Wait a minute!  I know that horse (photo above).  What was Mr. Ed's connection to Upstate New York?

Well, that is a good question..  And one we answer in this list of amazing Upstate NY trivia facts.

As a writer of many Upstate New York travel books, I have come across a whole file cabinet full of amazing pieces of trivia about this region the I love.  I wrote about them in my popular book Upstate Uncovered (SUNY Press).  I thought I would share some of my favorites in this gallery.  They are always fun!

Is there such as thing as a 2-story brick out house?  Where is the "world's largest piece of candy" found?  Can you find any places we can see that were actually hiding places that Harriet Tubman used along the Underground Railroad?  Why was there a controversy about famous singer Kate Smith's final resting place in Lake Placid?  Why was the famous inventor Guillermo Marconi working feverously in Binghamton?  Where is oldest cobblestone neighborhood in the USA?  Where was the first grand slam home run in organized baseball hit?  Whatever happened to the little kid who played Charlie Bucket in "Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory " movie?  Where is the most "famous little red caboose in the world" located?

Believe it or not you will find all these stories right here in Upstate New York!

I hope you enjoy this gallery as much as I enjoyed traveling, researching, and writing about the subjects here!

The Most Amazing Trivia List About Upstate New York History You Will Ever Read!

Wai....is that Mr. Ed in the photo above? What on earth could that talking horse have to do with Upstate New York?

Everybody loves a good story, or some head-scratching trivia facts. This list pulls the curtain back on 30 amazing pieces of Upstate New York history you probably didn't know about. Are they earth-shaking? No. Are they interesting? Definitely!

Where is the only 2-story brick outhouse in New York located? Whatever happened to "that kid" in the Willie Wonka movie? Where was the first grand slam home run in organized baseball hit? Where are the world's lollipop sticks made? Where is the oldest mini-golf in America located? Tell us the story of Binghamton's Kentucky Derby winner! Tell us the story about TV's "Mr. Ed" and his connection to Upstate New York! And what was that controversy over famous singer Kate's Smith's Lake Placid grave all about?

The answer to all of these questions and many more lie in Upstate New York.

Enjoy!

Gallery Credit: Chuck D'Imperio

Is This the Best "Small" New York State Park? We Think So!

New York State is blessed with some of the best state parks in the country. And historic ones too! And huge ones also! For example our Adirondack State Park is certainly our state park pride and joy. Opened in 1892, the park covers a whopping 9,000 square miles and is the largest park in the contiguous Untied States. Allegany State Park, clocks in at 65,000 acres in size and is rough and raw and beautiful. It is called The Wilderness of Western New York." Letchworth State Park is another gem. Founded in 1906 it covers15,000 acres and in 2015 was named "Best State Park in the United States."

So they are the big ones. But what about the relatively smaller ones. This gallery looks at a real Upstate New York treasure. Green Lakes State Park, just east of Syracuse and west of Utica, gets over 1.5-million visitors a year. It has two lakes unlike any others in the USA, and it is the focus of this gallery.

Learn more here and then put it at the top of your bucket list for upcoming trips. It is simply amazing!

Gallery Credit: Chuck D'Imperio