Horse and Carriage Ride

Taking a horse and carriage ride is one of the classic tourist attractions in New York City. This tradition has been going on since the 1800s. The Horse & Carriage Association of New York provides carriage rides through some of the most interesting areas in the city. One of the best places to go for a ride is Central Park in Manhattan. Knowledgeable carriage drivers will fill you in on the history of each place you visit, offering fun facts and providing color commentary along the way.

Horse & Carriage Association of New York
522 West 45 Street (59 St/5 Av)
New York, NY 10036
(718) 606-5557
www.horseandcarriageny.com

Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty

No trip to New York would be complete without a visit to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Ferry boats take guests from Battery Park in Manhattan across the bay to the Statue of Liberty. From here, continue on to Ellis Island. This famous port of entry into the United States features the American Family History Immigration Center. This resource allows visitors to research their family history in the national immigration archives. The view of downtown Manhattan from the island is quite nice, and this makes for a decent day trip.

Ellis Island Immigration Museum
Ellis Island, NY 10004
(212) 561-4500
www.ellisisland.org

NBC Studios Tour

The NBC Studio Tour at NBC Studios in Rockefeller Center, is a fun way to go behind the scenes of popular shows like “Saturday Night Live.” You can go backstage, have your photo taken behind the news desk of the “NBC Nightly News,” experiment with the green screens and learn all about the history of the network.

NBC Studios
30 Rockefeller Plaza
(Enter on 49th St between 5th & 6th Ave)
New York, New York, 10112
(212) 664-3700
www.rockefellercenter.com

Leaf Driving 

Central New York is famous for its autumn foliage, and a peaceful drive along one of the several state Routes running through the area (examples include Routes 5 and 20,) will reveal spectacular vistas of orange, red, and gold.  You’ll drive through some gorgeous country bordering the famous Finger Lakes, including Skaneateles, Cayuga, and Seneca.  Drive along any one of the lakes for a view of the quaint farms and countryside surrounding them.  Peak leaf times vary, but usually fall in the first two weeks of October.

Produce Stands and Orchards 

Central New York is famous for its vegetable stands and orchards.  Of particular note are the many orchards offering a wonderful opportunity to pick your own apples.  Abbot Farms in Baldwinsville, Emmi & Sons, and Leubner Apple Farm all allow you to pick your own apples.  They also offer a variety of other entertainment opportunities for those who don’t want to pick the apples, including hay rides, gift shops, cinnamon donuts, and apple cider.  Central New York is also home to a number of farmer’s markets, including the Skaneateles, Cortland, and Cazenovia farmer’s markets.  

Shops and Restaurants 

After a morning spent visiting produce stands and picking your own apples, go on a shopping spree in one of the many small towns and villages.  Skaneateles is home to a number of unique shops and boutiques, including Brown Dog Antiques, the Skaneateles Antique Center, and the Rhubarb Kitchen and Gardnen Shop.  Central New York is also home to numerous fine eating establishments, including the Inn Between (located in Camillus,) What’s Your Beef (located in Manlius,) and Lock 24 (located beside the Erie Canal in Baldwinsville.)

Parks 

After filling up on some fine dining, go for a hike in one of the many state parks located in the area.  There are numerous parks located near the Old Erie Canal.  Of especial note is the Camillus Erie Canal Park, which features several miles of hiking paths along the old towpath, as well as the Sims Store Museum.  The small towns of Rome, Jordan, and Canastota also feature museums and walking trails along the former canal.  Also stop by one of the many state parks in the region, including Clark Reservation State Park (featuring rugged cliffs and rocky outcrops,) Fillmore Glen State Park (featuring five waterfalls and numerous walking trails,) and Verona Beach State Park (located on the eastern shore of Oneida Lake.)

Festivals 

While you’re in the area, stop by one of the many festivals occurring throughout the Autumn months.  October features the Lafayette Apple Festival, usually held in the first two weeks of the month, as well as the Great Zoo Boo, held at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo.  November, on the other hand, features Dickens’ Christmas in Skaneateles, which allows visitors to interact with Dickens characters, including Queen Victoria and Charles Dickens himself, as well as the Syracuse Thanksgiving Antiques Show, which has been a Thanksgiving tradition for over 30 years.   

Whatever your tastes or preferences, whatever you like to do, Central New York can accommodate you.  So stop by for a week or two.  The fun awaits you.

