Original subtitles

(wind howling)

(dramatic music)

- Our journey begins in Buffalo.

Heading east to Letchworth State Park,

we'll fly down the Genesee River

and admire some of the most impressive waterfalls

in New York State.

From there, we'll explore a few of the Finger Lakes

before stopping briefly at Ithaca,

home of Cornell University.

Then it's northeast to Syracuse.

Here we'll meet up with one end of the old Erie Canal,

no longer in use, but preserved

and protected as a state park.

We'll journey along the old waterway,

soaking in the history and industrial folklore

before intercepting the new Erie Canal

and continuing on to Otsego Lake and the city of Utica.

We bring our journey to a close in Saratoga Springs,

tourist haven and home

to the oldest Thoroughbred horseracing circuit

in the country.

With humble beginnings as a small

trading post on the Buffalo Creek,

this is New York State's second largest city

and an important historical center.

Rated by Forbes as one of the top 10 places

to raise a family in America, Buffalo is a sporting hub,

home to stunning feats of architecture

and a vibrant melting pot of ethnic culture.

After being burned to the ground by the British

in the War of 1812, the city saw its fortunes reversed

with the construction of the Erie Canal

as it was strategically positioned

at the western end of the system.

The construction of the canal brought immigrants in

by the tens of thousands and led the settlement

to incorporate as a city in 1832.

Serving as an important manufacturing hub

and center for railroad commerce,

Buffalo was most populous and economically robust

in the 1950s.

With 580,000 people living here at its height.

Since then, the population has been in decline

but a concerted effort to diversify the economy

seems to be lifting the city back onto its feet.

Education, life sciences, medicine, banking

and high technology are taking

the place manufacturing once had.

They're creating opportunities for growth

and revitalizing the city.

Buffalo is also renowned for its fine architecture.

One exemplary building is the Darwin D. Martin Complex.

Impressed by the young Frank Lloyd Wright's work,

the entrepreneur and businessman, Darwin Martin,

handed Wright the equivalent of a blank check

to develop some land he had recently purchased.

The project cost Martin $300,000,

about $50 million today but the result was worth it.

The site is not a national historic landmark

and considered by some architectural scholars

to be one of Wright's finest achievements.

Inspired as he was by natural beauty,

it's no wonder that Wright created some

of his best work in Buffalo.

For only 100 kilometers southeast of the city

is the magnificent Letchworth State Park,

whose reputation as the Grand Canyon of the east

is well deserved.

(birds chirping)

The Genesee River roars through over 50 kilometers

of lush forest and over three major waterfalls.

These are the upper falls.

The bridge behind them was originally built in 1852,

using one and a half square kilometers of timber

from the surrounding forest.

Now made of iron and steel,

it's still used as a railroad crossing today

and offers the best views of the waterfall below.

(peaceful music)

The Seneca Nation which once populated

the region around the Genesee named

this stretch of river the Sehgahunda

or The Veil of the Three Falls

and the ones you see now, the middle falls,

with a drop of around 30 meters

were believed to be so spectacular that in Seneca mythology

the mere sight of them caused the sun to drop midday.

These days, the three falls area

is named Portage Canyon.

Portage referring to the act of carrying boats over land

past unnavigable sections of a river

which would certainly be necessary here.

Some of the cliffs on the side of the gorge reach 200 meters

as the Genesee roars down to the lower falls.

With a drop of almost 10 meters,

these mark the end of Portage Canyon.

The bedrock expose in the gorge

is from the Devonian Era and many millions of years

of geological history can be observed

in the sandstone and limestone, eroded by the river.

Most of the rock was laid down in an ancient inland sea

and so an abundance of marine fossils can be discovered.

In 1906, William Pryor Letchworth

bought four square kilometers of forested land

around Portage Canyon.

He later bequeathed this area to New York State

as to deter private commercial business

from destroying the fragile environment around the river.

Letchworth died in 1910

but his legacy lives on as his initial grant eventually took

in more land and became Letchworth State Park

as you see it today.

The park flanks the Genesee River for 30 kilometers

as it weaves down towards Lake Erie.

With over 100 kilometers of hiking trails

along with biking, horseback riding, snowmobiling,

and cross country skiing,

Letchworth Park is a dream come true

for those lovers of the great outdoors.

70 kilometers east is the small town of Canandaigua.

And nestled amongst its streets is the Sonnenberg Estate.

The land was purchased in 1863

by the prominent banker, Francis Thompson.

And his wife Mary.

As business thrived for the couple,

so did their home.

The old stone farm house that once stood here

was replaced by this mansion in 1887.

And over the years, the surrounding gardens were developed.

The Sonnenberg Estate, meaning sunny hill in German,

was transferred to New York State in the 1970s

and now can be enjoyed by the general public.

10 themed gardens including Japanese, Italian,

rose, moonlight, and pansy gardens.

An aviary, greenhouse, and conservatory make the estate

a thriving tourist attraction.

