Earlier this year, Ethan and I were sitting at the Bay Street Hotel mulling over the state of the universe with Nan and Guy, I mentioned that I had always thought about writing some sort of column for a local paper.  Something kind of newsy… not overly serious…maybe informative…but mostly fun.  So I’m thinking, what’s interesting to me that the rest of the world might care about???  Outdoors? (definitely)  Gardening?  (interesting to some) Fishing? (absolutely)  Travel? (maybe)   Information Technology Project Management? (naahhhhh!!!).    In the meantime, spring and summer have swept by, our gardens have flourished, the hummingbirds have gone to war on our deck, we’ve taken some great short trips, worked our “behinds” off in the corporate world… and still no newspaper column.   All sorts of ideas, but I just couldn’t come up with a good theme.

 A couple nights ago, the phone rang shortly after we arrived home after whiling away some time in The Point.  Caller ID (Oh save me from the telemarketers and other sundry aggravation) announces it’s our friend Dave from down the street.   “Just wanted to let you guys know that every time you drive by…”   (usually with canoe and tin boat in tow behind the Dodge) “…All I can think of is...there go Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn on another adventure!”  BINGO! Thank you Dave!

And so, “Out and About with Tom and Huck…Rambling Around with the Irwins” comes to life.    Hopefully I’ll be able to come up with some fun chronicles of our comings and goings, cool places that we discover while hiking or paddling, life around the homestead, and more than likely tales (or should I say “tails”?)  of our cat-family.   I look forward to sharing our fun times with you.  And…by the way…we’re still deciding who’s Tom and who’s Huck!

Last Saturday morning found us heading to North Lansing, on Route 34 just north of Ithaca.   A couple of months ago we stumbled upon “Bakers Acres” garden center there.  It’s a fun stop, with lots of display gardens, a tearoom, and antique shop.  Strolling through their propagation garden, we spotted some exquisite red Fern Leaf Peonies, which we had seen in the Cornell Plantations peony garden, and just HAD to have a couple of them. We placed an order, and our new garden treasures were finally ready for pickup on Saturday.   Well, it was nearing lunchtime and I was starving, so we planned to continue on down to Lansing to a favorite spot for lunch, Rogue’s Harbor Steak and Ale, on the corner of Routes 34 and 34B.  Suddenly the Baker’s Acres sign popped up along the road, along with an additional message “Annual Garlic and Herb Festival, and Chicken BBQ!!!!!    Jackpot!  We pulled in, headed immediately toward the BBQ tent and what a treat!!!   Apparently Mr. Baker was the inventor of Cornell BBQ Sauce some 50 years ago, and this stuff was great! Sort of like the wonderful, aromatic sauce that the fire departments make, but with more herbs.  There was a buffet with homemade marinated summer vegetable salad, potato salad, baby mixed greens with edible flowers and herb vinaigrette, homemade herb breads with pesto stuffing, cheesecake with blueberries…oh my!!!!  We left with VERY full tummies, our new peonies, two hostas: “Groundmaster” and “Montana”, and a variegated “Jacobs Ladder”.   Looks like lunch at Rogue’s Harbor will require a return visit to the area!

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Our “road trip policy” is to try to always take different routes coming and going.  If you don’t already have a New York State Atlas and Gazetteer book, I’d truly recommend getting hold of one.  They’re around $16.00, and are available at most bookstores or places where maps are sold.  They show just about every road, no matter how big or small, and you can really find some interesting places along the way. 

Plotting our course toward home, Route 38 north looked good.   Fillmore Glen State Park jumped off the map at me and we decided to check it out.  It’s a marvelous place!  Dry Creek  has carved its way through layers of shale and limestone, forming a meandering glen with waterfalls and pools below sculptured cliffs.  Extensive stonework has been done, both recently and by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930’s, forming winding walkways and stairs up the hillsides.    We hiked the length of the glen, first on the Gorge Trail which runs along the stream bed on the floor of the “canyon”.  This trail has 8 bridges that cross the creek and provide superb views of the many waterfalls.   We opted for the South Ridge Trail for our return – this “high road”  trail took us through a variety of terrain: an incredible hardwood forest, towering hemlocks which provided a cushioned path with their fallen needles, and several varieties of nut trees that we’re still trying to identify!  Ferns and forest groundcovers were lush from the day’s rain, and the “woodsy” smell was delicious! Our round trip hike through the glen took about two hours.  It’s mostly easy walking, but there are a few steep spots to slow you down.  It’s a lovely park, well worth returning to for a quiet walk and a soak in the stream on a hot day.   I hope you’ll plan a visit in the future.  You can find it on Route 38, just south Moravia, at the southern end of Owasco lake.

We took a leisurely drive home to Sodus in the early evening along the shore of Owasco Lake, north on Route 38, then picked up 370 at Victory, and on to Route 104.  New York State has such a wealth of parks, hiking trails, and streams, and the best part is you can find enough to make you real tired after a day, only an hour or two from home…no matter where “home” is! 

Till next time, open your book of maps, pick a spot, pack a picnic, and GO EXPLORING!!!

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