Heart Island 

This is perhaps the most famous of all Thousand Islands attractions.  George Boldt, who owned the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and Bellevue-Stratford Hotel, began building this estate in the very early 1900s, but abandoned the project after his wife’s death, leaving the existing buildings to crumble.  In the 1970s the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority acquired the island and set to work on restoration.  Now the Castle, Alster Tower and the island’s Power House are open to the public.  The Boldt Castle Yacht House on nearby Wellesley Island is accessible by a shuttle boat from Heart Island.

Boldt Castle

Image via Wikimedia

Alster Tower

Image via Wikimedia

Power House

Image via Wikimedia

Just Room Enough Island

Image via Wikimedia

An appropriate name for an island with just enough room for a cozy home.  One of the most amazing things you’ll see touring the islands are many small islands with structures or houses like this.

Deer Island

Image via Wikimedia

The mysterious and secret order, The Skull and Bones, owns this 40 acre island, which each society member visits. Some of the more famous visitors have been Presidents George Bush and George W. Bush, along with 2004 Democratic Presidential nominee Senator John Kerry.

Dark Island

The Thousand Islands has more than one castle!  Another great one is the Singer Castle on Dark Island.  It was built by the affluent Bourne family and visited by other wealthy industrials and capitalists such as Cornelius Vanderbilt and Vincent Astor.  Other highlights of the castle include secret passageways, ownership by more than one religious group over the years and a history of smuggling during Prohibition.  It is open to the public and has guided tours.

Singer Castle

Image via www.singercastle.com

Grindstone Island

This island has arguably the best beach in all of the Thousand Islands, Potter’s Beach.  While you’re boating it is the perfect place to stop for a picnic and sunbath.

Eel Bay

With crystal clear water, this shallow bay is a great fishing destination, located just southwest of Wellesley Island.

Lake of the Isles

Wellesley Island and Canadian Hill Island cut this section of the St. Lawrence river waterway off, making it accessible by only two passages.  Shielded from the wind, it is a great place to stop for a swim while you are out boating.

Image via Wikimedia

Image courtesy Wikipedia

Coney Island Coney Island is still alive and well worth a visit. Some historic rides that are kind of creaky but still operating are the Wonder Wheel ferris wheel, Cyclone roller coaster, and the Parachute Drop. Besides that, there is arcades, bumper cars, burlesque and freak shows, Nathan’s famous hot dogs and a wonderfully gritty boardwalk. See it while you can, “renewal” and “development” plans are in the works and it may soon look a lot like your local mall.

Image courtesy Wikipedia

McSorley’s Old Ale House, located at 15 E. 7th Street in the East Village. If you want to stop and have a beer at a place that seems like it is right out of a Robert Deniro movie, try McSorley’s Old Ale House. Established in 1854, it is the oldest Irish tavern in NYC, and has been visited by such famous people as presidents Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt. It was also the last holdout of men’s only pubs, and only accepted women within its doors after a District Court ruling in 1970.

Image courtesy Wikipedia

Greenflea Flea Market, located on Columbus Avenue between 76th and 77th Streets in Greenwich Village, open on Sundays 10:00 a.m.- 5:30 p.m. year round.  This is a huge flea market with a large outdoor section.  It is a great place for bargains, antiques, unique handmade items, bizarre collectibles, and people watching.

Image courtesy Wikipedia

Brooklyn Heights Historic District, located between Cadman Plaza West (Old Fulton Street) on the north, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway on the west, and Atlantic Avenue on the south. This historic area has many beautiful examples of Nineteenth Century architecture.

Image courtesy Wikipedia

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square Odditorium, located on New 42nd Street in Times Square, Manhattan.  There are Odditoriums in a few other US cities, but this is still worth seeing.  It is filled with grotesque, bizarre and, yes, cheesy exhibits you’ll be glad you spent an afternoon gawking at.

Image courtesy www.ripleysnewyork.com

Mars 2112, located in Times Square.  This restaurant is, without a doubt, a tourist lure, and you won’t find anything authentically New York here, except for a unique concept and over the top sense of style.  However, you’re not going to find one of these in your neighborhood and the decor is fun- even the waiters wear quasi-futuristic uniforms.

Image courtesy Wikipedia

Photo Source

Bike Escapades invites cycling enthusiasts to join them at a historic moment for the Hudson River Valley. This year marks the quadricentennial of Henry Hudson’s voyage up the Hudson River to the area that is now Albany. It is also the 200th anniversary of Robert Fulton’s 1st successful steamboat ride on the Clermont. Both Hudson and Fulton played a part in the settling and expansion of the Hudson River Valley. Bike Escapades cyclists will visit this historic area from October 9th to the 16th at the peak of fall foliage.

