Fort Ontario, Oswego, NY
I had spent the night in my tent at Selkirk Shores State Park which is located about 20 miles to the east of Oswego, NY. While checking out in the morning, park staff had told me that there was a fort in Oswego that was operated by the New York State Parks and Historic Preservation organization. With only that information, and no specific directions, off I headed for Oswego, NY stopping along the way to photograph a fire hydrant or two :-).
New York State Fair 2012, Syracuse, NY
After taking a look at Fort Ontario and the Marine Museum in Oswego, NY, I headed into Syracuse to meet up with my son at the New York State Fair. I had not been to a large fair in quite a number of years and was surprised to find that not a lot had changed. Food stands were plentiful and there were plentiful games to play if you wanted or hoped for another stuffed animal or cartoon character. The following images might bring back a few memories for those who, like me, have been deprived of an annual dose of fairdom.
In order to survive at a large fair, you must be happy maneuvering through large crowds and trying to keep your appetite under control is always a challenge.
Before considering which of the many fattening treats we might sink our teeth into, we stopped with many others to smile and laugh as entertainer, Michael Hilby , worked his magic atop a unicycle.
Then, of course, we had to stop and check out a car or two that caught our eye. Any car with “Daytona 500” decals is bound to get a bit more attention than any of the other vehicles.
We eventually made our decision. Pizza won the vote. I didn’t need the calories but pizza was likely the least fattening of all of the foods that were on offer.
Cotton candy and candied apples would have been a nice substitute for dessert but, again, I was able to show restraint but just barely! A bit of applause please :-).
Once we had succumbed to the food demons, we headed out into the rest of the Fairgrounds where we found an interesting assortment of rides and a fantastic selection of games of chance, skill, and humiliation. Over the years, I have learned that no matter how hard I try I won’t be able to knock over the requisite number of little milk bottles nor find a way to break a balloon with a dart, so I am satisfied to just walk around clicking the shutter.
I was rather surprised to find that some of the games and exhibits were the same as they had been twenty or more years before, but I guess if something is successful, there is no real urgency to change the game plan.
Last chance! Everyone is a potential winner!
I was eventually coerced into trying my hand at one of the games. I knew that it was a foregone conclusion that I would not likely be successful with the bowling ball but I tried anyway. NO success! It was starting to get dark and I didn’t have my tripod with me so soon my shutter clicking potential would diminish and it would be time to head home.
T-shirts anyone?
One last flash shot for the night – a fire hydrant on the way back to the car.
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Selkirk Shores State Park
It was a bit late at night when I arrived at Selkirk Shores State Park so, when I awoke in the morning, I got up onto the picnic table to take a few shots of the area and of my camping spot in particular. Definitely not what I would call a remote site but adequate for the purpose! Despite the density, noise levels were quite reasonable and not a problem. No blaring radios!
This was my last photographic stop for the day. It had been a busy day. First, I took a look around Phoenix, NY, then traveled into downtown Syracuse, NY, then visited the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, NY, then hiked some of the trails of Green Lakes State Park between Syracuse and Utica, NY, and finally ended up at this impressive Chittenengo Falls near Utica, NY. (Location)
It was Spring, the weather was clearing up a bit and this was my first visit to a zoo since being on safari in Africa six months earlier. Seeing lions and elephants in a zoo setting won’t be the same after seeing them roaming free in the Serengeti but I did enjoy the visit to the Rosamond Gifford Zoo (Location). They have used the available space and terrain to provide plenty of viewing spots for the visitors without giving an impression that the animals are ‘caged’. This is especially noticeable in the enclosures for the mountain sheep and the tigers.
A strong passed overnight knocking down trees in the area but I had decided to stay in a motel instead of risking life in a tent, so like this chimney I survived another night without problems.
