ny getaway

j. and i left ella happily playing with her grandma for the weekend and drove out to the finger lakes of NY. we figure we've got a limited number of months (though not yet numbered) to do this kind of thing before the next kid comes along. we're so very lucky that elenora and her mam-aw get along so good that we can leave her for a few days without having to worry at all about her missing us. (i was sorry to miss her first ballet class, though!)

road trips are something that j. and i have always loved. and while we don't always have the easiest time getting along at home (where things like dishes and dirty sinks can really sap all the lovey-dovey feelings out of a couple), we always enjoy each others' company when we're out on our own.

this weekend was especially fun because there were all these randomly unexpected additions to our weekend that made it very memorable.

first off, after we were in NY quite a ways the gas tank light went on. we waited as long as we could, and then realized that even though our exit was only one exit away, we had to stop off for gasoline before then. so we got off an exit and lo and behold! The Boxing Hall of Fame! it was pretty small, and we just started laughing, but pulled in to check it out. it was 6 pm and the place closed at 5 pm, so i just took some photos of j. outside the building. but then a guy came out who must have run the place and asked who the boxing fan was. then he asked j. a few questions and, realizing this was not some clueless fan but a genuine FAN, took us over to the building with the madison square garden boxing ring in it where Ali fought Frazier. pretty exciting, right?

(we got t-shirts.)

we arrived in skaneateles around 7:30 pm and realized that our inn was located right on the lake across from the park where momby and ella and i had stopped to take photos a year and a half ago (where i fell in love with this town). our inn was gorgeous, and was absolutely hopping with activity. downstairs was a fancy dining room and also a tavern, and the tavern was packed full of yankees fans and tourists enjoying the fare. j. and i checked in and freshened up in our gorgeous room before heading down to eat dinner at the tavern.

here's the fireplace in our room, and a little desk in a nook by the bed.

we started dinner off with wine and a cheese platter that had sharp cheddar, 4 kinds of crackers, a bunch of grapes, a mustard, and a marmalade. which is really the perfect snack plate for the 2 of us.

after our meal we took a walk around the town. first we went to the park and walked out on the boardwalk that extends into the lake.

as we walked around town we saw some realty businesses advertising property and we stopped to take a look. the first thing we saw was a 4 bedroom house with a master bedroom suite and granite countertops in the kitchen, etc. $180k. we just had to laugh. how can homes everywhere else in america be priced so much lower than where we live and work?!

the next morning we started our day with a complimentary breakfast at the inn that included scrambled eggs, pastries, ham and cheese, yogurt, fresh fruit salad, and deliciously hot and dark coffee (all overlooking the lake).

we then headed out to cayuga lake to drive down the wine trail, which had over 12 wineries to choose from.

at the first winery i sampled about 4 wines and we bought a bottle of white.

this is a photo outside of the second winery, with a view of cayuga lake. to the right of this view is a basketball court. j. pulled out his basketball from the trunk and we shot around for awhile after our second tasting.

this is outside of the second winery, Goose Watch. this place had amazing wines. we sampled about 6-8 wines each. there was an incredible white wine called viognier that i really am excited about. i usually stick with new zealand white wines because they are slightly fruity and not overly-alcohol-tasting. this viognier was not at all alcohol tasting, but it wasn't fruity either. it just had amazing flavor.

here are some shots of the vinyard.

so after 2 wine tastings i was in desperate need of some water and food. so we drove down to a third vinyard where there was a restaurant. the food was really very good, although my salad was so organic that i found a piece of a branch in it about 2 inches in length and 1 inch in diameter. i just had to laugh about that.

we visited one more winery, bought a bottle of red wine, and then headed back to our inn where j. lay down while i walked to a toy store in town for a little gift for elenora. then i lay down for a nap, too. wine sure can make you sleepy!

when we woke up we wandered around town looking at menus and decided to eat dinner at a cafe on the lake.

earlier, on our drive to and from cayuga lake, we had noticed a bowling center. j. pointed out that it was probably "big ball" bowling and not candlepin bowling, so we made up our minds to go bowling that evening. it was so much fun. i started off right away with a strike and then a spare... which never happens to me. i bowled a 96 that first game. of course, my second game only raked in a 69, but we had a lot of fun there.

the next morning we took some photos of the inn and town before getting coffees at a bakery and setting off east.

on our way up on friday we passed by rome, NY, which j. realized was where his friend c. is being held in prison, so we stopped by on sunday for 2 of the visiting hours. this was my first time in a prison, so i was rather nervous, but once i was in it really wasn't too scary. this was my first time meeting c., and it was a really good visit. i could tell how much it meant to him to see j.

our trip ended with 3 hours of driving in a snowstorm throughout MA. very strange for october. the flakes were just huge, but luckily they were not sticking to the road.

momby was at our house with our sleeping baby when we arrived home. she had lovingly cleaned our bedroom while we were gone, which is just about the nicest thing anybody has ever done for me.

it was such a fun trip. i'd do it all again.