May 22 and 23 Short Trip to Lockport

Wendy and I headed out for Lockport this morning.  We went to Richfield Springs and then north on 28 to get on the thruway.  We got of at the Palmyra exit in order to have lunch at the YELLOW MILLS DINER on Route 31.  We shared a greek salad and an italian sausage sandwich. Both were very good.  Before getting back on the thruway, we stopped and I took a picture of an old gas pump in front of an antique store.

Once back on the thruway we stayed on until we got to the DEPEW Exit, arriving at 17 around four p.m.  I called Peggy at work and we made arrangements to have supper with David at his house.  In the meantime, I went out to get gas and I stopped at LAKE EFFECT  ICE CREAM and purchased five pints of ice cream:  Frozen Hot Chocolate, The Full Minty, Angry Orange, Peanut Butter Epiphany and Salty Caramel. When I  returned Mike and Dillon and Dominic were at the house. I  offered the boys ice cream and they quickly built this ice cream tower:

and Wendy, the boys and I sampled all five flavors.  Mike did some work on the rear door and floor in the back bedroom, so  that the door can be opened more easily.

Supper at Davids was great!  He prepared a prime rib and we had that with a huge salad. We saw a couple of Amish buggys go down the road in front of his house.

Friday morning Wendy and I headed back home a little after six a.m.  Our first stop was DUNKIN DONUTS where we had breakfast.  Then we got on the thruway heading east.  We didn't stay on all  that long, getting off north of Auburn in order to go down and get on Route20.

We had lunch at the KLING MILLS GENERAL STORE AND DINER:  we both had fish fry.  We stopped to buy some baked goods from two little Amish boys, just the other side of Morris.

Arrived home at 12:45 p.m.  My complete set of pictures can be seen here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/juneny/sets/72157644410947588/

COVENTRY and COVENTRYVILLE Adventure and MORE! 5/19/2014

I was able to arrange a visit to an old general store in Coventry and Betty agreed to go with me.  However, this morning she woke up feeling ill, so I looked for someone else to accompany me.  Mary was available and more than happy to join me.

We headed out on 88 and got off at Bainbridge, where we first went to THE FROGPOND.

 I bought some grapes, onions, melon, a tomato and some brocolli.  Mary bought a few items, also.
We then headed out 206 towards Coventry.

We arrived at the home of the family who owns the old general store a few minutes after 11:00 and he took us to the old store, right across the road from his house, on their property.  He purchased the small 1935 store a few years back and moved it to his place.  It was originally a few miles down the road in CHURCH HOLLOW.

The former name of it was THE BIG LITTLE STORE.  It had stood idle for about 50 years before the Berwicks purchased it. The original siding and one of the counters inside survived but for the most part the rest of the inside items have been added by the owners.  The outhouse came from another location.  He showed us around the rest of his property, and told us some of the history of the various buildings.  

Before we left, Mr. B told me the directions to two schoolhouses, one in Coventry and one in Coventryville.  We located both of them and I took pictures.  This is the one in Coventry.

 This is the one in Coventryville, which houses the Town of Coventry Museum.

We decided to go to Afton to the Afton Bakery and Grill for lunch, however when we got there, it was closed (because it's Monday).  I went into the variety store and asked a guy there if he could recommend another place to eat in Afton and he said HENRY'S just down the road.  So, we went there.  We were amazed at the low prices.

After lunch, we got on Route 7 and headed back to Oneonta.  I asked Mary if she knew how to find T.W.'s new house.  She said she THOUGHT she did, so we turned onto LOVERS LANE (somewhere near Babcocks).   We spent a bit of time going kind of around in a circle.  We saw another old schoolhouse in Sand Hill.  

It seems to be used as a community center now.   Eventually, we found the house we were looking for.  It is beautiful!

Then we headed back towards Oneonta.

ORIGINS CAFE Adventure (mini going away gathering)

My co-workers offered to take me out to lunch to celebrate my retirement from FSA and my upcoming move.   I got to choose the place and I chose ORIGINS CAFE at CAREFREE GARDENS just outside of Cooperstown.

