Lower Falls at Treman State Park

August 11, 2017, 4:46 am

≫ Next: Aug. 9 – Saratoga Springs, NY

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“It’s the simple things in life that bring us the most pleasure—warm sand, wispy clouds, and the sound of waves and seagulls.” —Author Unknown

One of the best places to swim around Ithaca is in Robert H. Treman State Park. Although when we first saw it in April it was hard to believe this was a favorite summer time hangout. The falls were pretty but the water and surround grounds left a lot to be desired. We visited again about a month after we arrived in Ithaca...and it still didn't look like one of the best swimming holes in America to me!

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Aug. 9 – Saratoga Springs, NY

August 12, 2017, 4:38 am

≫ Next: Aug. 12 – Great Gully Falls, Union Springs, NY

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Allan H. Treman State Marine Park

“Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars.” —Henry Van Dyke

Our friends in Oneonta called us Sunday to tell us they were going to the races in Saratoga Springs on Wednesday...they wanted to know if we'd like to join them. Of course we wanted to! We're always up for a new adventure. We drove over to Oneonta on Tuesday and enjoyed an evening in Cooperstown. We wandered around town, look at a few of the famous baseball places, did a tasting at Cooperstown Distillery and had a wonderful dinner at the Hawkeye Bar & Grill in the Otesaga Hotel. On Wednesday we spent a great day at the races in Saratoga Springs. I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story.
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Aug. 12 – Great Gully Falls, Union Springs, NY

August 14, 2017, 6:13 am

≫ Next: Finger Lakes Wineries and Breweries (Part II)

≪ Previous: Aug. 9 – Saratoga Springs, NY

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Allan H. Treman State Marine Park

"And then I learned adventures are the best way to learn." —Unknown

Stan needed, wait, make that wanted, some different fishing supplies so we took a road trip up the lake to Bass Pro Shop outside of Auburn. We could have taken a shorter, more direct route, but what the fun in that? We drove up the west side of the lake so we could have lunch at O'Malley's. 
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Finger Lakes Wineries and Breweries (Part II)

August 15, 2017, 6:34 am

≫ Next: Aug. 13 – Cayuga Lake, NY

≪ Previous: Aug. 12 – Great Gully Falls, Union Springs, NY

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Allan H. Treman State Marine Park

“Take your pleasure seriously." —Charles Eames

Three Brothers Wineries has 3 wineries (Stony Lonesome Wine Cellars, Passion Feet Wine Barn & Bagg Dare Wine Co.) and a microbrewery (War Horse Brewing Co.) all on site. Each with a uniquely themed tasting room. They have an expansive selection of hand-crafted wine, microbrews, hard cider and sodas…so there's something for everyone who visits.

War Horse Brewing Company brews hard cider, custom ales, lagers, seasonal beers and house-made sodas. The decor of this tasting room honors those who've served and fought for our freedom. We felt like we were on the set of MASH.

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Aug. 13 – Cayuga Lake, NY

August 16, 2017, 5:38 am

≫ Next: Aug. 16 – Lick Brook Falls

≪ Previous: Finger Lakes Wineries and Breweries (Part II)

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Crowbar Point - Anchorage

“Advise from a LAKE – Be Clear, Make Positive Ripples, Look Beneath the Surface, Stay Calm, Shore Up Friendships, Take Time to Reflex, Be Full of Life” – Ilan Shamir

We haven't spent the night at anchor since May 9...that's a long time, a very long time. There aren't a lot of places shallow enough along the shore of Cayuga Lake to anchor and even fewer that offer protection from the wind, but we did find a spot close to Crowbar Point. We don't usually like being out on the water on a Sunday, but the weather was perfect and we hated to pass up the chance to spend the night on the hook and Stan was itchin' to fish for lake salmon. The lake was busy, but it was fun to watch all the sailboats and by the time we were ready to anchor most people were heading home.
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Aug. 16 – Lick Brook Falls

August 18, 2017, 5:06 am

≫ Next: Aug. 17 – Ithaca, NY

≪ Previous: Aug. 13 – Cayuga Lake, NY

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Allan H. Treman State Marine Park

“Don’t be afraid of death; be afraid of an unlived life. You don’t have to live forever, you just have to live.” —Natalie Babbitt.

Stan has been doing a little work on our teak this week. He's been repairing a few worn spots, a few coats of Cetol and we'll look like new. Each coat goes on quickly and it leaves us plenty of time to play. Today we decided to hike the Lick Brook Falls Trail. 

