Saturday Nov. 17, 2012
It's a tradition to capture a Cellino & Barnes billboard every time I cross the border! I know I've said it before, but seriously, they own Western New York! (Check out their ad as seen Sept. 17, 2012 on Rochester, NY's WROC, RF45.)
We stopped to eat at the same rest stop as my 2011 road trip that had a Checkers fast food outlet. Their baconzilla called, and I answered! I've seen them advertise a lot on Ohio stations like Cleveland's WEWS (RF15) as seen back on July 14, 2011.
After a few hours, we arrived in Syracuse and I caught some cool pics of their downtown area.
The historical Bank Of America building near Clinton Square really stood out with some great vintage architecture and lettering! (Also loved the holiday wreaths nearby!)
We then made our way to WSTM! I was in talks with Niko Tamurian to get a full tour of the station, but last minute repair work inside prevented it from happening. However, Niko graciously agreed to come outside and meet with our Syra-crew for a bit! (He was also recently named one of the successful "alumni faces" of Onondaga Community College!)
The Village People's "YMCA" sparked a huge dance craze with folks spelling out the song's letters. Since we were in Syracuse, our group preferred to do the W-S-T-M!
My friends were like a documentary crew during the trip, capturing the WSTM action from all angles! This was the moment when Niko came out and introduced himself to all of us!
When Niko noticed my TV Garth shirt he teased me about the fact that WSTM wasn't on it!
I printed out a screencap of the CW6 logo just to use in the group shot with my Cool Wicked 6, but when Niko offered to autograph it I got that crazed look of delight seen in the pic below! I was totally geeking out!
Check out Niko & I posing with the newly autographed CW6 sign! (Also check out the interview I did with Niko earlier this year, as well as his Twitter and Facebook! He rocks!)
What was great about meeting Niko was seeing that he's just as awesome in person as he is on screen during his sports reports! He was friendly, personable, enthusiastic and spend a good 10 to 15 minutes chatting with us about CNY Central.
I've gotta Hand it to my pal Mr. A for getting Niko and I to spell out the CNY Central channel numbers!
Niko then went back into the station to grab a CNY Central photo card, which he also autographed. It's too bad the Olympics were over, because I almost did a couple of record setting backflips when he gave it to me! It was also neat to see fellow Canadian John Evenson on the card! Evenson's hometown is Toronto and he worked for Global and CITY Winnipeg before coming to the 'Cuse!
Our Cool Wicked 6 posed under the WSTM letters just before we left the station! It was a great experience and I was very grateful for the warm welcome my group received!
After leaving CNY Central, I was excited to find that Syracuse's WSYT and WNYS (Fox and MyTV respectively) were only two buildings away!
My pal Brian took this breathtaking pic of the WSYT/WNYS satellite tower.
I remember WSYT from back in the analog days when they were on channel 68. I finally caught them digitally a couple of times this past Summer when Toronto's TVO shut down their transmitter for maintenance.
Some people think Taylor Swift has a stiff personality, but she was a real stand out when I met her in Walgreen's. She had to help me calm down after the buzz I was experiencing from all the TV visiting I had just done.
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que has been recommended by many Upstate New Yorkers, including Niko Tamurian on this very blog! I LOVED the animated murals they had outside the building.
It took us almost an hour to get our table at Dinosaur, since the place is such a gargantuan attraction! But the food was so worth it! Tasty ribs and huge portions!
We came back to our hotel to rest and relax, and I pulled out my portable digital Eviant TV to channel surf. It was a chance to see some familiar faves, as well as many of the Syracuse stations I can't catch from home. WSTM (RF24) along with their CNY subchannel came in with Mike Brookins doing a weather report.
Someone call a doctor because I haven't had my Phil of CBS affiliate WTVH (RF47.) The station is impossible to get from Toronto due to CFMT being on the same frequency. It's also noteworthy that WTVH has been the CBS affiliate for the Utica market for several decades.
It was a long Trek, but WSYR (RF17) finally got their MeTV affiliation beaming up on subchannel WSYR-2!
PBS affiliate WCNY (RF25) is another station I remember from the analog days when they were on channel 24. Their DTV signal is on 25, which is blocked by CBLFT in Toronto. Like WTVH, WCNY is the PBS station that serves Utica.
WNYS (RF44) made me wanna say My My My as a shirtless hunk popped up on screen. Also note the "My 43" branding in the bottom right corner.
At home I always keep my ION reception coming from Syracuse! WSPX (RF15) is one of the few stations from the city able to visit Markham on occasion!
I've only seen Fox affiliate WSYT (RF19) a couple of times in my own neck of the woods. The hero below is talking about a "super delicious citizen" and I'm sure he's referring to the shirtless guy seen a couple of pics back!
It was almost 10pm and I tuned to WSTQ (RF24-2) just in time to see a great display of the CNY Central logos!
Katie Corrado was anchoring the WSTQ news that evening!
It was great to see Niko Tamurian on the newscast after meeting him earlier that day!
