Washington County Guide: May 2009 Archives

The Lakes to Locks Passage was established in 2002 by the New York State Legislature as a New York State Byway, and designated the same year as an All-American Road by the Federal Highway Administration (one of 25 nationally). The Byway follows the interconnected waterway of the Upper Hudson River, Champlain Canal, Lake George, Lake Champlain, Richelieu River and Chambly Canal through six Counties in New York State: Rensselaer, Saratoga, Washington, Warren, Essex, and Clinton.

One of the primary goals of the Lakes to Locks Passage is to promote an awareness of local history and the significance of the interconnected waterway now known as Lakes to Locks Passage to the local community and to the many tourists who visit the area each year. In Washington County, there are a wide range of Lakes to Lock's sites that one can visit including but not limited to:

The Old Fort House Museum - Built in 1772 as a private residence with timbers taken from the ruins of the fortification of Fort Edward. The fort was built to guard the upper Hudson Valley by the British during the French and Indian War. It served as the staging ground for invasion northward into French Canada. The old fort house is the focal point of a museum campus which includes five additional buildings also open to the public. One of these contains a significant display of the 1750's fort including a number of artifacts from the fort and surrounding areas.

Heritage Center - The Slate Valley Museum is the official Heritage Center of the Lakes to Locks Passage. The Heritage Centers provide an orientation to the community theme; identify the location of interpreted sites, nearby attractions and adjacent communities; visitor services information and public restrooms.

Whitehall Canal Harbor Park - The new "Canal Harbor" includes lengthy new seawalls with boat utilities, large park, watercraft launch, and general recreation area - a beautiful addition to a graceful colonial waterfront town. All in walking distance of Amtrak, the town center, and Lake Champlain!

The Old Burial Ground - Salem's oldest cemetery is said to hold the largest number of graves of Revolutionary War soldiers in the state. Tradition says that a hundred bodies were brought from the Saratoga battlefield and buried here in a common grave.

For more details on these and other wayfaring communities within the Lakes to Locks Passage in Washington County, visit http://www.lakestolocks.com/waypointcommunities.cfm.

In Greenwich, it takes about 8 minutes to make one batch of homemade ice cream at the Ice Cream Man. Each batch equals 10 gallons of delicious ice cream which is then sold from the firm's Log Cabin, on Route 29.

The Ice Cream Man uses the old fashioned batch method of production, Fresh Cream, and the best ingredients they can find. The result is that they produce the highest quality most distinctive flavors of hard and soft ice cream in the county.

The Ice Cream Man is open during the summers every day from 11:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Besides ice cream, visitors can purchase ice cream cakes, pies, soup and sandwiches. The Ice Cream Man became famous in 2007 when it was the host site for a "Throwdown with Bobby Flay" of the Food Network.

For more details, to order or online, or directions to the Ice Cream Man, please visit www.the-ice-cream-man.com.

It's Washington County's own "acoustic sunrise." Every Saturday, starting June 20th, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., visitors and residents alike can shop a local farmer's market while enjoying the acoustic sounds of local entertainers. The Summer Sounds of Salem takes place on Salem's Main Street and is being sponsored by area merchants and the Glens Falls National Bank.

The list of performers includes: Raychel Cuite Trio, Rich Wirsing, Bluegrassic Park, Johnny Hancock, Al & Kathy Bain, Dirty Old Strings, Matt McCabe, Woodchuck's Revenge, Ramblin Jug Stompers, Zuela, and Moe Harrington & White Chapel Band. The final acoustic concert will take place on Saturday, August 29th. The Summer Sounds of Salem is part of the 2009 Journey to Washington County where life is the journey. For more information, please visit www.washingtoncounty.org.

On June 19, 20, and 21st, the Whipple City Festival will bring together residents and visitors alike to celebrate the 200th Birthday of Greenwich, in Washington County, New York. This celebration of community begins with a parade on Friday evening, a country craft fair on Saturday and Sunday, a 5K road race through the quaint country roads of Greenwich, free live music all weekend, a family carnival and games, horse and wagon rides, and so much more.

One of the highlights of this celebration takes place on Saturday, June 20th, when Radio Disney performs for the entire family, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. For more details, please visit the Greater Greenwich Chamber of Commerce's website at www.greenwichchamber.org.

In a historic 1790 home in the hamlet of Kingsbury, a Crazy dream has come true for Hilary Cooper-Kenny. Utilizing leftover products of the textile industry and antique looms, old blue jeans and millends, she manufactures functional, durable and beautiful floor coverings while fabric remnants become fashionable rag bags.

While Crazy as a Loom is a working studio, visitors are always welcome. There are literally tons of fabric, and many projects in progress at all times. It is all about color and texture. With 13 antique looms, 10,000 pounds of fabric and 2,600 square feet in which to work, visitors will be treated to the rhythmic sounds of old looms doing their job, treadles to floor, harnesses raised, beaters packing the weft and the opportunity to weave their way into one of Washington County's formerly best kept secrets.

For more details, please visit www.crazyasaloom.com.

For over a century, the Washington County Fair has been a showcase of ingenuity and innovation. A unique opportunity for the Washington County community to come together to celebrate its agricultural heritage. Best of all, everyone's invited to the Fair Grounds, in Greenwich, August 24th - August 30th, 2009, to experience all of the excitement.

4-H displays, great rides, food, entertainment and more animals than you can imagine. Tractor pulls, a demolition derby, a firefighter show, dog agility demonstrations, and an ATV pull are just a few of the special events that take place on the fairgrounds. Visit the fair's website at www.washingtoncountyfair.com to join the countdown to the fair, to get directions, or just to learn more.