June 14 to 20

Monday
Sun and cloud today. We continued our dry run for the fall bus tour in the Schoharie Valley (Glen, Charleston, Central Bridge, Schoharie, Middleburg, Fultonham etc.) and the Mohawk Valley (Amsterdam, back to Schenectady, Rotterdam Junction, Auriesville, Fultonville and Fonda). Walked 5.9 km.

Tuesday
Sunny today and warmer. We continued our dry run tour heading west from Johnstown, NY towards Utica. Passed through Fonda, Palatine Bridge, Nelliston, Stone Arabia, Ephratah, St. Johnsville, Mohawk, Ilion, Franfort, Utica, New Hartford, Oriskany and Rome. Stayed at the Holiday Inn at New Hartford, NY and had a nice swim in the outdoor pool. Walked 7.5 km.

Wednesday
This morning we had a bit of rain. We followed the clouds all day on our trip along the NY Freeway (I-90) from Utica to Newburg and then Fishkill, NY. We arrived at Fishkill about 2 pm and were able to check in early. We unpacked and then had a quick look around Fishkill for stores. Walked 6.5 km.

Thursday
We relaxed this morning and about noon went and picked up our names tags and lunch tickets for the PALAM bus tour. The tour started off about noon and headed north on Route 9 through Wappinger Falls, Poughkeepsee, Hyde Park to Rhinebeck. Here we stopped at the Historic Beekman Arms Hotel for lunch (very good) and then a lively talk by a local historian. After that we visited the Quitman House and the old Palatine Farmstead. After that we took a drive to Clermont which is one of the Hudson Valley estates and where the NY Livingston Family lived. Walked 7.7 km.

Friday
Sunny today and warm. We are in Fishkill, New York attending the National Conference of the Palatines to America. We have also done a bit of touring as far south as Sleepy Hollow, NY where Washington Irving wrote about the Headless Horseman. We visited Philipsburg Manor in Westchester County today. We both attended the banquet tonight and heard a very good talk about the Palatines from an historian Philip Otterness. We have been watching the Weather Channel and all of the tornado activity in the mid-west. Isn't that something! Walked 5.9 km.

Saturday
Sunny and warm today. I attended four lectures at the Palatine Conference today. Had time after the conference to go for a swim on the hotel pool. Walked 5.8 km.

Sunday
Cool this morning as we headed home to Ottawa. The day warmed up later. We headed due west on Highway 84 from Fishkill, NY. This took us to Scranton, PA after we passed by Lords Valley, The Promised Land and Newfoundland. Interesting names mostly associated with Quakers I suppose! Then we headed north on Highway 81 which took us through Binghamton, NY and then to Syracuse where we had a great lunch at the Cracker Barrel. We passed through the edge of a rain storm on the way. After lunch we headed to the boarder we we waited 35 minutes to cross over. I always seem to pick the wrong line! We arrived back home in Ottawa at 6 pm. Walked 8.7 km.