Jake and Stone admit it – until recently they'd never hear of Traverse City (TC) either. But they discovered TC has what they wanted in a vacation: good food, biking, golf, wineries and scenery.
They first heard about Traverse City (TC) when it was mentioned as a “top foodie town” by several magazines and ballyhooed by chef Mario Batali as a place for good farm-to-market food.Then a little research found TC often mentioned as a biking destination and a small-town golf mecca. Hmmm? Then it was discovered TC has dozens on wineries and was also near "the most beautiful place in America" according to ABC's Good Morning America.
The only drawback to TC was the driving distance – nearly 900 miles from Jersey. But when it was discovered that it was possible to see baseball in Cleveland (OH), and then big-time college football in Ann Arbor (MI), an early-fall trip seemed suddenly irresistible.
Thursday, September 17 – Several years ago our duo had taken I-80 west on their way to Notre Dame and made their first stop in Bellefont, PA. This trip they did so again, stopping for a couple of fruit smoothies at Cool Beans. While looking around this small, interesting town they found a thrift store where Stone discovered a nice looking sweater while Jake found a gently-used golf bag that was an upgrade of his current one.
Their Holiday Inn Express in Cleveland proved to have what our couple needed most – walking distance to the baseball game. That night they saw the home town Indians fall to the Kansas City Royals 8-4. Before walking to the game they had their traditional start-of-vacation drinks at the Chocolate Bar, which was but a block away from their hotel. After the game they had some tasty snacks and solid drinks at Butcher and the Brewer.
Sadly, our duo didn't get to do Cleveland properly at all, and though their hotel was right at the foot of the attractive pedestrian mall “East 4th Street” they didn't have time to visit any establishment besides Butcher and Brewer. Proof of Cleveland clearly leaving its rust belt status behind is another restaurant on the East 4th Street scene, the Greenhouse Tavern, which is run by chef Jonathan Sawyer, who this year won a James Beard Best Chef award. Cleveland deserves visiting, and not just for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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| Bellefonte, PA |
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| At the Chocolate Bar |
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| Warming Up |
Friday, September 18 – Having had enough of Interstate travel, Jake and Stone took US 6 west out of Cleveland. It proved to be a lovely drive, highlighted by Lake Erie views and dozens of lakeside mansions. They stopped at Maumee Bay State Park where Jake played nine holes with Stone walking along. The price of $14 (walking) couldn't be beat, and the course was a very playable links-like layout they both enjoyed. Like Georgia, Ohio has some great state parks with good golf courses with cabin rentals available, and Maumee looked very inviting for a longer stay some day.
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| First Swing of the Trip |
Lunch was enjoyed in Monroe (MI) with sandwiches from the Erie Bread Company eaten al fresco in the nearby River Raisin Park. Then it was on to Ann Arbor, MI. After checking into their room at Candlewood Suites (nicely appointed rooms, good Wi-Fi service, but no daily maid service), Jake and Stone had a very nice early dinner at Zola Bistro, a contemporary eatery in an upscale mall. Sitting at the bar they enjoyed little plates of sweet potato fries, bib and other greens salad, an eggplant something-or-other, some blue crab cakes and grilled octopus. The martinis and wine were just as good as the food, and this place deserves its many positive reviews.
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| Attractive Course-side "Cabins" |
Since their room was truly a suite, complete with a small kitchen, our duo stopped off at Whole Foods for some provisions, and enjoying the vibe of this grocery chain they usually can't afford, before heading out again to the local Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the Mets beat the Yankees. This being Michigan, the Detroit Tigers were on most of the seemingly several hundred TV screens that BWW has on all the time, but a hostess was nice enough to tune in the Mets on a screen near their table.
Saturday, September 19 – If it's a Saturday in Ann Arbor and Michigan University is playing football, it is best to get up early for breakfast. Jake and Stone did so, and still had to wait to be seated at Angelo's, which proved to be worthy of its crowds – all of whom, BTW, were decked out in
Michigan Football regalia. Great food (including truly fresh-squeezed OJ) and a great pre-game vibe.
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| Angelo's in Ann Arbor |
Back at their room, Jake and Stone prepared for possible rain (it never did) on their two-mile walk to Michigan Stadium. Big-time college football in any university town is an event, and Jake had experienced it to some degree growing up in Boulder, Colorado. But it is safe to say few places in America rival Ann Arbor on a football Saturday. The tailgating started early and was acres large, the traffic was impossible, and the crowds of walkers grew Times-Square massive as Jake and Stone got closer to the stadium. But after all, there are about 109,00 fans about the premises, so one might be forgiven for thinking of Flavian Rome and the Colosseum. Since his boyhood Jake had wanted to witness “The Big House” and it didn't disappoint.
