CNY FOLKSMARCH

Walking through the Salt City

Our walk February 12 and 13 through the downtown Salt City was a chilly one, but enjoyable according to Folksmarchers that came back to the Salt City Market when they finished. Many Folksmarchers took one of each of the walking tour books to explore both the public art around the city and the historic architecture. Folksmarcher Debbie Gunther took some great shots of art NOT in the books and Folksmarcher Lori Newcomb captured many of the unique buildings across the city.

We welcomed several new or returning First Timers, including Maureen Mastrogiovanni, Donna Parks, and Sue Delaney. Eileen Corlett brought her husband Alan Corlett, and First Timers Robert Stark and Christine Frevele decided to get an Annual Pass. Our First Timers on Sunday included Terry Henry, Amy St. John, and Miller Sherman. Minch and Judy Lewis also returned to Folksmarch, welcome back!

Some interesting art works, photos by Debbie Gunther.

Historical architecture photos by Lori Newcomb

Downtown Walk Routes

Downtown Syracuse has so much to offer. If history’s your thing, Downtown’s Historic Walking Tour Guide guide highlights historic landmarks, monuments and dives deep into architectural detail. Love murals, sculpture, and other forms of urban art? The Public Art Guide draws attention to must-see points of interest. https://downtownsyracuse.com/explore/tours

Folksmarch sign-in for the Downtown Syracuse walk will be at the Salt City Market, 484 S. Salina St., Syracuse, NY 13202 on the corner of W. Onondaga St. The sign-in table will be located near the S. Salina St. entrance from 9:00 A.M. – Noon on Saturday and on Sunday from 1:00 – 3:00 P.M. PLEASE NOTE OUR NEW SATURDAY HOURS.

We’ve mapped out the Public Art Walk starting from the Salt City Market location (just before No. 38 on the Public Art Guide). The 5K ends up on S State Street at about the Court House. If you continue back to the Salt City Market, the total is about 3.6 miles. Should you continue onto the 10K, we bring you back up and around to the east and south of the Public Art route, past the Erie Canal Museum, the Everson Museum of Art, the OnCenter, the Marriott Syracuse Downtown (formerly the Hotel Syracuse), and back around to the Salt City Market entrance (about 6 miles). See below for the Google map on MapMyFitness or the image below showing directions. Many thanks to the Downtown Committee for providing maps and booklets that we will have available at the walk sign in (first come, first serve).

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A Downtown Walk

We are excited and grateful to Salt City Market for being so accommodating in welcoming us for our February walk. For many Folksmarchers, this will be their first time at the venue, and we think they are in for a treat.

Located on the site of a former, rather blighted, parking lot on the corner of S. Salina and W. Onondaga Streets, it now boasts to be “where the heart of Downtown meets the culturally rich South and West sides of Syracuse.” The one- and two-bedroom apartments on the upper floors, created for mixed income residents, are currently filled. The Syracuse Cooperative Market (well-known from its Westcott neighborhood location) has opened a second site on the Market’s main floor and is packed with grocery items to accommodate their Downtown neighbors.

The bar/café and the food hall, also on the main floor, celebrated its opening about one year ago, in January 2021, and made dreams come true for many local entrepreneurs.

Find out more in our February 2022 Folksmarch Footnotes

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February Walking Challenge

Photo by Alexandr Podvalny on Pexels.com

It’s been some cold days Folksmarchers but winter walking can be beautiful and so enjoyable. There are many great places that Folksmarchers have walked in winter over the past 40 years–Oneida Shores, Highland Forest, Beaver Lake, and one of our favorites Green Lakes. Check out Onondaga County Parks to find winter walking and hiking trails.

Grab your hat and gloves and get out there Folksmarchers! Get 280,000 steps in February. Sign up to get our Footnotes newsletter and information on our monthly walks.

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Icy Cold January at Destiny

A good number of FMers turned out on a very cold Saturday morning, with most walking inside where the mall was mainly quiet due to the majority of stores not opening up until late morning. A trio of hardy souls did venture outside to explore the route over to the new bridge on the west side of the lake. Sunday afternoon being a milder day brought another bunch of walkers including 5 First Timers – Welcome Sarah Paul, Bob Ball, Jessica Cohen, Debbie Field and Shelly Field. It was lovely talking with you and we hope to see you all at future walks!

Many people took advantage of buying an Annual Pass which provides 2 free walks plus a Yearly Passport card in which keeping track of the completed walks is easy because each month gets a stamp with the same design as the button everyone gets for walking. Many thanks to all the helpers: Lori Newcomb, Erin Cunia, Sue Straub and Adria Ripka. While our new president, Erin Cunia, is helping us become more tech savvy, our aim is still to make new friends as we enjoy visiting various places in Central New York.

Can we ask you some questions?

DESTINATION: DESTINY USA

January 8 and 9 at Destiny USA

Our January FM is at Destiny USA on Saturday, January 8 and Sunday, January 9, 2022. The mall is generously letting us meet again on the first floor of the Canyon area close to the entrance to Dick’s – the same place as last year, although I understand Cantina Laredo is no longer there. Perhaps some new stores or eateries will fill the spot. There are large parking lots on Solar Street which will let you enter via the escalator up and across the pedestrian bridge over Hiawatha Blvd. Then you need to descend to the first floor by either the nearby down escalator or an elevator which is a little farther along. Remember to sign up for your 2022 Annual Membership Pass or Yearly Passport. Masks and social distancing are still the order of the day.

Find more information in the January Footnotes.

