked if we'd like to come back for happy hour shooters. They came up from Florida to manage their foreclosure and were working hard to make the note. I was glad for a campsite and hot shower.
The lagoon off of the main river channel was the RV park...lined with electric and water hookups. The water on the lagoon / river spur / was hideously ugly; looking stagnant and brown among the lilly pads. I chose not to hook up to any water; only electric. T-bird asked what I thought ; This looks like a place to bury a body.... ;cause no one would want to spend any time poking around here. ... or where you'd want to pass time if you were laying low in the witness protection program.... nobody is going to spend much time here seeeing the town. A screech owl sounded spooky all night.
Whitehall was not a New England picturesque place... but for a 350+ year old place with history from the American revolution; interesting.
