Prior to the Revolutionary War, everything west of Albany was wilderness. Safer travel and the promise of land opened this frontier. The interaction between European settlers and Native Americans transformed New York, and the paths they walked still bear the footprints of their experiences, like the shrine to Kateri Tekakwitha in Fonda. Industry and invention flourished along these routes, as peace sparked imagination, allowing for art and the freedom to explore new ideologies, some inspired by Native American culture. The Latter Rain Movement took hold in the heart of the Burned-Over District. Utopian communities and playgrounds for the wealthy appeared and vanished; all that remains of the Oneida Community is its Mansion House. Follow New York's westward trails--the Erie Canal and Routes 5 and 20--that opened the west to the United States, beginning in Albany and moving westward to Buffalo. Lorna Czarnota is the author of Medieval Tales the Kids Can Read and Tell, Legends, Lore and Secrets of Western New York and Wicked Niagara. She is an award-winning storyteller, author and recipient of the 2006 Oracle Award from the National Storytelling Network. She holds advanced degrees in special education and creative studies for young children, and certification in trauma counseling.