Life in the Slow Lane (The Pearl): July 2023

July 26-28 Clayton, NY

“When the sun shines, there's nothing I can't do; No mountain is too high, no trouble too difficult to overcome.” –Author Unknown

We've really been reluctant to take a big vacation this summer. We talked about going to Ireland in July last winter, but the thought of being stuck in airports, dealing with rental cars and crowds of people just wasn't what we wanted to do. So we've been enjoying the countryside closer to home. One of our favorite places to visit around New York is the 1000 Islands. Even by car it's a great place to spend a little time.

It was a last minute decision to go there this week. The smoke from Canada and the spotty showers we've had this month has made it hard to plan very far in advance. We rented a house downtown close to everything but it was lacking some of the things we like...mostly a porch or patio to relax on. But we made the best of it and really enjoyed relaxing, shopping and eating some great meals in Clayton. The house we stayed at was originally built in 1844.

Clayton is a cute little town that sits on the Saint Lawrence River in the middle of the 1000 Islands.

Since finding good places to eat was difficult in Lake George we made reservations in advance this time. The first night we had dinner at the Clipper Inn. We went early to take advantage of the wine and dine menu. We each enjoyed our meals.

Since we ate early we went to The Hop Spot for dessert later in the evening.

Our second night we ate at Di Prinzio's Kitchen. We enjoyed our dinner here last year and it was even better this year.

After dinner we visited with our friends George and Lori and watched the action on the river.

Coming and going to Clayton we spent a little time chasing waterfalls. Wednesday on our way we stopped at Salmon Falls near Pulaski. The trail is short and leads to several views of the falls as it makes its way to the top. We also took a trail towards the bottom of the small gorge so we could get a better view and photo. It was a pretty day and the falls were beautiful.

Salmon Falls plunges 100ft in three parallel sections becoming a single raging torrent during spring thaw.

On the way home we stopped at Pixley State Park near Booonville first. The falls are easy to see from a short trail that takes you right to the bottom. We also saw several smaller falls on tributaries that run into the Lansing Kill Gorge.

Pixley Falls is a 50ft cascade waterfall.

Our second stop was at Redford Falls. A small park in Sherburne allows easy access to the falls from 30ft above. The footbridge above the falls was constructed in 1877. It's a metal bowstring truss bridge that was rehabilitated in 2006. To reach the bottom of the falls we followed a trail along the top of the gorge till we reached a spot where we could climb down to the Mad Brook. From there we walked up the creek to the pool at the bottom of the falls. It was a spectacular place and we were the only ones there.

Redford Falls is a 75ft tall cascade waterfall located under a historic footbridge.

Looking over the bridge to the pool at the bottom of the falls.

Part of the trail led through blackberry bushes. We also found a few blueberries. It's always fun to find a snack on the trail.

The trail leading down to the creek bottom.

Mushrooms we saw along the trail.

The path leading down to the creek.

Walking back to the falls.

Redford Falls

Can you see the bridge that we crossed?

July 17-20 Cora's Visit

“My granddaughter is the adventurous co-conspirator I've always wanted.” -Author Unknown

The summer is flying by and it seemed like Cora had to wait a long time for her special time at the boat. But she really got the best weather and we had a great time filling every minute with fun activities. We made time to ride the scooter, explore around the marina, hike, shop, paint, string beads, play in the water, cook, have picnics, see waterfalls, play at the park and ride on our little runabout. We made a lot of great memories.

A picnic at Buttermilk Falls.

We love doing arts and crafts together.

Cora is a great little artist with a great imagination.

"What happens at Mimi's. Stays at Mimi's." But it's fun to send a few pictures home to torment the siblings. Hahahaha

Cora and I went to Michael's to get art supplies and she found something she wanted to buy. So she did a little work around the boat to earn the money she needed. She truly had fun sweeping, washing dishes, washing the windows and wiping down the decks.

No summer visit to the boat would be complete without a trip to an ice cream shop.

We spent one full day at Taughannock State Park. First we walked to the bottom of the falls. Exploring along the way and walking in the creek.

Cora loves nature and she had fun in the water and finding bugs, frogs and earthworms. Everything on a hike is interesting to her.

Taughannock Falls. Cora was only six months old the first time she came to this falls. She enjoyed it much more this time.

After hiking we had a picnic lunch near the lake...also at the same park. Cora and I love to do crafts, no matter where we go.

Taughannock Park has a wonderful new playground...Cora thought it was a lot of fun.

One of our favorite things to do is to take our runabout up the inlet to The Boatyard Grill for dessert. It was a beautiful evening so when we were done we also took a ride in the lake. It was a great way to end a wonderful day.

This is why we have our runabout. Seeing how happy it makes the kids means the world to us.

July 10-14 Lake George, NY

“The sky loves lakes rather than oceans because it finds the opportunity to watch itself in the crystal clear mirrors of the lakes!” -Mehmet Murat Ildan

This week we celebrated our 42nd anniversary with a trip to the Adirondacks. We visited Lake George, which is located in the southeastern portion of the park. It sits on the lake of the same name, which is one of the most pristine bodies of water in the world. We stayed at the Fort William Henry Hotel, which is located on a bluff at the head of the lake. The view from our room was fantastic. The original hotel was built in 1855.

The view from our room.

The town of Lake George.

We took our bikes with us, so one morning we did part of the Warren County Bikeway.

We spent a relaxing three days taking in the sights around the lake. One afternoon we went on a cruise up the lake to the islands in the area known as the narrows. This would be a wonderful place to spend the summer on our boat...if we could actually get it here. The water is so amazingly clear and there are over 200 islands scattered throughout the lake. We fell in love with the lake, but not so much for the town. The town is cute, but it's so touristy, from the shops to the restaurants. We drove over to Bolton one afternoon and decided that's where we would stay if we come back.

Watching the water as we waited for our cruise on Luc de Saint Sacrement.

Some of the steamships on Lake George. Steamboats arrived on the lake in 1817. The 190 foot long Lac du Saint Sacrement is the largest cruise ship on the inland waters of New York State.

Just a few photos of what we saw. Lake George is 32 miles long, 3 miles wide at its widest point, and reaches depths of nearly 200 feet. It's the birthplace of the American vacation.

The Sagamore Resort. One of the most exclusive resorts on the lake. Built in 1883.

On our second full day we did a hike to Shelving Rock Falls. It was a beautiful hike that started in the hills above the lake. Once we reached the top of the falls we made our way down to the creek and followed it till we got back to the lake.

The beginning of the Shelving Rock Falls trail.