“My granddaughter, you are my heart and soul, a piece of me that shines brighter every day.” – Unknown
After our lake vacation Hattie came to the boat for a visit. We had a great time together. She is so smart and entertaining. I truly love our one on one time with our grandchildren. We try to find special things to do when they are with us, but they seem the happiest when they just hang out on the boat. Playing and exploring. The weather was a bit warm, so we tried to do things in the morning or on the water. Spending time on our little boat was the best...she loves the water.
“As I grew older, I thought the best part of my life was over. Then I held my grandchildren for the first time and realized the best part of my life has just begun.” -Anonymous
Our first summer vacation was at a house on Cayuga Lake about 15 miles up the lake from the marina. We spent five days relaxing and enjoying our time together. We love making these memories with our grandchildren.
We didn't get to enjoy a lot of time on or in the lake, but we did fill our time with a lot of other activities. The weather was a bit cooler so we were able to hike on three days. We're lucky there are plenty of things to do in this area. Besides hiking we had a chance to pick berries and cherries. There is nothing better than fresh fruit right from the farm. We visited two farms to pick fruit, one to play with goats and buy cheese and an Amish farm store for a few groceries and plants. Life is good on the lake.
The house
The kitchen
The bedrooms
The yard
We always meet at the marina and have lunch on the boat and play a little before we head to our lake house.
Cora looks a lot like her Mom.
We decided to go to Stewart Park and play while we waited for our check in time. We were all having fun...until we weren't. Graham slipped on one of the fountains at the splash pad and split his chin.
A trip to the ER and all was well.
The view from our house was wonderful.
Our first hike for the week was a bit muddy but it was fun to get out and do a little exploring. We walked to Teeter Pond in the Finger Lakes National Forest.
We could hear frogs in the pond but we never found them.
On our way home we stopped by the Lively Run Dairy to feed the goats and pick up some cheese.
We always have fun at the houses we stay at. We cook, do crafts, play games, read books, put puzzles together, watch movies, enjoy campfires....
and act silly.
We did a few new crafts this year. We made things from air dry clay, made tile coasters and Bryt practiced her watercoloring. Of course coloring is always fun too.
Fun with Poppy.
Campfire fun. It was nice having the fire pit so close to the house.
This time of year is a great time in the Finger Lakes. There are tons of places to pick fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers. One morning we picked raspberries at the Indian Creek Farm.
Our second hike was the upper loop at Robert H. Treman State Park. It's a beautiful spot. Lucifer Falls is the main highlight of this hike.
On another day we picked cherries at Cheerful Cherry Farm. What a treat...so many cherries and they were delicious. We had great desserts made from cherries and raspberries.
We were given permission to try all the varieties the farm grows.
After picking cherries we had lunch at the Grist Iron Brewing Company. It was a beautiful day, perfect for sitting outside and taking in the view of Seneca Lake.
Our third hike of the week was to Excelsior Falls. The hike was a bit warm but our reward was cooling off in the creek when we reached the end. The best part of this hike...we had the place all to ourselves.
Graham even had fun sliding down the creek.
We've had a lot of rain and cooler weather this spring and summer so the lake is still very cold. Even with wetsuits on, the kids had a hard time being in the water.
The only chance we had to use the boat was Sunday after we checked out of the house. The morning was sunny, no wind and it was a lot of fun.
“A grandchild fills a space in your heart that you never knew was empty.” –Unknown
Summer seemed slow to arrive here in the northeast, but it’s in full swing now and we've been very busy. Too busy to blog. As you can see I'm behind. Cora got to be the first to visit the boat this summer. We started her visit by bringing her to the house the first day. The kids love spending time at the house and the boat.
Cora loves to fill her time with us by doing crafts, riding bikes, cooking and exploring. She loves to find living things in nature. This trip to the boat seemed to be a hard thing to find, but we gave it a good effort.
One day we rode from the marina over to Stewart Park on the Cayuga Waterfront Trail. It was a 7.5 mile ride and the day was warm. We spent the rest of the day relaxing on the boat making bracelets and reading.
We spent the next morning hiking the gorge trail at Buttermilk Falls. It's just one of the great places to hike in our county.
Cora at the house making a tile coaster.
One the boat making bracelets.
Even the evening showers were fun...when it's warm a little rain feels nice.
Can you see the rainbow?
Playing card games is fun on the boat too.
Reading on the V-birth is always a good way to pass a little time.
Getting ready for one of our bike rides.
The bridge over Fall Creek.
Fun at Stewart Park.
This is a great time to be in the Finger Lakes...lots of fresh things to pick. We picked strawberries and Indian Creek Farm.
We always have to check out Taughannock Falls.
Buttermilk Fall State Park
Cora was looking hard to find some kind of bug, frog or caterpillar.
We found a few things.
The view from the trail looking down to the swimming hole at Buttermilk park. The pool will open in July.
Cora helped get the little runabout ready for our family vacation at a lake house next week.
