TravelStorys App provides free GPS guided tours that share the stories of Montgomery County
The Montgomery County Tourism department of the Fulton Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce (opens in a new tab) , in partnership with economic development and the Department of History and Archives (opens in a new tab) , announce new TravelStorys audio tour (opens in a new tab) that allows listeners to hear the historic stories of Montgomery County while traveling the Erie Canalway Trail (opens in a new tab) throughout the county.
The Cycling the Erie Canal: A Path Through History audio tour is available through the free TravelStorys app (available for download on smartphones). TravelStorys brings the little-known stories about the land to life, and by using GPS technology, stories on the tours automatically play as listeners pass through each site.
The Cycling the Erie Canal tour follows the scenic Erie Canalway Trail/Empire State Trail from St. Johnsville to Amsterdam (in either direction). As cyclists travel the trail, they’re serenaded with stories of the history (opens in a new tab) , landscape, culture (opens in a new tab) , and attractions (opens in a new tab) of Montgomery County. Narrated by Bob Cudmore, the historic stories were compiled and edited by Montgomery County Historian, Kelly Yacobucci Farquhar. The 35 stories tell about Montgomery County’s past and how they shaped the future – spanning from native (opens in a new tab) and colonial (opens in a new tab) times through the Revolutionary War (opens in a new tab) to the Underground Railroad (opens in a new tab) and the Industrial Revolution (opens in a new tab) to present day. The stories tell about nature, transportation, industry, and the people that helped form Montgomery County.
While the Cycling the Erie Canal stories are timed for cyclists, pedestrians utilizing the trail can enjoy the stories as well. Once the app is downloaded, each story will automatically play after entering the story’s radius. Each story is told in a manner that traveling the trail from east to west or west to east will not affect the storytelling experience.
The Montgomery County TravelStorys Audio Tour invites visitors to interact with the region in a deeper way, and to experience the Erie Canalway Trail in a new way. To download TravelStorys and take the tour, visit Google Play (opens in a new tab) or the Apple Store (opens in a new tab) .
Funding for the Cycling the Erie Canal: A Path Through History audio tour was made possible by the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor (opens in a new tab) and Montgomery County’s I LOVE NY (opens in a new tab) matching funds program.