The main goal of this days trip was to attempt to go inside THE COLUMBIA HOTEL, one of the old hotels which closed around 2005. I had taken pictures from the outside during previous and had heard that it was easy to get into now.
Indeed it was easy. We had to do some serious bushwhacking of some overgrown bushes along the side of the building to get to the back door, which was indeed wide open. We walked right in!
We were surprised that there has not been vandalism........no spray paint or trashed items. I think it probably looks much like it did on the day the hotel was closed. You can tell that people have been there (empty wint bottles, etc.). We quickly walked through the first and second floor, but did not go up to the third floor. The KINGSTON LOUNGE still has the piano. At the front desk, keys still remain in their appropriate boxes. After we came out the back door and went around to the front to take pictures of the outside of the building, we noticed NO TRESPASSING SIGNS on the front doors. YIKES!!
It was a cold day and we were shivering when we left the hotel, and Peggy suggested we find a place to eat lunch right away. We went to THE BLACK CAT. Peggy and I shared a Lebanese dish and a Reuben and Dad had Lebanese potato salad and a goat cheese sandwich. I was somewhat surprised that he was so adventurous regarding his order! While Dad and Peggy had desert(Dad thoroughly enjoyed the carrot cake and tried to talk me into making one when we got home). I went to the new mercantile in THE ROSEBORO, owned by the Beekman boys. It was a bit of a disappointment, being small and not offering a whole lot at this time.
We had heard that THE IMPERIAL BATHS could be accessed by an open door in the back, but it appears that door has been sealed up again. That was a disappointment. We drove by THE ADLER, noticing that the driveway/road going up to it is a real mess. A few years ago, we drove right up it to the front of the hotel, but that is not possible now.
The day would not have been complete without finding at least one geocache. We drove a few miles outside town into a backroad area with some farmland and found THE GRASS IS GREENER. Actually, Peggy found it and I did not even get close enough to get a good look since I was on the wrong side of a maze of small trees and bushes, and I had already managed to NOT get wet and muddy in the huge tractor ruts, and wanted to stay clean and dry. Here is a picture of Peggy at the geocache site.
http://junenysadventures.blogspot.com/2010/11/black-friday-2010-adventure.html
We headed for home, going a different way, Route 20 to 80 to Cooperstown and then the back route through Hartwick to my house.
Dad and I were exhausted and immediately took a nap, but Peggy
went into Oneonta to take a walk and do some shopping. After all, it WAS Black Friday!
It turned out to be a great day, but I still have not seen all of Sharon Springs. I need to return in the spring and drive some of the back roads and see more of the current revitalization.
My pictures for this day can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/juneny/sets/72157625350062537/
fun fun fun!!!
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