Lunch, browsing and geocaching

Terry and I decided to go to Cooperstown for lunch. We wanted to have lunch someplace we had never been before. We met up at Price Chopper and I drove. We drove down Main Street and decided on THE DOUBLEDAY CAFE, where we both had the cheesesteak sandwich:


We decided to go into a few shops. We crossed the street and went to Danny's Market, which seems to be mostly a gourmet food shop. We split a carrot cake muffin, which was delicious. Then we went into a couple more shops. In a small shop off of the parking lot for Doubleday Field, called BASEBALL NOSTALGIA, we saw this:

On the way back to Oneonta, we stopped and found Mr. Science's new geocache (the one I am feature in). My complete set of pictures for today is here http://www.flickr.com/photos/juneny/sets/72157629471451755/ and it includes a shot of one of my favorite ghost signs.

Stella Luna with Connie

I met up with Connie for lunch at Stella Luna. Last time we ate there, we decided that we wanted to try their pizza someday soon. (but its been a couple of years) This is what we ordered: It was a disappointment. Not very tasty at all. But the desert we shared (ginger cake) was very good. We were going to go to an art exhibit at SUCO, but we sat and talked so long that it started to get late. We will try to do it another time.

Judy/Westford/SouthValley/Decatur

Thursday, February 23rd" I went out to visit with Judy and help her with some household tasks, and we had
lunch together. Then I drove out towards South Valley, hoping to see an old cemetery I remembered from a previous trip. I did not see it, but I did see this:

I continued on to Decatur, hoping to find an interesting village with at least a post office, but all I found was a sleepy little crossroads, and a man near the Town Garage stood and glared at me, so I turned around headed to Worcester, and then hopped on 88 and returned to Oneonta.

JEOPARDY and more adventure!

Leslie and I met up in Laurens this morning in order to do some geocaching. We headed towards Cooperstown via some back roads. We found three geocaches close to 28. The first was across from Cooperstown Dreams Park. Then we found one just outside of the
Boy Scout Camp near Portlandville and then one right on 28. We also did a bit of exploring down a road we had never been down, and saw this:



After that, we went to Pondo's for a quick lunch. Their pizza is very good.

And then it was to the Hanford Mills Museum, where we (well, Leslie found it)found a regular sized cache near one of the parking areas.

And then we headed out to "the reservoir" and located the spot where WOLFSBANE is hidden. I didn't dare climb over the guardrail and down that hill, but Leslie is brave and she did. We think we know where that micro is hidden, but she will have to have a flashlight to find it.

Leslie dropped me off at my car in Laurens and we called it a day.

OTESAGA Adventure

A week or so ago, Terry was listening to a local radio station and heard an offer to purchase a $100 gift certificate for the OTESAGA for $50.00. She called me and I agreed to pay half and she purchased it. We decided to start using it up today by going to the HAWKEYE GRILL for their Friday buffet (which I believe they only offer during the winter months. It is $14.00 and includes a beverage. We invited Betty to join us and I met up with them at Price Chopper and I drove them to Cooperstown.

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal at THE HAWKEYE. They have moved the buffet to a different area, and it seemed like they had a LOT of guests today, more than we saw the two times we went last winter. The entrees on the buffet were PORK ROAST WITH APPLE STUFFING, and SHRMIP SCAMPI. Both were delicious. The three bean salad was soooo good, as was the shrimp salad on the salad bar. The deserts were outrageous, but not as good as they were last winter when they offered red velvet cake and carrot cake. While were were eating, Senator Charles Schumer came and sat at the next table.

After our meal, we wandered around the OTESAGA, since Betty had never been there, and wanted to see it. She seemed enthralled by the size and scope and beauty of it. I took a couple of pictures.



I took this on the way out:

After the Otesaga, I asked Betty if she had ever been to SPERBECK'S. She said no, so I took her to see this unique old time mom and pop store. She purchased some candy, something that she used to get for a penny when she was a kid.

On the way back to Oneonta, we stopped at the SPCA THRIFT STORE. None of us purchased anything. I dropped Betty and Terry off at PRICE CHOPPER and I went in and purchased a few groceries for this weekend. It was a great way to spend part of Friday afternoon! And, we have to do it again soon because we have that gift certificate to use up.

Richmondville Adventure

Leslie and I got together mid morning to drive to Richmondville, New York to do some geocaching. We hopped on I-88 and got there in about 35 minutes. These are the geocaches we found:
Asa's Grist Mill
Just Around the River Bend
Nosy Neighbors
Superior Cache and TB Motel and
Pathway to Summer Fun

I had forgotten to put a memory card in my camera, so I could only take three pictures!
Here is the NYS Historical Sign at the site for Asa's Grist Mill. We had lunch at
the Crow's Nest Diner. (I had a bison burger).



We spent some time working on a multi cache JIMMY CRACKED CORN, but we did something wrong at the last stage and ended up in a spot which could not have a geocache hidden in it. I think I know where it might be (although I still do not know what we did wrong), and hope to return soon to find it.

Once back in Oneonta, we stopped at Arby's for a chocolate milkshake.

Mini-Explorations Adventure

Today, on my way back home from Lockport, I did a little bit of exploring. First I had lunch in Morrisville at the PURPLE SALAMANDER. The soup and salad bar sounded good to me, since it would mean not waiting for an order to be prepared. It was pretty good, except the chili is not nearly as tasty as the chili I make at home. I was heading out of Morrisville when I noticed a sign with an Amish buggy and horse, so I decided to spend a few minutes going down that road, hoping to maybe find some Amish farms. I did not see any, but all of a sudden I found myself in the hamlet of Solsville, and there was the Solsville Hotel, which I had looked for before without success. It is a refurbished 1800's hotel. Unfortunately, I had already had lunch, but sometime I would like to have lunch there.

I headed back to Morrisville and Route 20. The next village I went through was Bouckville. I stopped to see if the tiny museum was open, but it wasn't. I continued on Route 20. When I got to Route 12, the sign pointed to Sherburne, so I took it. I figured it was my regular route to Sherburne from Route 20, but it wasn't, which explained why all of a sudden I saw signs for North Brookfield and also a sign for Kling's General Store and Diner. I decided to check out the general store. It is really a neat place. The clerk told me that it has been opened since l869. It is at the end of a long building, and at the opposite end there is a ghostly sign that says North Brookfield Mills or something like that. Unfortunately, I had forgotten to put a memory card in my camera, so I could only take a few pictures today. Anyways, I looked around and purchased a small snack item. I hope to return someday.

I got back on 12 heading South towards Sherburne and all of a sudden, I saw a sign for Hubbardsville. Somewhere on the www, a long time ago, I read something about an interesting store in Hubbardsville, so I decided to turn and drive around a bit. Hubbardsville is another very small, kind of dumpy hamlet. I did find a store, but it appears to be more of a convenience store, I think the name of it is Hubbardsville Mall. I was unable to take any more pictures.

I would like to return to that area and explore North Brookfield on both sides of Route 12, and look around Hubbardsville more. There is a geocache hidden in a bell in Hubbardsville, which I would like to find.