Memories need a sense of place, and for a century, New Yorkers have discovered it at a New York State park or historic site. With more than 250 parks, each as diverse and beautiful as the memories they host, it’s no wonder so many people hold moments at a state park dear. Whether they’re milestones like a wedding or graduation, or a simple annual family tradition, the parks have been backdrops to the scenes of the lives of millions for 100 years.
There are more memories in our parks than pine needles on trees in Moreau Lake State Park and grains of sand on Jones Beach. It’s our privilege to share with you three of these precious memories.
Andy Fyfe
Growing up in Montgomery County, Saratoga Spa State Park was the meeting spot for Andy, a place where friends and families would come together. Unbeknownst to him, it would also be where his professional and personal life would meet.
In 2004, Andy began his career in parks as a Student Conservation Association Intern at Saratoga Spa State Park. For 10 months, he toiled under the sun, building many of the trails people at the park enjoy, including a bridge over a small stream on the Hemlock Trail that still stands today. He loved it so much that the 10-month stint turned into 20 months, and then into a full-time job running guided tours of the mineral springs and teaching about the local environment. This did not last; when the 2008 recession hit, Andy left his job at the park. However, he stayed involved in the park, joining the Friends of Saratoga Spa State Park as soon as he left.
On a winter’s day in 2009, Andy had his first date with a woman named Kathleen. What was to just be breakfast and a few hours of snowshoeing along the snowy trails at Saratoga Spa State Park became, as Andy describes it, “the date that lasted a whole day,” ending with dinner.
By 2011, Andy and Kathleen were engaged. They added another chapter to their Saratoga Spa State Park love story by celebrating their wedding in the park. In 2012, they exchanged vows under the Orenda Pavilion, surrounded by friends and family. The tables were adorned with State Seal Water, collected directly from the springs at the park. It was a day steeped in natural beauty and personal significance.
Today, Andy is once again working for the park system as Assistant Deputy Commissioner. He has dedicated his career to ensuring others enjoy and fall in love with New York State’s parks as much as he has. Though now working in Albany, Saratoga Spa State Park remains an important place to Andy, who still uses it as a place to meet family and friends.
Karen Seward
With the final classes taken, diploma in hand, and tassel moved from right to left, Karen Seward and her friends Lisa, Michele, and Kim had graduated high school in 1982. To celebrate their newfound sense of independence, Karen asked her parents to borrow the family car, a ’77 Monte Carlo, and headed out with her friends on a day trip to Letchworth State Park.
With picnic lunches packed, the four friends piled into her parents’ car and embarked on their adventure. Enamored with that sense of joy of being an adult felt only when you aren’t quite one yet, they spent the day swimming, visiting the park’s stunning waterfalls, and walking along its scenic trails.
Along the way, they snapped photos with their cameras to capture the day. “This was a time when one would mail in their film and eagerly wait a week to get the pictures back,” she recalled. Karen remembered waiting in anticipation for the moment the photos would arrive in her mailbox.
Though years have passed, she still holds onto these photos and the memories of celebrating newfound freedom with her friends at Letchworth State Park. Today, Karen serves as the Director of Energy Management at Albany Medical Center, Lisa is an industrial engineer at Kodak, Michele is a school psychologist, and Kim works in human resources. These snapshots remind her of the time they spent together.
The Grupe Family
For more than a decade, the Grupe family has celebrated Memorial Day under the thunder of planes at the annual Jones Beach Air Show on Long Island. They gather yearly at “their spot,” a section of beach near the orange plastic security fence. The spot was chosen for the best view while balancing proximity to the boardwalk — and it doesn’t hurt that the U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team lands nearby when they are the stars of the show!
Through time, they have refined their planning, with one family always arriving the moment the parking lots open and making a beeline to their spot. Others follow, bringing food and drinks of all kinds which pass freely around the Grupes.
At their spot, the family sits in lawn chairs under angled umbrellas, surrounded by chicken cutlet sandwiches and red cups filled with iced tea. Conversations about life pause each time the sound barrier is broken by the planes darting across the sky. Cousins introduce future spouses as grandparents hold grandchildren who watch the planes for the first time.
Governor Kathy Hochul
“’Growing up in Western New York, our state parks have shaped my life.” Governor Kathy Hochul shares her personal connection to New York’s state parks. From childhood memories of camping at Allegany State Park with her parents and siblings; to stargazing, roasting marshmallows and enjoying campfires with her children and husband at Wellesley Island State Park, New York’s state parks hold deep meaning for Gov. Hochul.
“Even when I was young, I loved the smell of pine needles and the special quiet that comes from being out in the woods. It makes you listen to the birds and the wind in the trees…It’s the kind of happiness that stays with you.”
Special occasions happen every day at our parks and historic sites. New York State Parks is honored to host millions of special moments for New Yorkers.
After reading this, chances are you’re thinking of memories of your own. We encourage you to share your #NYStateParksStory with us for our Share Your Story project, an initiative to capture as many memories like these as possible. Be part of the celebration of 100 years of New York State Parks and tell us your story. Then, go out and make even more memories. We’ll see you out there!
— Written by Ryan Percy, Community Engagement Coordinator, Saratoga-Capital Region
New York State Parks and Historic Sites Blog 
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