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Published: October 24th 2016
Hope you've kept your traveling clothes on. Buckle up and enjoy the ride. I think you are going to have fun our last adventure with my cousin Paul. That is if you like boats and fish. And pretty scenery. So off we go....???into the wild blue yonder????? Paul should be an activities director...he researches interesting places, maps them out with his Atlas ( yes, he still uses a hard copy Atlas) and sets out for a new & fun experience with no hesitation. This time, we are all going along in his caravan.
The day is beautiful: bright sunshine, warm weather and gorgeous and colorful leaves to see on every hillside and in every front yard. Sunglasses required. Perfect. We head to Keuka Lake (one of the NY State Finger Lakes....most folks think there are 5 lakes but there are 11 -- can you name them all?) We arrive in the quaint town of Hammondsport, NY. Located at the southern end of Keuka Lake. Paul directs us to his planned destination: The Finger Lakes Boat & Canoe Museum. Are you getting the idea Paul likes museums? The museum is located inside the old Great Western Winery. After a pleasant greeting, we
Look at the Lulu boat
Room of boating accessories are off on our self-guided tour. Plenty of fine old restored wooden boats and canoes to see.
Hey, do you remember that old Peterbourgh (Canada) wooden boat we bought at an auction many years ago? The auctioneer forgot to get to the boat until the last minute...most everyone had left. Cory bid and got it for $50! Too good to let go. Only problem: it didn't come with a trailer. Fortunately, a friend had another trailer he could use to transport it to our house. Thank you, friend! First, we thought we could use it as a lawn ornament. Take our cocktails out there and watch the traffic go by in our beautiful, classic boat. Aaah- the good life. After awhile, we got bored with that and covered it up while we figured out what to do with it next. It was in good shape but not perfect. I don't know if it was water ready. We didn't want to take it to the Genesee River to find out. One day, Cory was coming home from a business trip and saw an old boat trailer for sale in a yard in Almond, NY. He had the limo driver stop
Nice old canoes
Cory liked this one and Cory sealed the deal: $100. Cost more than the boat but we needed it. Years passed and Cory would clean up the boat each year. Finally, he said we would strip it and sell some of its parts. We sold the red headlight on the front of the boat and the light & flag holder from the back of the boat. Took them to the Brimfield Antique Show (Massachusetts) and made good $$$ just off the parts....more than what we had paid for both the boat & trailer. One day, we were trying to sell the boat in our front yard. I forgot what price we put on it but it was pricey....Classic boat, remember. Plus, buy low, sell high. Someone offered us $900 but I thought it was worth more. Cory was not as sure. He would have taken the money. We thought about taking it up to the Clayton, NY Boat Show but never got there. More years passed and of course, the boat was still sitting in our yard. If our area flooded, we were in good shape and sitting pretty. We would have survived and we could rescue our neighbors, too. I took a few
Classic Wooden Boats
Lounge Chairs in this boat pictures of our "Cruise-ship" --- we took them with us to the Brimfield shows. Finally, a couple came along, saw the pictures and bought the boat. How much, you say. $900. Yup. Should've sold it the first time I know. Oh well, by now, we were satisfied and glad to get it off our hands. They lived in Florida and said they would drive up to our house in a month to get it....WOW! One day, this old truck pulled in our driveway. It was the guy who bought the boat and his old father. They hooked it up, waved good-bye and sputtered along out of our driveway. It was going to be a long ride. Their truck was small and old....our trailer was older!
Okay....that's enough reminiscing. There was a wooden boat in this museum that kind of looked like our poor, pathetic boat but this one was all fancy and shiny. See....with more enthusiasm and desire, we could have turned our boat into one of these beauties. But it was not to be. Now we just sit on our front porch chairs to have a cocktail and watch the traffic go by....such is life. We toured the
Restoration Room
The Shell of an old boat two levels of boats & canoes and accessories. Then we found the lowest level. Down some old steep stairs, we ventured. They ended at a landing overlooking huge, worn and dusty wine barrels. Cool. We continued downward and through these untapped barrels. Big stone-covered rooms allowed us to visit the "old days" in this vintage Winery. Beautiful woodwork and amazing masonry. Have a sniff and a sip if you want. Cheers! Remember: There are Wood Ships and Good Ships but the Best Ships are Friendships! Time to go. There's more stuff to do on our list for the day. The buildings outside this museum were not attractive. All part of the old Winery. It had a pipe staircase going up the hillside .....I think only traveled by critters now. Pretty overgrown.
We drove to the waters edge. Fantastic view. We discovered the Keuka Maid Dinner Boat has been moved to another Finger Lake: Candandaigua Lake. He who hesitates.....we were "always" going to go on this boat. Rats! We put the buggy in low gear and headed up a steep hillside. We ended up at the Bully Hill Winery & Restaurant. What a view overlooking the lake with it brilliant
More canoes
Boat Motors & Signs tree border. Checked out the restaurant.....bad sign: no prices on the sandwich board. Looked at the menu: a hamburger for $17.00. I just can't do it....Cory says "yes we can" and I'm saying "no way!" -- "I just can't do it!" I can enjoy the same view from their parking lot and I don't have to be chewing on a $17 hamburger to complete the picture. We left but only after I took a photo of one of their outdoor displays. See if you can see the little visitor that was really enjoying the display. Eating it right up!
