Posts filed under ‘New York’
The BEST Vineyard in Skaneateles — Anyela’s
The most popular vineyard on Skaneateles Lake
It’s a COLD memorial Day weekend. I’m wearing a down vest and wool mittens. Why would there be a crowd gathered 5 miles south of the town of Skaneateles at 3:30 on such a chilly Saturday afternoon? Because there is live music playing at Anyela’s Vineyard.
Tasting Room
Anyela’s Vinyard is the best and ONLY vineyard on Skaneateles Lake. Inside, I notice the tasting room, with its high ceiling, has gorgeous woodwork. At the end of the tasting area, is a large patio/dining area with a view of Lake Skaneateles. The live music has not even started and every table is full, with many crowding around the tasting bars. This is a happenin’ place!
What makes Anyela’s wines unique??
“Unlike other vineyards along neighboring Finger Lakes, we protect our vines from the cold after the fall harvest. One by one, we carefully remove them from the trellises and bury them in the rich earth to insulate the sensitive primary buds, which eventually become the fruit. In spring, we re-trellis the vine for maximum sun exposure. We also control our grape yield to cultivate the ripest, most flavorful fruit.”
Live music on Saturday afternoons
So what does that mean? Great reds. Remember, it’s Memorial Day weekend and the nights are dipping into the low 40s this year. That short growing season is better for whites (particularly chardonnay and Riesling). But the reds at Anyela’s make it worth the Saturday afternoon nosh. We enjoyed a 2008 Pinot Noir, as well as a four grape blend called “Sync.”
Colorful, tasteful decor
We were not thrilled by the overpriced cheese plate that we ordered to enjoy our bottle with, nor the inflexible server, but it didn’t stop us from ordering another plate for bottle number two!
When you take a wine tour around Skaneateles Lake, be sure not to miss Anyela’s. It’s the only place you need to stop!
Anyela’s is located 2433 West Lake Road, Skaneateles, NY 13152
Phone: (315) 685-3797
The Corning Glass Works Museum: Hot Glass
The Museum has hot glass and the coolest collection of glass art
What kind of Finger Lakes adventures can be enjoyed any time of year — even when it’s yucky outside?
Visit the Corning Museum of Glass CMOG. The Museum provides many fascinating facets that I never knew about glass. There is the art sand crafts side of glass as well as the science and technology side.
The Glass Museum features ancient glass artifacts as well as modern art
The museum has an incredible collection with sophisticated glasswork on display spanning thousands of years, with beads crafted by the Egyptians, through today, where we see glasswork by famous artists like Dale Chihuly.
One of the most interesting aspects of glass is how it reacts with light. In the Innovation Center you can learn (and see) how glass changes our world.
There are Hot Glass demonstrations that take place several times a day. This is the BEST part of the museum, because the glassmakers or “Gaffers” are tremendously talented craftsmen and they do a great job of teaching you as they create.
There is a new 275 seat hot glass studio under construction, that will be ready in 1014. The intent of the new glassmaking space is to create the ultimate venue for glassmaking demonstrations.
Make sure you make time to see it for yourself. Check out their blog.
Information on the museum:
Open Every Day
9:00 am – 5:00 pm
September 4 through May 24
9:00 am – 8:00 pm
May 25 through September 3
Closed only 4 days per year: January 1, Thanksgiving Day, December 24, December 25.
The Corning Museum of Glass – One Museum Way – Corning, NY 14830 800.732.6845
The Bank Street Café in Geneseo: Where Breakfast Bears Notice
The view down main street from the cafe
Geneseo is a charming upstate town that enjoys preserving it’s history along with it’s sense of humor. Legend has it that Seneca Indians called it jo-nis-hi-yuh, meaning the pleasant or beautiful valley. This evolved into Genesee, the river which carved out the beautiful valley containing the town of Geneseo.
The bear holds a working lantern
In the center of Geneseo, right in the middle of the street is a large round fountain, with a bronze statue of a sitting bear, holding a lantern. This is the Wadsworth Fountain. It was built for Emmeline Wadsworth, an animal lover, and the fountain was intended as a watering trough for horses.