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Aug. 17 – Ithaca, NY

August 20, 2017, 4:55 am

≫ Next: Aug. 19 – Havana Glen

≪ Previous: Aug. 16 – Lick Brook Falls

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Allan H. Treman State Marine Park

“Change is the process by which the future invades our lives.” —Alvin Toffler

Today we drove up the lake to Beacon Bay Marina in Cayuga to sign the contact for our winter storage. The marina is located at the top of the lake, by staying on the lake we won't have to worry about the Erie Canal schedule or closures. At the moment we are planning to put the boat up the first week in October. 

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Aug. 19 – Havana Glen

August 21, 2017, 5:01 am

≫ Next: Excelsior Glen

≪ Previous: Aug. 17 – Ithaca, NY

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Allan H. Treman State Marine Park

“There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot…” –Aldo Leopold 

Saturday we drove over to Seneca Lake to check out the Windmill Market. Friends have been telling us about it, so we thought we’d check it out. The Windmill Farm & Craft Market is one of the largest markets in upstate New York and is celebrating its 30th anniversary. There are over 175 venders selling just about everything you can think of…from fresh produce, baked goods, cheese, wine, jewelry, home décor, collectibles, handcrafted items, clothing and food booths serving all kinds of treats. It was a fun place to spend a morning.

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Excelsior Glen

August 22, 2017, 5:41 am

≫ Next: Waiting for Hurricane Harvey

≪ Previous: Aug. 19 – Havana Glen

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Allan H. Treman State Marine Park

"Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change." —Wayne Dyer

Last Saturday while we were in the Watkins Glen area we hiked to Excelsior Falls. It’s located just east of town off of Highway 414, easy to find but not visited by many. Most visitors in this area go the amazing Watkins Glen State Park, which is very impressive. We hiked that glen in 2014 and loved it, but we like finding little gems that other people over look. Somewhere we don’t have to fight a crowed or be rushed to move on. The trail begins right off the road with a small over grown path that over looks the creek about 30’ below. This trail disappears as it passes a boulder-choked chute where the river is only about a foot wide. This chute feeds a pretty good drop, but isn’t considered one of the waterfalls in this glen, although we thought the little canyon was very impressive. 

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Waiting for Hurricane Harvey

August 25, 2017, 12:03 pm

≫ Next: Texas Pearl Survived

≪ Previous: Excelsior Glen

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Rockport HarborWe drove back to Texas Wednesday night and Thursday so we could check on our house and the Texas Pearl, and be close for any clean up we might need to do. Our son prepared our properties better than we could have ourselves and we're bles...

Texas Pearl Survived

August 29, 2017, 6:36 am

≫ Next: The Aftermath of Hurricane Harvey

≪ Previous: Waiting for Hurricane Harvey

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Just a quick update until I have more time to do a complete post...we survived Hurricane Harvey with only minor damage. 

The Aftermath of Hurricane Harvey

September 5, 2017, 5:25 am

≫ Next: Finger Lake Wineries (Part III)

≪ Previous: Texas Pearl Survived

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Rockport Harbor

"Life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you react to it." —Charles R. Swindoll

It's been a long week and our family was lucky, truly blessed that we all survived and so did our homes and boat, but the devastation that has taken place in our special little town of Rockport and to the rest of Texas is heart wrenching. The total loss of so many homes and businesses is unbelievable and almost unimaginable. One day everything is just as it's always has been...and the next day the world as you knew it has been turned upside down. Our mind knows how all these places should look, but your eyes are now seeing something totally different. We are Rockport strong...Texas strong and these places will come back.

In September 2015 I did a blog post called Going for a Walk: Rockport Harbor it showed our wonderful little neighborhood around the marina...here's a look at it today after Hurricane Harvey. I have included before and after pictures.

Aquarium at Rockport Harbor

Marley was moved to the Texas State Aquarium on Thursday before the storm. I hope he's doing well in his new home.

This giant hermit crab was always my favorite...he survived and was released a few days after the storm.

Rockport Art Center

 The building was heavily damaged but the sculptures in the Sculpture Garden looked wonderful.

 This sculpture is named "Into the Wind". She faces the bay...she faced the eye of the storm and remained strong. 

This crab stood at the entrance to Rockport Beach...hopefully it can be placed one day.

The Bay Education Center looks like it survived the storm...not sure of any damage inside.

The Texas Maritime Museum also looks like it fared well...just a little roof damage.

One of the things we really enjoy about keeping our boat in Rockport Harbor is being able to walk over to one of the bait shops for fresh shrimp...I know they'll rebuild but we'll miss them until they do. This is Flemings...our favorite place to get fresh shrimp. 

Thanks for reading our blog and spending part of your day with us. The Pearl is also on Facebook - stop by and say hi or follow us on Instragramor Google+.

