Our Itinerary (October 2-8, 2010)
Saturday, October 2
Pre-planned:
-Corning
-Historic Market/Gaffer District
-Corning Museum of Glass
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OR
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-Naples
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What actually happened:
We stopped at the Corning Visitor's Center, which is just a couple of blocks from the Corning Museum of Glass. After being cooped up in the car for several hours we were happy to skip the shuttle ride and walk over. As I recall, it was pretty pricey, something like $30-40 a person. It's supposed to be a must-see. I really enjoyed seeing the artwork but I'm not sure it was worth the price when compared with the amount of time we spent there. Then we drove into the Historic Market/Gaffer District and had lunch. By the time we got there we were so hungry that we stopped at the first place that was open. It was a mom-and-pop place with kitschy 1950s decor.
We drove through Naples and attempted to do a wine tour at Widmer's Wine Cellars but unfortunately, I think that establishment was a victim of the economy. It looked completely shutdown.
We arrived at Greenwoods Bed & Breakfast Inn in Honeoye, NY in the late afternoon/early evening. This is, to date, the best B&B I've ever stayed in. It had the perfect combination of hominess, cleanliness, and coziness. It was also unique in the sense that the guests had the full run of the house. The B&B hosts/owners lived in another part of the house and rarely encroached upon "our" part of the house. We had our own game room with puzzles, games, books, etc. And the breakfasts were really delicious. The one up/downside is that Honeoye is in the middle of NOWHERE. The up/downside is that there isn't a lot to do. I wouldn't recommend it for those that have ants in their pants and need to be on the move constantly. But if you're looking for a REAL reprieve then it's the perfect sanctuary.
Sunday, October 3
Pre-planned:
-Niagara Falls
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-Buffalo
-Anchor Bar
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What actually happened:
The weather wasn't great for any activity but we continued with our plans to visit Niagara Falls. (The bad weather became a theme for our trip. It rained six out of the seven days we were away.) We had each been to Niagara Falls before but never with each other. Since we had both been to the Canadian side before we thought we'd give the American side a try. We made it as far as the parking lot, saw how dumpy it looked, and then made for the Canadian border! It was very windy and misty but we managed to take some pictures. Then we left the Falls and visited Niagara-on-the-Lakes, a lovely Canadian town I had remembered visiting. It has a lot of cute little boutique shops and restaurants.
We ended the day in Buffalo. The weather was still crappy so we skipped a lot of my pre-planned activities and went directly to Anchor Bar, which is renown for its buffalo wings. The wings really were good. They're not the kind you get from Pizza Hut or wherever. They're deep-fried and crunchy. We made the mistake of ordering other food to accompany the wings. Don't do it. It's mediocre at best.
Monday, October 4
Pre-planned:
-Canandaigua
-Downtown/Historic Center
-New York Wine and Culinary Center
-Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion
We went to Canandaigua, which is where Kristen Wiig is from, in case you're an SNL fan. We stopped by the New York Wine and Culinary Center, thinking we might have lunch there. It gave off a snooty vibe so we decided to skip it. We walked around the Historic Center/Downtown for a little while but were still undecided about what to eat. We got back into the car and on our way to Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion, stopped at this fast food place that we'd never seen or heard of before, Pudgie's. It's a chain but the particular one we went into has a bunch of stuffed animals. I think the manager is proud of the fact that he once went to Africa and hunted what are now endangered species. It's the opposite of appetizing.
The mansion had a self-guided tour with placards. Lame. It was also partially under construction at the time. The gardens weren't easy to navigate and frankly, by the time we got done it felt like a colossal waste of time. The gardens were small and unexceptional. In their defense, they weren't at their most beautiful because of the time of year.
I believe we ended the evening at a local restaurant in Honeoye where we got some very average Italian food.
Tuesday, October 5
Pre-planned:
-Geneva
-Belhurst Castle
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-Women's Rights National Historic Park
What actually happened:
We barely stopped at the Belhurst Castle. It's kind of swanky and right on Seneca Lake. I suppose it would be a nice place to stay or have a fancy dinner. We just stopped there to take pictures. We did, however, really enjoy the Women's Rights National Historic Park in Seneca Falls. It is a very small, manageable two floor museum with a lot of interesting information and interactive learning tools. I'd absolutely recommend it to anyone. You don't have to be a feminist (I'm not) to enjoy what it has to offer.