The Wadsworth brothers built their homes at either end of Main Street, then recruited others to move to the town and assisted them in building their homes.
The bear which remains remains the iconic symbol of the town, holding it’s $15,000 lantern — a working replica of the original — has inspired an annual teddy bear parade.
While visiting Geneseo stop for breakfast at the Bank Street Café and Grill.The Café is easy to locate — right across from the famous fountain bearing the Bear.
Most wonderful Blueberry Pancakes
The Bank Street Cafe & Grill is no ordinary eatery. Nothing at Bank Street has been pre-processed. Everything is home-made from scratch. Breakfast is served all day long, and I enjoyed the best (and biggest) blueberry pancakes ever. They are also known for their angus beef burgers.
The village is making a proposal to widen the sidewalks at the three sides of the Bear Fountain and create a small outdoor cafe spot with tables and chairs opposite his restaurant. That would give the town even more character.
The Bank Street Café is open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays
Thrifting through the Finger Lakes
Skaneateles has a fabulous treasure hidden under the Masonic Temple
Next-to-new is the new “New.” The Finger Lakes region has an amazing selection of second-hand shops selling clothing, furniture, records, books and more. When summer hides, as it occasionally does, try visiting a store where stuff is recycled, re-used, vintage, antique, collectible, or just plain cheap.
Below is a list of my favorite places to treasure hunt:
Auburn
Where: 937 Lincoln Way, Downtown Auburn
Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday; summer hours 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday with a dinner break from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Phone: (530) 889-2900.
Auburn Trading Post & Antiques
This 3-story warehouse is visible from Rt 20, as you drive through town. Not to be missed unless you are highly allergic to dust and mildew. I found a huge container of Miracle Grow for $1, classic records, silverware and dishes for my son’s apartment, Nintendo games.
24 McMaster Street, Auburn, NY 13021, 315-252-6320
Ithaca
Check out The Commons for several stores with books, furniture and clothing.
STORE HOURS. Mon-Wed: 12-8:00PM., Thurs-Sat: 12-9:00PM, Sun: 12-6:00PM.
CONTACT. 607.319.4953
Funky Junk
Petrune
Classic clothing from every decade. This is not necessarily thrift, but loaded with STYLE.
Open 7 days a week, 11am to 6pm.
Rochester
This is the easiest way to find all the smaller shops in Rochester.
My current favorite is Marianne’s Consignment Shop on South Ave. has many items that still have the store tags on them. My most recent score: Ann Taylor fall jacket: $10, long black sweater: $3., black evening dress: $19, shoes to match: $10.
Vintage and new music. Fabulous record collection. Located at 1460 Monroe Ave in Brighton, it is open Tuesday – Saturday 11-8, and Sunday, 12-5.
A fixture in Rochester on Titus Ave since the dawn of rock and roll, the great great House of Guitars contains an enormous inventory of musical instruments and music. Aerosmith, Ozzie Osborne, Cheap Trick, Metallica and Matthew Sweet are among the major acts that have shopped at the House of Guitars.
Skaneateles
St. James Thrift Store is my favorite store in town, despite my enduring love for the donuts at the Skaneatleles Bakery. Difficult to spot, it’s located downstairs, with the entrance and sign on a side street, off Genesee. This is where you’ll find brand-new baseball cleats for $4.00 and a full military dress uniform for $10. The Thrift Shop is located in the basement of the Masonic Temple on Genesee Street between State and Jordan streets.
Hours 10-4, M-S.
Syracuse
The Thrift Shopper is a comprehensive listing of all the great shops in Syracuse
EcoChic Boutique combines NEW and CONSIGNED clothing and accessories for the Ecologically conscious and Economically savvy shopper. Located on 4314 East Genesee St in Dewitt.
Monday to Saturday: 11am to 6pm
Sunday: 12pm to 5pm
The Sound Garden
Great store to browse and kill some time in. The selection is vast and they always seem to be adding new products across different mediums. Prices on new and old records/DVDs/games are the best you can find in any brick-and-mortar shop.
