One of the things that has made this blog interesting for Luke and I is meeting so many different people, and making so many connections. Without the many folks we’ve had the opportunity to connect with so far, we wouldn’t have gotten to learn or do or see as much as we have. We’re very grateful for all the personal time, and sharing of personal stories and knowledge that you folks have passed on to us.
As you may or may not know, when we started this project we made a list of all the places we wanted to tell the story of, but recently we began noticing that the list was getting shorter. I think a year ago both Luke and I knew in the back of our minds we couldn’t write this blog forever, because we ultimately would just run out material. Now that our list is getting shorter and shorter, and our interest only continues to grow, we’ve decided to begin checking out some of the places that aren’t exactly historical, or oddly unique, but just a place that we’ve thought “hey, that looks cool, let’s go there!”
So, in the future, our posts may not be as lengthy and detailed in their storytelling, and there might not even be much of a story at all, but it might be a place that we feel was worth sharing with you folks nonetheless. As always, if there’s something that you think we need to see–share it with us!!!!! You can connect with us here by commenting, or, checkout our Facebook page here. We started the Facebook page as a way to avoid ‘spamming’ our personal friends on FB every week, but the page has turned in to more than just blog update posts–and we’d love for you to help us continue that evolution. We started this blog so you could follow along with our exploring and we hope you’re having as much fun reading as we are exploring!
There is a little mysterious Franciscan Friary at 3376 Mount Read Blvd, Rochester you might want to check out… Maybe you can give them a call and do a story about them
Excellent idea MJ! Thanks for the suggestion!
I don’t have any suggestions of places to visit–but wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your posts. You should publish them in a booklet or something. Janice Fitzpatrick
Thanks Janice. We’ve talked about someday turning the blog in to a book. Someday… Hope to see you at the book signing!
Great work from both of you guys. I enjoy reading about all of your adventures.
One place with history that might be a nice visit is Hendricks Chapel on the campus of Syracuse University. The building was a major part of the 1970 student strike at Syracuse, which was both the largest strike and the most peaceful in the US. If you get the chance, David Bennett is a Professor of History and was teaching at the time. He has some great stories about how the Chapel was used during the strike. Another place, also in Syracuse, is Temple Society Concord, which is believed to be the 9th Oldest Jewish house of worship in the US. And the rebuilt Gobind Sadan Sikh Temple in Palermo. This is a new structure, replacing the old one which was burned in an arson fire shortly after 9/11, and was covered by the documentary “North of 49.”
In the theme of places which might not have interesting side stories (as far as I’m aware) but would still be great visits: All Saints Episcopal Cathedral (Albany), Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Albany), Church of the Holy Innocents {originally Episcopal, now Russian Orthodox} (Albany), Newtonville United Methodist (Colonie), Historic Old St. John’s (Utica), Nelson Welsh Congregational Church (Nelson), Franciscan Church of the Assumption (Syracuse) and the United Church of Fayetteville (Fayetteville).
Darien,
I have read a bit about the Hendricks Chapel and am intrigued by it’s history, so do you know how to get into contact with David Bennett?
I think the best way to get in touch would be to contact the History Department first. He is semi-retired, so I don’t think he is in the office on a regular basis. If you are not able to get in touch with David, or if he is unavailable at the time you visit, call the Chapel itself. Someone on the staff might be available to show you around and explain some of the history. As long as nothing has changed since I left my job at SU in 2012, the building is usually open from 9am-10pm. So even if no one is available to show you around in person, the building itself should be open for you to explore.
Darien, thanks for reading, and really glad to hear you’re enjoying it as much as we enjoy posting. Those are all excellent suggestions, and a couple actually are currently on the schedule for this summer. I had no idea about the documentary ‘North of 49′–that sounds perfectly up our alley so I’ll have to find it right away and look more in to it.
Thanks for all these suggestions–they’re great!