With somewhat heavy hearts, we ventured out to a few of our favorite places during our favorite time of the year. Our itinerary included lots of waterfalls, covered bridges, a couple of breweries, a scenic railroad, and last but certainly not least – a visit to Delaware – our 50th state. But little did we know, life had other plans.

And We’re Off!

If you’ve read many of my posts, you know that our journeys are packed with lots of stops and there is seldom just one destination. It usually takes at least one hard day’s drive to get to our first point of interest, so we settle in and get the worst day (or two) out of the way with very little whining.

Our first night in Painesville, OH was a very pleasant surprise with a wonderful (and very reasonably-priced) room at the Comfort Inn on Auburn Road. The best part was the Concord Tavern located just a quick walk from our hotel. This was a great local joint with delicious burgers and a very friendly crowd. On any other night we may have stayed a little longer, but after eight hours on the road hauling ass through Milwaukee, Chicago, and dodging semis on I90, we were ready to hit the hay.

It’s a Wonderful Life

After a great night’s sleep, we got an early start on our four-hour drive to Seneca Falls, NY. Although there are no longer any falls (visit the link), there were plenty of other things to make us glad we stopped by. Dewey’s Tavern – Sports Bar and Irish Pub provided a great pit stop (and lunch) before we explored any further.

Many believe that Seneca Falls was the inspiration for the small town of Bedford Falls in the classic 1946 film It’s a Wonderful Life. With one side of Bridge Street named George Bailey Lane and the other Bedford Falls Boulevard, the It’s a Wonderful Life Bridge is a beautiful iron structure and quite the tourist attraction. Although not the same bridge from which George Bailey was prepared to jump, it is the same design. We parked at the Seneca Falls Community Center for a better look.

The Fight for Civil Rights that Changed the World

As it turns out Seneca Falls is also known as the Birthplace of Women’s Rights. We were able to visit the Wesleyan Chapel where activist and leader Elizabeth Cady Stanton drafted The Declaration of Sentiments, which called for women’s equality and suffrage.

There was an excellent video and an abundance of information about how women should be treated as equals – something I took for granted until just recently. Who knew that 176 years later (2024) we may need another convention. We yelled, “We’re Not Going Back!”, but whether or not we are – remains to be seen.

Please visit Waterfalls, History, and Art, where we visited Susan B. Anthony’s birthplace during our Bay State Getaway in 2022. Susan B. Anthony also played a pivotal role in the women’s suffrage movement, along with many other important issues of her time.

“Whether possessed of the characteristics of the oak. the vine or the flower, ALL truly developed human beings love liberty and demand for themselves and their fellows the possession of equality of rights, privileges and immunities irrespective of sex or any mere accident of birth!” ~ Susan B. Anthony, Rochester, New York, July 11, 1900

Women’s Rights National Historical Park tells the story of the first Women’s Rights Convention, held in Seneca Falls, New York on July 19-20, 1848. It is a story of struggles for civil rights, human rights, and equality, global struggles that continue today. The efforts of women’s rights leaders, abolitionists, and other 19th century reformers remind us that all people must be accepted as equals.

The Tip of the Trail

It was a quick jaunt from Seneca Falls to our next stop. Montezuma Winery is the northernmost winery on the Cayuga Wine Trail, and we were scheduled to visit several more farther south on the second half of our trip. Since we were just passing through today, we enjoyed a wine slushy on the front porch on this lovely day in New York.

Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge

Just five minutes away, the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge is “truly a haven for wildlife. Its diverse habitats of wetland, grassland, shrubland and forest give food, shelter, water and space to many of Central New York’s wildlife species. Waterfowl and other migratory birds depend on the Refuge as nesting, feeding, breeding and stopover grounds. Some make the Refuge a home year-round.” ~ READ MORE

“To be alive is to be in relationship – entangled with the things that make our lives possible: sun, moon, air, water, plants, animals, insects, bacteria, fungi, etc. Come join us as we seek to explore and better understand our connection to, and dependence upon, both living and non-living components of our environment.” ~ Visit the link for hours of operation.

Although wildlife was almost non-existent on our visit today (as it usually is – I think I’m a jinx), the wetlands and views had a very calming effect on our fragile states of mind. Two towers provided some elevation for a better look, and I was reminded of home.

Have a Nice Day is an old blogpost of mine where there was plenty of wildlife at Horicon Marsh in Wisconsin. Check that out if you’re missing the birds, because today I got nothin’ – except beautiful sculptures.

Dinner and a Bed

With only about four hours of driving, we had plenty of time to enjoy all of our stops today. We arrived safely at our hotel in Syracuse, NY and went on a quest for some dinner that was close in. We ended up at JP’s Tavern in Baldwinsville for a couple of beers and very good pizza from Twin Trees next door. After a great conversation with a band member who was preparing for their set, we made a quick exit. They seemed a little too headbangy for these old fogies!

Chittenango Falls

The next morning, we had just two stops on our 3.5-hour drive into Wilmington, VT, and our accommodations for the next week. Chittenango Falls State Park in Cazenovia, NY is a beautiful park with a lovely walk along Chittenango Creek. It’s a fairly large park (193 acres) with pavilions, facilities, a playground, and hiking trails – but no camping.

“A picturesque 167-foot waterfall is the main attraction of Chittenango Falls State Park! Glacial sculpting over 400 million-year-old bedrock is responsible for this scenic feature. An interesting variety of both plants and wildlife may be found along the trails.” ~ READ MORE

A landing just before the descent into the gorge provides a handicap-accessible view of the falls.

OMG!

A full-on look at the falls requires a fairly strenuous descent into the gorge, where a small footbridge awaits. The falls are considered a “staircase cascade” with nearly even drops, one after another down the smooth limestone. The creek below is lovely with a few trails that take off into the surrounding woods. This is an endangered species conservation area – so there is NO swimming or even wading below the falls.

My photos of the falls do not do them justice at all, since the sun was right where I didn’t want it to be and I had to stand partially behind a bush to block the sun. There are some gorgeous photos at this link, along with more information about the park.

To save time (and my legs), I turned around and went back the way I came instead of staying on the loop and circling the gorge. Had I taken the loop I would have had a better vantage point and maybe gotten better photos without the sun blinding me. That’s why we travel – to live and learn. So now I have to go back!

Our Favorite Brewery Stop

Whenever we’re anywhere near Bennington, VT, we adjust our route to make a stop at Madison Brewing Company. This is a beautiful little brewery right on the main drag with great beers and fabulous appetizers. Since this time we were going right by, we treated ourselves to a welcome to Vermont! Cheers!

Next up: Crafts Inn Revisited

Happy trails,
Barb