Armory Square
310 W Jefferson St
Syracuse, NY 13202
Please share with me your favorite thrift stores are and I’ll add them to this blog.
The Owl House — Wise Dining
One of the biggest struggles with being a celiac (allergic to gluten) is finding safe places to eat out. In the last few years more restaurants have started to offer gluten-free substitutes on their menu and the best we have found in Rochester is The Owl House.
Skaneateles Lake Cycle Circle
Biking around Skanealteles Lake provides vertical challenge with breathtaking views. The 40-mile loop takes you from the lake’s edge in the town of Skaneateles Lake, up, up, up to breath-taking views high above, along rolling hills, covered with farms full of goats, cows, lavendar and wildflowers, on the east and west sides, then sends you rocketing to the lake’s edge again at the southern end by Glen Haven.
Continue Reading September 2, 2012 at 5:00 am Leave a comment
More Fun at the New York State Fair
People paid $25 each to sit in this catapult chair and get launched like a rubber band. The best part was listening to their screams amplified through a PA system.
Fun at the New York State Fair
We took the entire family to the New York State Fair and it was a lot of fun. The best part was singing along with the McCarthy Family in front of the Agricultural Museum. They have been performing at the fair now for 6 years.
The images below are of concert-enjoyers, and also some of the “vintage” displays inside the Agricultural Museum.
Shane McCarthy before the show
Enjoying “Ring of Fire.”
“Corncert”
Enjoying the concert
Log Cabin INSIDE the Agricultural Museum
Farm Play sets on display. My Fisher Price Farm
Milk Bottle display of prize-winning milk
Dorothy McIlroy Bird Sanctuary
Dorothy McIlroy Bird Sanctuary
Small footprint — big impact. That’s what you could say about Dorothy McIlroy’s life and the 198 acres of land purchased by the Finger Lakes Land Trust, in her name, at the southern end of Lake Como. Dorothy McIlroy was a professional birder, playing a significant role in the early days of the Cornell Ornithology Lab. Her children wanted to create a bird sanctuary in her memory. When I visited I could see that there is a LOT more than just birds enjoying sanctuary.
Trail is well-marked. When visiting in spring and fall, boots might be in order.
This was my opportunity to hike a “fen.” I have bogged and swamped, and marshed, but can’t say that I have had the opportunity to explore a fen — until now.
It’s only fenny ’til someone gets hurt
So what is a fen? — according to Squidoo, “Similar to bogs, but not the same ecosystem.
- Fens are freshwater cold region wetlands that receive their water from rivers, streams, and springs as well as rain.
- Fens vary from mildly acidic to alkaline.
- Fens are often found alongside bogs, but have more diverse flora and fauna.”
beaver biography
That definition is clear as mud — which you’ll tramp through a lot of — regardless. According to the Finger Lakes Land Trust, “The most unusual aspect of this preserve is the variety of plant life. Rich shrub fen, peat swamp and forest thrive on either side of Falls Creek. The limestone bedrock of the creek favors fen development — the surrounding northern-type peat swamp forest makes this site exceptional. A number of plants that are uncommon or rare in our region are found at the preserve. Many species are on the State protected list.”
This guy was hiking the same path as me.
How do you find this precious gem? The easiest way is to look at the map of protected lands on the FLLT web site. I drove south on 41A, past Bear Swamp, until I could take Lake Como Rd. The Lake is VERY small, so it’s easy to miss Fire Lane A with the tiny sign, as soon as you run out of lake. The Fire Lane can get very muddy, so you may want to park on the lake road and hike in to the sanctuary entrance.
Why you should stay on the trail
Because there are so many varieties of plants and animals its best to stay on the trails —otherwise someone might give you the snake eye!
Trail Map
Beware: The McIlroy Bird Sanctuary will be closed to the public during early and late bow (archery) deer season.
The Finger Lakes Land Trust has since added 86 acres of wetlands and uplands to the Dorothy McIlroy Bird Sanctuary, expanding the Summerhill haven to span 250 total acres.
