In the morning there was...fog! After having more than a lifetime's worth of it from living in San Francisco, we admittedly haven't missed it at all on this trip. It's probably the first time we've seen fog since being in northern California, making for a cool and mystical early morning walk with Sheila through the park we slept at, which had a small winding trail through the autumn trees and fallen leaves. What a lovely way to start the day!
We took our time to get ready in the morning, driving through more rural parts of upstate New York, and continuing to be amazed by the ample crops growing here--including corn, apples, cabbage, grapes, and more.
A Guinea Reunion
We'd remembered that one of the West African dancing and drumming teachers that we'd met on our recent trip to Guinea (we went to his house in Conakry), lived in upstate New York. So we ended up reconnecting and we arranged to meet at SUNY Brockport (state university of New York). It's always such a reminder of how small the world can be, to meet someone in one place, and see each other again in another country, thousands of miles away! Our friend, Diaby, has been a teacher at SUNY Brockport for 5 years, and he was playing the djembe (West African drums) along with a couple of other drummers to accompany an Afro-Brazilian dance class when we got there. The university offers a variety of dance classes, and today had a full schedule of classes.
Naturally, with the drums playing, Lisette got itchy feet to want to dance, and she had permission to join the class, so it didn't take much encouragement for her to slip her sandals off and join the group of dance students! It was a lot of fun to briefly reconnect, see SUNY and the classes it offers, and be part of the dance experience!
Rock On, Rochester!
Not far from Brockport is the city of Rochester, where we saw Threshold, a tall, bright yellow sculpture that is unique because its shadows create additional art, projecting shapes of animals and plants on the ground. Fortunately it was a sunny day when we looked at it, so we could make out the figures! It's right next to Klein Steel, which befittingly commissioned its creation.
Rochester also has the House of Guitars, famous for being the largest guitar store in the world! There's one main level that is filled with all sorts of acoustic, electric, and classical guitars in all sorts of shapes, colors, and makes. There's also banjos, ukeleles, sitars and mandolins, as well as a few other non-string instruments, accessories, records and merchandise. It's hard to know how many guitars there are--we were walking down narrow aisles that are even tighter than a packed Asian grocery store--and there are apparently hundreds more downstairs not on display. The only answer an employee could give was that they had "thousands" of guitars, so the range is wide!
While we didn't go inside, The Strong National Museum of Play looks fun already from the outside--it's 150,000 square feet dedicated to people of all ages playing! There are toys, video games, and interactive exhibits. There's a big orb that moves when you push it (especially if you are strong--pun intended!), and the building is bright, colorful and happy from the outside. Around the back we could see more outdoor exhibits that looked exciting, with big statues of dinosaurs and other creatures. Play isn't just for kids--it's important to do as adults, as it can reduce stress, boost creativity, strengthen relationships, and improve our overall physical and mental wellbeing! So it's wonderful to have a place that reinforces this in Rochester.
We wanted to see Warner Castle, a historic 1854 residence that is, unsurprisingly, built to look like a Scottish castle. Unfortunately, there were no spots to park nearby (there's a hospital in the vicinity so parking is a premium), so we had to give up our mission and continue on...
Seeing Friends in Syracuse
About an hour and a half later, we got to Syracuse, another city in upstate New York. It was already getting late, but we had just enough time to see the outside of the impressive Niagara Mohawk Building, an Art Deco style building that was the headquarters of the country's largest utility company and a symbol of the Age of Electricity when it was built in 1932. One of the most distinctive feature is "Iron Mike," the local nickname for the "Spirit of Light" sculpture of an 8-foot tall, winged stainless steel figurine personifying electricity. For those who've read our previous blog posts when we've seen Art Deco buildings, you'll know it's one of our favorite types of architecture! Perhaps there could be an Art Deco revival for new buildings?
We figured we'd see more of Syracuse tomorrow, so we went to Ben and Elisabeth's house, friends of friends (now our friends!) Michael had met years ago, who had so generously reached out and offered us a place to hang and crash, since we were in town. Unfortunately Elisabeth was traveling for work so we missed her on this trip, but it was fun to catch up with Ben, and get to know a bit more about their neighborhood from hearing about it from a local. We had dinner at a local Middle Eastern/Greek restaurant--food was delicious, and we didn't try it, but one of the most interesting items on the menu was a drink made from aquafaba (basically the leftover water from cooked chickpeas). But I guess we could buy a can of chickpeas and try to make a drink out of it ourselves, if we're so inclined to try one day!
We stayed in their spare bedroom, bringing Sheila's dog bed along with us so that she could also spend the night inside. Ben and Elisabeth's house is so much bigger than our RV (also accommodating their 2 kids), so Sheila fell in love with the house instantly! You could see how thrilled she was to have so much space to run around, play with toys, and experience the inside of the house and their backyard. She loves traveling and experiencing all the sights and smells of the places we go to, but she did also have a house before RV life where she ruled! She seemed to be pretty happy to be left at home with the rest of the family, playing fetch and exploring the home, while we went out for dinner with Ben. Hopefully she won't be too bummed when we leave Syracuse tomorrow...!