2025-06-05 – Cazenovia, NY
We followed US-20 west from the Albany area to the village of Cazenovia. The drive passed through the lovely Cherry Valley Turnpike began with forest and small farms. The farms turned larger as the land began to flatten and we approached the Hudson River.
Cazenovia is a village set on a pretty lake of the same name about a half hour south of Syracuse, NY. We know this village as it formed the base for cross country trips with the Kick ‘n Gliders. But, “Why does it exist?” we wondered.
The first white land owner was a wealthy Dutchman named John Lincklaen, an agent of the Holland Land Company. He named the area and the lake after his boss, Theophile Cazenov.
Lincklaen sold land along with the vision that the area would become a prosperous industrial and trading center. Unfortunately, the Erie Canal, when constructed, bypassed the area and the big time development dream was shattered. The area’s beauty remains, though, and today it is principally known for it’s recreational and cultural opportunities.
The most famous event in Cazenovia’s history was the 1850 Fugitive Slave Convention, chaired by former slave Frederick Douglass, to consider how to react to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. That act, which required that all escaped slaves, upon capture, be returned to the slave-owner and that officials and citizens of free states had to cooperate. It was one of the factors that led to the founding of the Republican Party and the start of the American Civil War.
Notably, Cazenovia was one of the first places in the state to opt out of allowing retail cannabis sales in the village. So, while you are welcome to smoke a joint here, it’s a BYO town.
Arriving in town we drove the east side of the lake. The road is lined by large, beautiful homes. It was then time to claim our evening campsite, another Harvest Host brew pub, Meier’s Creek Brewing Co. This is a large, modern place with a restaurant, indoor and outdoor seating, disk golf and other amusements. They directed us to our spot for the night and we returned to give Bill a chance to sample the beer.
Then we headed for Chittenango Falls State Park, just north of town. The park features a beautiful, 167-foot waterfall that cascades over 400-million-year-old bedrock. Quite a sight to see from the bottom after descending the trail that leads there … and a bit of a climb back to the top.
Returning to Meier’s Creek we headed inside for dinner and drinks. Bill opted for pizza and Sandy for a beet salad. Both were excellent as was the wine and beer.
2025-06-06 – Cazenovia, NY
Lincklaen purchased land around a lake where he intended to build a summer home. That home, named Lorenzo is right next door to Meier’s Creek. It is now a NY State Historical Site.
We drove over and took a tour of the place. What a tour; we were the only visitors on it and it went nearly an hour and a half! For 160 years the house was home to five generations of the Lincklaen/Ledyard family. They then sold it to the state, complete with everything that was in it, cookware to grand piano including, even items in drawers and closets. The place is spectacular.
After the formal tour we spent some additional time in the visitor center looking over, especially, the collection of horse-drawn carriages and sleighs. It was raining steadily so we had to pass on the formal garden and arboretum.
From there we moved six whole miles to our next Harvest Host accommodation, The Shoppes at Johnny Appleseed. This place hosts about 65 artists and vendors selling a wide variety of antiques, new works and collectibles. We spent an hour or so browsing the offerings. However, we’re pretty limited on our ability to purchase anything large. We settled for a few greeting cards, a pot scrubber and a bottle of wine.
Returning to our camper we picked out and made reservations for our next couple of destinations. Then, settling in for the evening, we prepared a stir fry for dinner.
2025-06-07 – Cazenovia, NY
We woke to a soggy, foggy morning after an all night rain. Breakfast out in a cozy restaurant seemed a good idea and we headed into town to Dave’s Diner, the only diner in town.
Then we browsed through the Cazenovia Saturday Market set up along the sidewalk of Albany Street/US-12, the village’s main street. Also out in force was the Garden Club’s Spring Sale. The rain had stopped by then but it hadn’t deterred anyone from setting up shop. There were lots of beautiful flowers and vegetable plants for sale. Early spring vegetables and lots of honey were also in abundance.
Returning to Johnny Appleseed, we headed inside to partake of their weekend “Apple Kitchen”. They prepare and serve several homemade soups, signature grilled sandwiches and a variety of other goodies. Goodies include local wine, craft beers and other beverages. Our huge cups of chicken corn soup were delicious!
A visit to Stone Quarry Hill Art Park was also in order. The place is a 104-acre, outdoor sculpture park with four miles of trails and dozens of sculptures scattered about. We walked some of the paths to the works but the ground was saturated and our feet got pretty wet.
The home of Art Park founder, Dorothy Reister and her husband Robert, sits at the top of the park. A quirky kind of place, the artist-designed home is regarded as a midcentury gem now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Altogether, the park is a worthwhile visit.
Finally, it was back “home” to read, enjoy the sun that eventually came out along with a delightfully cool breeze.