Relatively new hire Tom Eschen was also reporting on the CW6 that night!
WSTQ broadcasts on both WSTM's subchannel and as a low powered analog signal on channel 14, seen below with meteorologist Mike Brookins!
There were a few other low powered analog stations in the area, including Cornerstone TV affiliate WTVU on channel 22.
I wrestled with my reception of WOBX, which provides AMGTV programming on channel 35!
WHSU offered deals from the Home Shopping Network on channel 51. Capturing this glam fashionista right before leaving for Trexx was very appropriate because...
...upon arriving at Trexx, I encountered even more fabulous divas!
I loved the rainbow themed discs mounted on the wall!
I also loved the male dancers that brought some Magic Mike action to the club! Their Magic really did make it a very happy birthday indeed!
The Drag Diva below became a whirling dervish to Jennifer Holliday's "Woman's Got The Strength (Thunderpuss Mix)". During the climactic breakdown of the song, she started spinning her arm like a windmill, did a "death drop" and bounced right back up to finish the song. Just WOWSA all around!
There were also some shout outs to RuPaul's Drag Race right before this fly, ferocious lady performed to "Glamazon." She certainly knew how to sashay on the runway and as a Drag Race fan, I loved getting to hear Ru's song!
Our Cool Wicked 6 had a blast dancing, roaming around the club and getting snaps with fabulous folks!
The most dangerous part of letting your friends treat you to birthday drinks all night is that it eventually catches up with you! I only look slightly glazed in the pic below, but I really felt it the following morning.
Sunday Nov. 18, 2012
I caught this shot of the Time Warner Cable guide shortly before we checked out of our hotel. It was too bad we didn't have time to stick around for the exciting new show Best Pillow Ever! Apparently it's been accused of being filled with too much fluff and not enough substance!
I caught a pic of the famous Clinton Square, which includes the Soldiers and Sailors' monument, constructed in the early 1900s to honour Syracuse and Onondaga County Civil War veterans.
We initially stopped to eat at the fabulously named Miss Syracuse Diner, but unfortunately they were closed.
We also came across Niko Tamurian's secret restaurant, which specializes in pasta, pizza and deli items! Also check out the Canadian flag at the top!
There was a neat 2-way radio shop called Nu-Tronics that we passed in our travels.
We made our way to way to Mother's Cupboard, which was the perfect place to have breakfast after our raucous night out!
The delicious (and huge) omelette from Mother's Cupboard really helped steady my hangover from all the drinking at Trexx! You can see I'm already bouncing back in the pic below!
After our meal, we drove by the wonderfully retro looking Palace Theatre! The landmark venue has been owned by the same family for over 80 years!
Blue skies, great pals and a cool overview of downtown Syracuse made it a fabulous Sunday!
Time Warner Cable's headquarters for news outlet YNN (Your News Now) also made an appearance during our drive. Note the painting under the logo, which is a nod to the historic former New York Central train station that once existed there!
I couldn't leave Syracuse without stopping by ABC outlet WSYR, especially since they introduced me to my original recipe Syracrush Steve Infanti. (Although WSTM's Niko Tamurian has battled him for the title since 2011!) I've also enjoyed ordering WSYR's annual weather calendar for the last couple of years!
I was glad to see the older WSYR logo on their building, since that was the ID I got to know in 2009 when I first started tracking all my DTV reception! (Their branding eventually switched to the "blue circle" style used by many other ABC stations.)
I happily posed under the gorgeous archway of the the WSYR complex!
The station's current "blue circle" logo appeared on one of WSYR's news vehicles, which really got my motor going!
I love taking this opportunity to dish with readers about my adventures in Syracuse!
After leaving WSYR, we passed by Olum's Appliances & Electronics which I had seen advertised on WSTM (RF24) back on Sept. 3, 2011!
I also spotted the Bill Rapp Superstore, which frequently airs infomercials on CNY Central stations! For a Rapp Superstore, though, I'm disappointed that they don't carry any Snoop Dogg CDs. (Check out the pic from WSTQ, RF24-2, seen March 23, 2012!)
Our Syra-crew made a stop over at the Waterloo Premium Outlets for some shopping before heading home. I picked up calendars featuring I Love Lucy and New York Firefighters! (Check out the ad seen Sept. 16, 2010 on Rochester, NY's WROC, RF45.)
Our last stop as a group was a KFC/Taco Bell in Geneva. It felt appropriate, since only a week earlier I caught a weather report for Geneva on WSTM's CNY subchannel!
Below is a montage of all the awesome stuff I collected during the trip! I brought home the amazing autographed cards from CNY Central along with newspaper TV magazines from Hamilton, Syracuse and the Finger Lakes! I also grabbed the latest TV Guide, along with the Lucy and NYC Firefighter calendars!
A HUGE thanks to Niko Tamurian and all my Syra-crew for making my birthday road trip so fun and memorable! Stay tuned to TV Garth for more mayhem from Central New York!
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