Fort Stanwix NHS, North Country NST, Erie Canalway NHC (April 19, 2003)

We sorta missed doing any kind of travel in 2002, since we were still reeling from the financial load of the trip up to NY, but we got right back into the swing of things in 2003 by starting what has become our annual (at least when we have the money) spring break stamp trip. We went to Rome, NY to see Fort Stanwix and found out we could get the Erie Canalway and North County Scenic Trailway stamp while were were here (nice hat trick there!)

This is the first trip where I started taking a pic of the main sign as well (mostly to keep packs of pics from getting confused).

Fort Stanwix is pretty neat, as far as old forts go. Kevin is pretty into the Revolutionary War, so I tried not to both him for dumb pictures too much as he strolled about the place (which is HUGE). This is just one of the 4 LONG corridors that line the place. The sides all lead off to different rooms for storage, sleeping and the like and all four surround a big open courtyard for drills and muster and such (almost sound like I know what I'm talkin' about, here!).

This pic is of the model of the place they have in one of the main buildings. There's just no other way to show you how big this is, but a fort was really like a small city. I suppose that makes sense, seeing as how the whole point is to keep people out while you stay safe inside for months, even years at a time. For size ratio purposes, you are one of the little blue things that you can't quite tell are little blue things! J

Most of the fort's insides look about like this…wooden longhouse rooms with period stuff inside…not the most happenin' spot in town, but I'm sure the excess gunfire made hanging those colonial swags of flowers and gingham kinda tough! J

I was pretty sure these were storage areas for the feedbags above, but these were actually the BEDS! What I took for feedbags was ticking, basically hay stuffed in a bag to sleep on. I laid on one of the beds just to show you how short they are…apparently, people really WERE mostly my size back then. No, really…George Washington abnormally TALL from what the guys here told us! Most man were no taller than 5'9" or so. Pretty short, really!

THIS was the actual storage room. It's got…well, stuff in it! (Kevin liked this pic, so we put it in!)

The first of our given silly pics. They had all the trappings of soldier life and its few diversions, including this checker board, so we had to try it.

I think Kevin actually SAID "You sank my BATTLESHIP!"

At some point, the idiot torch was passed to me. Not sure when, but somehow it made LESS comedic sense for Kevin to be holding the wooden play gun than myself. Go figure…!

Then we found a BIGGER gun…but I couldn't carry it, so that was it for the funny pics. Nice shot of the town, though. If we ever take over Rome, NY, these folks are SCREWED!

These guys looked far more capable of keeping anyone at bay than we did and actually fired off a round to show us how it was done. This was pretty cool for Kevin, since I bought him a working Kentucky long rifle for Christmas once, so he started talking to these guys all about blah, blah, blah…

That's about the time I found the traditional hole in the ground pic. This one was a bit above ground and has the ACCURSED strap in it, but you get the idea!

Frankly, that strap would have been left in a ditch at one of these parks if not for the fact that it really HAS kept me from losing the camera…(grumbles)