A Slice of Life
Bill Lites
Day 7 – 7/18/2021
This morning I headed north out of Syracuse on SR-370 about 5 miles to visit the Salt Museum located on the Onondaga Lake in Liverpool, NY. Salt: that common ingredient that flavors our world, and that most of us can’t do without. It all started in 1788 when Asa Danforth and Comfort Tayler came to Onondaga County New York, and with the help of the Native Onondagas, erected the first salt works. The museum has an assortment of exhibits and artifacts used in the early 1800s to mine and process salt.
Next it was north 30 miles on I-81 to visit the H. Lee White Maritime Museum located at the Oswego Historic Maritime District in Oswego, NY. The museum is situated in the 1925 former grain elevator freight house and has a variety of rare marine artifacts dating from the 16th century. The museum also includes the WWII Tugboat LT-5 and the 1927 Darrick Boat #8. This museum also maintains the old Oswego West Pierhead Lighthouse built in 1934, to replace the original 1880 light.
Before leaving Oswego, it was only a short drive to checkout the Oswego Speedway. Known as the “Steel Palace” this track is the “Home of the Supermodifieds” open-wheel racecars. There was nothing going on at the speedway, so I just found SR-104 and headed west.
It was some 30 miles west on SR-104 to where I had planned to visit the Chimney Bluffs State Park in Wolcott, NY. Time was against me, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to see all the places on my list today, so I skipped this park. I continued west on SR-104 another 35 miles to where I tried to visit the Schutt’s Apple Mill in Webster, NY but they were closed. So, it was just 15 miles west to Rochester, NY where I visited the George Eastman Museum. This museum is located in the 1905 George Eastman House (I’d call 35,000 sq. ft. a mansion) and is said to be the world’s oldest museum dedicated to photography open to the public.
I passed up the Charlotte Genesse Lighthouse and continued west another 45 miles on SR-31/31A to visit the Medina Railroad Museum located in the 1905 NYCRR Freight Depot in Medina, NY. The museum displays antique railroad artifacts and restored rolling stock, and normally provides steam train tours throughout the year. The museum also has a large model train layout for all to enjoy.
It was another 35 miles west on SR-31 to where I had planned to visit the Niagara Falls Wax Museum and the Observation Tower. But arriving in Niagara Falls, I found the entire area absolutely mobbed with tourists. I gave up any idea of trying to visiting the museum and tower (that was a real disappointment) and headed for the Niagara Aerospace Museum a few miles east. This museum located adjacent to the Niagara Falls International Airport has a small collection of rare historic aircraft and replicas dating from the 1950s. Most of these exhibits and memorabilia represent the historical influence of the Bell Aircraft Company and the Curtiss-Wright Aircraft Corporation on this area dating from the 1920s.
Now it was only a few miles south on SR-265, along the Niagara River, to where I visited the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum located in North Tonawanda, NY. This museum is housed in the original 1910 factory complex and displays wood carrousels and other rare artifacts representing the many products this company manufactured from 1833 to 1955.
Before leaving the North Tonawanda area I drove a few blocks south to check out the National Railway Historical Museum. This small museum is the Niagara Frontier Chapter of the NRHS and is located in the original 1922 Eire Railroad Freight Depot. The museum displays railroad artifacts dating from early 1900s and several pieces of restored rolling stock.
Now I headed south 20 miles on I-195, along the Niagara River to visit The Steel Plant Museum of Western NY located on Lake Erie in the Heritage Discovery Center in Buffalo, NY (known as one of the “Rust Belt Cities”). The museum was closed, but their website informs me the museum displays artifacts and memorabilia related to the history of the western New York steel industry dating from the early 1800s.
It was only a short drive south on US-62 to find my motel for the night in South Buffalo. After I got checked in and carried my things into my room, I warmed up my leftover Baked Lasagna, from the Basil Leaf Italian Ristorante and enjoyed that great meal again. Yummmm!
Photo Credit: https://www.thebasilleafrestaurant.com/
—–To Be Continued—–
Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 64 years in Titusville, Florida. He was born and raised in the Southwest, did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy, attended Northrop University in Southern California and ended up working on America’s Manned Space Program for 35 years. He currently is retired and spends most of his time building and flying R/C model airplanes, traveling, writing blogs about his travels for Word Press and supporting his wife’s hobbies with framing, editing and marketing. He also volunteers with a local church Car Care Ministry and as a tour guide at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum there in Titusville. Bill has two wonderful children, two outstanding grandchildren, and a loving sister and her husband, all of whom also live in Central Florida, so he and DiVoran are rewarded by having family close to spend lots of quality time with.
One of Bill’s favorite Scriptures is: John 10:10
Old Things R New 
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