Upstate Uncovered

Book excerpt: An exciting travel guide for Upstate New York road warriors, history lovers, and tourists. In Upstate Uncovered Chuck D’Imperio mines deep into his travel journal and shares an astonishing array of fun and amazing places in Upstate New York that the casual traveler might otherwise miss. As one of Upstate’s most ardent advocates, D’Imperio has traveled the backroads and byways of the region seeking out the stories, tales, and folklore writ upon the landscape. He takes readers to one hundred small towns and cities from the Hudson Valley to the High Peaks of the Adirondacks and out through the rolling hills of the Finger Lakes region. Not only a reflection of “the road less traveled,” Upstate Uncovered includes pertinent information such as websites, photographs, personal interviews, and explicit directions to each of the included entries. While flipping through the pages, readers will be amazed at what turns up around every backroads corner in the region. “This book is a delight. It’s raw meat for people (like me) who love to find and enjoy obscure historical treasures, but it is much more. Anyone who lives or travels in Upstate New York will be surprised and delighted at how much there is to discover and enjoy there. The nation’s smallest church? The grave of ‘The Moses of her people?’ New York’s biggest pair of pants? The town where ‘Oz’ began? A two-story outhouse? (You read it right.) The birthplace of The Twilight Zone? They’re all here, and more, in witty, warm, and lucid prose. Enjoy. You will.” — Mac Nelson, author of Twenty West: The Great Road Across America “Upstate New York—the area north of New York City—is full of interesting and historically significant places to visit, explore, and enjoy. Much of its history has been slighted or overlooked. Chuck D’Imperio seems to have visited just about every community in New York in the course of his research for Upstate Uncovered and previous excellent books on the region. D’Imperio has a flair for descriptive and evocative writing, bringing history to life through his on-site interviews and shrewd historical observations. This is exciting history, well told, and engaging. Even readers who know New York history will find lots of surprises and new insights. Upstate Uncovered conveys a deep sense of the variety, vitality, and drama of Upstate New York’s history.” — Bruce W. Dearstyne, author of The Spirit of New York: Defining Events in the Empire State’s History