I had spent this past weekend in upstate New York, Ithaca to be exact, to attend my cousin Maria’s wedding to a charming young man named David. The festivities started up on Friday night with a rehearsal dinner at the Sheldrake Point Winery located scenically along Cayuga Lake (http://www.sheldrakepoint.com/). You see, Maria’s husband-to-be (actually at the time of this report, he is the husband) is the wine maker at this wonderful winery. Their specialty is Riesling, which happens to be my favorite wine, period. Apparently the lake acts as a heat sink, which is good for them little grapes and makes some nice wines. The food was delish, a wonderful jazz band provided a swell ambience and when the ice wine and vin de paille was served to compliment the deserts, we were in heaven.
The wedding itself took place at Barbara and Frank’s home, tents were erected in the yard, and the barn was prepared for the dance that was to follow the ceremony. Stanley, my favorite dog in the tri-state area, was supervising all activities; after all, at 17 dog years he is a senior member of the household and always has the last word (or bark that is…). A little excitement was added to the ceremony when the groom instructed all 130 attendees to help look for one of the wedding bands, which young Liam, nephew of the bride, had nonchalantly dropped in the grass on his way down the isle. Amazingly enough, the diamond band was found in 30 seconds, and the finder was promised two pieces of wedding cake. It was a lovely ceremony, where the guests were allowed to speak up and give testimonials to the bride and groom, welcome either into various families in attendance, and wish them lots of wedded bliss.
My accommodation of choice was the Rogues Harbor Inn – http://www.roguesharbor.com/ - a historic bed and breakfast built in 1830. It does look a little worn from the outside, but the inside is just as charming as can be, and the innkeeper family was as nice as can be, in particular the lead canine, Daisy, a charming little beagle. The inn received its current name later in the 19th century when the clientele included horse thieves, fugitives and whoever else was up to no good in the area. The inn also can add as its claim to fame that is was a stop for the underground railroad transporting slaves toward their freedom in Canada. It also features a restaurant, which serves some delectable dinners and a very scrumptious breakfast as well.
Diversions were provided in form of a visit to Ithaca (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ithaca%2C_New_York), a lunch at the famous veggie haven, the Moosewood Restaurant - http://www.moosewoodrestaurant.com/ , and of course the gorges. “Ithaca is Gorges”, is the motto one finds plastered on t-shirts and bumper stickers - http://www.ilovenyphotos.com/ithgorges/ithgorges.html - beautiful waterfalls adorn the gulches around Lake Cayuga, and I honestly cannot tell you which gorge we visited, but you’ll see the photos soon nevertheless and it was worth the visit. The Ithaca Commons is a wonderful pedestrian zone with shops, restaurants and funky little stores, so no shortage of divertissements here. The town can boast with a few notable residents including astronomer Carl Sagan, author Alex Hailey, physicist Richard Feynman, actress Mary McDonell, and novelist E.B. White, who wrote Charlotte’s Web.
My friends, I am keeping the write-up short this time, I just saw “Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle” and now I have a hankering for a burger. Gotta Go!
I will hail from New Hampshire next weekend, so talk to you then.
PetJ
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