The Biologist's Great Escape - October 30-November 3, 2010

After an hellacious six months working on oil spill response, the Biologist was in major need of an escape from the realities of everyday life.  Due to a full class schedule at the University of North Florida, the Marine couldn't join the Biologist, so she took off on her own for her great waymarking escape (thanks to a free flight from United Airlines!).

Troy Gasholder House

Day 1:  The Marine took the Biologist to the airport bright and early and off she flew to Albany, New York.  Upon arrival she didn't waste any time, but picked up her rental car and made tracks to the nearby city of Troy to find the historic Troy Gasholder House that used to house a Gasometer.  According to a New York Historical Marker at the site, "Within this 19th century structure was a telescoping iron tank that stored manufactured coal gas until needed to illuminate streets and buildings in Troy."  How cool is that?  This interesting building was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1971.

Historic Newtonville Marker

By now it was time to head back to Albany for a little waymarking before it got dark and was time to check into the hotel where the Biologist had reservations for the night.  She found several New York Historical Markers including one about Historic Newtonville at a U.S. Post Office that was formerly a Baptist Church.  This Old Church and Dated Building was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1973.  She also found a New York Historical Marker (which was also a Community Commemoration) for Townsend Park, a Municipal Park where a nice Spanish-American War Memorial (which was also a Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculpture) and a Non-Specific Veterans Memorial were located.

District No. 6 School

Day 2:  Time to leave Albany and make tracks for Massachusetts, but not before stopping at yet another New York Historical Marker for the old District No. 6 School, a Former School and One-Room Schoolhouse, which according to Wikipedia was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2008.  After making a stop in the charming little town of Grafton, New York, and checking out the World War II, Vietnam War, and Korean War Memorials, as well as two Old Churches, Baptist and Methodist, with nice Bell Towers, it was time to cross the border into Massachusetts.

Bascom Lodge

First stop in Massachusetts was Ashford and its Town Hall and Former One-Room Schoolhouse.  Then it was time to head to the Biologist's first real target in Massachusetts in the town of Becket.  However, she didn't get far before spotting a sign to Mount Greylock State Reservation, the First State Reservation in Massachusetts (a First of its Kind).  Hmm... wonder what's there?  Maybe a little detour wouldn't hurt...  Along the way she spotted a Massachusetts Historical Marker about the Rockwell Road to Greylock and about 20 minutes later she arrived at the Mountain Summit of Mount Greylock, the Geographic High Point in Massachusetts where she signed the Summit Register located in the Bascom Lodge.  This Lodge-Style Accomodation was partially constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935-1938 and is a Contributing Building to the Mount Greylock Summit Historic District, which was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1998.

Veterans War Memorial Tower

An Orientation Table near the lodge and an outdoor topographic display with a Compass Rose would have been very helpful had the fog not started rolling in as soon as the Biologist reached the summit. However, that didn't stop her from checking out the Massachusetts Veterans War Memorial Tower, a Non-Specific Veterans Memorial located on the summit.  According to Wikipedia, this Land-Locked Lighthouse, which is also a Contributing Building in the Historic District, was built in 1931-32 at a cost of $200,000. According to an Elevation Sign on the memorial, Mount Greylock is 3,491 feet in elevation.  A network of hiking trails traverse the mountain, including the 2,179-mile Appalachian Trail along which the Biologist spotted several Appalachian Trail signs, as well as a large rock with the writing of Henry David Thoreau Etched in Stone on it.  Wow, this place was awesome and well worth a detour, wouldn't you say?

Becket Town Pound

Back on track now, the Biologist continued her journey to Becket and only made a couple more stops, including a quick stop at an Arizona Pizza restaurant with a Kokopelli picture depicted on its sign. People in the restaurant thought she was acting a little Cuckoo for Kokopelli, but that didn't bother her in the least. Finally she reached Becket, a small town in Massachusetts with two Historic Districts on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, as well as several nice Contributing Buildings, including the Becket Anthenaeum, an historic library with a Dead Poet's Society Memorial, a Citizen Memorial, and a large map, which was constructed as an Eagle Scout Project to show the locations of key historic spots in the town. One of the historic locations depicted on this map was the pièce de résistance and the main reason for the Biologist's visit to this little town...the historic Town Pound.  This stone structure was built in the 18th century and stray animals were taken there and held until taken away by owners after paying costs. Before leaving town, the Biologist stopped at the First Congregational Church.  This Old Church had a small Churchyard Cemetery, a Worldwide Cemetery where she spotted a couple of American Revolutionary War Veteran Graves.

Silhouette Sculpture in Hadley

After seeing most of what there was to see in Becket, the Biologist left town and started making her way to Hadley for the night.  She spotted a strange little building along the road in Chester and stopped to check it out.  It was at the base of a road leading to a Worldwide Cemetery and was a Mausoleum that was built by the Works Progress Administration in 1935-1936.  Within the cemetery were a couple of Improved Order of Red Men grave sites and a Sundial.  Continuing on to Hadley, the Biologist checked into her hotel and then grabbed some dinner at the Route 9 Diner, an Independent Diner with a Neon Sign.  On the way back to the hotel, she spotted a cute Silhouette Sculpture of a dog and a few Contributing Buildings in the Hadley Center Historic District.