Wednesday, October 6 (Our actual anniversary)
Pre-planned:
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-Watkins Glen State Park
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What actually happened:
We were really sad to leave Greenwoods. As I mentioned before, we loved staying there and of course, we couldn't be sure what our next B&B was going to be like...
When we arrived at our second abode for the week, Juniper Hill in Trumansburg, NY, we were met with some bizarre behavior. We walked into the B&B and no one was there to greet us. We weren't early and we weren't late. We were there during normal check-in hours. After standing around for a good 5-10 minutes I decided to call. The owner answered and in addition to being gruff with me, he acted as though he had no idea we were checking in that day. Finally, he got his act together and called his partner who was hiding somewhere in the mansion and told him to show us to our room.
That being said, the house was magnificent. They put a lot of TLC into it and there was beautiful artwork displayed everywhere. Our room was small, but plush. Our bathroom was divine, but it was down the hall! Not preferable. The breakfasts were delicious but entirely TOO big. They served a three-course breakfast. By the time I got to the savory part (the third course) I was too full to enjoy it.
The "head" host was definitely a Jekyll and Hyde type. He was helpful at times (he recommended a fabulous restaurant for our anniversary dinner) and at other times, he was snarky and sarcastic. For that reason alone, I would never stay there again. When you have paying guests in your home, you need to be ON whether you're in the mood or not.
Once we dropped our stuff off we drove to Ithaca and had a quick bite at the Ithaca Bakery. We loved the Bakery. It was an authentic and delicious experience. I also liked that it had that whole college town feel. Then we went to Cornell University and walked around. We had intended on seeing the Cornell Plantations but there was some construction going on and limited parking so we never actually found it. Still, Cornell has a beautiful campus so we really enjoyed exploring the campus. There's so much history and tradition there.
We did some outdoorsy sight-seeing at Watkins Glen State Park and Taughannock Falls. Watkins Glen State Park was really special. The rock formations were really cool and you can actually walk behind the waterfalls. We didn't have much time there but I could see how an avid hiker or outdoorsman could spend hours exploring the area.
We capped off the evening at Suzanne in Lodi, NY. The food was prepared with local, organic ingredients. I would say it was upscale country cooking and the restaurant had a contemporary rustic decor. They were very focused on catering to our needs. They even made a special anniversary menu that included our selected dishes so that we would have a keepsake of our evening.
Thursday, October 7
Pre-planned:
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What actually happened:
We took a long drive out of town to go to Oneida, NY. We visited the Oneida Community Mansion House, which was the home of a utopian society from 1848-1880. It was so fascinating! If Oneida sounds familiar to you it's because this community made and still produce silverware. Even though the community eventually dispersed, I believe there are ancestors of the forefathers/mothers of the community that live there. It's a museum but it's also a hotel and an apartment complex. This was definitely one of my favorite activities over the course of the whole trip. If you're in the area and you have an open mind, then you'll probably enjoy learning about the Oneida Community and their ideas about a utopian lifestyle - free love and all of that.
Friday, October 8
Pre-planned:
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What actually happened:
It figures that on our last day the sun finally made an appearance and stayed out. As a result, we tried to spend as much time outdoors as possible. We stopped at the Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, NY and learned about the mistreatment of farm animals. There are a ton of pigs, cows, goats, chickens, turkeys, etc. that have been rescued from abusive or neglectful situations that will live out their lives in peace on this farm. I also made friends with a cat named Ashley. I really wanted to take her home!
Afterward, we went to Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars in Hammondsport, NY, which is supposed to be the "best" in the Finger Lakes region. *shrugs* I'm not much of a drinker so I wasn't that excited about wine tasting. Evan had to drink for himself and me. Still, the landscape was gorgeous.
Lastly, we spent time in the little town of Hammondsport and saw the beautiful and peaceful Keuka Lake. We didn't get to rent a boat. I'm not even sure if that was available at the time. We saw some people on the water but when we asked where they got the boat they said they owned it. Either way, it was a cute little town and we enjoyed window-shopping.
We capped off our last evening in the Finger Lakes region with dinner in Trumansburg, NY at Hazelnut Kitchen. Like Suzanne, the food was prepared with local and organic ingredients. Delicious!
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