A diversion

last stop of the day, finger lake at Canandaigua, NY

Day Two

Seneca Falls trash mountain in the distance, power producing!

Seneca Falls, old and new watercraft

Site of the first Womens Rights Conference, a National Park

Monday. . .  What a day. It started out with a goal in mind. . . stop by the site of the first Women’s Conference in Seneca Falls. I had planned ahead for this, being so involved as I have been with the BPW (Business and Professional Women). In 1848, Elizabeth Cady Stanton invited people to come hear why women should have more rights—the right to own property and the right to vote being among the many that they did not have. . . by the end of the first Womens Rights Conference, more than 100 women and men had signed a statement that they would work for more equality for women. I envisioned a large grassy national park, thinking that perhaps they had met in a tent encampment as the Methodists did on Cape Cod in the summer. But no, I drove right down to the main street of the town and found a newly restored Wesleyan Chapel as the scene of the event. Link here: www.nps.gov/wori/index.htm    I got to stand on the sidewalk and take pictures, but that was all, as I could not shut off my engine. I had just discovered at a rest stop back on the Interstate that my starter was now going to be cranky. I dared not shut off the engine. I cruised around Seneca Falls, and took some great pictures of the little barge boats on the river. . . very historic looking, reminiscent of the Erie Canal barges, and indeed here I am in Erie Canal territory.  But still, no shutting off of the engine. I walked the dog next to my running car. I used my cell phone to ask the 411 operator if there were any Toyota dealerships in the area. None that she could find.

I headed back for the Interstate thinking I would head back east to Syracuse, that city was indeed host to a Toyota dealership.  I was so flustered that I went through the FastPass Lane of the toll booth, and then had to immediately pull over, realizing that I could not proceed without a paper ticket. How had I gone through the wrong lane? I immediately felt better when the next car did the same thing. It was poorly marked. Newcomers both, we both had to walk out across the highway to the man in the booth to get our tickets. And there I stood, talking to him on the cement island as tractor trailer trucks brushed by me through the toll. I discovered that there was a closer dealership about fifty miles to the west, so there I headed, and eventually found myself taking Exit 44 off the New York Interstate 90, heading south for seven miles, and ending up in the fabulous little city of Canandaigua. I cannot pronounce it, but I love it. . . It is a beautiful, well-planned finger lake little city. Bedroom town of Rochester, which must be going strong by the looks of the houses, boats, stores, cars and smiles I saw. The dealership took my poor little old 2001 Highlander under their wing, rented me a beautiful new Camry for the price of a Corolla (I now want a Camry. . . so smooooth), and have promised me the starter will be fixed tomorrow. Here’s hoping.

So Yoko and I found the Super 8 motel that allows dogs, dragged our luggage in (well, I did), and then went out exploring. Beautiful lake, I am glad that I stopped here.  And what a nice place to have a repair done, if you have to have a repair done. Better than out in the middle of the big wide west, flooded and on fire as it is. Pictures, pictures.  Good night.

Oh, one more thing. . . on my little drive down into Seneca Falls I saw ahead of me what looked like an ancient mound, or a giant ant hill with little ants running around on it. But it was really the largest trash mountain land fill I have ever seen, and across the highway was a large methane gas power plant which was generating energy from the trash. I’ve seen this before but not on such a large scale. Those trucks up on top were so far away they were tiny.  Just had to explain the picture.

Oh, one more one more thing. . . I would come back. I could fly into Rochester, easily, rent a car, come back here as a kick-off point, and do the most amazing wine trail that circles this Canandaigua Lake. . . if the car is not done today, that is what I am doing. What a beautiful spot.  Beauteous!  www.canandaiguawinetrail.com

Thank you LeBrun Toyota for getting me right in off the highway when your next available service appointment was actually four days from now.  You rock.  Jeff, service adviser kept me from having a highway melt-down.  www.lebruntoyota.com/index.htm 

You might have to copy and past my provided links into your address bar until I know what the heck I am doing in providing links. I'll get better.