Robert Pence

Wrong word. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition: "alarmism; the often unwarranted exciting of fears or warning of danger." A better choice would have been "alarming." "Rationing of consumption by price" really means "Robbing the poor for the benefit of the affluent." It puts transportation out of reach for poor people, especially in places where alternatives to driving are scarce (much of the country), while assuring convenient, abundant fuel supplies for the folks I see on the interstates, driving alone in their full-sized two-and-a-half-ton SUVs at 80mph.

Like I would ever tell ... errr ... I have no idea what you're talking about.

Wonderful tour through time! It would have been fascinating to have lived during the canal era; all that infrastructure and manufacturing technology would have been amazing to see.

Yes. In some cities where tracks were paved over and forgotten after the streetcar systems were shutdown, you can see a washboard pattern in the street surface as the wood ties break down.

Good to see all that work being done. I've never been to Flint, but I'd heard that it was in pretty desperate shape. The riverfront looks quite good. Back around 1991 they applied this brick veneer sort of facing to a couple of buildings downtown in Fort Wayne, and when winter came, the bricks started to shed. They had to remove all of it and replace it with a different type of cladding. Maybe they've improved the technology to withstand cold climates since then.

Most of the time. There are only two times when I get p!ssed off; when things don't go right, and when I don't get my own way. You'll never meet anyone who has seen me lose my temper, though, because when I do, there are no survivors. :shoot:

Nice. I'm sure the neighborhood isn't what comes to mind for a lot of folks when they hear "Buffalo."

Looks pretty well-kept and livable.

Nice copper dome on the capitol, and I like the cemetary and the memorial wall. I actually choked on my coffee when I saw this: But I really like this:

We should start a movement to do away with the often-arbitrarily determined state lines, and repartition the country based on watersheds. Because of the shared environmental stake of people in a watershed, that makes more sense. Only problem I see is that Toledo and Fort Wayne are both in the Maumee watershed. Fort Wayne should be capital, though, because it's located at the headwaters of the Maumee where the St Joseph and St Marys Rivers come together (Maybe we should rename the Maumee Little Baby Jesus). Fort Wayne has a better courthouse, too, and Toledo is ugly. I digress, but don't mind me. I think my brain is still suffering from the aftereffects of hypothermia.

Oh, that's right. I remember the one in Youngstown. After visiting the industry & labor center (Michael Graves building), I walked down there before calling a cab to go back to my motel in interstate hell. It was the middle of a weekday, and I saw not a soul there. It was dreary and depressing and badly maintained, and when the cabbie picked me up, he asked, "Man, don't you know how dangerous it is to be here alone?" That was in 2000.

Fort Wayne Pre-dawn Snow 2008 The forecast called for heavy snow starting in the evening of January 31. I had wanted to get some night photos downtown during snowfall, and thought this might be my last chance for this winter. As of 10p.m. there were only snow flurries, so I curled up in my recliner with a blanket and set my alarm for 4a.m. Sure enough, when I awoke the snow was coming down vigorously. I fueled myself with a cup of fortified hot chocolate, grabbed my camera and tripod and headed out. I didn't get everything I wanted; I quit when my fingers could no longer feel the shutter and my jeans were soaked through from kneeling in snow. Here's what I gleaned from my efforts. Summit Square; I had hoped for a more dramatic snow shot, but the floodlights don't spill over as much as I thought I remembered. Anyway, I like the way the building dominates the downtown skyline. Calhoun looking south from Berry Street. This was once the heart of downtown's shopping district. The only old-time retail store that still exists here is Klingler's Jewelers, the store on the right with the lighted show window. Allen County Courthouse, possibly the grandest county courthouse in the U.S. Across the plaza is the City-County Building. Allen County Courthouse and Lincoln Tower. Calhoun Street north of Main Street. The corner of the City-County Building is in the foreground. The bail bondsman is conveniently located next door to the pawn shop. Calhoun Street looking south past Main Street. Looking across Washington Street, over the bank lobby of One Summit Square and across Calhoun Street from the parking garage. Looking south on Harrison Street from the lobby of the Grand Wayne Center. Embassy Theatre Looking north on Harrison Street from the lobby of the Grand Wayne Center. Cindy's Diner. Garbage. Seriously. Garbage Allen County Public Library, noted as one of the top genealogy resources in North America. The building reopened in 2007 after a 3-year expansion and reconstruction and it's one of the best I've seen for comfort and convenience of use. It's also one of the best facilities I've seen for quality of outdoor lighting. It looks like it approximates daylight, avoiding the annoying yellow or green cast of so much exterior lighting along streets and public buildings.

