Day 20 – Vineyards & Preparing for the Long Ride Home

Short and sweet as they say about visits that last only 2 nights and really one day. My day of course began way before “normal” people awake from their restful sleep.  This is what most people miss when I am up…

The sun rising!  Most of the day was sunny and on the cool side, then clouded over with slight sprinkles.  A break from humidity was nice while my bike sat and we drove a car.  I have to say though some of the roads we drove on I sure wished I was on my bike.  One day…and I say one day because I need to actually do this…ride somewhere and spends days exploring on my bike the hidden dirt and crappy paved roads of an area.

It’s was a rare opportunity but Aliceann agreed to have me take her pic doing what she loves just this once and post it… 🙂

We stopped by where she takes care of her horse before we headed out for our tour.  This is a very old and beautiful stable and the horses have acres and acres of land to wonder.  Aliceann has 5 acres herself.

Nice to not really be on top of your neighbours.

Love the old stable wooden doors.  This is an antique of an active barn.  They even have a riding arena complete with tons of barn swallows but no barn owls.

One stable housed very old harnesses for the horse and buggy.  All wood, dusty and cob webs.  Like out of a movie.

After taking care of this one horse we spent the day wandering around Keuka Lake.  Another one of the Finger Lakes in this region near Geneva, NY.  We stopped at vistas, vineyards and traveled around like tourists.  Great, insightful conversations from my wise mentor as well as a delicious lunch over looking Keuka Lake.

We stopped at this little coffee gourmet store first to get what else coffee and bought some Rub…

Small but so creatively full of cool displays and really different stuff.

I love this next picture for some reason….

Can’t forget the chocolate Aliceann bought for our all day road trip

I love the fact the owner call herself the Founder & Visionary on her business cards.  Susan, the owner originally from Boston started this coffee shop with her husband and I guess never looked back.  Coffee was really good too.

They have an online store too. Nice meeting you Susan if you are reading this and maybe one day I will be back.

Next few pics speak for themselves…I introduce Keuka Lake and if anyone comes out here there are just so many small and large vineyards.  I suggest renting a limo and just drive around tasting and eating all day.  We did not taste but ate at one and had a glass of wine.

Nice Lavender farm eh?  Just farms all over and then million dollar homes on the lake.

Heron Hill Vineyard…I have had their wine many times but never been to the vineyard before today

This would have been a great road to have had my bike.  Nice dirt country road, gravel and tons of pot holes 😉

Aliceann does not use a GPS, nor does she care what road she turns down or where it takes her.  I sort can relate been like that on my trip somewhat.  Never know where I am really going day to day, if I will abort my route due to storms etc.

Everywhere you look there are properties with grapes

Our lunch destination was Bully Hill Vineyards.  Way up on a hill over looking the lake.

This is an obvious well established vineyard with bus parking, visitor centre and gift shop.  Many wineries up here have introduced micro breweries to their establishments to apparently appease the male species.  I guess males don’t like wine in this region?  Seriously though I think that is a great idea to appease the masses.

This vineyard had really nice gardens and actually a lot to look at if you wanted to

table for two

Nice glass of wine

and a simple yet really good soup and sandwich

It’s funny how when on the road I seem to take quite a few pics of my meals.  Don’t do this at home 😉

So all in all we had a nice “relaxing” day together.  I met Aliceann when I was 18 and I was a recruit of hers for the William Smith soccer team.  We have kept in touch on and off over the years, lost one another for years and then found one another after my separation.  Seeing her in person was like we saw one another last month.  That is a sense of comfort for me that someone, which basically this trip has been about reconnecting with old and now new friends….like Aliceann still has room in her life after all these years for a “lost” soccer player.

I end this post like I started…sunrise in the morning and a bit of a sunset to end my day and visit in Geneva.  I am off to Dundas, Ontario to visit some virtual friends and their B&B tomorrow.  Another short ride.  After that I have to make up time and start putting in some mileage for the home stretch.

And lastly for today…as I am now all caught up in reports…my bike taking a break and the farm house I will remember…it was quite dark when I took this last photo.  So, thanks to Mitch and Aliceann for having me over and being who you are….just genuine people.