NYS Fair, Letchworth State Park and Fort Stanwix National Monument

What a good, fun, tiring couple of days we've had as family! We started out on Saturday by visiting the New York State Fair. Maddie was able to visit her projects and work in the county booth for a while. And the results of the judging? 2 blues and 1 red for her photos and a blue on her tree identification book. She can't wait to read her judging sheets. We were going to sneak peeks while we were there but totally forgot!

The eagle and milkweed pod both got blues but the ribbon is behind the eagle. I think no one wanted to cover up that beautiful face!

This is a OK Momma, I will smile then you need to go away look!

We walked around the fair quite a bit this time. We stayed in a hotel that night and knew we didn't need to hurry. The crowds did finally get to us! We read that night that 105,000 people attended that day which is only 10,000 less than the record. We still had quite a bit of fun in the morning when it was quiet.

I loved this guy! Isn't that fun. See the next picture for his name.

This was in a new spot for us. The agricultural museum. I loved the sign below on the door.

Olympic theme butter sculpture

4H True Leader Maddie

peacocks in the 4H building

I had to take this for Poppa Bill & Mamaw Mary...is that a meatball tunnel below? Maybe the 2016 version?

We got to pet and feed stingrays! It was really neat. They felt slimy and soft all at the same time.

NYS troopers repelling!

A cake winner

These are fun things from the arts & crafts section. Hand carved dulcimer. 

I loved the elephant...

And the boots...

and, good gracious, an apron made from chobani tops!

Where else but the fair could you pass a cow on the road?

The next morning we were off to Letchworth State Park. This is called "The Grand Canyon of the East" and it all lived up to the name! The park is 17 miles in length and we ended up doing a lot of driving up and down it rather than walking. There are upper falls, middle falls and lower falls, the gorge itself (Archery Field was our favorite viewing spot for that), a museum created by Letchworth, the man who first bought and preserved the area, a hotel made from Letchworth's house near the middle falls and a nature center. There was so much to see and experience!

We arrived at the nature center just in time for a monarch butterfly release. We ended up not participating in that and  looked around the nature center on our own instead. We have released a lot of butterflies over the years!

The man in the butterfly shirt was probably in his 60s or 70s and was very funny and patient. He has obviously been doing this for a long time and had a lot of knowledge. The questions he was getting were very basic and we were a bit shocked when someone asked if he had made the chrysalis. We decided that at least that man was not afraid to ask question

A small peek....

pretty stone steps...much of these type of things were made by the CCC

Then a "Wow! Look at that!!" spot...how could we know there was so much more to come? The bridge is for trains. Maddie got a shot of a train on the bridge at one point.

People, foolish people, were walking down there. One of the rangers came and told them off.

We also met an older man with a video camera who I think must be the unofficial welcoming committee! He gave us all sorts of tips including telling Maddie of a couple spots to take her camera. Unfortunately at this point the 1st set of battery packs decided to call it a day. Brian treked to the car for the second set which also said "Low Battery". Fortunately Maddie ended up being judicious and managed to make them last the rest of the trip!

Battery Consultation!

 

We loved these stone slab tables. They were everywhere! 

We promised Mamaw Mary we would not lean over...and see, proof, no leaning over! 

On Monday we set out early to investigate "Is there a place to find a battery charger and/or new batteries?"...the answer to that is no, not until you get back to Rochester and we were unwilling to go that far! We told Maddie to make every picture count and she did. As we left the park we saw turkey vultures and got all excited that they were next to the road. When we came back to the park and stopped for lunch by the Mt.Morris dam overlook we realized we shouldn't have been quite so excited...they were all over the dam!

From the battery search trip...the sky was just so beautiful this whole trip!

Turkey vultures

Mt.Morris dam

Still no leaning!

Letchworth brought the cabin of Mary Jemison to his land for preservation. She was captured as a teenager then adopted by the Seneca tribe. She lived all her life with the tribe, marrying and having children.

Statue of Mary Jemison. Maddie said this is her favorite statue of all the ones we have seen.

Letchworth also preserved the Seneca Council House.

The middle falls which were just down the bank from Letchworth's house, the Glen Iris, which is now a hotel.

Hmmm...maybe this is sort of leaning but it is not leaning over so I think it still counts as not leaning!

The Glen Iris

Home Sweet Home! 

On Tuesday.....

Our take a break from the car stop on the way home! 

I just loved the sky again today. It was so beautiful!!

Entrance to the fort

Inside the fort.

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The only original piece of the fort left...part of a fireplace. The fort was covered up with the daily life in Rome,NY until the bicentennial of our country when it was totally rebuilt.

I couldn't resist this...a coat rack with spots for the ranger hats! 

Maddie going over the Junior Ranger booklet. This ranger was very nice and took time with Maddie. He made sure she knew what happened here. It was quite funny though because Maddie, normally sharp especially at a National Park, was tongue tied and lost track of things since she was so tired. He talked her through it though and told her he knew it was in her brain there somewhere! He then asked her who made computers and reminded her they are not as good as your own brain that made the computer because, after all, who made her brain? That one she got right away, God, so it is more important which made him smile and laugh. We got back to the car and Maddie said "Aha! No wonder he asked me that." from the back seat. When he signed the Junior Ranger certificate he had "Reverend" at the front of his name. 

And that, in a really big nutshell, was our trip. We had a grand time!! The best part is now we are home and have some time to rest up before going back to work...maybe a few more adventures too!