The Ithaca-based conservation organization said the additional land — acquired as part of the state’s Open Space Plan using funds from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s North American Wetland Conservation Act grant program — joins two existing portions of the McIlroy sanctuary and stretches the borders to include land along Lake Como and Peth roads.
Finger Lakes Fun: 2012 New York State Fair
Photo contest runner-up, 2011
Here it is — everything you need to know about the 2012 New York State Fair. I’ll be attending, and you can attend too — free — compliments of the NYS Fair — if you let me know your favorite fair memory. I have tickets to give away, so impress me. I’ll pick a winner August 22, contact you, and you can pick up your (2) FREE tickets at Will Call.
- Thursday, Aug. 23, to Monday, Sept. 3, 2012
- Gates open at 8 a.m. daily
- exhibit buildings are open from 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
- 375 acres filled with fun: Free Stuff to do and see:
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- Butter sculpture / Sand sculpture
- Animal shows, petting zoo
- Nightly parade at 6 p.m.
- NEW: Monster truck show
- NEW: BMX stunt show
- NEW: Interactive rain forest learning exhibit
- NEW: Midway Music Series – built around local and up-and-coming bands
- NEW: Great Lakes Lumberjack Show
- Different acts each day at 2 and 8 p.m.
- All shows at Chevy Court are free with Fair admission
Photo Contest Winner — 2011
Signature State Fair Food:
- Lots of food deals: $0.25 cup of fresh milk, $1 baked potatoes (Horticulture Bldg.), hot beef sundaes, salt potatoes
- Deep-fried mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, candy bars, cheesecake, PB&J sandwiches
- Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, Gianelli sausage sandwiches
- Big Kahuna Donut Dog
Tickets:
- General admission is $10 (children under 12 free every day)
- Advance sale tickets $6 – save 40% – (on sale at a variety of locations throughout New York State, click here for a full list).
- Can also purchase six-day frequent fair passes (valid for one person) $30, pre-paid parking passes for one day $5
Special Days:
- Senior Citizen Days: Aug. 27 & 28 (free admission 60 and older)
- Veterans Day: Aug. 30 (free with military ID)
- Student’s Day: Aug. 31 (free admission for students 16 and under)
- Native American Day: Aug. 31 (free admission for Native Americans)
- NEW: College Night: Aug. 31 (college students will receive vendor discounts)
photo contest runner-up 2011
Midway:
- Unlimited rides for one price: $25 wristbands on six days
- Thurs 8/23, Fri 8/24, Mon 8/27, Tues 8/28, Wed 8/29, Thurs 8/30
- This year we will again offer the Discount Strates Shows Midway FunCard worth $24 for only $14 if you purchase by Aug. 22
- Available at most advance sale locations
- 24 credits per card – each ride requires 2 or more credit.
- A savings of $10 off the regular ride book price.
- The FunCard System replaces traditional ride books and individual tickets with a single electronic, bar coded card that can be used on all of the of the rides at the Midway and Kiddieland.
- NEW: This year, Fairgoers can also buy advance sale midway wristbands and ride tickets online through Aug. 22. There will be a price discount for those purchasing online.
Mobile Fair Site:
- A mobile version of nysfair.org
- It functions like an app on a smartphone and allows smartphone users to have easy access to the most popular Fair information (concerts, visitor guide, food guide, etc.)
QR Code:
- NEW: This year, QR Codes will be placed on agricultural signage around the Fairgrounds allowing Fairgoers to scan the QR Codes and learn more about NYS Fair agriculture.
- There is a QR Code on the advance sale posters and counter cards at all advance sale ticket locations. The QR Code will also be placed on print ads.
- If you can scan the QR Code with a smartphone, you can enter into a drawing to win a free, one-day parking pass to the Fair.
- Those without a smartphone can text “parking” to 24587 to be entered into the free parking drawing.
Updates:
- You can sign up for email and text message updates at www.nysfair.org
- Find The Great New York State Fair on Facebook
- Follow NYSFair on Twitter
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