Out and About with Tom and Huck - Rambling Around with the Irwins         by Alice Irwin

Summer Vacation - Exploring Northern NY Part 1                         Return to Tom & Huck Page

October 4th, 2001 Edition of the Sun and Record

NYS Gazetteer Pages 74, 82, 92

 Year before last while we were rambling around northwestern NY we came across the most splendid little lake between Theresa and Governeur, and discovered Gene’s Fishing Camp on Muskellunge Lake.  There are 7 or 8 “camps” for rent, located right on the lakeshore or in the woods.   We couldn’t believe how pretty it was.   Gene’s provides the only public access to the lake, and there are only a handful of other summer camps located down the narrow dirt road.  The rest of the shore is private land and uninhabited.

 During one of our more abysmal moments last January after plowing the driveway for the 3^rd time that day our thoughts went back to the perfect little lake and the serenity of the camps there.  We immediately picked up the phone and called the owner to make a reservation for a week in August.  As luck would have it, we landed what we thought was the best camp there; not the biggest, but “just right”.  As we recalled, it was tucked among the oaks, maples, and cedars on the hillside overlooking the lake.   January just got a whole lot better.

 Over the next few months, as our woodstoves glowed and the howling Lake Ontario winds slammed our house, we worked on our lists.  We are prodigious list-makers, and have spreadsheets detailing items to pack for trips to warm climates, trips to cold climates, trips with boats, airshow trips.  This was our first experience renting a camp for a week and having to pack food, supplies, linens, etc.   We rented a house on the island of Tortola a few years ago, but that didn’t really count as everything was provided and we dined out frequently.  There was no place to walk to and dine at this camp.  It’s about 20 miles on twisting, turning roads, some unpaved, to arrive at “civilization”.

 August sneaked right up on us, and it was time to finalize arrangements for the on going care of our home while we were away.  Friend and neighbor Joe Ventura volunteered to water the dozens of plants we have in containers around the yard; our Passion Flower vines are extraordinary this year and after searching for a number of years I finally own a Thumbergia Grandiflora vine that’s now overtaking one of our birch trees.  Couldn’t let anything happen to these babies!  The gardens would have to fend for themselves.  Sue (Sue’s Creature Comforts) would be tending to “The Girls” and the fish, and little buddy Lucas Hennessy’s Mom, Colleen, offered his services to keep the bird baths filled.

 I do fret about leaving our home and The Girls for more than a few days, but they’re always in good, watchful hands.

 As usual, Ethan was in charge of logistics for toting all of our “equipment” along with us.  Taking our trusty DuraTech fishing boat meant that we couldn’t use the bike rack that mounts in the trailer hitch receiver.  No problem.  Oak Orchard Canoe Specialists provided us with modifications to our truck-top rack to enable us to mount the canoe and both of the bikes on top of the truck, and pull the wee-boat behind.  We devised a good routine to get the bikes on top of the truck, with the assistance of the lightweight stepladder that would travel with us. 

 Everything was packed the day before our scheduled departure.  The wee-boat held our food coolers and neatly stacked boxes of everything else went into the truck.  Ethan took a trip into Rochester to pick up some dry ice to keep our frozen stuff FROZEN while I finished up putting out some last minute fires for my “day job”.  Taking a break to clean up the perennial garden a bit, I almost put our vacation on hold…forever.  During a pruning class last winter, our instructor warned us about the razor-sharp edges of our Felco shears.   I had grasped a hollyhock stem and was preparing to cut it off when the open shears sliced through my arm, on the inside of my elbow.   Yup…there are major arteries there.   I never even felt it.  Cursing my clumsiness I went into the house, put some pressure on it and then cleaned up the wound.  Didn’t seem to have hit “the big one”, but it was sure a nasty razor-cut.

 Ethan called from Rochester to check in and to his horror I said that I may need to go to the hospital and get stitched up.  After further scrutiny we decided that some butterfly bandages would suffice; got off easy.  Another scar for my collection.

 Saturday morning we rolled out early…boats, bikes, books, and booze…vacation time!  Breakfast at Bucky’s Sodus Bay Tackle & Restaurant was the first order of business; we just had to pester friend Wilson Berger hard at work at his new part time job.  We’re sure that his son and restaurant veteran Aaron will keep him in line!

 It was our first trip with the bikes on top of the truck; spooky.   The rode along nicely, even with a stiff crosswind.  We stopped briefly at Cracker Box Palace to drop off some office supplies and check out their Dog Daze activities and had a chance to see some of the Agility Dog demos.  Very cool!

 Northward bound…we picked up 104B outside Oswego, then Route 3 north to Port Ontario for a stop at Woody’s Tackle and Gift Shop.  Two friends will be delivering babies this fall, and we have some favorite baby gifts that we only find at this shop.  Can’t tell you what they are…it would spoil the surprise.  We picked up Route 11 at Sandy Pond, and it was getting hungry out.  A chicken BBQ put on by a local church’s missionary organization appeared in a parking lot…great good for a great cause!  We safely stowed the dinners and continued down the road to look for a suitable picnic spot.

 Route 37 out of Watertown took us toward our final destination, and we stopped in Theresa at Santway Park to enjoy our BBQ chicken picnic lunch.  It’s a 31 acre park right in town, extending down to the Indian River.  Camping is allowed, but it’s one of those under-utilized local gems.

 Route 22 took us to Gene’s, and we tiptoed the truck down the narrow bumpy road, bicycles scraping through the trees.  Our camp was even better than we had remembered…a deck overlooked the lake and another deck was like a treehouse in the woods.  Inside we found two bedrooms, a big kitchen with new appliances and a living/dining area with comfy furniture.  We launched the wee-boat and took a sunset tour. Bass, Crappies, Northerns, Punkin-Seeds…watch out!!!   We’d be after them in the morning!

 Next time…more adventures in the North Country and “when vegetarians go fishing”!