The trip from Hammondsport, NY to Cooperstown was to be only a little over three hours so we decided to take advantage of the beautiful morning to search out a few waterfalls in the area before we headed to Cooperstown.
The first was very easy to find. It was in the Village of Montour Falls, a short drive from Hammondsports. The large waterfall is called Shequaga Falls and you can see it as you drive down Main Street. At the end of the street is a nice little park and you can enjoy the falls close up.
The falls is a 156 foot multi-tiered spectacle. The name comes from the Seneca word meaning "tumbling waters." We noticed that there were lights that probably light it up at night.
With a little more searching, we located Watkins Glen State Park where we saw there was a falls named Rainbow Falls. When we pulled into the entrance (we discovered later it wasn't the main entrance) we stopped to pay the $10 fee for the car.
The girl in the booth was so much fun. We paid our fee and she pulled out a map of the trails when we asked about Rainbow Falls. To our surprise, she said there were actually nineteen falls along the Gorge Trail. The map she showed us was more than we wanted to navigate, we just wanted to see the Rainbow Falls. She took that one back and handed us another to show where the falls was. Bob asked if the trail was wheelchair accessible. She laughed and said not really. He explained we were old and wanted an easy walk. She smiled sweetly and pointed to the map. "That is the easy trail. It's okay I'm used to working with an advanced generation." Advanced generation? What a clever way to say "old people."
The "easy" trail presented us with a slew of steps and then one very long stairway of stone before we could actually get to the Rainbow Falls. We turned around. The Gorge Trail goes up and down and all around through a gorge that has 200 foot sedimentary cliffs. It is very interesting and much more of a challenge than my knees were ready for. We enjoyed the scenery and made our way back to the car.
Again the day was sunny and the autumn colors absolutely at their peak. We passed through forest and farmland and small towns before arriving at Cooperstown and discovering that it was a quaint little place on a lake as well.
The Inn at Cooperstown was a recommended stay and it did not disappoint. The Inn itself is on the historic registry and dates back to 1874. It was originally an annex to a posh hotel, Fenimore, that was located across the street. As most historic buildings do, the inn went through many phases as a home, offices and apartments. In 1985, it was purchased and renovated to open as the Inn at Cooperstown. It received new owners in 2022 who say they are dedicated to preserving the inn and genuine hospitality for all who stay there.
The room was comfortable and the ensuite bathroom had a nice shower. The only bad thing for us was that we were on the third floor. It was a long climb. The host who checked us in carried our suitcase up for us with no problem. He said it was his way to exercise.
Downstairs in the main area were two rooms set up for breakfast and two separate sitting rooms, one which held games and books. The other sitting room had a nice big Keurig and quite an assortment of K cups, along with a hot pot for water for tea.
Once we were settled, we set out to explore. It was said to be a short walk down Main Street to get to the Baseball Hall of Fame so we decided to explore along the way and get our bearings for the day at the HOF to follow. Before we knew it, we were at Doubleday Field. We were soon to learn that Abner Doubleday was not the founder of baseball.
Abner Doubleday was a U.S. Civil War general who was falsely accredited by the Mills Commission with inventing it in 1839. It actually existed long before then in one form or another and had not begun to be organized until The New York Knickerbocker Baseball Club codified rules to the game.
We peeked into the field which is rather a small one and not a lot of seating for many spectators. There are ballgames played there by various organizations. The entry is certainly impressive though.
A little further down the road, we found the Baseball Hall of Fame and stepped into the entryway just to check it out. It was due to close in an hour and we were saving our time there for the next day. We did wander through the gift shop which was a bit pricey as is most MLB merchandise. I saw a T shirt but I wasn't about to pay $40 for it. Guess I'm cheap.
It was too early for dinner so we wandered down to the park by Otsego Lake and enjoyed the water views. On our map it showed a historical marker a little farther along the shore so we walked down some more side streets and found our way to Council Rock Park. It was a tiny little park but had a place to sit and rest. Out in the water was a smooth protruding rock called the Council Rock where it was said that the Mohawk tribes along with several others used the area as a meeting place. It was immortalized in James Fenimore Cooper's The Pioneers.
By the way, Cooperstown was named for its founder, Judge William Cooper, who founded the town in the 1780s. He was the father of the author, James Fenimore Cooper.
Why Cooperstown for the location of the hall of fame? Perhaps it had to do with Doubleday who attended school in Cooperstown. Another story we heard was that the Doubleday myth was a basis for securing the HOF in Cooperstown. The myth was built up and the town needed the economic boost because of the war. Whatever the reasoning and even though Doubleday has been "outed", the place is a perfect spot and a most enjoyable visit.
Unfortunately we would not walk into the HOF with a Guardians win. But we did receive a lot of sympathy.
