In my last writing I posted about traveling along the old arteries of commerce that spawned the Industrial Revolution here in the Finger Lakes – the canals, rivers, the railroads, and the Finger Lakes themselves which were used to carry the raw materials and the finished goods to their markets.
All of these old arteries of commerce have been replaced by the New York Thurway which runs across Upstate New York from Eire Pennsylvania on the west to the Massachusetts line on the east. You can drive your car on the Thruway, but it’s really the kingdom of the truckers and the trucking companies who haul the freight in New York State. Driving along side a Kenworth pulling two 53 foot trailers reminds me of trying to pass a freight train – the only difference being that the trains on the Finger Lakes Railroad lumber along at a leisurely 30 mph while the Kenworths hum at 70 mph!
The Thruway passes just north of the Finger Lakes region, but it’s not the way to see the Finger Lakes. During the winter months, it’s best to leave the Thurway to the truckers, as they have to get their loads to their final destination on time and they can’t let a little ice or snow slow them down. For the remainder of the year, if you have to get from point A to point B on a time schedule, it’s the way to go.
James R. Bupp