The game itself was rather lackluster. Michigan 28-7 over an overmatched UNLV team. But our couple's seats were great – row five in the end zone, with the student section in full voice to their right. The best thing the student section did was creating crowd waves. Beside starting the usual “wave,” long a feature at big sporting events, the students orchestrated a slow-motion wave, a quick-time wave, and two waves going in opposite directions at the same around the stadium till they crashed together halfway around. Lots of fun, great student band, enthusiastic but polite fans, and no alcohol allowed. (Other venues, please note!) Overall a fun, unique and grand American afternoon.
After the game, our two walked some more into downtown Ann Arbor seeking post-game frivolity. They found it at Conor O'Neill's Irish Pub. Then it was more walking (5.5 miles read Stone pedometer at the end of the day) back to their rooms for TV, Netflix and some of the goodies from Whole Foods.
Sunday, September 20 – Up early and on the road toward Traverse City. On arrival, a late lunch at the Apache Trout Grill, a fashionable waterside restaurant, proved to be one of their best meals in TC. Pecan-crusted whitefish for Jake and rainbow trout for Stone.
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| At the Apache Trout Grill |
It was a short drive through TC to the other side of Grand Traverse Bay (the largest bay off Lake Michigan) and the Country Hermitage, their B&B for the next 5 nights. This B&B has a lot going for it, most impressively a large deck with a very nice view of the extensive grounds and gardens, and perhaps most uniquely, the availability of a daily membership card to the swanky Grand Traverse Resort next door.
Jake and Stone's upstairs room lacked table space, but the view over the neighboring cherry orchards was wide and peaceful, the bathroom was big, with a Jacuzzi that was small but serviceable, and the B&B-wide Wi-Fi was excellent. On the downside of things, the TV took all of Stone's electronic wizardry to finally turn on, 24-hour coffee was not available (tea and hot chocolate were), and breakfast at 9 AM was a little late for their schedule, but was always delicious. A final positive were the hosts, who were nearly perfect.
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| On the B&B's Deck |
Our duo took a late afternoon 8-mile round-trip bike ride on the TART bike trail, starting at the eastern terminus which was close to the B&B. The trail was nicely paved, but had a lot of roads to cross. Overall it was a nice ride and might have been even better had the weather been less unusually warm.
Dinner on this Sunday night was on the expansive B&B deck with left-over cheese, apples and chicken salad from Ann Arbor's Whole Foods, as Jake and Stone watched the waxing moon come into view and night settle over the orchards.
Monday, September 21 – Breakfast at the B&B was centered on cherry pancakes and shared with a Canadian couple in town for the last day of Detroit Red Wings training camp, which takes place in TC. After breakfast road construction in TC slowed their journey to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, which several years ago was voted “most beautiful place in America” by viewers of ABC's Good Morning America.
Among the many attractions of this American natural wonder is Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail, a nine mile bike path our couple looked forward to riding. The trail proved to be as beautiful as expected. But as it wound through forests and low sand dunes, it also proved to be more vigorous than they expected. The up-and-down was often quite serious, and several times they had to walk their bikes up short but steep (11% at one spot) inclines. But the rides downhill were nice compensation.
It was about a five mile ride from the trailhead near the visitor center in the town of Empire to one of Sleeping Bear's most famous sights, the Dune Climb. Here Jake and Stone took a little breather with some snacks under some pine trees as they watched people trudging up the giant dune before riding back to the start of the trail.
Deserving a good lunch, our couple found it at the tony Manitou Passage Golf Club, which was maybe a 20-minute drive from the visitors center. Here, in the shade of table umbrella on a sun-splashed deck, they enjoyed a surprisingly cheap and delicious burger and Labatt brew (Jake), and cherry chicken salad and Kendall Jackson chardonnay (Stone), while overlooking the manicured ninth green. Voted best lunch of the trip, this was a case of pure serendipity.
