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“Autumn…the year’s last, loveliest smile.” –William Cullent Bryant

Our last three days on Cayuga Lake were beautiful…the last warm days of Indian Summer. On Tuesday (10/9) Stan had a perfect day to move The Pearl up the lake to her winter home and he enjoyed the time on the water. While he moved the boat, I moved our car, stopping at two of my favorite parks along the lake and doing a little shopping in Aurora. Our relaxing day turn to a busy evening as we started winterizing the boat and packing the car.
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Wine is sunlight held together by water. — Galileo Galilei

Friday was beautiful day so we took advantage of having one last picnic on the lawn of a winery. We chose Boundary Breaks Vineyard on Seneca Lake. They have a gorgeous place over looking the lake. The wine was wonderful, the scenery amazing, the food was enjoyable, but company was the best part of the day. 
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“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” ― Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky

Fall brings all kinds of changes…the weather is getting cooler, the leaves are changing color, the days are getting shorter and it’s almost time for us to put The Pearl away for the winter. We feel like we have the best of two worlds, a beautiful place to escape the hot Texas summers and another to escape the long cold winters of upstate New York. The bonus is we have family in each place that we can play with and share our life with. I thought I’d share a few pictures of our marinas…we like them both.
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“Have you considered that if you don’t make waves, nobody including yourself will know that you are alive?” —Theodore Isaac Rubin 

When I started this post I thought we hadn’t made it to many new wineries/breweries this season. As soon as I started looking through our photos I could see we had actually made it to quite a few. Maybe not as many as last summer, but still quite a few. We don’t do tasting anymore, we enjoy buying a bottle of their driest white wine, relaxing on the winery’s deck and enjoying their view with a picnic or small snack. I think the heat this summer slowed our visits down, but we still have a couple of weeks left to squeeze in a few more.
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“I can smell autumn dancing in the breeze. The sweet chill of pumpkin, and crisp sunburnt leaves.” -Ann Drake

Fall has officially arrived in Ithaca…the leaves are beginning to change color, the temperatures are falling, boats are beginning to leave the marina and fall festivals are everywhere. The little roadside vegetables stands that were full of fresh corn this summer are now full of pumpkins and gourds.
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“I’m in love with cities I’ve never been to and people I’ve never met.” – John Green

Quebec City is known for their food scene and there is an endless amount of choices of places to eat. We didn’t make it to any fancy “French” restaurant, but we did enjoy some wonderful, quaint, relaxing bistros. Here’s a look at what we found.
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“Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe.” – Anatole France

Our second stop on Wednesday was Île d’Orléans, it’s located in the Saint Lawrence River about 3 miles east of Québec City. The island represents the tidal divide of the St. Lawrence, where fresh water begins to mix with the sea. Île d’Orléans was one of the first settlements for New France in the sixteenth century, and a large percentage of French Canadians can trace ancestry to early residents of the island. One road circles the perimeter of the island offering visitors a look back in time with historic homes and churches, vineyards, sugar shacks (maple syrup), delicious bakeries, fruit stands and drop-dead-gorgeous scenery.
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“It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves – in finding themselves.” – Andre Gide

We left Québec City this morning and headed east to see Montmorency Falls (Chute Montmorency) and then the Île d’Orléans. This post will cover the falls…I’ll do another post for the island. The day started out dreary, windy and cool but began to clear as we enjoyed the falls.
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“The pleasure we derive from journeys is perhaps dependent more on the mindset with which we travel than on the destination we travel to” – Alain de Botton

Our last day in Old Québec was cold and windy, not a good day to be outside, but it gave me a chance to do a little shopping. Since it was a dreary day and not a good day for taking pictures I thought I’d share more pictures from our first two days in Old Québec. I think we walked up and down every little cobblestone street (Rue) in town…at least once. I’m in love with this city.
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