Since I had a medical appointment in the morning, I met up with them at the bank in Milford and we headed up 166 towards our destination.  It was me, Geneen,  Eileen, Patricia and Kim and her husband Dave.  They all (except maybe David) really enjoyed the unique atmosphere. Here is our waitress showing us the list of specials:  

After we ordered, we all walked around and checked out the greenhouse area.  I took several pictures.

I had the Mediterranean Plate, which consisted of hummus, falafel, grilled bread and greens.  It was delicious.

Here are some pics of my co-workers.....I surely will miss them!

Saratoga Springs and Gloversville Adventure

Mary and I wanted to have one last day trip before my move across the state.  We made plans and set a date and I met up with her in Oneonta this morning and we got on I-88 and headed towards Saratoga Springs.  Our first stop was at the visitors center, where the kind workers suggested various ideas  to fill the few hours we had available.  By the time we had talked to them and picked up brochures, we were wishing we had more than a few hours.

First we went to CONGRESS PARK and saw some natural springs and tasted the water!

 It
 is a gorgeous park. There is a huge museum in the center, that is in a building that used to be a casino.    After that we went to YADDOW, an artists retreat which has some gardens.  Unfortunately, it is too early in the year for flowers, but we enjoyed walking the grounds, which are meticulously cared for and beautiful.

I would like to return to the gardens at Yaddow when the flowers are in bloom.

I think our next stop was lunch.  The ladies at the visitors center had recommended Mrs. Londons so that is where we went.  We shared a sandwich and a desert.  This is one of the restaurants that Rachael Ray featured on one of her shows.  After lunch we did a bit of shopping...........I bought a pair of capris at EDDIE BAUERS.  Then we found the library and Mary bought a book in the library bookstore.  I took a break and rested in one of the comfy seats scattered around while she was looking at the books.

Then we went to Saratoga Spa State Park.  I had information about a virtual geocache that looked very interesting.  I did not want to take the time to find the answers to the questions, but going to this area was worthwhile......seeing Geyser Island Spouter.

and  hiking the trail alongside Geyser Creek was so neat.  Near the end of the trail there is this huge deposit of minerals....(Orenda Spring and Mineral Bank)  If you look closely you can see the water running down the sides of the mound.    

Somewhere in this area we talked with a young man who lives in the area and has walked this trail many times over the years.  He said it is the "highlight" of the park.

Apparently, there are a lot of spouters in this area, but we only saw one or two others, near the parking area.  One in particular is a very popular spot to fill up gallon jugs with water.  I tasted it and it is very good, with a slight iron taste to it.  

It was getting late and we were feeling a bit tired and a LOT thirsty.  After driving out of Saratoga Springs we found this place:  I had an old fashioned cherry ice cream soda (made with soft twist)

After that we continued towards Gloversville,  It was a nice scenic drive and if it had not been getting late, I would have liked to make a few stops.

When we got to Gloversville it was five p.m.  I suggested to Mary that we allow ourselves one hour to find one geocache and a few ghost signs.   We took a detour to see if Mary would recognize the house she lived in with her former husband.  The geocache was fairly easy to find and on the property of an old factory.  We found a ghost sign at another old factory that may or may not be totally abandoned.  The third ghost sign was a Coca Cola sign on the side of the building which one held the opera house.  We were checking out that area and taking pictures, and at the GLOVE THEATRE, Mary mentioned that there was a man inside the lobby.  He came out and I spoke to him about the possibility of going into the Glove Theatre (I had tried unsuccessfully to make contact with someone about doing this before we came).  He said the man who ran it would be there in a few minutes.  

Richard Samrov took us into the GLOVE THEATRE MUSEUM.  Here is a picture of him with the jacket he wore for his first job as usher in the theatre in l953.  After that he took us into the theatre itself and told us all about it.  People were waiting to have a meeting with him, but he was not in a hurry!  