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| At the Dune Climb |
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| On the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail |
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| How to Truly Enjoy a Golf Course |
Perhaps the most visited place in Sleeping Bear is not a place at all but a seven mile drive aptly named the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. Jake and Stone joined the other cars slowly driving this unique road, stopping at the spots recommended by the National Park Service ranger when they paid their admission. The views were sweeping and surprisingly varied, as these pictures try to show:
After riding around more of Sleeping Bear and its surroundings, they headed back to TC's downtown Front Street district for dinner at Poppycocks. Here the food was as lovely as the décor was unlovely. The space had obviously been a diner before its upgrade in food and drink, but unfortunately the room's banality detracted from what could have been a truly nice dinner. Still, the food was good.
Traffic back through TC to the B&B proved again to be a nightmare, but all was made well by the consumption of some of the B&B's homemade cookies and coffee (from 7-11, not Dunkin'!) once again on the deck, this time under a chilly moon.
Tuesday, September 22 – Breakfast again at the B&B, this time shared with a couple from Ohio. Then it was off to Charlevoix, a small town about 50 minutes north, for nine holes (the back nine) at Belvedere Golf Course. Once again Stone walked with Jake virtually alone (as they had been back at Maumee State Park) on this course that was in good shape, with fast greens and was fun to play. The course pro said Tom Watson is a longtime member of Belvedere and that Watson thought the short par 4 16th hole was his favorite American par 4. Jake agreed, especially after a miraculous approach shot let him par the hole(!).
Walking through this water-edged town that has a touch of New England about it, both Jake and Stone thought Charlevoix might serve next time as home base for the area. A very nice lunch of sandwiches (brie/bacon/apple and pull pork) at the small but worthy Smoke on the Water only added to the town's charm.
Charlevoix is also the southern end of another good TC area bike trail, the Little Traverse Wheelway, a 26 mile route that runs more-or-less along the water (Lake Michigan and Little Traverse Bay) from Charlevoix up to Harbor Springs. Jake and Stone took a 12 mile roundtrip out of Charlevoix and back. Here the trail does run parallel (and sometimes close) to Route 31 and has little shade, but in the end it was a rewarding ride because of the water views at Lake Michigan Shores Roadside Park.
The Grand Traverse Resort and Spa is a big-time resort, and Jake and Stone looked forward to visiting it for drinks and perhaps dinner. But the lobby proved to be sterile and disappointing, the bartender at the lobby bar (again, the bar was nothing special) had to run somewhere to get another martini glass before he could serve our couple, and after surveying things Jake and Stone ended up having dinner at the resort's sports bar, which was least a fairly good sports bar.
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| Stone at Belvedere GC |
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| Rest and Views on the Wheelway |
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| Lake Michigan from the Wheelway |
Wednesday, September 23 – Reluctant to endure TC's road construction traffic again, Jake and Stone decided to take the two hour drive up north to a place they had long heard about – the fabled Mackinac Island. Located in Lake Huron and reachable only by ferry, this island-resort is most famous for its magnificent (and snooty) Grand Hotel, and the fact that no cars are allowed anywhere on the island. Here the taxis are horse and carriages, bikes rule the (car-less) roads, and tourism makes this unique world go round.
Michigan Highway M-185 circles the island and makes for a unique bike ride with lake views constantly in sight. About halfway around the island (4 mi) our duo went onto British Landing Road (Mackinac saw two battles in the War of 1812) which goes through the middle of the island. Here the road/path is not paved and has some serious up-and-downs, but the rider gets a different view of the island, including several historical sites and a pretty view of the harbor next to Marquette Park.
A unique tourist island needs a unique miniature golf course and Mackinac delivers. Jake and Stone played 18 holes on a real grass putting course, with (of course) lake views, which is part of the Mission Point Resort. The Pink Pony at the Chippewa Hotel (if you stay at any hotel or B&B on the island your luggage is transferred by bike or horse and wagon) provided lunch that day. A nice honey/apple/brie flatbread and Whitefish fingers were washed down with a Labatt Blue and a glass of wine while overlooking the water. Lovely. The day on Mackinac finished with a walk through the Butterfly House (small but worthwhile with lots of butterflies) and some ice cream. The day was unforgettable.
The evening turned out to be memorable as well as Jake and Stone enjoyed one of their trip's best dinner experiences at Terry's in Charlevoix. They each had whitefish, but done two different ways, with key lime pie for desert. The room was cozy and elegant, the service professional and friendly. In short, fine dining.
