Traveling Through New York State With Trucker Mike

to NY Page Two

to NYC

Except for the section bordering Lake Erie, western New York is very similar to the part of Pennsylvania where I live - rolling hills checkered with farm fields and woods.  New York has something more, though ... the Finger Lakes.  They were given this name because when you see them on a map, they look vaguely like the spread fingers of a hand, long and narrow and generally stretching north and south.  If I remember correctly, they were formed by ancient glaciers that scoured grooves in the land. All of the lakes have Indian names - Oneida, Cayuga, Seneca, Canandaigua, Keuka. This is a tremendous vacation and resort area and home to some fine wineries.

Products taken into New York State: rolls of aluminum sheeting, books, upholstered furniture, plastic bottle caps, extruded aluminum.  Products taken out of New York State: corrugated boxes, canned sauerkraut, books, fruit juices, electric appliance motors and components, plastic bags and packaging materials.

Rows of grape arbors along I.90 in western New York.

A glimpse of Conesus Lake, one of the smaller lakes in western New York.

The electricity generating at Niagara Falls means there are many power lines and towers all over the landscape, but that does not detract from the beauty and impressiveness of the Niagara River Gorge.

Assignment: 1. Which major North-South and East-West highways cross New York State?

2. What 2 bodies of water are connected by the Niagara River?

3. Name three major crops of western New York.

4. Locate the Finger Lakes on a map.

Niagara River

 See the song title, the artist, the recording date and Then and Now pictures of the singer or group at www.mikiemetric.com .

The Luna moth in the picture below is a reminder of a troubled trip.  I was delivering a small truck from Buffalo to Connecticut (see picture above). I made a personal stop at a rest area on NY 17. When I was ready to hit the road again, the truck would not start.  I called for help and while waiting for the tow truck to arrive, I discovered the large green moth lying on the shelf of an open phone booth. It was a cool morning, probably in the 40's, and the moth was very sluggish.  I managed to trap the critter (it fluttered around a lot) and put it on my car seat, thinking to take it to my niece who collected such things.  When I checked in my car later, the moth had disappeared.  I finally located it under the seat and chased it out into the open.  Since it seemed to be more lively, I carried it away from the vehicles and tossed it into the air.  The Luna dipped a little, then flapped its wings mightily and headed for the nearby trees.  I finished my trip mothless.