BOARD TO DEATH ADVENTURE May 30, 2015

Heart and Hands held an event in Akron, NY today.  Becky picked me up and we went together.  The event involved a real life game of CLUE.  The event started in Russell Park (which is kind of like a village green)

 here is the registration center. 

We went from location to location and collected clues about who, where and what weapon was used.  When we figured it out, we turned our answers in at a central location and then we headed to the American Legion for the rest of the event. 

I bought twenty dollars worth of tickets for the basket raffle and ten dollars for the special items raffle.  I put all of my tickets on ONE basket, and I won it. 

it has two of my favorite movies in it:  THE GOONIES and DIRTY DANCING.  The other movie is LIL RASCALS.  The rest is candy and popcorn. 

 

The meal was provided by Orazio's, an Italian restaurant in Clarence, NY.  It was delicious especially the eggplant parmesan. 

They did a skit that told the story of the murder and how it was solved.  It turned out that the murder victim was not really dead (that's her in the red sweater and black slacks).

It was a very good event and both Becky and I enjoyed it.  Becky also won a basket with a few bottles of wine and some other items in it. 

 

 

Wilson Historial Society Memorial Day Fair Adventure and more

Peggy and l wanted to do something today and we decided to go to the Historical Society in Wilson for their Memorial Day Fair.  We had been to the Historical Society before to look for a geocache (unsuccessful) but the buildings were all closed, and we wanted to go in them.

We found a good parking spot at a business next door to the museum complex and walked over.  The first building we went in was the schoolhouse.  Very authentic looking! 

Then we went to the old car museum. 

 Also very nice!  We noticed that many of the cars were donated by Dr. Argue, including this one:

From there we went to the train depot, which is a museum, with lots of exhibits.  I noticed this picture of Dr. J. F. Argue. 

As we were leaving the depot, we noticed that there was a flag ceremony about to start. 

We crossed the road to see if we might have lunch at the Woodcock Brothers Brewery.  I was concerned that they would be very crowded because of the event across the road, but we were able to get a table right away.  We shared an appetizer (bruchetta) and a roasted vegetable salad.  Both were very good.

Right next door to the restaurant is a shop that sells oils and vinegars and we went inside and sampled a few.  They also offer Lake Effect ice cream and I had a "baby" frozen hot chocolate cone.  Peggy bought a couple of items.  I checked out the small antique shop. 

We returned to the fair and went into the caboose. 

The cabin and shop were not open, unfortunately.  Peggy bought a piece of red velvet cake. 

 

We headed out to find a couple of geocaches. We were not successful in finding Super Stephanies First Cache along a trail near a fishing access

 but we did find one called Pine Find.  Then we headed back to Lockport. 

 

Montezuma/Seneca Falls Adventure DAY TWO: May 21, 2015

After breakfast in our hotel (MICROTEL) Leslie and I checked out and found two geocaches before heading into the Village of Seneca Falls to see some of the attractions.  Our first stop was at the NATIONAL WOMENS RIGHTS MUSEUM.  We did a self guided tour, and I enjoyed it very much.

There is no charge for this attraction. 

This is Leslie posing with the women who started the Women's Rights Movement.  

Then we went to the Visitors Center which had historical displays, mostly about businesses that used to exist in Seneca Falls.  At one time, manufacturing clocks was big business in Seneca Falls.

Then we went to the Women's Hall of Fame.  This small museum has pictures and information about all of the inductees.  Here is a portion of one of the "walls".

After that, we decided to look for a virtual geocache based on the movie "It's a Wonderful Life"  We found it and then walked the Sculpture Trail. 

By then it was lunch time and we decided on the GOULD HOTEL. 

We were surprised at the low prices.  A half sandwich and cup of soup is only five dollars.  That's what I had, along with a side of sweet potato fries. 

 

Then it was time to head home, so Leslie and I said goodbye and headed out.  I got really tired about 40 minutes into the drive, so I stopped at a thruway rest stop and took a brief nap.  I got home around 3:30 P.M. 

 

It was a great short trip, and I was thoroughly exhausted when I got home, but I prepared an simple supper for Peggy, Carrie and I.  I went to bed a little after eight p.m.

