Travel Log: Day 2

Our calendar says it’s Spring…but the Catskills felt differently. It snowed today. April in New York – and it snowed. I guess our team wasn’t prepared for the snow as the communication transfer included two phrases, “It’s snowing” and “I just fell again.” But we carried on and completed today’s mission. Two targets: Catskill Fly Fishing Museum and the Sullivan County Historical Museum.

My team and I woke at sunrise and started the journey to Livingston Manor. We forged streams, slipped on rocks and trekked through snow. We made it on time for the first cast event. We learned a lot from the local folk like how to tie a fly. This is an art in itself and will stay with us forever. We also joined the other die hard sportsmen for the annual first cast event. They were searching for fish with precision and patience as we were searching for the perfect shots of them with creativity and clarity. They were mostly kids, but skilled sportsmen nonetheless…just like us. First cast scored a huge marlin for one 8 year old. Second cast brought in a great white shark to a deserving teen. We’re told that’s common in these parts of the Valley…or so the tale goes.

On to the next target: Hurleyville. A small town with a huge museum. As we entered the massive museum we stood in wonderment of its beauty. It’s here that we learned everything there is to know about Sullivan County’s rich history. This beautiful museum houses a detailed timeline starting from the original Native American settlers all the way up to today’s history makers. All of the memorabilia are original artifacts from Civil War times to farm life in the 18th century. It took everything in us not to touch…but rules are rules.

Today’s Mission: debunk fish tales and figure out a way to get on the Sullivan County Historical Museum’s timeline.