Sunday, July 17, 2016

2016 Summer Trip w/Dede

Day 1
Manchester, NH to Bennington, VT
July 9, 2016

It rained all day.  We ate a bagel & yogurt continental breakfast at the Econo Lodge in Manchester before we took off for the day, Didn't get to eat again until dinner.

Boscawen, NH - Bittersweet Fabric Shop
     Very cute cabin set back a bit, their RowByRow was a beautiful "Home In New Hampshire" which came all cut AND prepped with iron-on fusing!  Love it!  They didn't have any new license plates for this year, and I didn't like their plate for last year, so I passed on it.

Henniker, NH - Quilted Threads
     FANTASTIC Fabric shop, one of the best I've seen in awhile.  A little bit of everything and VERY up-to-date with contemporary, cutting edge fabrics, styles, and patterns - including clothing and woolies.  Purchased a super-cool advent calendar pattern with pieced daily 4" paper-pieced pictures for each of the 25 days.  Row by Row Plate:  GO NUTS 4 BOLTS

Hillsborough, NH - Franklin Pierce (14th US President) Homestead
     Dede took the tour in the house, while I watched the DVD about the area and Pierce's childhood in the area.  Beautiful place, so glad we stopped.

Wilmington, VT - The Vermont Bowl Company
      Years ago, when I worked at the Kimball Shop in NEH, we sold gorgeous wooden salad bowls made by John McLeod.  So as I was cruising along through Vermont and saw the sign, we stopped. Gorgeous, gorgeous bowls.  Drool-worthy bowls.  

Bennington, VT - The Scarlett Creation
     Small quilt shop that had yarn, too.  It was pouring cats & dogs when we got there, and I had to take off my shoes, roll up my pants, and wade through calf-deep raging water to get out of the car and inside (fun!)  I bought the first fabric for Charlie's quilt here, small pink hearts in a haphazard pattern on white.  RowByRow plate:  GOT QUILTS

Bennington, VT - Bennington Pottery
     I remember coming here with Steve years ago, and it was fun to bring Dede here. Such beautiful pottery!

Dinner:  Bennington Pizza Plaza - Delicious pizza, spaghetti, and salad.  Inexpensive.  Huge drawback: Dede left a bag with most of her pattern purchases and when we went back an hour later, they were not there.  Someone must have taken (stolen!) her bag.  I can't imagine that happening, especially in Vermont....

Autumn Motel, Bennington - run by a 3-generation Indian family, who were very nice.

Day 2
Bennington, VT to Cooperstown, NY
July 10, 2016

Same kind of drizzly day as yesterday EXCEPT bright sunshine mysteriously appeared several times. Skipped breakfast

Bennington, VT - First Church Graveyard:
      Robert Frost Grave
      Letterbox #1 (my first VT)
      Letterbox #2

Bennington, VT - Bennington Monument
     Elevator to the top!  Great, friendly, funny elevator operator, super sweet high school girl at the top.  Gift shop.

Bennington, VT:  THREE (3!!!) Covered Bridges
        1 - Silk Road
        2 - Papermill (we walked down a path through the woods to see it a bit down the river, with the dam water falls....exceptionally cool.
        3 - Henry (there was a picnic area and bench here, with lovely views)

Lunch at Subway

Bennington, VT - Bennington Museum
         GRANDMA MOSES!

Arlington, VT - Sugar Shack Norman Rockwell Exhibit
         15-minute DVD and lots of memorabilia.  Great stop.

Cobleskill, NY - The Yardstick
         First of all, a welcome rest from rainy driving and open on Sunday, which really pleased us.  Purchased two fat quarters for Charlie's rag quilt and their kit, which uses a panel with bird prints.

Cooperstown, NY -  Terrace Motor Inn on Route 80
Dinner at Mel's at 22 in Cooperstown, delish!

Day 3
Cooperstown, NY to Seneca Falls, NY
July 11, 2016

Beautiful, sunny day.  Breakfast at little sports bar/cafe on Main Street in Cooperstown.

National Baseball Hall of Fame.  Awesome.  Well worth a bit of an out-of-the-way drive.  It's beside Ostego Lake, which is lovely.

Lakeview Cemetery - a really old one that, unlike yesterdays in Bennington, has not been cared for very well.  It's huge and built on a very high hill.  Steps are built into the hill at various points.  I found a letter box there, and although there were others, we enjoyed our ride through the cemetery and then hit the road.

Utica, New York -Tiger Lily Quilt Shop - another favorite!  We spent a couple of hours there.  I was so overwhelmed, I didn't purchase any of the Christmas fabrics that I was looking at for my Advent calendar.  Lu, the manager, was a hoot.  We discovered it's less than 5 hrs from Mt. Holly Springs, so I'm going to come up and take a class.

New Hartford, NY
    Subway - late lunch (ha!  really late....)
    Sew Wilde - unimpressive shop with TWO different rows to choose from.  Both were cute.

Seneca Falls/ Waterloo - Microtel
       Walmart provided us with salads, dip, crackers, chips, soda, and a red velvet cupcake for Dede.

Day 4
Seneca Falls, NY to Rochester, NY
July 12, 2016

Bkfst at Microtel

National Women's Rights Museum - CLOSED!!! We couldn't believe it, two or three days each week!

Victor, NY - Ivy Thimble Quilt & Gift

LeRoy, NY
     Jello Museum at the LeRoy Historical Society
      Barn Quilts
      Letterbox - great story:

Webster, NY - Cafe Sewciety

Rochester, NY - Jackie Lynns Fabrics & Discount Sewing Center

Rochester, NY:  Ontario Beach Park - we waded in LAKE ONTARIO!

Rochester, NY:  Radiance Inn & Suites

Day 5
Rochester, NY to Niagara Falls, NY
July 13, 2016

Rochester, NY - George Eastman House - Dede went in and toured, enjoying it greatly.  I staying in the car and wrote postcards.

Brockport, NY - Country Treasures (a gift shop and quilt shop with a totally country theme).

Brockport, NY - Lunch at Jimmy Z's Texas Hots, where I enjoyed a unique lunch:  a layered basket of macaroni salad, french fries, and tater tots topped with a cheese burger, fried chicken strip, mozzarella cheese and gravy.  YUM!

Lockport, NY - A ride down the Erie Canal through a set of double locks.  Cool!

Niagara Falls - drove around a bit, getting acclimated.  Went into an information center/gift shop where we purchased a "tour" for tomorrow that included a night at the Sheraton at Niagara Falls  for $139.  Couldn't pass it up!

Dinner at Rainforest Cafe - a Chinese chicken salad that was light and yummy and perfect.

Day 6
Niagara Falls, NY to Jamestown, NY
July 14, 2016

Day 7
Jamestown, NY to Fishkill, NY
July 15, 2016

Day 8
Last Day
Hyde Park NY to Peekskill Train Station (& Grand Central) AND Mt. Holly Springs, PA
July 16, 2016
   




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