Montezuma/Seneca Falls Adventure Day One May 20. 2015

I left Lockport around 8:30 a.m. and headed up 78 towards the thruway.  I made a quick stop at PAULA'S DONUTS

in Clarence, New York and picked up four donuts.  I arrived in Seneca Falls around 11:30 a.m. and checked into our room ( and also checked it out ).  I called Leslie who was still on the road and we agreed to meet at the MONTEZUMA NATIONAL WILDLIFE PRESERVE Visitor Center.  I took a few minutes to take a shower before leaving, because of the water problem in my neighborhood in Lockport.

We met up at the Visitors Center

(arriving about two minute apart) and looked around before having lunch (Brooks Chicken).  Then we headed out in my car to drive a birdwatching loop.  We saw several birds.  I used my binoculars, but am not as skilled with them as Leslie is.

According to Leslie, who had a checklist, these are the  birds we saw: 

25 species:

 List of birds seen at Montezuma -25 species
Canada goose
Mallard
Wood duck (female)
Blue-winged teal (male and female) This was the duck where the male had a the
white crescent on its face.
Swan-  distant-  seen on opposite side of lake
Pied-billed grebe
Great blue heron
Turkey vulture
Osprey
Eagle
Common moorhen
Solitary sandpiper
Caspian Tern
Hummingbird
Starling
Red-winged blackbird
Grackle
Brown-headed cowbird
Goldfinch
Red-headed woodpecker
Crow
Northern rough-winged swallow
Purple martin
Barn swallow
Robin

However, I actually did not see a few of them because Leslie spotted them and I could not zero in with my binoculars. 

Then we did a couple of hours of geocaching.  One of them took us to the canal and locks;

where we saw this Blue Heron, but we did not find the geocache!  I think I programmed the coordinates in wrong.  

I think we found five before we headed back into Seneca Falls to our lodging.

The cache we found here was my favorite because of this old empty building. 

After going to the Visitors Center and getting Leslie's car, we went to our lodging and got settled in and then went out and found one more which was on private property and involved pulling it down from a tree with ropes.  Neither of us was very hungry, but we went to a BURGER KING for drinks and I got a Big Mac Jr.

Back to MICROTEL and shortly to bed.

Watkins Glen State Park ADVENTURE

Peg, David and I left Middleport at 9:45 this morning to drive to Willard, New York to tour the inactive Psychiatric Hospital.  We arrived in plenty of time but were not allowed to drive onto the property.  First we were told there was a fire, but the second fellow did not give us a reason.

We found a place to have ice cream and discussed our options.  We decided to continue heading south and go to Watkins Glen State Park.  Peggy and I had been there a really long time ago, probably in the early l980s.

The hike through the gorge was really nice......there are nineteen waterfalls in this century and a half old park.

I think we walked about half way and then turned back and took a somewhat different route back to the Main Entrance.  Later on in the season, there is a shuttle bus at the opposite end  that will take you back to the Main Entance, but unfortunately it was not running today.  

We drove up along the west side of Seneca Lake on our way back towards Niagara County.  We stopped briefly to drive through Freedom Village, a Christian home for troubled teens.  

Wilson Adventure

Every Wednesday I get together with several girls who were in my graduating class (LSHS 1967). We go out to lunch at a different restaurant each time we meet up.  Today, Elaine and I drove together.  We stopped to check out a brewery in Wilson but the restaurant had not opened up yet. We met up with the others  at THE WILSON HOUSE, in Wilson, NY.  Although this is the first time I have eaten there, I took pictures of this place a few years ago when Peggy and I found a geocache nearby.  The Wilson House also offers rooms to rent.  It is in a very old  building that used to be a school.

Lunch was great!  Many of us ordered off of the lunch special menu.  There were several choices and I chose the Chicken Finger Parmesan with Spaghetti and Garlic Toast.  The price was around six dollars.  

After lunch, Elaine and I headed back to Lockport.  Our first stop was at

CMC AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR just down the street from the Wilson House.  Elaine's  message center had given her a message that a tire was low, so we asked the owner to check that for us.  He checked it and put some air in the tire that was low.  I noticed that there were several vintage items around the shop office, so I asked if I might be able to take a few pictures. and he consented.   

He checked the air pressure and found that one tire was indeed low, so he filled it and did not charge.  

