Go Army! Go Spurs!

June 5, 2014

Our goal for today was to drive to Fort Drum, (near Watertown, NY) which will be Jeremy’s new “Home” once he returns from Afghanistan, to scope it out.  The day started out beautiful and by the time we returned back to the RV, it was in the mid 50’s, windy and cold!

Because it was convenient, we made a stop in Selkirt ,NY to view the Salmon River Lighthouse.  This lighthouse was built in 1838, and is in dire need of a facelift.  We are afraid that it will not be long before it is on the lighthouse “doomsday” list.  From the lighthouse one can also view the Selkirk Breakwater Light.  It is very similar to the Rochester Harbor light.  In 1859 the Salmon River Lighthouse was deactivated after going through several private owners it was finally purchased in 1987, along with the marina and several cabins.  In 1989, the Coast Guard approved the lighthouse as a Class II navigational aid and relit the lantern.  The early importance of this harbor was the massive migration of Atlantic Salmon, thus a major fishing port. A proposed canal to connect it to the Erie Canal was never built, and the town dwindled in population and trade.

 

Selkirk Point Lighthouse

 

 

Selkirk Breakwater Light

 

On to Fort Drum……..We found the Post to be huge, well kept and relatively new.  The PX, Commissary and Barracks were all very modern and appeared updated.  In talking to locals, the upgrading of the Post started about ten years ago with the Iraq/Afghanistan wars, making this a very important base.  It is home to the Army’s Tenth Mountain Division.  Coincidentally, the area outside the main gate for a radius of about five miles was all fields ten years ago, and now showcases shopping malls, Wal Mart, hotels and car dealerships, not to mention every fast food joint you can imagine.  The main gate is even accessed by an interstate (I-781).  We enjoyed our time at Fort Drum, and we think Jeremy will like it as well!  It isn’t Hawaii, but it is up to date and presentable.  After a tasty lunch at the Food Court, we headed back to the RV



The evening was spent watching the Spurs beat the Heat and catching up on blogs. 

Today, June 6, 2014, we have spent blogging ( finally caught up!), working on a few minor repairs on the Turtle, rearranging “stuff” we have collected along the way, and planning our next few days of travel.

We will depart Sylvan Beach in the morning and head to Harrisburg, PA  where we will spend the night.  We are beginning our trek south, and for now, there are no more lighthouses on our planned route.  However, we are sure we will come across something or someplace to visit as we travel.