New York - part 2

July 26, 2019 - July 30, 2019


Wanting to explore the Finger Lakes area of New York State a bit more we headed to Trumansburg on Lake Cayuga to set up a base for our explorations.

The Earth Museum in Ithaca was our first destination.  It holds numerous fossils which help tell the story of our planet. We both enjoy looking at fossils but trying to imagine what life was like back millions of years ago is just beyond my thought processes.  

The is the skeleton of a Right Whale - the whale that was hunted almost to extinction because it contained large quantities of oil and baleen.  Notice how closely the bones in the flipper" resemble the anatomy of our own arms and hands.
This particular whale died as a result of getting caught in discarded fishing nets and lines - an all to common occurance in our polluted oceans.

In spite of all the fossils we've seen I still can't tell you the difference between the Cambrian and the Cretaceous or the Tertiary and the Triassic periods.  I don't suppose I ever will know the difference but I still find the fossils interesting.   

This cool chart shows when Pangea (the supercontinent or original land mass on our planet) was breaking up and beginning to form the continents as we now know them.  It turns out it all began during the time of the dinosaurs.

Skeleton of a Mastodon found in Hyde Park, New York when a couple was enlarging a pond in their backyard!
It is one of the most complete and best preserved mastodon skeletons ever found.
Can you imagine how exciting that would be!

I think this explains the blue ice in the Ice Mine we saw in Coudersport, PA!
Maybe I should send a copy to them.

Taughannock Falls, one of the highest falls in the Eastern U.S. was just a short drive and short hike from our campsite.  We were able to take Barney on this excursion and he loved it!

This short series of falls is found at the beginning of the trail to Taughannock Falls.
Because it's late July, the water flow is fairly low.

Another short fall on the way up the trail to Taughannock Falls.
The bottom of the river is literally giant slabs of rock.
Imagine what this must be like in late winter/early spring when the snow is melting!

The river has cut through one layer of rock on it's way to Lake Cayuga.

Above and below:  Lots of people have had fun building cairns at this spot.  There's a lot of rock to work with.
I suppose next year these will all be pushed over by the spring river flow.

Taughhannock Falls!  We made it.

The Womens Rights Historical Park is in Seneca Falls, NY - where the struggle for women's rights began in 1848.

These bronze statues represent the major players in the struggle.  People like Elizabeth Cady Stanton,
Lucretia Mott, Martha Wright, Jane Hunt, Mary Ann M'Clintock and Frederick Douglas.  
Many of husbands of these women were also involved in the struggle.

The faces of the brave women who began the women's rights movement.
Jane Hunt (top left), Mary Ann M'Clintock (center), Elizabeth Cady Stanton (bottom left), Lucretia Mott (bottom middle) and Martha Wright (far right).  We owe these women a huge debt of gratitude.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton later joined with Susan B. Anthony to focus on gaining a women's right to vote.  Elizabeth did the writing, Susan did the traveling and speaking.  They didn't always agree but they forged an amazing friendship and a formidable team.  Neither would live to see the 19th amendment enacted.

We were so glad we went to this National Historic Park.  It's humbling to see what these 19th century women did to advance the cause of women's rights.