Northward Bound

We arrived at Lakewood Park around 2 and spent three hours or so wolfing down beers and bratwurst to give us a solid foundation of fortifications for the trip ahead. This was my 2nd trip to the Bavarian Beer Festival of this summer. Once satisfied, as much as sober drinking would allow; it was off to Scranton to spend the night at Sil’s relatives (the Rowan’s I believe). I hope Sil doesn’t have a memory of me misbehaving at his cousins house … I believe I behaved.

Our second attraction was the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, NY. This would be our first exposure to the rustic life of the camper as we rolled into Cooperstown and immediately pitched a tent on the outskirts of town at a KAO Campground. Let me tell you, Sil wasn’t much of an outdoorsman then (he may or may not be now) but compared to Phil & I he was an Eagle Scout. Somehow the three of us got a tent up. Mostly Sil. We then proceeded in to Mecca to tour the Hall of Fame. To put the time period in perspective this was before such stars of our youth as Ernie Banks, Eddie Mathews, Al Kaline, Willie Mays, Bob Gibson, or Frank Robinson had been inducted. Coincidentally (in retrospect), it was the very year that the greatest player inducted since the first class was inducted - the great Oscar Charleston. Charelston was so good, and his career in the Negro Leagues so long, that he was known as the Black Ty, the Black Tris, compared to the great DiMaggio and finally (when Charlie was now a manager only with an occassional pinch hit appearence) compared to Willie Mays. In truth and without a hint of performance enhancers, Charleston stole more career bases than any other Negro Leaguer while being one of the leading power hitters of the segregated era. After touring the Hall of Fame we hit a few pubs in the lovely village before heading to the campsite.

Next day we headed north, stopping at historic Fort Ticonderoga before moving on to the base camp - Burlington, VT - apparently another campsite. That darn Sil turned out to be a regular Daniel Boone. While in Burlington we attended a screening of Bingo Long & his Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings.