Re: The (Old) Hippie Tour
The Old Hippie Tour Schedule
Us old hippies are taking a “trip” and nobody wants a “bummer”. So I goggled a map from the interweb and plotted out a route. I have found, however, that goggle maps and GPMS units sometimes vary, so am providing the via points for everyone to set their own GPMS units to the settings as listed below for each part of the trip, and we should all end up at the same places with our sanity and marital status intact. (For those who need to know and can’t guess, Mario will explain why it’s a GPMS rather than just a GPS). I’ve done my best to avoid highways, and hope that the roads won’t be too remote – especially through the Dogpatch regions of the Catskills. But the twisties and hills will be a blast and should provide enough thrills to last a week or so. Bring your video cameras – you may want to relive this a few times. Or have proof that it happened – at our age there won’t be any “flashbacks”. And in case you haven’t been to the U.S. for a while, bring your passports, too.
Here are some cell phone numbers – if you need help, need to stop along the way – anything at all, you can call us en route and we’ll make sure that no one gets left too far behind.
John & Sue McGavin 613-914-8770
Tony G. & Gaia 416-418-1911
Ron & Jenny Singer 814-599-4250
Norm Allaire 416-580-2867
So set your GPMS to fun (and to “avoid toll roads and highways”) and here we go:
Day One, Saturday May 19 – Start with an empty tank!!!
1)8:15 a.m. – depart Tim Horton’s, Prescott Ontario. 925 Edward St Prescott ON, K0E 1T0. 8:30 a.m. to the bridge to Ogdensburg, NY
2)Before crossing the border a stop at the Duty Free shop should be in order. Refreshments for our evening enjoyment? Buy a little something to take home?
3)Now we’ll all fill up with gas at the Ogdensburg Sunoco Station off Hwy 37 at the Canton turnoff – good gas at US prices – and we all start with a full tank so that we know how far everyone can travel.
4)Drive to Adirondack Hotel, Long Lake, NY, for Lunch. 1245 Main Street, Route 30N, PO Box 355, Long Lake, NY 12847-0355 518-624-4700 Approx. driving time – 2.5 hrs. They’ll be waiting for us.
5)Head to Howard Johnson 2764 Route 32 Saugerties, NY12477 (845) 246-9511. The route will be via Long Lake to Amsterdam to Esperance (somewhere along this way we’ll stop for a pee break and more gas) to Durham to Windham to Hunter to West Saugerties and the hotel. Woodstock is just up the road, and is a hippie haven if ever there was one. The festival wasn’t held here, but don’t tell the local business owners. Tinker St. is lined with shops still making their living with tie dyed shirts and peace sign sales. Many stores are also like shrines to The Band. Stuck in the Sixties or what! (Like me?)
6)Evening – we’re booked into the Bear Café www.bearcafe.comfor some fine dining at 6:30 p.m., and then next door to the Bearsville Theatre for a performance by Vonda Shepard. Check her out at http://vondashepard.com/ I have paid the $30.00 per ticket in advance but the Theatre gave us a deal - 11 tickets for the price of 10. We’ll have a draw to see who gets the free one. All names put into a pot & drawn one at a time. A little suspense – the last name remaining wins. Everyone else owes me $30.00 US each. Bear Café – 1-845-679-5555 Bear Theatre - (845) 679 4406
Day Two, Sunday May 20
1)8:30 a.m. depart Woodstock to Bethel Woods Museum (actual 1969 Woodstock Festival site) Adults - $15.00
Seniors (65 years and older) - $13.00 200 HURD ROAD, BETHEL, NY 12720 This might just be the best part of the road trip. We’ll go via the hotel to Woodstock to West Hurley to West Shokan to the Bethel Woods Museum along a treed route through more hills and turns that will rival the dragon. Bethel Woods is where the real 1969 Woodstock festival took place, and the museum is built on the actual site. I’m sure that you’ll be able to satisfy any lingering tie-dyed needs here, too.
2)A full tank of gas, lunch & around a 12:30 departure for Watkins Glen in the Finger Lakes (Home of NASCAR Racetrack & site of 2nd major pop festival featuring The Band – larger than Woodstock but not as famous). A great spot for group pictures with the racetrack in background. Thunder Road Tour check in is at 4:30 p.m. and track time is 5 p.m. 2790 County Route 16 Watkins Glen, NY 14891. Our route is simple - via Bethel Woods to Johnson City to Owego (not Oswego – that’s tomorrow) to Watkins Glen Speedway.
3)Lodging at Anchor Inn & Marina 607-535-4159. 3425 Salt Point Road Watkins Glen, New York 14891 . Dinner location TBD and a pleasant relaxing evening. The previous days’ stop at the duty free store will likely prove beneficial here.
Day Three, Monday, May 21
1)9 a.m. – depart Watkins Glen & head north towards Oswego.
2)Stop at Waterloo Outlet Mall on the top of Lake Seneca if you’re so inclined. 655 Route 318, Waterloo, NY 13165.SOCO Group may want to split off at I90 & go west under Lake Ontario - cross for home at Buffalo/Niagara Falls
3)EOCO Group & any others with time continue around Lake Ontario eastern shore past Sackett’s Harbour to cross on the ferry at Cape Vincent to Wolfe Island to Kingston & home
Thanks, everyone, for buying into this weekend. It wouldn’t be the same without you!
Mario & Shelley - Dinner, Theatre, & Thunder Road
Tony & Gaia - Dinner, Theatre, & Thunder Road
Norm & Marisol - Dinner, Theatre, & Thunder Road
Jerry & Gwen - Dinner, Theatre, & Thunder Road
Pierre - Dinner & Theatre, & Thunder Road
Ron & Jenny - Dinner, & Thunder Road
John & Suzanne - Dinner, Theatre, & Thunder Road
Any last minute additions? C’mon – everyone is welcome!
Last edited by Ottawa John; 05-17-2012 at 07:46 AM.