From 2010 to 1840

We left Grand Island early this morning with one last trip

up and over the bridge.   We traveled I-290 and on to

I-90 which is also known as the New York Thruway.  Any name you want to call it, but, it is a toll road.  We picked up our toll ticket at the Buffalo and took it all the way to the

Herkimer exit for a total of 197 miles.  When we stopped at the

toll booth...we owed $35.50, Yikes!

From here we traveled on some

local roads through the little town of Richfield Springs to our

KOA.  The sites here are fairly large...all grass, but we leveled without any problem and were set up and hooked up before we knew it.

We had a quick lunch of chicken salad and apple salad, grapes, and crackers before heading out to visit the

Farm Museum located just outside Cooperstown.  We saw lots of old stuff...like

this wagon.  Lauren wonders if this could have been someone's RV?

We learned that during the 1800's most beavers from this area became

hats.

We saw

pretty tole painted furniture for the homes and

old plows for the fields.

From the museum, we walked down the path to take a step back in time...all the way to 1840 as we entered the

working village.

We stopped at the

general store where the

store keeper was anxious to help with our purchases.   Next stop was

just down the lane at the

blacksmith's shop where

we watched him make this

black rose.

On to

visit the printing office.  We saw how the

newspapers and

"wanted" posters were

printed in 1840.

There was the stop by the

Doctor's office and one next door to the

pharmacy.  This book is the one they used to find the correct formula for mixing and making medicines.  Right out side he had his own

herb garden.  Many of these were used in the medicines.

Then it was on to the

farm.  There we found

Farmer Wayne and his cow, Daisy Mae.  And, did he have a treat for us...

A lesson

in how to

milk cows.

A walk back into town took us by the

church, the

town hall, and the

weavers.  We also saw how to make

brooms.

What fun it was to step back in time.