Finger Lakes Day 2

I slept decently last night. The obnoxious kids and loud music both stopped by around ten thirty. The ground, however, was very rocky, so even with my foam pad I could feel the rocks beneath my body. It wasn’t comfortable and so I didn’t sleep well.

We woke up early since Kati made reservations for us at Bristol Mountain Ariel Adventure Park.The park was a hour and a half drive away and we needed to eat breakfast before we got there. We stopped at a quaint country dinner with decent food and a friendly waitress. Kati and I had eggs and G3 had sausage and gravy. The diner had sourdough toast which both Kati and I really like. Why is it we can only get sourdough when we leave New Jersey?

The Ariel Park was lots of fun. We did seven zip lines and enjoyed flying through the forest. The longest was a third of a mile and we picked up some serious speed. Early on we started talking to a couple in our group and conversation with them made the experience even more pleasurable. I think G3 really had fun. It was his first time doing the zip lines. Kati and I did it years ago on our honeymoon in Costa Rica.

Following the zip line tour, Kati and Gary did a bungee launch which rocketed them into the air. It looked intense and fun, but also vomit inducing for someone who suffers motion sickness. And I am so sensitive to motion that sitting in a rocking chair makes me feel ill. They both got amazing height and G3 flipped on his second launch.

By the time we finished at the park, it was almost three o’clock. Since we are in the Finger Lakes region and it is known for their wine, we decided to hit a winery on the way back to our campsite. OMG! Ventosa Winery is the nicest and one of the most scenic wineries we’ve ever been to. The building is reminiscent of something you might see in Tuscany and it overlooks Seneca Lake. The woman who tended to us for our wine tasting was super friendly and we really enjoyed chatting with her. She even gave G3 a cup and told him he could drink as much soda as he wanted. Needless to say that made him happy, but it also meant we were more likely to linger and spend more money. The woman is young. She is finishing up her undergraduate degree in micro biology and is hoping to get into a phd program. Many of her formative years were spent in Guam since her parents were in the military. (How cool is that? I have never, in all my years of travel, ever met anyone who spent time in Guam—until today.) She grew up on the beach loving everything about it, especially the jellyfish, which seemed to be her favorite animal, based on her beautiful tattoo and her explanation as to why she loved them.

Kati and I shared two tastings—that way we get to both sample the reds and whites. The wine was good, but surprisingly, I liked their whites better, even though I generally prefer red. As always, wine tasting reminded me of Dad, especially when I tasted the pinot noir. We finished off our tasting by sampling the Library wine. Yes, I am that much of a nerd, and I love books that much that the name Library wine caught my attention. But I was disappointed to learn that it was just wine that was aged—as if sitting on a self for a long time—not wine that came with a book. Hell, by that criteria, I should start calling myself a library person. Anyway, the wine was fabulous, but $50 a bottle is a bit steep—I am only a teacher—especially since it doesn’t come with a book. However, Kati thought it would be cool to buy a bottle for my upcoming birthday, but sitting in a hot car until we got home would kill it.

We did buy a glass to sip while we sat outside overlooking lake. Rows of grapes stretched across the grounds between the lake and where we sat. If you are ever in the Finger Lakes, stop in to Ventosa, get a glass of wine and sit back, relaxing while you enjoy the scenery.

We got back to Taughannock State Park around seven. G3 wanted to stop by the beach which is on Cayuga Lake. We took a short walk and put our feet in the water. It was chilly. The beach was nothing special, but I can imagine on a really hot day it would be refreshing. From there we drove to see the falls. They were pretty, but we’ve seen so many waterfalls that they have kind of lost their appeal. We did take the obligatory picture because, well, it’s seems that’s what you’re supposed to do.

Dinner was taco meat and tortilla chips for G3 and Kati and beans and chips for me. We cooked before we let home so all we needed to do was warm the food in the fire. After dinner, we sat around the campfire enjoying the outdoors. At least there are no loud kids running around tonight. But there is a gigantic—like eight person tent—in the campsite next to us. However, we have not seen a single person or car last night, this morning, or tonight. I’m beginning to wonder if there’s a dead body inside. Did someone plan to murder their spouse or colleague? Did they plan this trip just to off the other person? Kati said I shouldn’t worry—at least not until we are assaulted by a wretched smell.