Only the officers rode to battle, the rest walked.  Well today we all can ride to visit the historic battleground of, not one, but several battles at this location.  The first was in 1758 when a small
French garrison.  This is but a glimpse at what is to see at Fort Ticonderoga.  For if you are a reader of this blog, then you know I had a calamity while there - lost my phone.   That unfortunately distracted me from a thorough  enjoyment of my visit.  Perhaps on my ride up to Vermont I will stop by and do it justice.  There is a lot of history there to take in.  And the ride from Lake George along 9N is beautiful.  

As stated above, have a ride scheduled in August and plan of stopping again at the Fort; for I missed most of the exhibits. There is the Soldiers' Barracks, A fine collection of 18th Century weapons.  In fact it is said that For Ticonderoga has the finest artillery collection in North America.  They even have Musket firing demonstrations.  I did view the carpenter shop and the outdoor kitchen

And yes, the kitchen was making some kind of porridge and cornbread in the dirt oven.

A thumbnail of the history of the Fort.  Originally it was the French that established a small 
fort to overlook and protect  the river that connected Lake George and Lake Champlain.  Remember there were no roads then and everything had to be transported by waterways or carried overland.
As a sidebar here remember at the siege of Boston during the American Revolution;  in the dead of
Winter,1775 Henry Knox and his men moved the canon by hand and sled the 300 miles from Fort 
Ticonderoga to Boston.   Placed on the high ground of Dorchester Heights forcing the British to abandon Boston.  Lots of history here and a must see if in the area.

     
Be throwing my leg over the saddle and twisting the throttle 
later in the week.  Off to Hamburg, NY for the annual BMWMOA rally..  If you see me on the road - Wave! 

Taken from the BMWMOA website:
WELCOME TO DAS RALLY!
This is the time of year when many of us are looking at maps, dreaming of destinations near and far and planning our routes and rides for the year. We want to personally invite you to include “DAS RALLY” in Hamburg in your plans.
We were thrilled when we first learned that the BMW MOA 44th International Rally was coming to Hamburg, New York, as there is so much to see and do in the Western New York and the Great Lakes Regions. A short ride in any direction will net a wonderful destination. To the west, beautiful Woodlawn beach on the shores of Lake Erie beckons. To the north is Niagara Falls (need we say more?) and the revitalized city of Buffalo with its beautiful new waterfront, theatre district, renowned dining and fabulous architecture. Venture east and visit the charming village of East Aurora on your way to the scenic Finger Lakes region and Letchworth State Park. Just to the south are roads that will take you through the picturesque ski areas of Ellicottville and Springville.
Then there is the Rally site itself. Situated in a mostly residential area, it offers rally goers a quiet, tranquil setting with close proximity to shops, restaurants, and services. Easily accessed from both interstate and major secondary roads, the first thing to greet attendees as they enter the Fairgrounds is a large water feature with a fountain. There is plenty of asphalt to support the center stand as you register in the Event Center. Campers will be pleased with the tree-lined, spacious, grass-covered tenting areas. For the adventure enthusiast, be it rider or spectator, this site also offers an incredible off-road competition area with great exposure to the camp grounds. If you like a little variety in your entertainment, the Fairgrounds also has a casino and a horse racing track on site.
When we had a chance to visit the Rally site at the Hamburg Fairgrounds, we could immediately see how the layout would lend itself to a beautiful ‘Rally Central’ area. There are several impressive, parklike gardens sporting gazebos, picnic tables, and Adirondack chairs, a pedestrian thoroughfare for the food vendors, beer and wine gardens, an entertainment area, and so much more.
We are convinced that all of this will make the 2016 Rally in Hamburg absolutely fantastisch!
DAS RALLY in Hamburg - something truly special in the works. July 14 – 16, 2016
 Dutch & Kate Lammers 
2016 Rally Chairs
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Looking forward to it.  As always will be a great ride and a fun time.

I love the Steam Locomotives!  They are alive.  You can hear them breathe and snort, roar and rumble!
Strassburg Railroad is a short ride from where I live.  Short yes, but it will take you back to yesteryear.  

This may be to much personal information for this blog; but when I was just a young lad, perhaps
four years old,  it was told my father drove me real close to the tracks  when a fast moving steam train 
went by.   Well I must have thought it a monster.  The roar, the steam ,the clanging of the bell, the
screaming whistle, for I peed my pants.  I guess at that moment I was drawn to the steam locomotives.

My father would take me to Griffith Park Live Steamers often.  There I could climb on the locomotives, and cars.  Then go watch the wonderfully crafted locomotives built by hand.  Truly a labor of love. ​  Most of these as you can see below, you could ride on. 

For those of you in Southern California,  Take a ride  to Los Angeles Live Steamers.  Easy to get to, just 
off the 134, in Burbank.

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Over the years I have ridden to Durango to ride the DRGRR.  My first ride on this train was when I was about ten years old.  My father rode it back in 1941 when it was still a work train.  The train was moving sheep from  Durango to Silverton.  Someday I will convert the 16mm film he shot on that trip. The film runs about twelve  minutes.  Couple of years ago rode to do a shoot on the Western Maryland Railroad.