Wed July 5 - Sun July 9: Pre-Boat Adventures!

Off we go!  We are a bit delayed as the maintenance on Blue Horizon isn’t quite finished (of course it isn't - they have only had the boat SINCE OCT). So our goal is to be in Brewerton, NY by July 10. Plenty of time to have some adventures along the way!

First stop, Damascus, VA and the Virginia Creeper Trail. The drive was easy and we arrived at our Damascus B&B at about 5 pm.   The B&B was the embodiment of Faded Glory-a beautiful old mansion with its better days firmly in the past (sadly that was also true of its owners) ...  It was full of antiques but was a bit frayed around the edges, with some dust that may date from the Civil War (sorry, The Late Great Unpleasantness), but we slept well, and we aren't picky, (plus the price was right) so .... 

The next morning we rented bikes and took a van shuttle to the top of White Mtn, where the Virginia Creeper Trail begins.  This is a wonderful rail-to-trail bike path. After the shuttle ride to the top of the mountain we started the 17-mile downhill trek back to Damascus.  It was a fun and easy ride down the gently sloping hill and we enjoyed it. I thought we might get a BIT more exercise, but not so much so that I was willing to turn around and ride UP the trail for a few miles!

Rhododendron in glorious bloom!

We rode past Christmas Tree Farms - baby trees!

After our bike ride we left Damascus and continued our northward into Pennsylvania Dutch country. July 7 was Rick's birthday, so I forced him to go to the Hershey’s Chocolate Factory.  Hersheys has created a theme park much like a Disney Park, as well as a complex with a Sports arena, a concert venue and a huge store with 'activities'.  Theme parks make our blood run cold, but we braved the store and tried the Hersheys Experience ride, where you move through an explanation of how the factory makes chocolate. Singing cows were involved, and I just know that's exactly what Rick wanted for his birthday!

Rick loves Reece's Peanut Butter cups, so I made sure he got to cuddle up to Reece.

Picture of me for Betty Mom. Could my shorts BE more baggy??!

After the Hersheys fun I promised Rick something a bit more to his liking for his birthday.  Intercourse!!  Pennsylvania, that is.  He might have been a bit let down - but AMISH PEOPLE!!

After Intercourse we headed to Lancaster and went to the Central Market for lunch.  This is an Amish/Mennonite area so many of the market booths were run by Amish people.  We marveled at their other-worldly-ness but ultimately we wanted to see “free range Amish”.  What are these people like in their native state?  We looked for the Amish theme park or 'viewing area', but didn’t find it…. We will have to re-watch the Witness movie with Harrison Ford and actors playing Amish people.

After lunch we drove through Lititz (we were told that it is the prettiest Amish town - there were some lovely farms), and then continued our drive northward, stopping in the Catskills Mts to spend the night in Roscoe, NY. Roscoe is the flyfishing capital of the US - Dry flyfishing was invented here so I tried to get Rick to take a half-day fishing trip for his birthday, but I couldn't get any traction. It seems likely that meeting Reece was such a life-altering moment that he didn't need more birthday experiences...

 

It rained off and on as we drove through the Pocanos into the Catskills - both pretty but not as nice as the Adirondack’s!  Of course, we saw those fully draped in fall colors so no mountains will ever be as pretty.  The highlights of Roscoe were fried French Toast and the Huggins Lake Trail.  

July 9th we heard that Winter Harbor wouldn't have the boat in the water until Monday, so we took some time to detour to Ithaca NY and have lunch at Moosewood with my cousin, Lynn.  We so love both Moosewood AND cousin Lynn!!

We arrived by 4pm, to discover Brewerton in the midst of a deluge.  And the boat storage warehouse was locked so Rick couldn't see the boat, which made him practically implode.  To take our minds off of that, our friends Dana and Mike, on Journey, had us over for dinner.  They delayed their departure by a day so that we could see each other.  And a happy chat-fest was had by all!

Monday will bring the sea trial to be sure Blue Horizon floats (always a good thing in a boat), and many other worries, I'm sure.  But we went to bed cheerful and content.  We are finally on the cusp of this year's adventures!