Morning came and off we went to our next destination near Syracuse NY. Our next campground would be at Oneida Shores Park in Brewerton NY. We arrived a bit before 2:00 pm but the office didn’t open until 2:00 so we walked around this nice little county park on the shore of Oneida Lake.
We planned to only spend two nights so our first day found us stocking up on groceries but our second day turned out to be a great day as we did more than we had planned. We had originally planned to visit Syracuse and the University of Syracuse on our only full day however as I was looking for things to do I noticed that the New York State Fair was going on in Syracuse as well.
After talking with Sharon we both realized that neither of us had ever been to a state fair so we decided to go to our very first one in New York! To top it off they had a discount on tickets our only day we could go so we purchased two $3.00 tickets so along with $5.00 for parking which made it a fairly inexpensive event to attend.
Going to the state fair had me a bit apprehensive about the crowds and the noise but once we parked and hopped on the shuttle bus to the fair I noticed a sense of excitement bringing me back to my childhood. Once we exited the bus and got our tickets we entered the fair only to be greeted by bright colors, hawking vendors and children riding all sorts of exhilarating rides.
We took in the sights, had several samples of some awesome NY cheese, tasted a lot of beers and wines offered from the various breweries and wineries around the state of New York and marveled at the everything-fried offerings throughout the fair. While we didn’t participate in any rides we were totally entertained by the various forms of live music and the likes of Bandaloni the One-Man Band. We also loved the magnificence of the flying hawks, owl and eagles at the birds of prey program showcasing birds saved by the state’s bird rescue program.
We both walked and walked until our feet grew tired thereby deciding to forgo the evening entertainment. Since it was still daylight we drove over to the University of Syracuse. After talking with a gate guard we got a free parking spot to walk over to see the Carrier Dome where the University plays basketball. They have a national Championship trophy there we wanted to see. Unfortunately there was a freshman convocation event in the dome so we were not allowed to see the trophy but were invited in to see the dome and had a nice look at the facility.
To finish the day we drove through the scenic downtown Armory Square, took a quick auto tour then stopped at the nearby Middle Ages Brewing Company for a nice craft beer. The beer was great and fairly inexpensive but there was no seating so we had one beer and purchased a growler fill before heading home to rest our weary feet…
NOTE: We are currently in Ogdensburg, NY an our nest stop is in West Chazy NY and then on to Graniteville Vermont through the Labor Day weekend.
HI!!! what a surprise to see Syracuse NY and NY State fair in my read feed this morning! Welcome to my home town. I sure hope you enjoyed yourself. I have been to the NY State fair every year nearly my whole life. What a nice reflection from someone who has never been before. I also have attended school at SU. Taking another course starting this week. My husband would say I am a professional student. I am a big traveler of sorts, but am just really beginning my Adventures, most trips are local or vacation styles...I long for the days of a RV lifestyle. Hubby and I just placed a deposit on a RV yesterday. Still may be a few years before we make it an all the time thing!!! Retirement is a ways off.Thanks for sharing. Would love you to visit my blog. wendystriplog.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteYou're in our old neck of the woods now. Ogdensburg is the nearest American town to our home city of Ottawa, Ontario. In fact, our motorhome Sherman is stored at our daughter's house only 37 miles north of you!
ReplyDeleteYou should take a day trip up to Canada's capital city.
www.travelwithkevinandruth.com
If you have time, make a drive over to Clayton. A great little town on the St. Lawrence. My mother lives there just a block off the river with a nice river view. Taking a boat tour of the Thousand Islands is a must and visiting Bolts Castle.
ReplyDeleteWatching the ships go through the locks on Ogdensburg is fun. We've driven up there to watch them.
The only state fair we have been to is TX but it was a lot of fun!
ReplyDeleteWhen you get to West Chazy you will be really close to where I grew up. :) We have rv friends in the area right now, and the other day they went to the Amazing Grace Vineyard and Winery in West Chazy. They had a wine tasting and finished up with a maple ice cream crepe. Looked super yummy in the pic! :) Also when we were up there this summer visiting family, we went to Parker Family Maple Farm in Chazy. Lots of great maple products and really good maple syrup at a very good price. Another great place to eat is the Valcour Brewery in Plattsburgh. :)
ReplyDeleteWe have enjoyed going to the Ohio State fair several years ago. We had a great time. $3 tickets is amazing! Looks like a super time.
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