A Cross-Country Driving Trip in Our Morgan

Journal Pages
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Preparation

The Caboose Run

Boise and Park City

Bryce and Zion

Antelope Canyon

Grand Canyon

Cumbres & Toltek R'way

Getting to Nachez

Nachez Trace

Franklin & Athens

Blue Ridge Parkway

Concours

Autocross

Virginia

Annapolis

Finger Lakes

Niagara Falls

Iowa

The Home Stretch

The New York Finger Lakes

Monday, July 17 - Gardners, PA to Skaneateles, NY

Helen is still working, so she left about 7 am and we packed up and left by 8.  The drive was quite pleasant, especially once we got close to the Fingerlakes area.  Cortland and Homer, NY have some wonderful homes - this area must have been very wealthy at the turn of the 20th century, for the buildings are quite grand.

We had reservations at Hobbit Hollow, a B & B a few miles outside of Skaneateles (pronounced Skinny Atlas!). What a beautiful town and wonderful setting.  The lake, one of the smaller of the Fingerlakes, is pristine - said to be the cleanest water in the US.  The town has many wonderful old homes, lots of trees and some charming gardens.  Ah, but the thorn on the rose as far as we are concerned - in the winter, this area gets the most snow of any area in the US because of the lake effects from Lake Erie.  We talked to several residents who all said that the winters are terrible.

Hobbit Hollow is charming - a beautiful home on a farm, with tastefully decorated rooms and an Innkeeper who goes out of her way to spoil her guests.

After we checked in and relaxed a bit, we went into town and strolled around - we really enjoyed watching people relax by the lake (it was beastly hot), and especially enjoyed watching the dog chase a tennis ball thrown by his owner into the lake  The dog leaped with abandon after the ball.  It was probably very refreshing given the temperature.

    Catch that ball!

Tuesday, July 18 - Skaneateles, NY

We booked a trip on a mail boat - it runs only in summer, because most of the homes along the lake are summer homes only.  The boat crew delivers mail to several homes, and a summer camp, along the lake, and for a small fee, you can ride along with them.  The provide cold water and sodas and a commentary.  The lake is quite beautiful, and we enjoyed watching people enjoying their summer days on the lake.

    Lake Skaneateles

    The Lake Skaneateles version of the Rockettes, greeting the boat

    We loved this little boathouse with the 'smiley face'

    Bird house - maybe for martens?

    Lake Skaneateles

        Property once owned by the Roosevelts

    Lake Skaneateles   

    The mail boat

Wednesday - July 19 - Skaneateles

It turns out you can boat along the Eire Canal, rather like you can on the canals in England.  We didn't know that.  So we drove to the marina where the Mid Lakes Marine so that we could take a look at one of their hire boats.  We were very impressed - it was clean, well equipped and comfortable.  We think it would be great fun to sail on the canal.

This part of New York is interesting - there are some absolutely charming towns - clean and obviously prosperous, but with a few miles are some towns that have obviously seen better days - the pavement is terrible and the houses are run down.  It makes you wonder why it is so 'uneven.'

There are several wineries in the Finger Lakes area - some of them only produce fruit wines (yuk), while others produce quite nice grape wines.  We stopped at one - their offerings were quite nice and not nearly as expensive as the ones we encountered on Long Island.

We had dinner at the Mandana Inn near Hobbits Hollow - Tom had swordfish and it looked like it was quite good.  I ordered scrod, which I've had before and have enjoyed, but this came to the table absolutely swimming in butter - way too much.  The cook must have been new on the job!

Tomorrow we head for Toronto, where we will stay with my cousin Kathy and see my cousin Brian and Aunt Isabelle.

            Scenes at Hobbit Hollow Farm