(WBNG Binghamton) Action News is taking you on a trip this summer,
showing you some fun things to do not far from home. This week, we hit the interstate to journey up the I-88 Corridor.
Stowaway on an afternoon train ride from Milford to Cooperstown and back.
"Our depot was built in 1869. The train that we ride on now is a 1956 engine S-4 Alco and our coaches are 1926 Erie Lackawanna Coaches," says Fran Puffer, a Conductor on the Cooperstown & Charlotte Valley Railroad. "Our commissary car is our oldest. She's 1916 and she's a Delaware Hudson."
Meet her during the week, or on a weekend.
The train departs from the Milford Station on East Main Street at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday during the week. You can hop aboard for seasonal themes as well.
"Every other Saturday, we have a train robbery, with black powder," says Puffer.
Step off the train in Cooperstown to take in a breathtaking view.
Author James Fenimore Cooper wrote about the mirror-like surface of Otsego Lake, faming it in literature as "Glimmerglass."
"A lot of what happens here during the summer is related to our waterways," says Keith May, Vice President of Marketing with SFCU.
Cooperstown is also where the heart of baseball beats the loudest.
Come explore the history of our national past time at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
"We all have memories whether we're in Philadelphia, Houston, or LA, any part of the globe, to tie back to this game," says Brad Horn, Senior Director of Communications and Education at the Hall of Fame. "There's a moment in time where we were all present for. Whether we're there physically or just knowing about it through headlines."
The Hall is preparing for Induction Weekend to introduce the class of 2011 -- Roberto Alomar, Bert Blyvleven and Pat Gillick. The fun is set to kick off Friday July 22 and runs through the weekend.
Just around the corner, live and learn the stories of 1840's America at the Farmer's Museum.
"We have about 20 historic buildings on site. We have a great collection of historic textiles, and we have a wonderful collection of tools from the 19th century," says Erin Richardson, Director of Museum Collections.
And don't forget to take a spin through time.
1,000 volunteers and 20 years is what it took to design the Empire State Carousel, featuring 23 animals indigenous to New York State.
"All of our animals tell you about New York. Sam the bear here, has the Fingerlakes right on his saddle blanket... Even our state fish leaps around and you can ride on his back," explains Mary Quhn, Carousel Supervisor.
If you work up a thirst for something sweet, sip on cider from the 155-year-old Fly Creek Cider Mill.
"We store water as energy in our mill pond, we let it go down through the turbine and then spins the series of belts and shafts which powers out water powered, hydraulic press that we make all our sweet cider on," says Bill Michaels, Vice President and Co-Owner of the mill.
As you travel down the interstate, your next stop is Oneonta -- so why not take a break to dine?
Bistro on Main boasts a brand new bar, comfortable booth seating, local art and a fresh affordable menu.
"It's new, inventive, American cuisine. It's something different, it's something that this area doesn't have," says Chef Christopher MacLemon. One of the specialties? A tapas menu.
"...Small plates, American style. So the idea is for people to get 2 or 3, pass them around the table, as a social meal," says MacLemon.
Next up: Sidney, the birthplace of SFCU.
With 8 branches in Chenango, Delaware and Otsego counties and the Town of Colesville, the credit union has grown from just a handful of members to more than 46,000 today.
It hosts a big hometown parade on Main Street in June.
" It lasts about 2 hours, and we have over 70 units in the parade itself," says Keith May, VP of Marketing. "Probably about a mile and a half of wall to wall people,"
With so much to do -- you won't need a time machine to bring the past to life.
Next week, Action News is headed On The Road to the Upper Delaware Valley.
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