Chris' Birthday Weekend

Chris turned another year older this week, so last weekend we celebrated his birthday. He had wanted fishing waders and boots for a while now so I bit the bullet and purchased him some Simms G3 guide waders and Chris' and my parents went in on the boots. His face lit up when he opened up his presents and I even wrapped up his fishing equipment that he already owns which he got a kick out of. 

After opening presents, we went on a drive (I know we like to drive…) and came across the most idyllic, beautiful farm. When we stopped to take pictures, the cows all came up and were so friendly  (they were 4H cows). 

As we were driving off, we stopped to chat with the owners who were taking a walk and they said that the farm had been in their family for four generations. That is what I love about this area, there is a beautiful barn everywhere you look, cornfields spread across the hills like a patchwork quilt and the endless country roads that go on for miles, enticing you to wonder what's just beyond the bend. 

On one of those country roads was a small town, one that you would miss if you blinked, but I happened not to blink and caught glimpse of an old house that had a sign reading 'The Barstow House...Old World Italian American Cuisine'. We were actually heading to an Italian restaurant closer to home but we decided to check it out instead since it looked so intriguing, and sure enough it was a hidden gem. 

On our way home after dinner, we pulled over on the road to watch fireworks that the Tioga Down's Horse Racetrack had put on just for Chris' birthday…how nice of them!

The next morning we headed out to a river near the town of Trout Run to try out Chris' birthday presents. I brought my book and a blanket and just enjoyed listening to the river while Chris fly fished. 

As we headed home, we stopped by a field so this cute little guy could wish Chris a happy birthday then ended the night with some chocolate, vanilla and blueberry cake. 

I think Chris had a pretty good birthday this year….and he sure milked it all week….that's my husband!

Sunday Funday Motorcycle Ride

The weekend before last, Chris and I and our neighbors went for a motorcycle ride through the beautiful Pennsylvania countryside. It was in the late 70's and sunny, perfect weather for a ride.

I absolutely love rides like this. It's a great way to actually look around while your traveling, well at least I get to do a lot of the looking around... and taking pictures too, of course!

After we got back from our ride and our butts were nice and soar, we decided to continue to make use of the beautiful day and loaded up in a more comfortable mode of transportation and headed to Ithaca, NY. 

As always, we stopped to take pictures on our way of the gorgeous fields of flowers. I'm going to miss all the color during the winter, might as well enjoy it while we can. 

We ended our trip at a restaurant at the base of Cayuga Lake, The Boat Yard Restaurant, where we sat on the deck enjoying fresh seafood, watching the boats go by and feeding the ducks. 

But of course we couldn't leave Ithaca without a stop at the best grocery store in the world, Wegmans. For those of you who are not from the northeast, I'm sorry you have never experienced the greatness of Wegmans. Most of the produce, meats and dairy are from local farms around New York and they have the best selection of seafood, we always stock up on trout and salmon. There is no better grocery store! Don't believe me, check out Buzzfeed's 25 Reasons Wegmans is the Greatest Supermarket the World Will Ever Know

image credit: lacihoo/ instagram.com

"To paraphrase the classic line from Spinal Tap, if great companies go to 10, Wegmans goes to 11. This East Coast supermarket chain is a 90+ year-old, family owned business doing almost $6 billion a year in sales. Major research firms and the media routinely name Wegmans the best supermarket in the country, and it has a cult-like following." - CBS Moneywatch

Labor Day Weekend In Philadelphia

When I was originally trying to decide where to go for Labor Day weekend, I thought of all the beautiful mountainous places in New York or the quaint beach towns along the coast but the forecast called for rain so I thought…'What about the city? Philly it is!'

We spent our first day wandering around, looking at the historic sites and admiring the shops of Old City. I loved the character and personality of this part of town, everything had a 19th Century New England industrial look, old wood floors, warehouse pulleys, vintage motorcycles, Edison bulbs, and local goods. I even found a pair of Warby Parker glasses at a store called Art in the Age, which also features its own brand of spirits.

We visited Betsy Ross's home, the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and my favorite, Elfreth's Alley, the oldest residential street dating back to 1702. On Sunday night, our friends from New York City joined us and we visited some local pubs and had some late night Ihop (and stayed up way past my bedtime). The next morning, or afternoon rather, we all journeyed across town to visit the Rocky statue and the famous steps. ('Made in America' music festival had just ended the day before so they left a lovely mess in the backdrop) It was quite a trek for some steps…but we did finish off the adventure at Pat's for some good ol' Philly Cheese Steaks.

image credit- smwest.com : One Last Staircase

We ended the trip stopping at Boathouse Row on our way out of town where the University Rowing Club Houses are lined up along the river. At night the houses are all lit up and look almost like gingerbread houses twinkling on the water. 

It was great weekend and really enjoyed hanging out in a new town with good friends. 

Philly, you've done well.

Blueberries and Glass Making

I'm almost caught up with my summer posts. This little Sunday Funday was on a nice warm summer day at the end of July. We headed over to Blueberry Mountain Farm to pick some of Chris' favorite fruit. The blueberry bushes were full of juicy little treasures and we filled up about half a bucket ringing in at about a dollar…a whole dollar. I have since been back multiple times and our freezer is now full of blueberries, they are so sweet and delicious!

After picking blueberries we headed to Corning, New York for a glass making class at the Corning Museum of Glass. I made a blue and yellow flower and Chris made a black and red ornament. They both turned out awesome and we can't wait to go back and make some more. We walked around the Museum and admired the gorgeous glass art, it is incredible!

After our glass making class we strolled around downtown Corning and enjoyed the rest of our Sunday eating ice-cream and browsing the cute little shops on Main Street. 

When we got back in the car to head home, in my seat was a jewelry box. Chris had secretly bought a bracelet that I was looking at while I was walking around the museum and managed to slip it on the seat before I got in. What a guy, I think I'll keep him around….