Our Stay in Lody, NY

New York State

October - November 2025

The Bethel Woods Detour

Although we could check out around noon, we left two hours earlier. We had a long day ahead of us, heading west to the Finger Lakes region. We drove on the foothills of the Catskills, familiar territory by now. Since we were unable to visit the Woodstock Monument during our stay in Stamford, NY, we knew we had to take the longer drive to see this famous place.

Strangely, the original site of the 1969 Woodstock festival is not located in Woodstock, but in Bethel Woods, southwest of the town of Woodstock! In 1969, I was too young to understand the meaning of the festival. I only know that at that time, men with long hair were a larger problem to the establishment than the Vietnam War.

For a few minutes, I stood and looked out onto the natural amphitheater where half a million people gathered for three days, united by music and the desire for peace. While the fights have changed, standing here reminded me that 55 years later, we still have a long way to go before we all connect and unite in peace.

Our Most Enchanting Airbnb!

We have stayed in many, many Airbnbs since the start of our travels in the States, but this Airbnb for our Finger Lakes adventure was by far the most enchanting one. Named the Old Whittier Library (OWL), this converted library-turned-studio was filled with history and books still resting on the original shelves.

Built in 1917 following a fire that destroyed much of the commercial district, the library was a necessary part of the town for almost a century. After a new library opened in Lodi, the building was reopened as a lovely studio precisely 100 years later. It felt so special to stay in a piece of local history; we even read some poems by the namesake, Whittier.

One new experience we had was the daily Fire Whistle test at noon. We thought we might be disturbed by it, but knowing in advance made it a fun and authentic part of our small-town experience! We had heard the alarm once before at an unexpected time, so we knew something had happened and that the dedicated volunteers had been called to help their community members.

From the literary charm to the strong community presence, our time at the OWL gave us memories we’ll never forget. From now on, the sound of a sharp fire whistle will likely be our Pavlovian cue, reminding us of our time at the Finger Lakes.

A Stroll Downtown Lodi, NY

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Running the Old Air Force Base Trail

We found another great, flat running trail in the area, this time at Sampson State Park, just a few miles from the Airbnb. I loved running here, although I sometimes got distracted by the fantastic views of Seneca Lake and the fall colors.

Interestingly, before this site became a state park in 1960, it was first a naval training station and then an Air Force training base. I have to wonder if the exercising power of all those “boots” was still lingering and helped me achieve three PBs on a run that felt surprisingly easy.