Natural Inclinations Tour
Start your day by stopping at one of the farmstands on Route 5S and pick up some picnic supplies for a day at Schoharie Crossing, which has two picnic sites: one off 5S at the site of the stone aqueduct ruins, the other a short drive away off Queen Anne Road. Be sure to bring your bike or rollerblades to take a turn on the riverside bike path and, if you feel like some shopping, stop by one or more of the exceptional craft and antique shops on your way home.
History Lessons Tour
Wear comfortable shoes and get ready for a taste of the past. Go to Fort Johnson on Route 5, Sir William Johnson's 1749 cut-stone mansion, then continue upriver past Fonda and stop by the Kateri Tekakwitha Shrine and the excavated Mohawk village of Caughnawaga. By this time you might want lunch, so stop by in Canajoharie for a great meal and walkabout. Then visit one of the world's best American art collections at the Canajoharie Library and Art Gallery. Fort Klock, a fortified Colonial settlement, is a must go-see further west on Route 5. A long, rewarding tour. Take two days and take it all in, swinging south through bucolic Salt Springville, home of the Windfall Dutch Barn, and eye-catching Ames.
City Scenes Tour
If you're in an urban frame of mind, stay in the city. Go to the Walter Elwood Museum, stop by Riverlink Park (a marvel in the making), drive to Guy Park Manor and watch a working lock (fascinating!), take in a game of golf at the Amsterdam Municipal Golf Course designed by Robert Trent Jones, and then have one of the best dinners of your life in ethnically cookin' Port Jackson (South Amsterdam).
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Country Sights Tour
When you're in the mood to just amble about, Montgomery County accommodates with cascades of great views and charming sights. Take Route 5 along the river and from this major artery turn off as the spirit moves you. Some things to hunt for: Amish communities and the Stone Arabia churches along Route 10, Nellis Tavern (Route 5) and Palatine Church just off Route 5, Ames off Route10S, and the quaint village of Glen at Routes 30 and 30A (you can get lunch here). Explore family-friendly Wintergreen Park and the grandeur of Canajoharie Gorge. And if it's around Labor Day, you definitely want to end up at the old-time good time of the Fonda Fair; in July and August, Fonda Fairground hosts annual shows of Paso Fino and Morgan horses.
Native American Tour
The influence of our Native American past is very much with us today. Start at the Noteworthy Indian Museum in Amsterdam (new in June 1999), which has a glorious collection with beautiful displays. The museum is located on Church Street off Route 67. You might want to stop for lunch, and then find your way down to Route 5S and go the Shrine of North American Martyrs in Auriesville. It's historic, peaceful, informative, and has a great sense of place. Other important destinations: the Kateri shrine complex with its extensive displays of Mohawk artifacts and the traditional community of the Mohawk people (both on Route 5), and Indian Castle (Route 5S, off the River Road, at the western county line).
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