We continued on our way and watched for a bakery that I had seen on the way to Wilson.  We found it!  It is E. Antonio's Bakery.  We met E. Antonio (the E stands for Edward or Eddie)

and talked with Eddie for a while and we both bought a package of assorted biscotti.  I think Eddie said he has been baking in that same location for 20 some years.  His specialty is CURLY ITALIAN BREAD.  He is holding a loaf of it in the pic.  He also makes tomato pie, but you have to order it ahead.  (I plan to do that someday).

      I didn't think I even liked biscotti, but Eddie's biscotti is just SO delicious!   Here is info for future reference:  3285 Wilson Cambria Rd, Wilson, NY 14172
(716) 751-9196.

WILDFLOWER ADVENTURE: May 9, 2015

Today at the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, they were offering a WILDFLOWER WALK.  Elaine and I had decided to go together a few days ago, but all of a sudden May got terribly hot and we were concerned that we would not enjoy a hike in the woods in such hot temperaturesWe decided to brave it anyways and met up at my house and headed out towards ENWR.  We arrived a few minutes early and went into the Visitor Center to use the restroom.  I borrowed a pair of binoculars from the front desk.  

The small group (I think 12 people, including a couple of young boys) gathered in the conference room and our leader (Kathy) talked about what we could expect to see and experience.  Then we caravaned behind her out to the ONONDAGA trailhead. I think  this was the same trail that we went on the night I went on the OWL PROWL, a couple of weeks ago.

We walked the trail, stopping to look at flowers and snakes, birds and bugs.  It kept getting hotter and hotter.  A couple of people dropped out of the hike early on. When we reached the Y in the trail, I told Elaine that I had had enough and was going to go back to the parking area and wait in the car. She said she was ready to go, also.  We walked back to the car.   We saw two Canada Geese  in a swampy area, so stopped to take pictures.  

We drove back to the Visitors Center to return the binoculars and headed back towards Lockport.  We stopped at OLEARS Mini-Mart on the Chestnut Ridge  for lunch.  We split a toasted beef sub (it was really good) and then we had ice cream cones.  

Salt Spring ADVENTURE (May 8, 2015)

Chickie and I met up at her house at 9:30 a.m. and headed to Barker for some geocaching.  Our first stop was at a cemetery on Hosmer Road.  This one was quick and easy.  Then we found one at THE BABCOCK HOUSE.

I should say that I found it.  After I located it, I let Chick find it, but she needed a LOT of hints!  Then it was just down the road to SAWYER CEMETERY where Chickie found another easy one.  We explored that old cemetery a bit and did not see any Sawyers buried there. 

Then we located the SALT SPRING trail, where a geocache is hidden.

I knew the geocache was difficult, so we skipped it and hiked to the Salt Spring.  We had a bit of difficulty finding it since the white trail markers stopped when the trail split into two part.  We chose the wrong part first, so we backtracked and tried the other way.  We had to cross a bridge that really needs some work, it was kind of treacherous but we got to the Salt Spring.

The three hundred year old spring has not been active for a long time unfortunately, but the tree stump remains.  

Next we located the small park on Lake Ontario where BARKERVILLE is hidden.  Chickie found this one pretty easily.

Then we decided it was time for lunch.  I thought we might find someplace to eat in Barker.  The Niagara County map was kind of vague about where the village of Barker was.  

As we were looking for a way to get to the village we saw this place.  

Sandy's Country Kitchen.  We checked it out and it looked pretty good so we decided to eat there.  I ordered a BLT and Chickie ordered a bowl of clam chowder.  While we were waiting for our food to come Chickie asked me where the next cache might be.  I went out to the car to get the info. and ran into my cousin Becky who was just arriving.  She joined us and ordered baked fish.  Chickie and I were very pleased with this diner, our total bill for the two of us came to less than eight dollars.  

We had one more geocache to find PORCUPINE which was in a wooded area behind the Barker Town Hall.  Chick found this one quickly.  Then we headed back to Lockport.  I dropped Chickie off and went to OFFICE MAX to pick up my computer where I had left it for a check up.

A couple hours later, I joined Peggy and Bev for supper to celebrate Bevs birthday at CALAMATAs.