Summer Adventures: The Finger Lakes

Simon and I spent last week up at my parents place.  The ride up to New York was rainy, but the week was great and was just what the Hubs needed to recharge and prepare for his students to return to lessons. 

No Trip to the Finger Lakes is complete with out a trip to the falls and a walk up the Glen Trail in Watkins Glen.  It's one of our favorite places to visit while we are up seeing my parents. 

We have so many pictures of us at the Glen, one more couldn't hurt. 

After walking up the glen we turn around and walk back down the total trip is 3 miles and it is a beautiful hike up and back.  On the way down Simon and I play Pooh Sticks in the rapids.  Simon was the undefeated champion this year.  I was hopeful when our sticks got stuck together, but Simon still won. 

My Dad took a few days off from work to hang out with us.  On Thursday we went to the Corning Museum of Glass.  I've been there before, but it was Simon's first time.  They have changed the museum a bit since the last time I had been there, but it only made it better.  

This piece is all hand beaded with glass beads! 

You can't go to the glass museum with out seeing a glass blowing demo. 

This was my favorite piece in the contemporary gallery.  

After the Museum we went to Watkins Glen for lunch at the Wildflower Cafe.  Mom and I did a beer tasting there for a brewery called Rooster Fish.  (If you are ever in Watkins Glen NY the Wildflower Cafe is a must the food is amazing!)

My Parents. 

Our Rooster Fish Beers.

The next day we went wine tasting on Keuka Lake.  Our first stop was the winery my mom works at, Rooster Hill Vinyards.  They were bottling and mom and Barry let us take a look at the process. 

Vats full of delicious Rooster Hill wine. 

We also had a beer tasting at the Finger Lakes Beer Co.  They had some yummy brews, and even root beer. 

Hops drying in the sun. 

This is the entrance to what may be my new favorite Keuka Lake Winery, Keuka Lake Vineyards. 

We did a wine and chocolate tasting that was amazing!  They have some great whites and a Lomor Merlot Reserve that is to die for. 

Bottles lined up waiting to be purchased. 

Wine Tasting in the Hunter Valley Part II

The next day Simon joined me out in the country side to take in the views, watch me taste wine, and have a winery tour at Tyrrell's.

Here is a shot of the front of the winery, they had a lovely Semillion, the first of the trip that I enjoyed and they also had a nice shiraz. One thing I did try and we brought back for Simon's dad was the 25 year old Tawny Port. Very yummy. We spent most of the afternoon at this winery tasting and taking the tour. The tour started out in the Vineyard talking about viticulture and moved into the cellars where we got to see all the barrels. My favorite part of the winery tour was the bit out in the vineyard.

I love this shot and learned later that this was the original shack built and lived in for two years by the founder till the homestead was ready to live in.

Because Simon was such a good sport we then went to two brewerys for tastings. This one was the Potters Brewery. This one is built on the land where the pottery factory once stood and these are the giant kilns that still stand today. We also went to the Blue Tounge Brewery Cafe and tasted their beers as well. All in all a great day and a great couple of days in Cessnock.

Wine Tasting in the Hunter Valley

About two weeks ago Simon and I went to the Hunter Valley. Mostly because I wanted to go wine tasting. We had two days in and around Cessnock and I went on a wine tour the first day around the county side. Here are a few photos of the first day out in NSW's wine county. The above photo was taken on the balcony of Ivanhoe Winery.

We visited about four winerys that day, along with another place that had liqours for tasting. I don't think I've ever tasted that much wine in one day. We started at 10am with our first winery. I learned too that there are over 100 wineries in the Hunter Valley and they make up for 1% of Australia's wine production. They are best know for there Semillions which is a crisp white wine that becomes golden in color as it ages.

This is my favorite winery that we visited, Audrey Wilkinson. It had amazing wine and amazing views. I loved their Chardony, their traminer, and they had a wonderful cab sav that came home with me and might even make it's way back to the states.

This is just one of the views from the hill top that Audrey Wilinson sits atops. The small house on the hill is the original homestead.