Continue eastward and we arrive

at the most voluminous of New York's glacial Finger Lakes,

named for their long and thin shape.

Seneca Lake, whose banks were once home

to hundreds of Iroquois villages,

is now surrounded by picturesque farmland,

vineyards, and wineries.

Further east we arrive at the longest, Cayuga Lake.

But perhaps what it is best known for

is the bohemian settlement at its southern end,

the city of Ithaca.

Named after the island home

of the great classical hero Odysseus,

Ithaca, with a modest population of 100,000,

is a cultural powerhouse.

Music, theater, and science, enliven the city.

But the town is most highly regarded

for its higher education institutions.

Cornell University being the foremost amongst them.

Founded in 1869 by Senator Ezra Cornell,

who donated his farm in Ithaca

and gave an initial endowment of $500,000,

the university is now one

of the eight prestigious Ivy League colleges

and often ranked in the top 10 institutions in the country.

Cornell has been described

as the nation's first truly American university

because of its founder's egalitarian

and practical vision for the school.

He wanted to expand the limited American educational system

and to open the doors of higher education to more Americans.

With 41 Nobel Laureates associated with the university,

Cornell has always been on the front lines of innovation.

It opened as a coeducational institution in 1870.

Now, onwards we fly from Ithaca,

across the snow dusted farmland

until, nestled amongst the forests,

we find the last of the Finger Lakes we'll be visiting

on our journey.

Skaneateles Lake.

(peaceful music)

The lake is so pristine that nearby towns,

including Syracuse, drink its water unfiltered.

Ubiquitous in the landscape and history of New York State

is the Erie Canal and here is a once-used aqueduct,

just west of Syracuse in the town of Camillus

which runs over Nine Mile Creek

but was abandoned in 1918.

The Erie Canal was first proposed in 1808

as a means to link the waters

of the lake of the same name to the Hudson River.

Once completed, some called it

the eighth wonder of the world.

However, over the years, a number of enlargements

of the original canal have left derelict remnants

of the old canal scattered across the region.

The Erie Canal brought growth and prosperity

to many settlements in New York

not least of which was the city of Syracuse.

Situated on the southeastern banks

of Onondaga Lake and named after the ancient Corinthian city

on the coast of Sicily, Syracuse is the economic

and educational center of central New York State.

The settlement, which would eventually become Syracuse,

grew up around the salt trade

with the commodity mined at the nearby salt springs

that dot the periphery of the Onondaga Lake.

The settlement then functioned as a major crossroads

between the Erie Canal and its subsidiaries.

Later as a railroad hub

and now at a major intersection of highways.

It is largely Syracuse University

for which the city is known.

Abolitionists and female suffragists

were long active in Syracuse and this attitude contributed

to the university's commitment to equality.

With the first president of the school stating that,

"There shall be no

"invidious discrimination here against women.

"Brains and heart shall have a fair chance."

Higher education suffered a shaky beginning in Syracuse

with Ezra Cornell rejecting the town

as the site for Cornell University.

His experience with being mugged here on numerous occasions

compelled him to label the city a Sodom and Gomorrah.

However, Syracuse University was soon granted land

and start up funds and is now one

of the most highly regarded colleges in the nation.

Tracing the fortunes of Syracuse's success takes us through

the old Erie Canal State Historic Park

which runs along approximately 60 kilometers

of the original waterway.

In operation for 100 years between 1817 and 1917,

this section of the canal once took goods

and passengers from Syracuse eastward

to the New York town of Rome.

The construction of the canal in its entirety

was one of the most ambitious projects

of 19th century America and a triumph of engineering.

But before continuing along the canal,

a brief detour to the east will take us

to the Turning Stone Casino and Resort.

(upbeat music)

Established and run by the Oneida Indian Nation,

it has been troubled with conflict and criticism

since its inception.

Although the New York State law forbids

the operation of casinos and the surrounding counties

and towns oppose the facility,

the Oneida Nation, as a sovereign entity separate

from the state was eventually granted

the right to build and operate the resort

as a gambling venue.

Now, it's a massive tourist destination in central New York.

After a few hands of blackjack and a martini,

we meet back up with the old Erie Canal on our way to Rome

where it intersects with its newer counterpart,

the much larger Barge Canal,

constructed between 1905 and 1918.

(peaceful music)

Once a bustling corridor of commerce,

the canal fostered population surges

and economic booms along its path.

It is now used mostly by recreational craft.

Erie Canal is an historic reconstruction

of the 19th century settlement

where the first shovel load of dirt

was overturned in the construction

of the original canal in 1817.

(peaceful music)

The village sits on the point

where the old canal meets the new.

An old lock which regulates the height

of the water along the canal

and a number of typical buildings, including a church,

tavern, blacksmith, school, ice house, and railroad station

have been constructed to give visitors an idea

of what life in such a settlement may have been like.