Back to Hammondsport's little but perfect downtown. Found a cute restaurant with an old ice cream parlor style. I even ordered a chocolate phosphate....'member them? Yum. Swiss & mushroom burger: $7.95 including fries and pickles. Much more sensible. Plus very tasty.
Heading out of town we stopped at a fruit stand so I could get some Concord Grapes. I love them! Just the best. Next door was a nice antique shop. Even though we are getting out of the business.....have you counted the number of times I have already said that.....we went in. It was a nice, big shop.
Cute boats
One of these was a little bit like our old boat Even saw a couple of Sally Patchin baskets for sale. Remember my collection of over 400 of these baskets that I am trying to sell? So far I've sold a dozen of them...quite a ways to go.
When Paul and I are together, we reminisce about being together on "the farm" (our grandparents) when we were young. My family: my parents & I (only child...could you guess) lived in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. Each summer, we would travel to Howard, NY to see my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. At that time, I only had 2 aunts, 2 uncles, 3 cousins and my grandparents......I have previously mentioned I came from a small family. My father and his father (my grandfather) were only children, too. My mother had two sisters or I wouldn't have had the relatives I did. Presently, I have only 2 cousins left.
Well, before I get too deep into my genealogy, let's get back to the beginning. Paul and I recalled the family picnics we went on when we visited all of them at the farm. The locations included Demon Pond, Stoney Brook Park and the Bath Fish Hatchery. They were a big deal.....true family gatherings. STOP!
More Boats
Old Ladies Restroom in this former Winery Look where we are right now! Looking at the Bath Fish Hatchery sign. Cory thought I wanted to take a photo of the sign. Are you kidding me? I want us to go there....so down the road we went. I must have been @ 10 years old when I visited this place last. Paul is 3 1/2 years younger than me. We pull in the parking lot....yes, there are still picnic tables there. A sign directs us to a small, wire covered cement pit to see the "Big Fish." Nope....this isn't anything I remember. Beyond, I see the metal gates that enclose the actual Hatchery that I remembered. Off we trot. Hmmmm...not quite what I truly remembered. The outdoor cement tanks that hold the fish were all in-ground when I was here last. Now they are all above ground. I used to wander up and down around these sunken tanks. I can still do that but they are all different. The original Hatchery building burned down in the early 1950's (the building I remember, burnt down and was rebuilt). That was closed up because now, they have a big, brick building that holds the hatching eggs, etc. it was still
Our Classic Peterborough boat
Lawn ornament for relaxing....our grandsons in it. interesting and I was glad to retrace some of our steps that Paul and I took together so many years ago. Hope you liked visiting the fishes.
Home was welcoming after a full, fun filled day. You can put your traveling garb away for awhile because Paul is leaving us the next day. Most we'll be doing now is going into town off & on. Morning came and we bid Paul a good bye with safe travels. Hopefully, he'll be back next Fall to run again (Run, Paul, Run) -- and escort us to new venues.
Now Paul is picking up a biking buddy in Buffalo and going mountain biking in Moab, Utah. He recently wrote and said they had biked around in Fruita, CO., a Mecca for mountain biking. Moab biking is this upcoming week. Did I tell you he was 69 years old? What a guy! It was great being with you, Paul!
I think it's a big deal just to take food up to our wildlife critters in our back field. And that we do on our golf cart. I better get off this couch and start moving or I'll be sorry. Lulu hasn't
moved from her pedestal almost all summer. We both need to off our butts (if Lulu had one - mine is big enough for two) and get going. That's all there is to it. I don't even walk across the road to have morning coffee with my neighbor friend, Mary Kay. I take the golf cart. I knew it was a mistake getting one but it sure is handy and fun to drive. I
have to show you the rock Mary Kay found years ago. I took many photos of it so you can see all of its unique angles and detail. If she found it here in Shongo, I think it could be an old Indian tool. Shongo was first founded by Chief Shongo and his tribe. But our archeologist nephew says probably not. He thinks it's peculiar design is just from weathering. What do you think? I love Mary Kay's rock.
All has not been quiet around our house. Cory went down to get the mail and found that someone had put a crooked Hillary sign in front of our terrific Trump sign. W-H-Y-yyyyyyy, we wailed in the Nancy Kerrigan scream style. Promptly, the nasty sign
was removed and tossed in the trash. The FBI is on the case now...we will find the culprit. And when we do....it will become another blog. Happy?
Hours have passed now....the daytime has turned into evening. Must be time to call it quits. Hey....is that you I hear applauding? I've never been short on words.....call me loquacious if you must. Or just a blabber mouth in easy terms. No matter......I'll be back again to keep you busy. Hope you'll join me. We don't want grass growing under our feet, now do we? See ya!
Many photos (30) this time so be sure and scroll WAY, WAY down. Actually they are on 2 pages so be sure to switch to page 2!
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