Day 28, 2023, East Coast trip, Monday Oct. 16, 2023, At Waterloo NY

Day 28, Oct. 16, 2023, Monday,   East Coast trip, moved to Waterloo, NY

This was the short drive to the next campground and the shortest of any we have taken. Just 35 miles. Briefly I'll re-dexplain that dilemma that we head to solve. One campground close on the 15th, the next campground could not take us on the 16th because of some party. It was where we wanted to go to make it to the  next closest campground that happened to be only 35 miles away. Hence the extra stop.

Coming early into campgrounds is not a favorite of campground owners. They  usually like you to come in after 1 or 2 o'clock in the afternoon. I guesl so they can get the Leaving campers out and see that everything is okay for the new ones. So, I called Susan at the new campground and asked if we could come in as early as 11 o'clock. She said  "Sure", so that saved a lot of waiting  around.

You may be able to see the rainbow on ths misty day.

Some color

Simple Colonial style.

The 35 mile trip allowed us to go the long way again, which brought us into rural, northern, New York state. Rolling hills, smaller forest areas, and many soybean fields just waiting to be plucked. This also was an area of acres of corn that also are about ready to be harvested. With the often and on rain, I think many farmers are just waiting to get some drying to get those crops in.

 A National treasure

Tug LT-5 One of many.

How it came to be .

Downtown Oswego NY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ruth saw some Barns along the way and hopefully we would see also on the way back (.And we did!). The goal was to get to Oswego New York, where there was a lighthouse called West Pier Lighthouse. We were surprised to find a few other interesting sidelights. First , in Oswego, there was a tug boat, named the LT–5 that was key part of the Normandy Landing in France, June 6, 1944. The town of Oswego manage to save it before it was scrapped in the 1980s. The tug's main job was to help assemble the "Mulberries" that were constructed near the beach at Normandy where the goods was dropped off and a long ramp led to the beach from there. They also placed on the beaches huge Barges full of ammunition which ended up being very important after the Mulberries were destroyed from the storm. about two weeks later after they were built. It was the main source of ammunition for the troop

Fort Ontario from the outside

Another angle of the Fort

Aerial View of the Fort

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                        FEW KNOW THIS HISTORICAL FACT. (I DIDN'T, FOR ONE)

Working our way around the Maritime Museum on the wharf we easily found where a lookout was to see the lighthouse. It is out in the harbor at the end of a half-mile rock pier.

The West Pier Lighthouse at Oswego NY

 

The viewpoint that we took ur photos  from is on the site of what was called Fort Ontario re-built in the inter war period (1926+) t, it became more important in 1944 to 1946. The United States at that time had an attitude of isolationism and Congress passed no laws to admit immigrants even during the war and after. Secretary of the interior Ickies, promoted a campaign along with his assistant Ruth Gruber, to bring 1000 refugees from the Holocaust camps to the United States. They were housed here at Fort Ontario from August 1944 until September 1946. Pres. Harry Truman rescinded a law that had prohibited them from staying in the United States. Many of them stayed after that law was passed and became citizens. A memorial on the grounds of the fort was dedicated in the 1980s and contains both an American and Israeli flag. It was an impressive site.

When the Fort housed the Holocaust survivors

The story of the Survivors (983)

The memorial today

 

The Fort has been used as a hospital, National Guard Trg.Center, Infantry barracks, and the above mentioned housing for Holocaust survivers.

The Fort Cemetery when it was active

The graves registry

                                                                      The story of the battle in which the British won/

On the grounds there was also a military cemetery where the men who served at the Fort had died  and were buried along with non-military personnel. The battle with the British occurred in 1814, and the British summarily destroyed the fort. (Remember Lake Erie and the defeat of the British.AdmiralPerr and "Don't Give Up the Ship".)  The Fort  was reconstructed later back to its present state.

We retraced our steps drive on returning to the campground so Ruth could get a few barns that we had seen along the way. There also was on the way back a stop at a market to pick up some apples. Remember northern New York this big apple country.   The name of the market was 'Ontario Orchards' and was very unique indeed. It was a converted horse stable that the family had been running as a market and store for over 75 years. I was really excited when I got inside even though we bought some donuts, a blueberry pie, and Ruth's favorite apples. I decided to go to the car and get my camera and came back in when the clerk who had waited on me, saw  my camera, Kim said "Let me show you more of the store", and promptly took me back to the back of the store and through a couple of doors where she introduced me to Kathy a daughter of the owner. Kathy was excited to show me around even though they were very busy in the backroom sorting apples and bagging them. She talked the whole time and walked me back into the room where they make their cider on an old-fashioned cider press that is squeeze by hand believe it or not. They also sell pasteurized cider to local schools with a  pasteurizing device they have to run the cider through. She wanted me to meet her dad, 76 years old, but didn't know where he was and called ou, "Where's Dad", someone answered came back "he's in cooler number 3". He came out and introduced himself and made me feel like I was an old friend. He is Dennis Ouelette, And he has been working in the store since he was six years old. It was a happy time and I'm glad Kim took the time to show me more.

The store counters were from the old stable

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kathie (Ouelette) and the old cider press

Dennis Ouelette the "Dad"

Inside the store at one end.  Far wall is far.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 We returned to the campground by the same road, or should we say roads with an S. As there were many. The rain had stopped temporarily so the roads were dry.

Supper was taco salad and of course some of that Tillamook Mudslide ice cream. I finished writing in my log (I keep a journal everyday) and started on my blog.. That's it for the day and we want to thank you for reading and remember you can make comments on the site. Thanks–Jim