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Three walk options:

Indoors, walking the perimeter of all four (4) floors of the mall is a full 5K.
Head outside and follow signs for the Onondaga Creekwalk. (Creekwalk map)
An alternate outdoor route to Franklin Park:

Start at the check in at Destiny
- Leave Destiny from doors on Hiawatha Blvd & Solar St. either from 2nd Floor – thru walkway and down escalator OR from 1st Floor – cross Hiawatha Blvd @ the light.
- Travel straight up Solar St.
- Solar St. ends at the intersection of Plum St. (Freedom of Espresso will be on your right – it’s open every day until 4:00.) Cross the street and continue straight to Creek Walk. (Cars can’t go this way, but walkers can.)
- Turn right onto Creek Walk (see sign: Creek Walk Mile 1.7 Zone B8)
- Continue along Creek Walk until you see the Amphitheater on your right at Inner Harbor;
- Turn right – see the sign: A Harbor for Syracuse.
- Then choose from the following options:
  - turn right at the sign; head back to Solar St; turn left on Solar St; head back to Destiny. (For extra ½ mile, before entering Destiny turn left on Hiawatha Blvd and continue on Creek Walk (yellow line) to the shore of Onondaga Lake and then back to Destiny.) –OR–
  - turn left at the sign; continue on Creek Walk until Hiawatha Blvd; turn right; head back to Destiny. (For extra ½ mile, continue on Creek Walk to the shore of Onondaga Lake and then back to Destiny.)

Highlights from Our December Folksmarch

A Bright & Beautiful December Day in Fulton

Sunday was sunny and unusually warm for mid December at the Folksmarch in Fulton. Walkers said it was a little windy when crossing the bridges but it was a gorgeous day to walk and observe the upgrades the city has made since the last time Folksmarch had a walk in Fulton. The river sparkled and the sun lifted everyone’s spirits. At the Moose Lodge there were more than enough pizzas with various toppings, soda, and scrumptious home-made cookies from our out-going President, Mary Ledford. (I want the recipe for those cookies with raspberry on top!) People enjoyed the food, the Christmas music, the conversation and the general air of joy and celebration. After lunch Mary presided over a short Annual Meeting, ending with a farewell speech in which she thanked everyone for their participation and help, and said she is looking forward to Folksmarch continuing for another 40 years

December Waking the Bridges in Fulton and Annual Membership Meeting & Party

Begin your walk prior to or following the events that will begin at 11:00 AM. RSVP by 5-Dec! Get details and more in our December Footnotes.

Your walk will be called Walking the Bridges in Fulton. If you park in the Price Chopper parking lot, address is 12 W. 1st street, Fulton NY 13069 also called Route 48. Walk across the street towards Dunkin Donuts, go left to the corner right near PathFinder bank and start over the first bridge. Travel until you come to the second traffic light and turn right. Continue until you get to the Fastrac. At the corner of the Fastrac turn right and continue over the second bridge and turn right at the small car dealership on the corner and you are back on Route 48 and travel until you see Price chopper again on your Left. This is about a 2 mile walk. If you want to Get the extra Mile in you could walk back across the Bridge and back next to Pathfinder Bank. The view is beautiful on both sides of the bridge. I hope you enjoy the view and the walk and will then come to the Moose lodge located at 3044 County route 57, Oswego, NY 13126. Head back over the first bridge you walked and go to the 2nd stop light and turn left on to Route 57 or 481, soon the road will turn into 481 north stay on 481 for about a mile and turn right onto VanBuren road take to the end and turn left onto Route 57. Stay on this back road for a mile and the Fulton Moose Lodge will be on your right. Please enter through the side door for check in.

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We will have the check in from 11:00AM to 11:45 at the Moose Lodge, 3044 County route 57, Oswego.

Lunch to follow which will include Pizza, Salad, cupcakes & cookies, coffee & soda.

1:00 to 1:15 the Annual meeting will be held. Hope to see you all at the party!

November Walk at Green Lakes

As a follow-up to our 40^th Anniversary Walk and Celebration, our November walk takes us back to one of our favorite spots, Green Lakes State Park.

Green Lakes State Park’s outstanding features are its two glacial lakes surrounded by upland forest. Both Round and Green Lakes are meromictic lakes, which means that there is no fall and spring mixing of surface and bottom waters. Such lakes have a high potential for evidence of ancient plant and animal life. Round and Green Lakes are 2 of the just 17 meromictic lakes in the United States. Glacier Lake at Clark’s Reservation is also a meromictic lake as well as Ballston Lake in Albany and Devil’s Bathtub in Rochester.

Join us as we walk the lake trails of Round Lake (.9 mi) and Green Lake (1.9 mi) and the Tween Lakes Trail (.4 mi). We will meet near the West Beach Restrooms.

Directions

From the South/East: Take 81N toward Syracuse. Take exit 16A for Interstate 481 N toward DeWitt. Take exit 3E for NY-5 E/NY-92 E toward Fayetteville. Turn right onto NY-5 E/NY-92 E and use the middle 2 lanes to turn slightly left onto NY-5 E. In the Village of Fayetteville, turn left onto NY-257 N/N Manlius St. Continue onto NY-290 E. Turn right onto Green Lakes Dr. Continue along Green Lakes Dr. to the West Beach Parking lot. The restrooms are to the far left of the lot.

From the North/West: Take NY-481 S to DeWitt. Take exit 5E from I-481 S. Merge onto Kirkville Rd. Turn right onto Fremont Rd. Turn left onto NY-290 E. Turn right onto Green Lakes Dr. Continue along Green Lakes Dr. to the West Beach Parking lot. The restrooms are to the far left of the lot.

Get details and more in our November Footnotes newsletter.

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