Day 51 September 12, 2026 Ticonderoga New York to Binghamton New York 229.4 miles
We stayed in a Super 8. This one said they had a light breakfast. They weren’t kidding. They had out granola bars and fruit cups. Drinks were lukewarm coffee, water or apple juice. This had to be one of the worst breakfast options especially at a Super 8.
The day started mostly sunny but ended cloudy. We didn’t have any rain and only some wind.
Our initial destination was Fort Stanwix National Monument. On the way there we passed both Shroon Lake and Loon Lake. The lakes were beautiful and the towns near them looked well cared for. Lots of boat docks and houses on the lake. Both communities had numerous lodging options.
Most of the drive was through the Adirondack Mountains. Still not lots of color. Only in isolated places. Most of the way it is difficult to see the mountains because of the forest on each side of the road.
We did see what appeared to be a minor car wreck. One vehicle was partially in the barrow pit and the other up on the road. No one appeared seriously injured thankfully.
A very large group of motorcycles were stopped for lunch we think. Must have been at least thirty of them. Most likely the same group we saw yesterday at the fort. Then a few minutes later we saw another large group of 30 or more motorcycles going in the opposite direction. Today was a beautiful day for a ride.
A deer ran across the road a few hundred feet in front of us. We were glad it kept running. That is the first one we have seen in a long time.
Finally saw an Amish buggy. A guy was going in the opposite direction from us. Couldn’t get the phone ready for a picture fast enough.
Fort Stanwix National Monument is in the town of Rome New York. It is much smaller than Fort Ticonderoga and has a wooden outer wall. We didn’t spend much time here. Oh yes the site is free.
We ate lunch at Wendy’s nearby and then went to the Aldi grocery store across the street. Connie is not a big fan of Aldi’s. The prices on what they have are usually good but they may not have the items you are looking for. They also usually have an aisle of stuff that has little or nothing to do with a grocery store. It obviously has good prices because most of the customers are seniors.
The town of Rome used to be an industrial hub. Now it seems run down. Many buildings have been deserted as have the houses. An air base used to be here but it is long gone. The base was the site of Woodstock ‘99. The event was to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the original Woodstock. This one was a disaster for many reasons.
We decided not to stay here but to continue a little further. We did see another Amish buggy. This time a mother and two children were stopped at some kind of store. The horse was harnessed but not hooked to the buggy.
A little further down the road was a small yard sign that said “Trumpless again”.
Further yet there was a Model A parked in a lot. Pretty tough shape so you might get a good deal. Definitely needs a paint job and maybe an engine. This was the first Model A we have seen on the trip.
Turns out our hotel has a guest laundry so we decided to get that done again. The washer cost $1.00 and the dryer seems to be free. Time will tell.
Spoffords Travel 