It takes a lot of effort by a lot of people to describe just how badly Alvordton sucks!

I saw several people get off Amtrak trains with bicycles at Port Kent and board the ferry to Burlington. I think Church Street does well because of an abundance of college students and a steady turnover of tourists. It was a bit slow during the day, but in the evenings it really came to life. I'm trying to think of any pedestrian malls in the midwest that survived, and I can't come up with any. The three that I can think of, Kalamazoo MI, Richmond, IN, and Huntington, IN, all went belly up. Midwesterners won't patronize any business more than fifty feet from a parking space (unless it's in a mall), and if they want green space, they've got their 2-acre fenced back yard and pool in the 'burbs. Night life? Who needs it when you've got a home theater setup that cost as much as a late-model used car?

When Sylvester Marsh applied in 1858 for his state charter to build the railroad, he was met with much derision from the legislators who thought it was total folly, impossible. One of them hooted that he might as well amend his charer application to permit him to build a railroad to the moon. Ultimately they granted his charter, reasoning that he wasn't asking for the state's money, but only permission to throw away his own. He needed a state charter so that he could use eminent domain to acquire right-of-way. Track was completed to the summit in 1869 and scheduled operation began in 1870. Quite a carbon footprint. I wouldn't be surprised if the environmental impact of the locomotives is less than that of the cars that people use to get there. I suppose they're somehow grandfathered in, or granted an exception as a national historic landmark. I think they have converted one engine to burn diesel fuel, but so far the rest still burn coal, fired by hand.

Yep. I hope they don't use the water from that river. :-o

No showers or lockers, but CTA Dempster is a small step in the right direction: They would run out of space pretty fast if bicycles were taken seriously as transportation by a large segment of the commuting population. This was late autumn, chilly and windy, though. Maybe in warm weather there are more bikes.

I'm really out of the loop when it comes to popular culture! In the past two years or so, the only time I've watched TV was when I was cooped up in a motel because of bad weather. I had to resort to Google to find out what Dunder Mifflin is. :-D

Maybe somebody was trying to offset the plainness with a little fanciness. These two are just too cute together: I'd have to buy 'em both so as not to break up the set! :wink:

I'm trying to come up with words to describe it. Quaint? Charming? :roll: Somebody, please give it a decent burial!

Remarkable contrast, beautiful neighborhood.

