Diamonds

For the most part, our travel day, 247 miles, was filled with beautiful fall scenery.  We had forgotten that this is Columbus Day weekend and every five miles on the Mass Pike there was a flashing sign that said, "Heavy Holiday Traffic  - Expect Traffic Delays".  I guess we were on the road early enough that we were not hampered by any delays. There was a lot of traffic on the road and it moved right along.

This is color along I-90 in Massachusetts, west of Springfield. It is lovely in a softly, muted kind of way.

Not as scarlet as we saw in Canada, but vibrant just the same.

About thirty miles from the New York border on I-90 is this sign - 

Highest Turnpike

Elevation 1724 feet

Next Highest Elevation

 on I-90

Oacoma, South Dakota

1729 feet

Eastern New York trees were even more muted.

Jewel tone leaves.

I think we did this bridge once before - the Castleton-on-the-Hudson.

We stopped at the Pattersonville, NY, Rest Stop to eat our lunch. These cows, across the thruway, were enjoying their lunch, too.

There were beautiful fall flowers in plantings around the Rest Stop, along with several of these bubbling fountains.

Filling the car with diesel at some of these Rest Stops can be a real challenge, especially since the place to fill our tank is on the passenger side of the car. What do you call the "place to fill our tank"?

About half way between Foxboro, MA, and Amherst, NY, is Herkimer, New York, our overnight stopping place. We are at a KOA Kampgound and KOA's try to be very family friendly. For instance, tonight, in addition to a Fall Hayride Adventure, there is a Flashlight Candy Hunt! Best of all is the Bonfire, S'mores, and More!

My father used to give hayrides with our tractor and large wagon, mostly for high school kids. He used to say that they were noisy, singing and throwing hay going out, but very quiet on the way back home.

View out our back bedroom window - the West Canada Creek.

Herkimer, New York, is also know for the Herkimer "Diamonds". Herkimer diamond is a generic name for a double-terminated quartz crystal discovered within exposed outcrops of dolostone in and around Herkimer. They were discovered in the late 18th century when workmen were cutting into the Mohawk River Valley dolostone. Double-pointed quartz crystals have also been found in abundance in Tibet and Afghanistan. 

Many of the New York crystals are known for their extreme clarity, and Wiccan and New Age belief systems often ascribe specific occult properties and a wide variety of mystical powers to them. These quartz crystals, which geologists theorize formed extremely slowly in small solution cavities or vugs, have 18 facets (6 sides) and two terminations. 

These are samples of Herkimer Diamonds that were in the Campground Office.

There is a diamond mine across the street where one can go out and find their own diamonds.

As we were walking through the campground we found this "stealth RV." I think it's disguised so it can find all the candy.

A pretty view down the West Canada Creek.