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Lucky Stones

By on July 26, 2017 in The Pearl

“The only problem with looking for sea glass…is that you never look up. You never see the view. You never see the houses or the ocean, because you’re afraid you’ll miss something in the sand.” —Anita Shreve

I’ve always enjoyed beachcombing…partially because I like the treasures I find, but especially because I love spending time on the beach being close to the water. Every area has a different treasure to offer…shells, sea glass, sponges, lobster buoys and here along Cayuga Lake…lucky stones. The shores of Cayuga Lake are one of the few places where “Lucky Stones” can be found. These are rocks with fossil worm holes. Legend has it that they bring good luck to anyone who finds one. I think I’ll use a few of the stones on my pine needle baskets.
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Our Ithaca Neighborhood

By on July 25, 2017 in The Pearl

Allan H. Treman State Marine Park

“Travel far enough, you meet yourself.” —David Mitchell

We’ve been in our summer home at Allan H. Treman State Marine Park for about two months and we really love this area of New York. Our new neighborhood is beautiful and very relaxing. We are surrounded by the State Park and Cass Park, both have a lot of green space and limited traffic, so our nights are dark and quiet…just the way we like it. 

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July 20-22 Oneonta, NY

By on July 24, 2017 in The Pearl
Allan H. Treman Marine State Park
“How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.” ―Henry David Thoreau

 

One of the benefits of cruising is making new friends that become life long friends. We always look forward to reconnecting with these friends when our wakes cross again. This past weekend we had a chance to catch up with five old friends. We spent three days playing, relaxing, eating, drinking, talking, fishing and even doing a little ranch work at Maryann and Georges Waterhill Farm. No matter how long it’s been since we’ve last seen each other…it feels like it was just last week. Our mini reunion was a lot of fun…even though we weren’t on the water.

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July 19 – Staying Cool in Ithaca

By on July 21, 2017 in The Pearl

Allan H. Treman State Marine ParkWhen it starts to warm up in Ithaca what can you do? The answer…find a nice little place along a quiet creek. It may seem hot in the real world, but around here it’s easy to find a cool place to spend the afternoon an…

Canandaigua Boathouses

By on July 20, 2017 in The Pearl
Allan H. Treman State Marine Park
“At the beach, life is different. A day moves not from hour to hour but leaps from mood to moment. We go with the currents, plan around the tides and follow the sun.” –Sandy Gingras

Canandaigua Lake is one of the Finger Lakes…it’s two lakes west of Ithaca, so we thought we’d check it out on our way home from Toronto. Canandaigua, which means “chosen spot”, is a beautiful village on the north end of the lake that is a popular summer destination. The town was first settled in 1791 and by the mid-19th century Canandaigua was an important railroad junction and homeport for several steamboats that operated on the lake. In the 1850’s single wooden boathouses were built along the City Pier and the Steam Basin, where the Steamboats operated. They were originally used to store small boats, produce and farm supplies delivered by the steamboats.
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July 18 – Black Diamond Bike Trail

By on July 19, 2017 in The Pearl

Allan H. Treman State Marine Park

“People who do nothing are the ones that have no time to do anything.” 

When we first got to Ithaca we were impressed with the bike trails and we’ve used the Cayuga Waterfront Trail quite a bit, but I wasn’t interested in the Black Diamond Trail. I thought it must be something difficult…you know black diamond ski trail hard, but dock neighbors told us more about it, so we gave it a try today. This Rail Trail follows the Lehigh Valley Railroad route who’s Black Diamond Express once ran from Jersey City to Buffalo and Niagara Falls between 1896 and 1959. The luxury passenger line was named for the most profitable commodity on the railroad: coal…black diamonds.

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July 14-16 Toronto, ON

By on July 18, 2017 in The Pearl
Allan H. Treman State Marine Park

“Traveling will destroy the person you use to be to help create whomever you were meant to become.” —Kiana Azizian

We spent two wonders nights at the Marriott in downtown Toronto. It was great to have such a wonderful room to come back to each evening after walking all over town exploring the unique neighborhoods. We walked over twelve miles on Saturday. Friday afternoon we explored Chinatown and the Kensington Market neighborhoods. Kensington Market is Toronto’s most vibrant and diverse neighborhood located in the heart of town. It’s full of eclectic shops and cafes. The neighborhood has always been home to immigrants…the nationalities have changed over the past century, making it one of Toronto’s most multicultural neighborhoods. 

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Ithaca Farmers Market

By on July 17, 2017 in The Pearl
Allan H. Treman State Marine Park

“The trouble with life isn’t that there is no answer, it’s that there are so many answers.” —Ruth Benedict 

Ithaca has a wonderful farmers market…it occurs three times a week during the summer. The Ithaca Farmer’s Market is a cooperative with 160 vendors who live within 30 miles of Ithaca and grow or make their own products, offering a true taste of the region’s rich beauty and heritage through homegrown goods, produce, handmade crafts and gifts. The market opened in 1973 and the pavilion is situated in a garden-like setting, surrounded by trees and flowering plants. 
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Finger Lake Wineries & Breweries

By on July 13, 2017 in The Pearl
Allan H. Treman State Marine Park

“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.”—Maya Angelou

We’ve been visiting a lot of cute brewery and wineries in the area…here are a few of our favorite, so far.

Aurora Ale & Lager Co.

Aurora Ale & Lager are a new NYS Farm Nanobrewery located on the east shore of Cayuga Lake with a wonderful hill top view of the lake. They’re just a few miles south of the quaint village of Aurora. They brew small batches of beers from smoked porters, aromatic IPAs, bourbon barrel-aged stouts, wheats, saisons to sours. 
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July 11 – Celebrating 36 Year

By on July 12, 2017 in The Pearl

We’re celebrating 36 years together on this voyage we call life. What a great adventure it has been and we look forward to seeing what new adventures the future brings.”The Voyage”I am a sailor, you’re my first mateWe signed on together, we coupled our…