Finger Lakes Trip

For as long and as Patty and I have been together, every Columbus Day weekend we've gone with a group of friends on the "Finger Lakes" trip. (Patty and friends were going before we met.) "Finger Lakes" is in quotes as the past few years the trip has not actually been to the Finger Lakes.

This year it was to Dauphin, Pennsylvania, where we rented a house on the Susquehanna River.

For the geographically challenged, Dauphin, is not in the Finger Lakes.

It was a nice house, although we spent more awake time out than in.

Nine of us, eight women and yours truly, spent a relaxing extended weekend hiking, bike riding, birding, and eating. There as a lot of eating. Very yummy.

That's a big house plant.

As this was my first trip after my back troubles I enjoyed hiking, my first significant jaunt since Glacier, and birding (we did not bring our bikes). And the eating, I enjoyed the eating (did I mention it was yummy?) ((and I don't need to go on trips to enjoy eating)).

Nor did we bring our kayaks. Alas, heavy rains had made the river un-kayakable.

It would have been nice to visit the Statue of Liberty, which is barely visible in the image below (click to bigafy).

The owners of the house did offer a motorboat excursion, but we declined.

Across the street from the house (and from this tree) was a small natural area, well maintained, although it was not clear by who (Mother Nature?). Frogs, birds, turtles, and dragonflies, and no doubt other critters, to say nothing of the plants, appreciate whomever it is.

It is the remnants of the Pennsylvania Canal, which once upon a time cut transit times form Pittsburg to Philadelphia to four days from one month. One of our house mates, Kim, is an archeologist and has done work on the canal. She explained that the trip was one way. The boats did not return to Pittsburgh, they were part of the cargo.

And all too soon the trip is over. A weekend is just too short.

Elani, enjoying a moment of solitude, and who does have two legs.

✈️  🚂  🛳

We've already booked next years Finger Lakes Trip, which is returning to its roots in the Finger Lakes region. I'm already looking forward to the wine tasking.

🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