The trip begins and ends in Rhinebeck, New York, and riders will be staying at the Beekman Arms. Established in 1766, the Beekman Arms is the oldest continuously running hotel in the country. Originally built to withstand Indian attacks, the hotel décor is accented by oak beams and broad plank floors. When laying their heads on their pillows at night, the cyclists will know that they are preceded as guests by such noteworthy Americans as George Washington, Philip Schuyler, Benedict Arnold, Alexander Hamilton, Horace Greeley, William Jennings Bryan, Thomas Wolfe and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Sailing the Half Moon on behalf of the Dutch East India Company, Hudson first considered the area uninhabitable—full of wild animals, poisonous snakes, mountains and dense forests. However he also marveled at the wealth of natural resources. His trip was the beginning of Dutch settlement in the valley.

As the fledgling country began its fight for independence, the Hudson River was a strategic factor in moving troops and supplies. Had control of the river been lost, New England would have been cut off from the Middle Atlantic States, and the outcome of the uprising might have been different.

As mentioned previously, the Hudson River saw the birth of steamboat travel, which created a faster and more affordable mode of transportation and opened up the area for tourism and industry. The Erie Canal increased the area’s accessibility even more as the concept of “summer vacations” began developing in America. Initially, residents of New York City fled to the Hudson Valley to escape tuberculosis epidemics and other deadly diseases. Later, the idea of getting away in the summer led to many wealthy Americans establishing summer residences in the area.

Photo Source Springwood, home of Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Day two is an exploration of just such a residence: Springwood, the home of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in Hyde Park. The Roosevelt mansion is just one in an area that became known as “Millionaires Row” with the Vanderbilts, Mills and Rockefellers being the nearby neighbors of the Roosevelts. Biking from one mansion to another is the perfect way to see them all, as they are only a few miles apart. Cyclists can pick and choose the mansions they visit and may also choose to visit the Clinton Winery, the winery that supplied President Clinton during his tenure in the White House.

Dinner for this evening will be at the world-famous Culinary Institute of America. Overlooking the Hudson, the school boasts 41 kitchens and bakeshops and five public restaurants. The CIA began as a post World War II, vocational training school for veterans. However, it grew in popularity to such an extent that double-class sessions were enacted and an auxiliary campus was leased. This popularity instigated a move from Connecticut to what was once a Jesuit seminary in Hyde Park. This special meal is sure to be enjoyed by the cyclists that worked up an appetite touring mansions all day.

The beauty of the Hudson Valley was not just for the wealthy; its natural beauty also attracted artists. In 1825 Thomas Cole took a steamboat ride up the Hudson sketching as he went. Those sketches were developed by Cole into landscapes that started America’s first art movement, The Hudson River School of Painting. On day three Bike Escapades cyclists will explore the house of one of Cole’s students, Frederick Church. His home, Olana, was inspired by a three month trip—from December 1867 to February 1868—that Church took with his wife. They traveled through Alexandria, Beirut, Damascus, Jerusalem, Petra and Baalbek. Church was part of another American movement, Orientalism. His home was opened to the public in 1967.

Photo Source Olana, Historic Home of Frederick Church

Earlier in the day, cyclists will also tour the home of Robert R. Livingston, Jr. (1746-1813). Livingston was a member of the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence and also swore in George Washington as the first President of the United States. The home was burned to the ground during the Revolution and rebuilt during the period from 1779-1782. Livingston experimented in sheep breeding and soil fertility. His home, Clermont was deeded to the State of New York in 1962 and declared a Historic Landmark in 1973.

An ambitious day, day three also includes a tour of Bard College. The college was founded in 1860 by John Bard as a preparatory school for young men hoping to enter the Episcopal Seminary. Bard offered a classical education that has since expanded, but still maintains its original mission to instill a thirst for knowledge and to provide the tools to continue self-educating. Riders will be staying at the St. Charles Hotel on this evening.

Day four begins with a route through farmlands, cornfields and orchards to arrive in Old Chatham, home to the Shaker Museum and Library, the first museum dedicated to preserving the life, work, art and religious history of the Shakers, a religious sect with Quaker origins. The name Shaker was a reference to the demonstrative nature of the religious ceremony that might include dancing, singing, shaking, trembling, shouting or speaking in tongues. The true name of the sect is the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing. Believers in strict celibacy, the group added to its numbers through conversion and adoption, but as of 2008, there were only 4 members left.