Horse drawn vehicles and farm equipment

from that early era can be seen in use

on cobblestone or dirt roads

that would've been typical at the time.

As we move along the waterway,

we eventually make our way to Rome, New York.

And here stands Fort Stanwix.

(dramatic music)

Rumored to be the first place

where the American flag was flown in battle,

Fort Stanwix has had an action packed history.

Constructed by the British in 1758,

during the French and Indian War,

the fort was soon after abandoned

and went into gradual disrepair.

But with the American colonies' Declaration of Independence

20 years later, the fort's strategic location

was soon recognized and refortifications began.

It subsequently withstood a major siege

by the British forces in 1777.

The fort burned to ground in 1781

and by 1830, commercial development in Rome

had completely covered the structure.

However, in 1934, Franklin D. Roosevelt established

the area as a national monument.

Then, 40 years later, archeologists uncovered the fort

and reconstructions began.

Now it stands proudly once again.

Following the Erie Canal down from Fort Stanwix,

we find the mechanics of the waterway in action

at Lock 20 State Canal Park.

Today, 57 such locks are positioned along the length

of the canal, regulating the water flow

as barges and other craft make

their way up and down the waterway.

Using this simple concept of locks,

boats traveling the length of the canal rise

from tide water level at Troy, New York,

to 128 meters at Rome.

Then descend down to 110 meters

as they continue westward only to rise again

to 172 meters by the time they reach Lake Erie.

(peaceful music)

Further on, we come to a town whose history and fortunes

have always been tied to waterways.

Established as a post along the Mohawk River

where local merchants would trade with the native Iroquois,

Utica was a commercially minded settlement from the outset.

And being positioned along the first section

of the Erie Canal to open in 1820,

Utica saw its population and economy boom.

The canal ran directly through the town

and it served as a perfect midway stopover

for those traveling the waterways.

The city also became a transportation hub,

commercial center, and major player

in the textile and tool industries.

After the construction of the Erie and other canals,

and with Utica establishing itself

as a center of trade,

more railroad lines were built

to bring goods and travelers through the city.

So, in 1914, to meet the increased rail traffic

and to impress visitors upon arrival,

the Utica Union Station was constructed.

It now services buses, commuter rail,

and the Adirondack Scenic Railroad

which takes passengers through the snowy mountains.

But we are heading in the opposite direction, south.

As we fly over the forest and rolling farmlands,

we gain almost 250 meters in elevation.

Coming eventually to Otsego Lake.

15 kilometers long and at a height of 450 meters,

it has squeezed its way into the American myth

by way of author James Fenimore Cooper,

playing a central role in a number of his novels

including "The Last of the Mohicans".

Surrounded by small towns with plenty of forested areas

and a state park on its bank,

Otsego Lake is a convergence point

for outdoor enthusiasts.

And at the northeastern end, tucked away in Hyde Bay,

stands the magnificent Hyde Hall.

A neoclassical country mansion

that combines the architectural traditions of the old

and new world, it was one of the largest houses in America

at the time of its construction.

Perhaps the largest.

Funded by George Clark,

the grandson of a prominent political figure

in colonial New York, the mansion was built

in sections between 1817 and 1833.

The passage of time and the mansion's abandonment

during World War Two took a serious toll on the building.

Demolition seemed like a very real possibility

until a community group stepped in

and spearheaded the movement to restore

and preserve the structure.

Now the building and grounds are recognized

as cultural assets and national historic landmarks.

Also, in Glimmerglass State Park,

along with Hyde Hall, is the oldest surviving covered bridge

in the United States.

Built in 1823, it crosses Shadow Brook

at a length of 16 meters.

It is built in the classic American Burr Arch style

named after Theodore Burr, the New York engineer

who patented the design.

Flying away from Lake Otsego,

we move 100 kilometers east to the city of Saratoga Springs.

But the word Saratoga is generally considered

to be a corruption of the Mohawk Indian phrase

meaning the hillside country of the quiet river,

referring to the Hudson River

which runs 25 kilometers to the south.

The city has always been a tourist location.

Aided initially by the Saratoga Railroad in 1832.

Today there are many reasons tourists come to Saratoga.

The colonial history, the Saratoga Lake,

the mineral springs.

But one pastime overshadows the rest.

Horse racing.

For over 100 years, tourism has been the main source

of income for Saratoga

and a vast number of those tourists come specifically

for the horse racing in summer.

Established in 1863, the Saratoga Racecourse

is the oldest organized sporting venue anywhere

in the United State with nicknames

like the House of Upset, and Graveyard of Champions,

many great racehorses like Secretariat

suffered unexpected defeats here.

There are three main tracks

that make up the Saratoga course.

Their combined presence dominating the landscape

of the city.

Due to its long history, the track is rich with tradition

and lures in thousands of tourists every summer.

It's an American institution

and a perfect place to end this journey.

(stately dramatic music)

(wind whooshing)