Corning Glass Museum

July 28

Having spent the entire day in Chautauqua yesterday I tried last night to get my same site in the KOA campground and was told another solo woman in a Roadtrek was in my spot. My traveling twin, I had to meet her. She was sitting out reading and having a glass of wine. So we sat and talked until it got dark.  Carol is also a widow and goes in her RV to visit her kids several states away at least once a year. She reminded me why we do this kind of travel, to forget and to remember.

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I must insert the Erie Canal here. I made a stop there after Buffalo and cannot leave it out or the song will be running thru my head forever:
 "Had an old mule and her name was Sal,
                                                                 Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal..."

The area of the Erie Canal is now called Canalside and when I was there on a Sunday it was full of  strollers and musicians and people just hanging out.  I thought there was an event and asked someone what it was. She said the event was "Sunday".

The Erie Canal moved people and things for 363 miles from Lake Erie to the Hudson River thru 83 stone locks. Ten years after it opened New York City was the leading Atlantic port and the populations of Syracuse, Rochelle and Buffalo had increased by 300%.

After I was on the road again I realized I had intended to find the towpath on the Erie Canal and walk a short span just for fun. But my mind was already on my next destination.  Must slow down and plan things more carefully. I have an entire year after all.

Drove into Corning

 in southwestern New York thru the Allegeny Mountains which surprised me by being little more than what we would refer to as foothills in California. Very beautiful and green but lacking in height to be real mountains.

The Corning Glass Museum completely overwhelmed me with the beautiful displays of glass of all kinds.

These flying glass "birds" were wonderfully whimsical.

A retro 50's style coffee table made entirely of glass.

These are  some of the earliest pieces of glass from around

3500 BC found in Mesopotamia and Egypt.

4th or 5th century amphora from Persia

paperweights

One of the functions of art is to make a statement like the following two pieces.

And of course the gift shop was even more fabulous than an ordinary gift shop!

Spent 4 hours wandering thru beautiful displays of glass of all kinds from early Egyptian to today's art glass from all the styles and areas of the world.  Took 140 pictures and will probably delete only a few.  Hope I can put all of them into a folder and send to Bobbie and Lisa who have both done some art glass.

Back at the RV Park my phone had no connection which I needed to plan where to stay tomorrow night.  So spent an hour at the office on their cell phone with the Verizon people who got it working but back at my RV, no connection.  Technology is wonderful but it also drives me crazy.  Will go back into Corning to the Verizon store tomorrow morning.