You just never know what you are going to stumble upon in Upstate New York.

This weekend my wife and I drove to Canton to see our 18-year old, Abby, who is a freshman at SUNY Canton.  We stopped for lunch in downtown Watertown.

I don't know if I ever had been there before, so we took a stroll around the square on the center part of town.  There are many lovely old buildings and restaurants.  We came upon a building called The Paddock Arcade.  It was beautiful and unusual looking.  We went inside.

The Paddock is covered with glass, creating a warm glow from the block long skylight.  There were two levels of businesses, taverns and stores in here.  I found a brass plaque on the wall.  Boy was I surprised!

The Paddock Arcade is the oldest covered shopping mall in the whole country, having been in continuous operation since 1850.  What a find.  Who would ever thought that this lovely piece of history would heve been right here in Upstate New York?

You never know.....

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