X and Y

X marks the spot and in this case it looks like a Y. :)

I did not post last week because My Darling and I were gone away to the Finger Lakes. On our way there I was wondering how I could cover two letters for this week's post. I needn't have worried. If you take a good look at this map of the eleven Finger Lakes (Waneta and Lamoka are not "Finger Lakes"), you can easily tell which one we visited. Keuka ("Q-ka") Lake is the only one with two branches and is often referred to as the "Crooked Lake". We stayed in a wonderful Bed and Breakfast about halfway down the western branch of the lake.

We did a lot of driving, a little bit of shopping, some fishing, and a little "tasting" too. One afternoon we drove down the middle of the "Y" where we found a lovely little stone chapel. This picture looks out from the chapel terrace over the east branch to the far eastern shore. The entire lake shore is dotted with restaurants and cottages, with an occasional park (or college) where one can get down close to the water.

The Finger Lakes is known for it's wines and the western slopes are dotted with vineyards and wineries. I read there are 119 wineries here. Wine tastings draw tourists from everywhere who come to enjoy the scenery and some local wines. I learned that Riesling is a favorite and many of the grapes now grown are very similar to European grapes rather than the Concord grapes of my childhood. Not being a wine connoisseur, I can not give an honest opinion, except to say that I think white grapes make better wine than red grapes.

We were blessed to visit the co-Coolest Small Town in America in our journeys. Hammondsport is located at the southern-most tip of Keuka Lake. It has some cute little shops, a very nice beach park, and a hometown ice cream shop, the "Cooked Lake Ice Cream Parlor", that I loved. We ate there twice, but didn't get ice cream. I think we must have driven around Keuka Lake at least half a dozen times last week as I was actually starting to know my way around! Of all the little towns, Hammaondsport is my favorite Keuka Lake town. I have to agree, it's pretty cool.

I got my first fishing license in Penn Yan and, with some help from James, caught a few small fish. We did our best fishing off a friend's dock on Waneta Lake, but they were all small. Maybe if we'd had a boat we could have hooked one big enough to save for dinner. There is still time for that, I guess, especially since the Finger Lakes aren't going anywhere anytime soon. (Besides, we have Lake Ontario...)

I will be savoring this vacation for a long time to come. I absolutely loved having a week with my husband all to myself, and nothing pressing for my attention. The great thing is that summer is just beginning. I am hoping to get back to the hills again before September. Maybe another trip or two to an antique shop, a stop in a pottery studio, and a hike through the glen at the end of Seneca Lake. I can always hope, can't I?

For more ABC Wednesday fun, click here.