This is the theatre: 

Right next door to the museum is STORTO'S GLOVE SHOP.  It must be the very last of the glove shops in Gloversville.  It was closed for the day, but we peeked in.  

You can see the patterns for the gloves hanging up.  According to Richard, Mr. Storto makes gloves for celebrities.  

We went into an organic grocery store on the first floor of the old opera house building before heading back to Mary's truck.  I stopped to take a picture of a ghost sign for a jewelry store, as well as the vacant storefront itself.  Finally, we headed home.  In Caroga Lake, we passed Sherman's Amusement Park and I would have loved to stop and look at this very old park,but it was really getting way too late.  At some point, we also passed Saltzmans Hotel (in Ephrata).

So much to see and so little time!

my full set of pictures can be seen here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/juneny/sets/72157644656230901

Visit with Gerri Moorehead 5/8/14

I met Gerri several years ago at FSA, and then I hired her to do some gardening for me, and
we became friends......but this is the first time I have been to her place in Otego.

She invited me to lunch and it was very good, especially the lemon pie which she learned how
to make from a program on the Food Network.  After lunch she showed me around her trailer, which is very spacious and she has it well furnished and decorated. Then she showed me her
gardens, which are her pride and joy.  She had several wooden "little girls" in various spots and they looked familiar and she reminded me that I loaned her MY little girl, which she used as a pattern to make her own.  She gave me one.

It was a nice afternoon.

Driving East May 4, 2014

I left Lockport around nine a.m. and headed up "the transit" towards the Depew Thruway Station where I got on the thruway.  At one of the thruway stops, I looked at a map of NY state and decided to stay on the thruway until north of Skaneateles and then drive down the east side of
Skaneateles Lake, a route I have never taken.

My GPS could not find Borodino, but I found it.  It has a very nice country store that serves food and has nice, clean bathrooms.  I bought 1/4 lb of antipasto and continued on.  I briefly explored these places: Borodino, Spafford, Scott and Homer, and bypassed Cortland and typed NORWICH into my navigator.  I saw this VERY old building that was used as a "lodge".  It may be in Scott, NY or maybe Spafford.  

The city of HOMER looks very interesting and I stopped for a few minutes to take pictures.  I like this ghost sign.

Before getting to Norwich, I drove through the village of Preston, and just beyond Preston, I stopped at an old cemetery.  It did not have a sign identifying it, and I can't find anything about it on findagrave.com

In Norwich I stopped at SUBWAY and had a tuna sub.

May 1, 2014: Another Drive Across the State: from Oneonta to Lockport

I left my house at 8:30 a.m. and headed out.    My virst stop was at MARY'S PANTRY in Schuyler Lake, where I purchased two pieces of pie:  coconut cream and chocolate cream.  This trip, I went to Richfield Springs to drop off some books for Olivia Weaver.  I met her mother, and her new baby Violet Grace.  They invited me to stay for breakfast, but I had already eaten so I declined.

After that, I headed up 28 to Mohawk, where I got on the thruway.    I drove for a couple of hours, only stopping to eat a piece of pie.  I got off at Exit 43 and headed north to Palmyra.   I went to their history museum, to an old store, an old print shop and into the newer depot museum.  The store was magnificent, its like it was frozen in time.  The owner decided to close shop during WW2 when rationing coupons were introduced.  Many of the items that were on the shelves the day he closed the store (including eggs) are still on the shelves!!!!

Palmyra has some nice murals.

I decided to get back on the thruway instead of driving through or around Rochester.  I stopped around two p.m. and had a stromboli at one of the plazas.  I got off the thruway at the Depew exit.  I stopped at the new Niagara Produce and bought some groceries.

Peggy arrived at 17 a couple of minutes after me and helped me carry boxes in the house.  We ate supper together and then she was off to go to the World Day of Prayer Meet and Greet Event downtown.  I was too tired to go.  I was glad to find that I could connect to wifi that evening.