New York Trip - Day 3

I was eager for my friend to see the beauty of Cooperstown. I had talked so much of the quaintness and beauty of the village and wanted my friend to see the magic of the town that I always talked about. It was a beautiful drive into the village and my friend was not disappointed. The day was perfect and the gorgeous color of the fall leaves added to the magic.

Our first stop was the James Fenimore Cooper Museum. Our trip was planned specifically to attend the special Dorthea Lange exhibit. Her black and white photographs were on display along with other photographers. All of their black and white photos were of the Depression Era. Lange is famous for her Migrant Mother photo which depicted the pain of the people living in the Dust Bowl during the depression years.

After touring the museum, we drove into the village of Cooperstown. If you stand in the center of the downtown area…you know the village is in a valley. Looking down both ends of the main street, you could see mountains and trees with their fall foliage colors greet you. That made for a spectacular photo shot.

I made my friend go into the Baseball Hall of Fame to see the 10 minute film about baseball. After that, I stayed in the Hall of Fame and slowly went through it again, soaking in all that baseball memorabilia of the past and present. My friend, a photography buff, spent her time walking around the village and taking pictures. We were both in our own individual worlds doing what we wanted to do.

When we were finished, we drove around the area, stopping at an old cemetery and taking photographs. Then we ended up going to see the Hyde House during daylight and taking more pictures.

That night we ate dinner at the Otesaga Resort Hotel. I always wanted to stay at the pricey hotel but eating at the Hawkeye Grill would do. And it did …we had the best service and the best meal. We ended our meal by sharing a delicious banana bread pudding. This meal and setting was the perfect ending to a perfect trip.

I have to say kudos to Suni for a well plotted Itinerary, and we kept to it, arriving back at my house at 4:00. Along the way, we passed signs that brought back memories from my 2002 trip.

Before I end, I have to say that Cooperstown is a magical village plopped down in a valley with the Glimmerglass Lake as a beautiful back drop. I still plan on going back there again…maybe for a long writer’s weekend.