The Shaker Museum was founded in 1959 by John S. Williams, Sr. The museum collection currently consists of 28,000 artifacts and 19,000 archival pieces that include furniture, tools, textiles, agricultural equipment, craft machinery and clothing.

Next on the agenda for day four is a trip to the Old Chatham Sheepherding Company, the largest sheep dairy farm in the United States. The farm began in 1994 with just 150 sheep and now boasts approximately 1,000 East Friesian crossbred sheep. Guests are invited to sample the cheese and yogurt.

The rest of the trip focuses on biking and enjoying the scenic valley in its fall splendor. The cyclists will cruise through farmland, gardens and parks with a stop at Copake Falls in Taconic State Park.

Photo Source Hudson River Sloop Clearwater

In addition to the many events that shaped our country, the Hudson Valley has also been a pivotal area in the environmental conservation movement. At the turn of the century, Americans became concerned with preserving the country’s natural beauty. The government created the Division of Forestry and the first national parks were created. In the 1940’s concern over water pollution became an issue, but in the 1960’s pollution in the Hudson River was still a problem. In 1966, singer Pete Seeger founded Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, an organization that worked together to build a sloop that they christened “Clearwater.” The sloop sailed from Maine to South Street Seaport Museum in New York City in an effort to bring attention to the group’s concerns. Today, the organization continues to monitor the condition of the Hudson River and educate school groups about preserving the environment.

Even now, after almost 70 years of clean-up efforts, those that want to restore the natural beauty of the Hudson and the purity of its waters struggle to address the high levels of PCBs discharged by two General Electric plants upriver. Currently dredging is taking place near Fort Edward, New York.

The Fall Foliage tour of the Hudson River Valley is an opportunity to walk in the steps of history, a chance to imagine Henry Hudson’s thoughts as he sailed through its wilderness. It’s a chance to visit the homes of people influential to its development and its preservation and in the process enjoy the vibrant colors of fall in the valley.

For more information, or to book a trip contact Bike Escapades at 877-880-BIKE (2453).

Starting With the Tourist Attractions:

Lucille Ball Little Theater

The Little Theater of Jamestown was where Lucy had her first acting experience on stage.  Upon her death, with permission from her family, it was renamed “The Lucille Ball Little Theater” in her honor.

The Desilu Playhouse

The Desilu playhouse is devoted to the “I Love Lucy” television series which debuted on CBS in 1951 and ran for nine seasons totaling 194 episodes.  On display are re-creations of the Ricardo’s New York City apartment along with other classic sets.

Lucy-Desi Museum & Gift Shop

The Lucy-Desi museum and gift shop opened in 1996. Inside you will find priceless costumes, awards, photographs and other vintage memorabilia on display from the the estates of Lucy and Desi Arnaz.

To the giant murals created by local artist Gary Peters Jr.

On the Jones Tasty Baking Company building

This mural on the Jones Tasty Bakery building depicts a scene from episode # 36 from the I love Lucy Series titled ”Job Switching”,  where Lucy and Ethel get a job in a candy factory.

On the Spring Street parking ramp

The Vitameatavegamin Girl painted on the side of a parking ramp. Episode #30 “Lucy Does a Commercial”

On the Federal building- United States Post Office

On what would have been Lucy’s ninetieth birthday (August 6, 2001), the United States Postal Service honored her with a commemorative postage stamp as part of its “Legends of Hollywood” series.  How fitting to have included this replica of the stamp painted on the side of the building for all to see!

Thank you Jamestown!

You will be in our hearts forever Lucille Ball!

Lucille Ball

August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989

A tribute:

The park contains three gorgeous sky lakes, Lake Minnewaska, Lake Awosting and Mud Pond.

Source (Lake Awosting)

Lake Awosting is roughly 2 miles long and one-half mile wide at its widest while Lake Minnewaska is roughly half that size.

Dense hardwood forests encircle the two lakes and nearby clear streams cut into the valleys, incising sheer cliffs and ledges and emerging in waterfalls.

Source ( 60 foot high Awosting Falls)

The area is quite scenic and affords spectacular views in all directions.