This is the sixth and final part of my Road Trip 2000 series. Quabbin Reservoir, Massachusetts Quabbin Reservoir was created in 1938 and covers more than 380 square miles in central Massachusetts. It is a drinking water reservoir and is closed to recreational activites except for limited fishing in designated areas. Access is by gated roads in a limited number of locations. Norman Rockwell Studio & Museum - Stockbridge, MA The Normal Rockwell Museum at Stockbridge, Massachusetts, was the site of the third Rockwell Kent exhibit on my itinerary. The scenic property overlooks the Housatonic River. The permanent gallery exhibits of Normal Rockwell's work gave me a fuller appreciation of that artist's craftsmanship. Hanford Mills, East Meredith, New York At a steam threshers' show at Crown Point, Indiana, I told my friend, Jack Corson, of my plans. Jack grew up rural New York State, and I thought he might know of other interesting attractions in the area. He told me about the Hanford Mills Museum, a still-operating water-powered lumber mill and grist mill near Oneonta. Using water from Kortright Creek, Hanford Mills started in 1846 as a water-powered up-and-down sawmill. Over the years the owners upgraded to a circular sawmill and added other businesses. Hanford's creamery also used water power, and they added a grist mill and machinery to the lumber mill for making butter tub covers, milk bottle crates and wooden handles. After the Delaware and Ulster Railroad built a line into East Meredith, Hanford Mills had a way to ship products to the outside world. The railroad also brought competing products into the community, and soon the Hanfords opened a farm supply store where they sold feed, seed, coal and other necessities. Hanford Mills operated until 1967, when it shut down and was sold at auction. A local man bought the land and buildings and as much of the equipment as he could, in order to keep it together. The following year he opened it as a museum. The preservation group that operates it now acquired it in 1986 and has been working steadily to restore everything to the highest possible degree of authenticity. They are now searching for a 30-horsepower Oneida steam engine like the last steam engine that was installed in the mill. Lackawanna Anthracite Mine Museum The Lackawanna anthracite mine,near Scranton, was opened in 1860. Guided tours go 300 feet underground, where the temperature is 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The adjacent Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum houses related artifacts and history displays in an attractive, inviting facility. Steamtown National Historic Site - Scranton, PA I got so absorbed in the Lackawanna Mine and the Anthracite Heritage Museum that my time at Steamtown got cut short and I missed my chance to take a train ride behind a steam locomotive. Steamtown National Historic Site ranks high among rail history attractions in North America. I might go so far as to say that if you're going to visit only one, and want a comprehensive educational experience, this is the one. Beautifully restored static displays, multimedia presentations, working locomotives, train rides, and a working locomotive repair shop, all well-designed and completely accessible, make the experience pretty all-encompassing. Electric City Trolley Museum - Scranton, PA Electric City Trolley Museum was in its fledgling stage when I visited in 2000, and even then I was impressed with the quality of the building and displays. Since then they've added activities and a significant trolley ride. After visiting their web site, I realize that I need another trip to Scranton, maybe on a sunny day this time! The trolley museum is adjacent to the Steamtown National Historic Site. Brookville, Pennsylvania On the way home, I stopped by historic Brookville to see if a seldom-seen friend might be around. He wasn't there, so I snapped a few photos under threat of impending rain before hitting the road. For a more comprehensive 2006 photo set from Brookville, click here.

This is the fifth part of my six-part Road Trip 2000 series. Mount Washington Cog Railway, New Hampshire In operation since 1869, the Mount Washington Cog railway is the oldest mountain-climbing cog railway in the world. It was conceived and built as a tourist attraction, and never served a commercial/industrial function like the many logging railroads that have been preserved and/or restored. Trains ascend to a visitors' center at the 6,288-foot summit of the mountain, taking about three hours for the round trip. It's pricey ($59 adult, $39 child, $54 senior), but I thought it was worth every penny. Winter trains ($31) only ascend to the water tank at Waumbek, 4,000 feet. In winter, the summit has the most severe weather in the eastern U.S., and you definitely wouldn't want to go there. The locomotive that initiated service on the railway in 1869 Birdsell steam traction engine of the type that powered farms, sawmills and other industries in the early 1900s Because of their internal design, locomotive boilers cannot be operated safely under load when severely tilted. The cog railway locomotives are built with the boiler sitting nose-down, so that it's nearly level when ascending the mountain. The wheels only carry the weight and guide the locomotive on the rails; propulsion is entirely by a toothed cog that engages the rack between the rails. Gear reduction results in furious reciprocating and spinning producing not much forward speed but lots of tractive effort. Filling fire extinguishers - when you see the embers that escape the spark arresters on the ascent, you understand why they carry the fire extinguishers. The water for the tenders & fire extinguishers is captured from a stream flowing down the mountain. I saw crew members drinking and filling canteens with the same water - crystal clear and pure. Leaks don't cost money; the water is free, and the pressure comes from gravity. See the bright red spot on the lower right? That's one of many embers that rain down from the stack when working up the mountain. I don't have any photos from the summit; by the time we got there, it was fogged in so thick that I could barely see my feet. Lines painted on the pathways help people find their way to the visitors' center when it's fogged in. They use a front-end loader to fill the coal dock, but from there on, coaling is pretty much a manual operation with emphasis on filling every nook and cranny on the tender. Maintenance shops are about a half mile down the hill from the visitors' center and boarding area. No roundhouse or turntable here; a transfer table moves equipment to shop and car barn bays. Some tractor collectors would love to get their hands on this vintage Terratrac crawler. This old building was in pretty precarious condition. I didn't venture far inside to get these photos, because I feared the slightest disturbance might bring it down on me.