Finger Lake Wineries (Part III)

September 14, 2017, 7:32 am

≫ Next: Sept. 15-17 The Captain’s Birthday

≪ Previous: The Aftermath of Hurricane Harvey

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Allan H. Treman State Marine Park

"Don't postpone joy." ―Edie Windsor

I had this post ready before we headed home for hurricane duty...so I guess I might as well share it now. Our adventures on The Pearl are over for this year, but we'll be back to upstate New York next year to explore a little more. We'll be home in Texas for the fall and winter...new adventures await us there.

The Finger Lakes region of New York is gorgeous...no matter where we go, it's impossible to find a bad view. We're having fun visiting different wineries, having a glass of wine and soaking in the scenery. It's a great way to enjoy a beautiful afternoon, so here's the third installment of Finger Lake Wineries. 

CONTINUE READING HERE…»

Sept. 15-17 The Captain’s Birthday

September 18, 2017, 6:13 am

≫ Next: Signs of Fall

≪ Previous: Finger Lake Wineries (Part III)

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Allan H. Treman State Marine Park

“As I grew older I thought the best part of my life was over…then I was handed my first grandchild and realized the best part of my life had just begun.” -Author Unknown

We had a great weekend celebrating Stan's birthday. It started Friday with a picture perfect weather day. We started the day with coffee on the flybridge, something we haven't had time to do much of lately, but truly enjoy. Later we drove up the lake to the Thirty Owl Winery for lunch. They have a wonderful little bistro that over looks the vineyard and Cayuga Lake. Their menu is small, but the items are all made with locally grown ingredients and it was one of the best meals we've had in the area this season.

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Signs of Fall

September 20, 2017, 4:12 am

≫ Next: Sept. 21 – The Pearl is Hibernating

≪ Previous: Sept. 15-17 The Captain’s Birthday

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“Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go.” –Unknown

Fall is arriving in upstate New York. The hills are slowly changing from the deep, cool shades green to the warm colors of red, gold and orange...it's beautiful. Unfortunately we won't be in the area when the peak of fall colors arrive this year, but we've enjoyed the changes we're seen. Hopefully next fall we can stay longer. 

CONTINUE READING HERE…»

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Sept. 21 – The Pearl is Hibernating

September 24, 2017, 7:41 am

≫ Next: Anchored Strong

≪ Previous: Signs of Fall

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Beacon Bay Marina

“It’s during the worst storms of your life that you find out who your true friends are.” –Unknown

We knew the cruising season was short up this way, but it got even shorter thanks to Hurricane Harvey. We lost half of August, all of September and the first weeks of October this year…a good seven or eight weeks of time we had planned to explore the Adirondack, fish for salmon, enjoy fall festivals and the changing of the leaves and especially spend more time with family. All those things can wait and we’ll definitely be spending more time in New York in the coming years.
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Anchored Strong

September 27, 2017, 6:34 am

≫ Next: Sept. 23 – Forks Farm Market

≪ Previous: Sept. 21 – The Pearl is Hibernating

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I saw this poem on a fellow blogger's Facebook page the other day...it's from a Hallmark card and seems prefect to share considering what so many of us have been through this fall. Things may be broken and out of place and lives disrupted, but we all stand strong with foundations that are deeper than the destruction on the surface. It's a time for reflection on what really matters in our life and be thankful for the family and friends we have. 

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Sept. 23 – Forks Farm Market

September 29, 2017, 9:31 am

≫ Next: Facebook Photo Challenge

≪ Previous: Anchored Strong

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Orangeville, PA

“Many people lose the small joys in the hope for the big happiness.” —Pearl S. Buck

Regular blog readers know we love farmers markets...it's our favorite way to spend a Saturday morning. We've visited large and small markets all over the country and I know I've said we've found our favorite in the past, but I think we've found another favorite. The market we visited with our son and his family in Pennsylvania is a true farmers market...it was located on local farm. Forks Farm hosts a farmers market about twice a month with the local farmers in the area. 
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Facebook Photo Challenge

November 13, 2017, 4:57 am

≫ Next: Biltmore Estate

≪ Previous: Sept. 23 – Forks Farm Market

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Facebook has been full of black and white photos...part of a photo challenge. The instructions given to me were: Seven days, seven black and white photos of your life. No people. No explanation. 

I was also suppose to tag someone each day to invite them to join, but I decided most of my friends probably wouldn't take part, so I just posted my pictures. I followed the rules other wise and posted my photos without an explanation...although it was a little difficult not to add a caption.
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Biltmore Estate

December 4, 2017, 12:33 pm

≫ Next: This Boat

≪ Previous: Facebook Photo Challenge

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Most of the time when we travel to and from the east coast we have a schedule...the urge to return to The Pearl or the tug to our heart strings to see our family, especially our grand children. This trip on our way home from spending Thanksgiving with our family in Pennsylvania we decided to take a side trip to explore Asheville, North Carolina and the Biltmore Estate...we had a wonderful time.

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