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

Minnewaska State Park Preserve was at one time part of Albert and Alfred Smiley’s Mohonk Mountain House property. In 1879, the Minnewaska Mountain House, or Cliff House, was built overlooking Lake Minnewaska. A second hotel, Wildmere, was also added later. By the 1970’s the hotels were no longer making money and in 1978 Cliff House burned to the ground followed by Wildmere in 1986. After years of fighting with developers, in 1987 the State of New York purchased the property and opened the Minnewaska State Park Preserve in 1993.

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In 1996, the Open Space Institute transferred 5,400 additional acres to the preserve and in 2006 another 2,500 acres were added by conservation groups after the real estate partnership which wanted to develop the land collapsed.

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After New York State took over the area swimming was banned in Lake Minnewaska but after numerous petitions a swimming area was reinstated.

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Hiking, biking, picnicking, boating, horseback riding and cross-country skiing are also very popular activities in the preserve as well as mountain climbing along the cliff faces.

Image via Wikipedia (Bonticou Crag in neighboring Mohonk Preserve)

For more great New York State Parks see Adirondack Park, Niagara Falls State Park and The Grand Canyon of the East.

Image via Wikipedia

The rugged, deep and narrow Enfield Glen Gorge has many scenic rock formations and a dozen waterfalls running through it. The Enfield Creek supplies the water as it falls, winds and twists its way through the pretty gorge.

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Winding hiking trails take visitors and hikers up, down, around and through the gorge.

The falls here are not as numerous as in Letchworth and Watkins Glen state parks, but Treman State Park contains the 115 foot high Lucifer Falls.

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Lucifer Falls is in the western part of the park and can be reached directly from the gorge trail. The south rim trail offers excellent overlooks of Lucifer Falls. Visitors who do not mind wet feet can hike right up to the base of the falls.

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The other main waterfalls in Treman State Park is the Lower Falls of the Enfield Glen. Sometimes also referred to as Treman Falls, Lower Treman Falls or simply Lower Falls. This waterfall is located near the east entrance to the park at the mouth of the Glen. Swimming is allowed in the pool at the base of the Lower Falls, complete with a diving board and life guard.

From the Lower Falls parking area one can take the 2.2 (one-way) mile long gorge trail which winds its way up the glen past Lucifer Falls, an old mill and the other smaller waterfalls in the park.

Robert H. Treman State Park is open all year round but only the Lower Falls is accessible in winter. The park can be reached from route 327, just west of routes 12, 34 and 96.

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For another great NY State waterfall see Toughannock Falls which is higher than Niagara Falls. To see a NY State waterfalls affected by hydro-electricity see Cohoes Falls: Hydroelectricity Gone Wrong or Right?, complete with a live webcam view of the Cohoes Falls. To see the largest man-made waterfalls in the World built by the Romans in 271 BC see Marmore Falls: Rome’s Beautiful Gift to the World.

Unfortunately New York’s greatest Waterfalls, Niagara, is also one of the world’s Most Popular Suicide Sites.

Operating since 1945, Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises offers five different boat rides varying in length, time of day, and even speed. From the three hour Full Island cruise to the 30 minute speedboat ride, all tours are offered at multiples times throughout the day and can be coupled with other Manhattan sightseeing packages. Each cruise is narrated by a knowledgeable tour guide, chock full of interesting facts about New York. On Jul. 19, as the three hour Circle Line tour set sail at 4:30 in the afternoon, guide John Mason enthusiastically took the microphone and delved into the rich history of Manhattan.

“I’m a born and bred New Yorker and have been doing this for over 40 years. It never gets old or boring!” Mason boomed. Many of the guests participating in this particular event were first-timers and were eagerly looking forward to taking pictures of the seven bridges, five boroughs, and 25 famous landmarks the Full Island cruise would expose them to. Passengers on the Circle Line represented various states across the United States as well as many different countries. A symphony of accents and languages mingled with the ship’s horn as it circled the island. “I learned about the Statue of Liberty in class so I’m really excited to see that,” exclaimed Timmy Stravetsky, a fifth grader from Dallas, TX. His mother, MaryAnne Strvetsky added, “My father came through Ellis Island and I’ve always wanted to see this place that I’ve heard so much about.”

Thirty minutes into the tour, Mason had guided tourists past Liberty and Ellis Islands and Ground Zero. The sun, beating down on the fan-less boat, started to make the sticky, sweating passengers even more irritable. “Everything looks the same, mum,” whined a young guest in a British accent. “I should have picked the 75 minute tour,” London resident Miriam whispered, “there’s two hours left and I’ve already seen everything I want to see!” The crowd was revitalized when the first of the series of waterfalls by Olafur Eliasson came into view. Standing up to 70 feet above the East River, Eliasson’s waterfall exhibit is an interesting and awesome sight to behold. “It’s no Niagra,” Quebec native Rachel joked, “but it’s very impressive and a really unique art exhibit. Only in New York…that’s what they say right?”

