Travels in the 2nd half

Entrance to the Walled Garden   There is a hidden jewel in Yonkers, New York, known to few outside of locals. I am almost hesitant to write about it, because I would hate for it to become overcrowded. But it would be wrong to keep it hidden away. That jewel is the Untermyer Park and Gardens. Samuel Untermyer By Los Angeles Times via commons.wikimedia.org The park is on what is left of the estate of Samuel Untermyer (1858-1940), but it has a longer history. In 1865, John T. Waring, owner of the country’s largest hat factory, bought land in Yonkers, overlooking the Hudson River. The size of the estate, named Greystone, grew, and in 1879 Waring rented it to Samuel J. Tilden, who purchased it outright shortly afterward. Tilden lived at Greystone until his death in 1886. In 1899 Untermyer bought Greystone, now 133 acres, from Tilden’s estate. He was a lawyer who started in corporate law, but during the Progressive Era, he became focused on cases for the public good, arguing in favor of ...

  One of the holiday traditions in New York City is the Train Show in the NY Botanical Garden. Every year they turn the Haupt Conservancy into a celebration of model trains and New York history. Beginning in 1992, the Conservancy has been filled with botanical models of the city’s architectural history. The buildings have been created by Paul Busse and his company Applied Imagination. They are made of leaves, twigs, seeds and other natural materials. Many of the buildings represented no longer exist. You can see the original Pennsylvania Station, and row houses that used to line New York’s streets.  Pennsylvania Station Grand Central Terminal Every year, the master builders at Applied Imagination update some of the buildings. This year they have added models of the new Delacorte Theater in Central Park and the new-ish Whitney Museum in the Meatpacking District. The Delacorte Theater The Dairy The Guggenheim Museum Throughout this landscape, there weave dozens of G-gauge model ...

Howlett Farms, Avon NY   At over 3300 miles (5310 Km), Route U.S. 20 is the longest road in United States. This week we are finishing our trip along the road in New York State, driving from the Finger Lakes to the vineyards of the Lake Erie shores. Bes Friends, Canandaigua, NY The city of Canandaigua was incorporated in 1815 as a village, and then in 1913 as a city. It occupies the northern tip of Canandaigua Lake. The town has been home to several industrial mills over the years, but today its main industries are tourism, and winemaking, especially the production of Manishewitz wines. A great place for breakfast in town in Patty’s Place Diner . They serve excellent, fresh, locally produced food, and it is a favorite with locals. A walk along its Main Street is a walk through the many eras and styles of building in the area. From Canandaigua, I traveled west along U.S. 20 to the town of Lima NY (pronounced Lyma). Its pronunciation is due to its founders coming from the town of Lyme...