Montague Horse Trough & Upping Stone

Day 3:  After departing Hadley this morning, the Biologist passed through the small town of Leverett where she spotted another Town Pound!  These simple old stone structures are so interesting.  Continuing on, the Biologist saw a sign for the Montague Center Historic District, which was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2001.  Well, who could pass that up?  Here she spotted a cast iron horse trough and Upping Stone in the old Town Common and a Hitching Post across the street from the First Congregational Church of Montague.  This Old Church had a Unique Steeple, Bell Tower, and Town Clock, and is a Contributing Building in the Historic District. On leaving Montague, what should the Biologist see but another Former One-Room Schoolhouse.  They seem to be all over the place here in the Northeast.

Westminster Hitching Post

The next interesting place along the way was the town of Westminster where the Biologist spotted yet another Town Pound with a Hitching Post by the Town Common.  In the town proper were a few Old Churches and one Roman Catholic Church with a nice Coat of Arms above the main entrance and a Monarch of the World and Citizen Memorial on its grounds.  The Biologist next came to the town of Townsend and decided to spend a little time wandering around the Town Square, which has a Gazebo that was the subject of an Eagle Scout Project in its center.  Also in the Town Square was a nice American Civil War Memorial that is also a Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculpture.  Numerous other waymarks were ripe for the picking in this town, but the Biologist had a limited amount of time before she needed to make tracks for New Hampshire.

Northeast Velodrome

The first stop in New Hampshire was the Northeast Velodrome in Londonderry, a former race car track now used as a track for learning how to bike race.  Then it was time to head for Brattleboro for the night.  Of course, it wasn't that simple because there were quite a few distractions along the way.  While driving through Dublin, the Biologist spotted a street sign for Old Pound Road and had to check it out.  And, you guessed it!  There was yet another Town Pound, but this one had a New Hampshire Historical Marker with information about it.  After stopping for one more New Hampshire Historical Marker, the Biologist arrived at her hotel just before nightfall.  After a quick meal, she made it an early night.

Royal Diner

Day 4:  Today the Biologist continued heading west with the goal of spending the final night of her great escape back in Albany, New York.  She spotted the Royal Diner, a vintage Dining Car Restaurant with a cool Neon Sign, as she passed through West Brattleboro.  Shortly after she entered the state of Vermont and stopped at a small Cemetery along the way where she found a nice Zinc Headstone.  Then on to the town of Wilmington, Vermont, where she found a couple of Contributing Buildings in the Wilmington Village Historic District, which was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1980.  She also spotted a 1938 High Level Mark on the Wilmington Town Hall.  Cool!  After checking out the historic Restland Cemetery, where the Biologist found a couple more Zinc Headstones, and after finding numerous other waymarks in town, she continued on her way.

Greenwich Cemetery Death Mask

Soon she entered the state of New York where she found many New York Historical Markers throughout the day and made stops for several waymarks in the towns of Cambridge (including six of 20 American Revolutionary War Veteran Graves in the Old White Church Cemetery) and Greenwich (including more Zinc Headstones, a Death Mask Gravestone, and a few Broken Column Headstones).  Also in Greenwich was the Ice Cream Man, an Ice Cream Parlor that was the site of a "Throwdown with Bobby Flay" of the Food Network in 2007 (making it a Diners, Drive-ins and Drives waymark).  Sweet!

Columbian Spring

The next stop was Saratoga Springs, where the Biologist checked out the Saratoga Gas, Electric Light and Power Company Complex, which was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2001. It includes two brick buildings: a substation building and a Gasometer or gas holder house.  Since these structures are so rare in the United States, she didn't waymark this Gasometer, but she's ready to visit it once someone else claims it!  She also visited Congress Park, an Olmsted Designed Park with several Natural Springs, a Spring House, a Carousel, Cycling Routes, Donated Engraved Bricks and Pavers, World War I Memorial, American Civil War Memorial, a History Museum, and a few other waymarks.  The Biologist only made a few more stops on the way down to Albany, then it was time to check into her last hotel of the trip and prepare for the next day's flight home.

Hawley Mausoleum - Albany Rural Cemetery

Day 5:  Today was the final day of the Biologist's great escape.  It was time for her to head home and start posting all the waymarks she'd found during the trip.  However, she woke up early and decided to find just a few more waymarks before heading for the airport.  She discovered that the historic Albany Rural Cemetery was nearby and decided to check it out.  This was by far the most amazing cemetery the Biologist had ever seen.  It didn't hurt that the fall foliage was still at peak and the beautiful reds, yellows, and oranges of the leaves on the old hardwood trees in the cemetery were stunning.  She found several Broken Column Headstones and beautiful Mausoleums before she needed to head out.

While this trip may not have been relaxing, it was the perfect way for the Biologist to de-stress.  It was an excellent escape and just what she needed.