On my most recent content safari we visited New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. That’s why you’ve seen blogs for Niagara Falls and Steamtown National Historic Site. We had a Chevy Blazer in fire engine red, and it was comfortable and fuel efficient.
We rolled into Corning, New York, a company town if ever there was one. Corning’s population is a scant 10,696 people, and many of them work for the Corning company. The roads in upstate, rural New York were beautiful, and we were there while the leaves were changing color. Our destination was the Corning Museum of Glass. Corning is home to the Corning corporation. I knew it would have photo ops, especially after our visit to the Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibit in Seattle a couple of years ago. Take a look:
I wanted Italian food for dinner that evening and in a quick online search we found what promised to be a good spot. When we arrived the Italian place was closed. So we went with a less high-tech, old-fashioned approach for selecting where to eat. We walked around downtown Corning and looked for a place that was crowded.
Mooney’s answered the mail. It’s a bar that also serves food. The menu mentioned a Reuben (I love Reuben sandwiches), but the waiter explained that their Reuben was different. Mooney’s specialty is macaroni and cheese, and they had a Reuben-based mac and cheese dish. He suggested the appetizer portion, and that worked.
My dinner was huge, and even with help from my wife and sister, we only could take in about half of it. It was a high end, gourmet mac and cheese (who knew such a thing even existed?) with bits of pastrami mixed in and toasted rye cubes on top. Wow, it was delicious!
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Dang, I never knew there was museum in town. I used to order vast quantities of Ruby Red neon glass from them. They only made once a year in August right before they shut down the glass furnaces and cleaned them. They furnaces were used for clear glass all year, so they only made Ruby Red Neon Tubes in 15mm, 12mm and 10mm by 4-foot lengths once a year, and we had to beg them to do it each year. Until one year they said NO. All heck broke loose, and the world had no Ruby Red Neon Glass! I have no idea why they reached this decision, but the in whole world they were the only suppler, we begged, pleaded, and bribed, but no dice. Even in the 80’s the stuff sold for $25.00 a pound and they would not budge. My company alone bought thousands of pounds and there were others in USA and around the world that bought it too!
Long story short, we must go to Italy to buy Ruby Red glass and the first year it was crap! The Italian did get the hang of it after a year or two, but it was never the same quality or workability.
So have love hate for Corning glass, love the quality and beauty but hate their business practices. I would have gone to the museum for sure!
I was in Italy (Venice) about 15 years ago and I saw that they did a lot of glass work. I imagine there are probably supplier(s) in China today.
Love, love glass work!!!!! This is a so unique art, I kow even though I’ll take some classes, I will never be able to get any similar pieces as the above. Lol!
Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for commenting, Annie!
I hope you visited the Scranton Iron Furnaces at Steamtown. And of course the coal mine. Bring a high power tactical type flashlight to get the most out of the mine tour.
I didn’t see either one, but next time I am in Scranton I will it a point to do so. Thanks, Marcus.
Corning museum is great. But don’t overlook their historical stuff on actual bowls and the like which were produced for use in the every day home.
Good inputs, my friend. Thanks very much.