Port Kent, New York & Lake Champlain Ferries Port Kent, New York is just south of Plattsburgh, and is the point of departure for ferries across Lake Champlain to Burlington, Vermont. The Lake Champlain Ferries between Port Kent and Burlington carry full-sized tour buses, recreational vehicles and many cars on each trip, and they run frequently. The crossing takes about an hour. Amtrak's Adirondack trains between New York and Montreal stop at a shelter just above the Port Kent ferry landing. I saw about a dozen people get off the train with baggage and backpacks and walk down the hill to board a ferry to Burlington. When I crossed the lake on the ferry Valcour, the sun was bright and the sky was blue with wispy white clouds. A brisk wind made the lake choppy, and sometimes waves would slam into the bow sending sheets of spray flying across the forward part of the deck. The sightseers there soon headed for the stern or for the lounge and gift shop below. The wind was whipping a flag on a pole near where I was standing, and the rolling motion of the ferry was enough to make the air suspension on the tour bus parked behind me to pant and sigh rhythmically as it tried to keep the coach level. Burlington, Vermont University of Vermont Congregational Church Church Street is pedestrian-only for about three blocks, lined with shops and restaurants and sidewalk cafes. The crowd is mixed; a lot of college students, but a fair number of middle-aged folks and seniors and, of course, tourists, too. There are mainstream retailers among the specialty shops. North Beach Campground was one of the best campgrounds I visited. It's run by the city of Burlington, and overlooks Lake Champlain. A path leads directly to the beach and connects with Burlington's bike path. It's a no-hills, no-traffic 2.5 mile cruise to downtown. North Beach Campground has a good beach, with shallows going 'way out. Winooski River, north of Burlington Burlington's bike path reaches about 14 miles along former Rutland and Canda Railroad right of way, including the causeway across Mallett's Bay. The pathis well maintained and well utilized. In 2000, trail users crossed the Winooski River via bike ferry ($1.00). In 2004, a new bridge closed this gap in the trail. Lake Champlain beach north of the Winooski River The causeway across Mallett's Bay, built at the beginning of the 20th century by the Rutland and Canada Railroad, was in use until 1960. It was built by Italian laborers with huge marble blocks, some measuring six feet on a side. A gap about three miles out on the causeway remains to be closed by a bike ferry; demonstration ferries have operated on selected weekends as recently as August 2007. Trail promoters hope eventually to open the trail all the way to Canada. The black road bike is mine; despite the advice of the "experts" it is possible to ride skinny tires on gravel. You just have to pay attention. The sailboarder was really moving until he came into a dead spot in the lee of the causeway.

This is the third part of my six-part Road Trip 2000 series. Skaneateles, New York I had first heard of Skaneateles, New York, on a music program on public radio, and the name stuck in my mind. I looked it up on the map, and it turned out to be on one of the routes I could take. Skaneateles Lake is sixteen miles long and three hundred feet deep and noted for its purity. Syracuse gets its water from the lake; the water is incredibly clear. Oriskany, New York The 1888 monument commemorates the 1777 Battle of Oriskany, one of the bloodiest battles of the American Revolution. Sixty British Regulars and 400 Indians here ambushed the Tryon County Militia, 800 strong, as they were marching to the relief of Fort Stanwix at Rome. General Nicholas Herkimer, though wounded, rallied his forces and directed the fighting until the enemy fled. Of the 800 militia, more than 500 were killed or wounded and almost all households in the area felt the effects of this battle for years afterward. Defeated at Oriskany and unable to force the surrender of Fort Stanwix, the British retreated to Canada. These reverses, with the defeat at Saratoga, thwarted Burgoyne's plan to divide the colonies by conquering New York. Adirondack Scenic Railroad The Adirondack Scenic Railroad runs from Utica to Lake Placid, and operates excursions out of Utica, Thendara and Lake Placid. The line was originally built to carry the rich and famous in their private railroad cars to their "Great Camps" in the Adirondack Mountains. I rode the twenty-two mile round trip between Thendara and Otter Lake in the cab of an immaculate, sweet-running 2000-horsepower 1964 Alco C-420 locomotive. Adirondack Museum, Blue Mountain Lake, NY The Adirondack Museum at Blue Mountain Lake consists of twenty-some buildings on more than twenty acres of land. It features exhibits on boats, hunting, fishing, logging, mining and farming, as well as examples of the summer "camps" of the wealthy and homes of the people who made their living in the area. The art gallery features a permanent collection and seasonal exhibits. The reason for my visit was an exhibit of Rockwell Kent's Adirondack paintings. They are beautiful and powerfully moving. Rockwell Kent's Clover Fields. The Adirondack Park consists of a patchwork of public and private lands. Efforts are ongoing to purchase private parcels and to obtain easements in order to facilitate the use of hiking trails and ensure access to scenic, historic and nature preservation areas. Scattered throughout the park are the remains of former summer homes that have burned or become derelict. Lake George, New York Mist rises from Lake George on an icy-crisp, crystal-clear autumn morning. Built in 1969 on Lake George, Lake George Steamboat Company's Minne-Ha-Ha is an authentic steamboat whose engine room is glass-enclosed so passengers can see the engine working. Her hull was designed by the H.M. Tiedermann Company of New York City, and her engines and paddle wheel were designed and built by Frederick H. Semple of St. Louis. Her boiler was manufactured by the International Boiler Works of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania and produces about 200 horsepower. Lac du Saint Sacrement's keel was laid in 1979 at the Lake George Steamboat Company's Baldwin Shipyards. Her hull was launched in 1987, and she entered service in 1989. Her name is the name given to the lake in 1646 by a Jesuit priest. She is 190 feet long and her design retains the character of 19th-century lake steamers. Lake George Steamboat Company's Mohican was launched in 1907. She was powered by Fletcher steam engines and fueled by coal until 1945, when her owner converted her to diesel power for greater efficiency and passenger space on the second deck. Her superstructure was updated from wood and canvas to steel in the 1970s. Plattsburgh, New York - SUNY Art Museum The art museum on the SUNY campus at Plattsburgh houses an extensive collection of Kent's work, including paintings, drawings, fabrics, jewelry and ceramics. Somehow, I neglected to take photos in the area. Ausable Chasm I arrived at AuSable Chasm late in the afternoon and took a spot in the adjacent KOA campground. I almost had the run of the campground; I think there were only three other campers on the property. I was able to do some early exploring on foot, but the chasm itself is private property and can only be accessed by paying for the tour. From what I saw, it was worth waiting until morning to do that. The autumn had been drier than usual in New York, and almost all the water coming down the AuSable River was being captured by the dam and fed to the two hydropower plants at the head of the chasm. Not much was left to go over the falls. Along the trails, the ground was blanketed with pine needles. The air was autumn-fresh and fragrant. Here, I'm looking down a notch that intersects the chasm. There were several of these, and I'm not geologist enough to know what formed them. There are faults and rifts that are visible in the chasm walls.