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Upstate Uncovered: 100 Unique, Unusual, and Overlooked Destinations in Upstate New York
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 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 Defining Events in the Empire State’s History
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 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 Defining Events in the Empire State’s History
- GenresTravel
466 pages, Paperback
Published March 1, 2017
4 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 17, 2023
If you're a fan of local history and are seeking adventure, this book is for you. I learned so much about upstate NY and now have a long list of daycation destinations!
June 8, 2018
Unique.
November 29, 2018
This time Mr. D'Imperio is telling of the - as he calls them - unique, unusual and overlooked destinations in the upper regions of New York State.
Broken down into 5 regions - Western New York; Finger Lakes; Central New York, Catskills/Mohawk Valley/Capital Region and the North Country and Adirondacks - he has traveled thousands of miles criss-crossing the state. Some of his discoveries are nostalgic, some by word-of-mouth while others are likely just stumbled upon.
Each 'chapter' has a cover page with the unique destination, town, county and a picture. Two to four pages of history, description why it's unique or unusual, interviews with some locals/owners or guides. Some other nearby attractions or sites. The "Essentials" of what and where ending with contact information which is usually a webpage for nearly all of the places mentioned in that chapter.
Churches and cemeteries. Sports and Caverns. Motels and theme parks. Carousels and stores. Statues and ferries. Covered bridges and a miniature golf course. The Cardiff Giant. Biggest pair of pants in New York. The game of Roque. The world's largest roll of pep-o-mint life savers. Upsidedown traffic light. The First Badges of Merit being given out which later became the Purple Heart. Museums and historical places galore. You can literally glut yourself on great places to investigate.
The only problem that caught me - there were several wrong word misprints (his instead of this, for example). It disrupted the flow of reading.
And I readly wish that Mr. D'Imperio had included a regional map at the beginning of each section with the locations indicated in some fashion. I would enjoy taking a long weekend and exploring one or two but unless I dug out a map, I would find it difficult to even start forming an itinerary.
Broken down into 5 regions - Western New York; Finger Lakes; Central New York, Catskills/Mohawk Valley/Capital Region and the North Country and Adirondacks - he has traveled thousands of miles criss-crossing the state. Some of his discoveries are nostalgic, some by word-of-mouth while others are likely just stumbled upon.
Each 'chapter' has a cover page with the unique destination, town, county and a picture. Two to four pages of history, description why it's unique or unusual, interviews with some locals/owners or guides. Some other nearby attractions or sites. The "Essentials" of what and where ending with contact information which is usually a webpage for nearly all of the places mentioned in that chapter.
Churches and cemeteries. Sports and Caverns. Motels and theme parks. Carousels and stores. Statues and ferries. Covered bridges and a miniature golf course. The Cardiff Giant. Biggest pair of pants in New York. The game of Roque. The world's largest roll of pep-o-mint life savers. Upsidedown traffic light. The First Badges of Merit being given out which later became the Purple Heart. Museums and historical places galore. You can literally glut yourself on great places to investigate.
The only problem that caught me - there were several wrong word misprints (his instead of this, for example). It disrupted the flow of reading.
And I readly wish that Mr. D'Imperio had included a regional map at the beginning of each section with the locations indicated in some fashion. I would enjoy taking a long weekend and exploring one or two but unless I dug out a map, I would find it difficult to even start forming an itinerary.
May 12, 2019
Excellent history of upstate New York
As an Upstate New Yorker all my life, I SO enjoyed reading this book! I knew where each of the locations were that were described in the book but was pleasantly amazed by the historic information about them. I am going to go thru the book again, now that I have read it, and make a list of places I want to visit. This would be an excellent book for students to read to learn much more about Upstate New York history.
As an Upstate New Yorker all my life, I SO enjoyed reading this book! I knew where each of the locations were that were described in the book but was pleasantly amazed by the historic information about them. I am going to go thru the book again, now that I have read it, and make a list of places I want to visit. This would be an excellent book for students to read to learn much more about Upstate New York history.
May 22, 2017
Great little book. Some places I found to try and get to myself. The one destination near me was listed in one county but the physical building is in the next county over. The website for the place does state that it is in both counties but locals know just where it is. It might have added some more interest to the place by mentioning this little bit.
October 26, 2017
As the title indicates, a nice tour through interesting spots in Upstate NY. All short vignettes with locations and directions clearly indicated. Whether you are from the area or not, good browsing through sometimes surprising local history.
August 1, 2025
Definitely added another dozen flags to my map.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews