Aching in Acra, Fighting off Medusa, Zooming to Zoar

We are heading out to the Finger Lakes purely to capture Z to A towns. I did throw some National Historic Landmarks just because they were on the way. This is going to be our first short longish trip of the year, some 850 or so miles in the 2 days.  Pictures are clickable and will enlarge

We traveled all the way out to New York via the Mass Pike and I 90 over the Castleton Bridge. First stop is Ravena NY, target is a welding place.

Having left about 7:30 and being ravished in Ravena, we stopped at the Ravena Diner for breakfast. Nothing real special about this diner. Good food, ok prices and was just there. There was no other place we passed by in the next hour, where I said "Darn we should of waited".

I been taking a lot of run down / collapsing buildings lately. They are just neat. Today is to be no different. I passed this and then passed the turn I was suppose to take to the next town, so I had to make a U-Turn anyways and not to let a U-Turn go to waste I went back for this barn.

This one involved no U-Turn, I was dead square in front of me.

 

I could tell MeAsWe was struggling getting on and off the bike. It was at this point we started discussing heading back home and cutting the trip shore. MeAsWe said lets go a little further and see whats up.

 

We grabbed Acra and I pulled out the map of where we were and how far we had to go. We were into this trip at right around 180 miles, with 140 miles to go we at 10+ stops.  I said to MeAsWe  the next stop is our drop dead do or die go or no go stop.

 

 

 Medusa reared here ugly head but we stopped and got pictures anyways. Population right around 400, first settled in 1786 by Uriah Hall and his son. This is the Medusa General Store and also is the post office.

 

 

Having the feeling this was gonna be our turn around point I headed into the store to see what it look like. Pretty neat place. The shelves reminded me of the store my mother would shop in the 50's.

 

 

The original owners I presume

 

 

The complete outside view

 

 

The neighborhood. Right across the street.

 

 

 

 

Out came the map and programming to be done on the GPS. Yup we are heading back at this point. MeAsWe is really hurtin. I am sure we could have lasted the day, however we had all day tomorrow to hit up places too. Looking at the little map I could see the miles would be essentially the same if we headed for North Adams to get home. We this we could pick up Florida, Zoar and Zylonite. Ok most of you MA riders know Florida Zoar, but how about the 3rd one. I know of one NER that does.

 

 

Picked up a couple of Post Offices for waymarking on the way. These were stops but no getting off, just shoot from the bike.  MeAsWe was ok with this.

 



 

This one use to be a school house. District 5,  I think. We are on route 2 in New York and will ride all the way into Williamstown on this 2. What a nice road. Very scenic. 

 

 

There was something about this bridge I liked, not sure what is was but its there.

 

 

We hit Williamstown and saw this little house on a common. I figured it just had to be on the register, so we rounded the roundabout and parked in the library driveway.

 

 

Come to find out that this was built with tools for the 1700's  for some celebration. Still neat thou. Right behind the library are some rather sizable homes. This one is for sale. I can't imagine how much it is. Too bad they didn't have an open house.

 

 

Break over we head looking for Zylonite. I found where it is and maybe a sign, but this one gonna remain a secret. Did get this really neat Green House. Full resolution picture can be found HERE

 

 

With the Zy town grabbed only 2 targets left. Florida and Zoar. First hit was in Florida was a bust. The library does not say Florida. Back on RT 2 the Mohawk Trail and the fire station is presented to us head on.

 

One more to go. An easy one. I have been here a couple of times for Chases.

 

 

With this we have no more stops. Garmin is trying to route us down I91 to the Mass Pike. I figure a nice leisurely ride across RT 2 and then down RT 122 and home is a much better way. Had to stop in Charlemont for this joint. The size of this place is immense for a general store, built in 1855.

 

 

There was construction along RT 2 making quite a few of the bridges one lane. Each one had one of those portable stop lights. Grabbed the last photo of the day. I had a feeling there was something special about this school. This is oldest one room school house in Massachusetts and it is the second oldest one room school house in the US. Built in 1828, it had its last class in 1944.

 

 

Well there was one more stop, McDonalds in Greenfield for a bit to eat. I had one those Pomegranate / Blueberry smoothies. MeAsWe warned me it was gonna give me a massive headache like they usually do. As usual she was right, but we were one with the pain. Her shoulder, my head. Mine went away and I finished the smoothie with a spoon. We pulled right around 7:15 clocking just shy of 400 miles.