The boat lumbered upriver for the rest of the tour and by the time it finally docked at Pier 83, both children and adults were nodding off, flushed from the 94 degree heat. While the general consensus was that the Full Island cruise was relaxing, guests agreed that the commentary and sights became mundane towards the end. “Towards the second hour, he was telling us to check out the New York lottery and that’s when I started playing Tetris on my son’s iPhone,” said South Jersey resident Bill Healy matter-of-factly, “time well spent would have been this tour cut down to an hour.”

Exiting the boat, guide John Mason agrees that the Full Island cruise is more suitable for an older crowd as younger children become restless and tend not to appreciate the wealth of knowledge the guides have. “I love this job. The best part is meeting people from all over the world. The Full Island cruise is actually the most popular choice and I strongly recommend it- if you can stand me for three hours!”

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Roman legions in New York City on a cold Winter morning?  Not quite.  Competitors in the annual shopping cart race known as the Idiotarod?  Could be!  This annual cart fest – this year taking place on 31 January – annually brings together some of the less sane elements of the city’s denizens to compete in a frenzy of rolling, running and pure, blissful sabotage.

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The Iditorad, in Alaska is famous for its grueling length, the almighty cold and the tenacity and stubbornness against all odds of it competitors.  The same might be said of its extremely distant cousin, the Idiotarod, now in its sixth year in the heart of New York City.  Then again, maybe not.

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Image Credit

A few differences immediately spring to mind.  There are no dogs or sleds.  Rather there are people and, well, shopping carts.  Instead of the vast Alaskan wilderness there are (n this occasion at least) the not so mean streets of NYC.  Instead of hardened and experienced racers there are a motley bunch of people determined not so much to get from one end of a wind swept state to another, but to wind through the streets in a state.

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And what a state!  Even Steampunk gets to sidle in somewhere.  Don’t think that there are no rules to melee of humanity, however, for there are many.  Perhaps the cruelest of this particular contest is that any competitor found wearing spandex is peremptorily disqualified.  A difficult and cruel rule in this city that was built on the stuff; however there are some aesthetic principles that, whatever the cause, must be upheld.  This said, the team above with their natty little nipple covers look suspiciously adorned in the L material.

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The carts themselves may be modified in any way the imagination, unleashed, can come up with.  Although the original must be ‘cartus intactus’, modifications of any nature can be made upon it.  Which gives scope. Lots of scope.

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The rules of the race itself are rigorous.  A team may have five racers and one cart.  That is it.  However, multiple teams can affiliate themselves with each other and can use extra, cartless people – perhaps so the unpopular one in the office doesn’t feel left out.  Perhaps for other function, who can say?  They could be seen in much in the same way, one supposes, that armies of the past had certain ladies who called themselves camp followers (and they weren’t referring to Manilow or Liberace) and who did for the chaps what their wives were unable. Swallow hard and screw your eyes and the centuries almost roll away before you.

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Like the Iditorad in Alaska, there are checkpoints along the way.  In this race, the competitors must get to each check point in order to have a chance of winning but the order in which they do it and the route that they take may be entirely of their own invention.  The racers must be touching (or connected to) the cart at all times throughout the race, except at the checkpoints where, it could be imagined, the call of nature may be answered.  The thought of a shopping cart and five of these folk in a public convenience does put some strange images in the head.

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Mush!  Like their Alaskan counterpart, the cart acts as the sled and four of the racers must effectively do it doggy style – or get husky – or some other vaguely innuendo ridden description which means they must be at the front of the cart.  The fifth is the musher.  The rules say nothing about whips.  Optional, perhaps.

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The winners this year?  Most unusually, the prize for ‘best in show’ was awarded to two teams – a tie!  Team Romulus and Team Remus jointly pranced away with the prize for their almost five hundred pound chariots, their Gladiator reminiscent entry music, marching chants and fabulous bribes to the judges.

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So, another year another Idiotarod.  With the quality of competitors, their carts and their high jinks this year being at an all time high (or low, depending on how you look at it) 2010 must see the bar simultaneously pushed ever upwards and downwards in this superb example of urban extreme silliness.

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