2011-10-22 Deerfield, Mass

---

Deerfield, Mass is beautiful little walk and it's a great drive getting there.

We do this excursion a once or twice a year.  Typical route is a loop from Albany Area via the Mass Pike (Route 90), to Route 91 North.  Then a visit to the Yankee Candle Flagship Store.  About ten miles north of Yankee Candle, on Route 5 & 10 you come to Historic Deerfield.  In the center of the village you can purchase a tag that will give you admission to the historic sites and museums in the village.  After the visit we continue north on Route 5 & 10 to Route 2 (Mohawk Trail).  This is a very scenic drive that goes through Williamstown, North Adams and the Petersburg Pass.

This fall, Hurricane Irene caused substantial damage and the Historic Deerfield Inn and the Mohawk Trail were closed.

The Flynt Center in Deerfield has a great collection of 18th-19th Century Artifacts and Antiques.  I was very impressed with the collection of powder horns from the French and Indian War.  Many of these horns were used during the Battle of Lake George.  My Lake George walk passes many of the places where these horns were used.

---

• Yankee Candle Flagship Store 
• Yankee Candle Directions 
• Mohawk Trail Driving Tours 
• Mohawk Trail Region 
• Wikipedia - Mohawk Trail
• Wikipedia - Historic Deerfield 
• Historic Deerfield
• Historic Deerfield - Driving Directions
• Flynt Center of Early New England Life
• Flynt Center - Powder Horns
• NY Walkman - Lake George Walk
• Deerfield - Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association
• Deerfield Academy
• Wikipedia - Hurricane Irene
• Berkshire Hiking

---

10-31-2011 Monthly Log

In October, I logged 106 miles. Since I started logging my walks 17 months ago (April 2010), I logged 2,199 Miles.

My walks during the month included:

• Oakwood Cemetery Loop (4.0 - 5.7 miles), 5 times
• Neighborhood walks (1.7 - 2.9 miles), 19 times
• Voorhesville (5.6 miles), 1 time
• Round Lake (5.6 miles), 1 time
• Crossgates Mall, Indoor Loop (1.06 miles), 1 time
• Crown Point (3.3 miles), 1 time
• Downtown Albany (4.1 - 4.3 miles), 3 times
• Clifton Park Center - Library Loop (3.5 miles), 5 times
• Deerfield Village, Massachusetts (2.5 miles), 1 time

2011-09-30 Fort Fisher, NC and Southport, NC

This is really two walks connected by a ferry ride. The 1st route is a short loop around Southport, NC (1.3 Miles). The 2nd is a short loop around Fort Fisher Historic site, NC (1.4 Miles). The two loops are connected by a short ferry ride. The Southport - Fort Fisher Ferry ride is a great, low cost trip ($5 one-way per car as of September, 2011).

---

Southport North Carolina is a historic town located at the mouth of the Cape Fear River at the intersection of the Atlantic Ocean. The short walk features historic homes, huge live oaks, antique shops, art galleries, activities, parks and restaurants. The ferry is a few miles outside of the town.

• Southport Visitor Guide
• North Carolina Visitor Guide - Southport
• Map My Walk Link - Southport

---

Fort Fisher is located on the north shore of the Cape Fear River outlet (opposite of Southport).  Today, only about 10% of the original Fort Remains.  The walk is the combination of two separate loops starting from the parking lot at the Fort Fisher Visitor Center.  The 1st loop is basically the guided tour (no cost) that starts from the visitor center.  The 2nd loop is a short loop across the highway on a walkway along the revetment.

I was familiar with the battle because I often walk in Oakwood Cemetery in Troy, NY.  Oakwood is the final resting place of many Union Veterans of the Battle including William Freeman (Medal of Honor Recipient) and General Alanzo Alden.

The fall of Fort Fisher was one of the major battles of 1865.  After the fall of Charleston, Wilmington, NC was the last port open to the Confederates. Fort Fisher was the key to closing the port.  In January of 1865 the Fort was captured by Union Forces (after the 2nd attempt).  Three months later the Civil War Ended. After the Civil war there were several controversies concerning the capture (on both the Union and Confederate side).

• Fort Fisher Visitor Center
• Map of Fort Fisher Site
• Map my walk map - Fort Fisher
• Wikipedia Entry - Fort Fisher
• Excellent Battle Maps of Fort Fisher
• Cape Fear Round Table
• Fort Fisher Controversy - Ames and Curtis (NY Times)
• War Veterans at Odds (NY Times)
• General Butler Speeches relevant to Fort Fisher
• The Capture of Fort Fisher - Adelbert Ames
• The Capture of Fort Fisher - Newton Martin Curtis 
• Second Bombardment of Fort Fisher - Daniel Ammen
• Defense of Fort Fisher, North Carolina - William Lamb