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| Real Grass with Real Breaks |
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| Along "Highway" M-185 |
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| Pink Pony -- Blue View |
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| If You Like Butterflies... |
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| ...You Have to Visit Here |
Thursday, September 24 – The morning ride from the B&B around the bay and through TC proved to be a breeze as the road repair was on hiatus till Monday. Our couple's destination this morning was the Leelanau Bike Trail's most northern trailhead in Suttons Bay. This trail was simply wonderful. It seemed brand new with wonderfully smooth asphalt, handy mileage markers, and other signs pointing the way to several of the abundant wineries on the Leelanau Peninsula. With vistas, farms, apple orchards and water stops, Jake and Stone did a 14 mile roundtrip with more ease than effort. They both agreed that next time out to TC they would ride it all the way from Suttons Bay to TC, have lunch, and then ride back. The best maintained trail of their trip.
After their ride they went to the Mawbry winery to buy some nice bubbly, but the sales people were less than wonderful. Wonderful was the word, however, for what followed next – lunch at Black Star Farms, which is actually a large compound that includes a winery, an inn and the Hearth & Vine Restaurant. Here they sat at a bar-like seating area near the brick oven used to make pizza and had a terrific lunch of fish chowder, BLT salad, and a pulled pork sandwich, accompanied by the house red and a local cabernet franc. On the way out the extra large home made chocolate chip cookies proved irresistible, so they bought one each.
Back at the B&B Stone “chillaxed” while Jake took advantage of the B&B's membership card at Grand Traverse Resort and went to play some “twilight” golf. The resort's two premiere courses (one by Jack Nicklaus and one by Gary Player) were busy, and Jake was told he had to wait a bit before getting on the Wolverine (Player) Course. Normally twilight costs $50 but with the magic card Jake got on for $12(!!), so he didn't mind waiting.
The starter admitted things were a little jumbled up on the courses due to an event that ran long, but sent Jake out to see what he could do. Jake ended up playing about eleven holes on the Wolverine before he ran into other players, then switched over to the Spruce Run layout and played about five or six more holes before darkness ended the day.
Back at the B&B our duo had a late, light dinner of sandwiches with another couple who had driven up from St. Louis. The night ended by the fire pit down next to the property's small pond where they enjoyed some coffee and those chocolate chip cookies bought earlier in the day.
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| Leelanau Bike Trail Vista |
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| Along the Leelanau Bike Trail |
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| At the B&B's Fire Pit |
Friday, September 25 – Out early on the road to their next stop, London, Ontario, enjoying the countryside views of farms and wind farms, the latter harvesting the wind off Lake Erie. Jake and Stone had a nice (if expensive) lunch on the elegant patio of the Black Trumpet where the fare included a terrific rendering of calamari.
(Two hints about crossing the border into Canada: if you have a pre-trip brain freeze and forget your passports, your crossing will be a question-filled event, but hopefully you will be admitted on the basis of your drivers license and, in Stone's case, your good looks. Just as importantly, it's likely your cell phone service will send you a rather confusing message about your data rates going up to $.99 a minute in Canada. Our couple decided to not use the phone for directions and resorted to old-school maps (aka: hard copy), which was kinda fun, sorta.
They checked into their room at the “Little Inn” at the Inn on the Harbor in Port Stanley, ON, to find a nicely appointed room with a big jacuzzi, a comfortable king bed, and a TV that had a bunch of American stations (from Rochester, NY); however the Wi-Fi seemed iffy at best.
Jake wanted to check out the nearby Bluffs Golf Course, a 9-hole layout where it was thought both Jake and Stone might play. They ended up meeting the owner Mark, a young Brit who moved from Birmingham, England, to Canada some ten years ago. He was quite proud of the course and said it was a lot different than it looked from the first few holes. He suggested they tour the course using one of the gas carts, so off they went.
The first three holes were rather ordinary – excepting a large 25-foot gully that bisected the 1st and 2nd fairways – but at #4 things changed. The six holes that followed were all terrific. There was water to clear on #4. Number 5 was the first of four excellent par-3's that were either dramatically up-and-down, or visually intimidating, or both. And the lone par-5, #6, is bordered by a lovely, thin strip of
meadow (on this day filled with butterflies), the fairway edge of which affords the player a dramatic bluff-side view of a very blue Lake Erie. Stone smartly demurred from playing this challenging hidden gem, but Jake made a 4:30 tee time for tomorrow, and they both looked forward to walking/hiking the nine holes.
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| Par-3 #8 at Bluffs Golf Course Port Stanley, Ontario |
Dinner that evening was at the Windjammer Inn in Port Stanley. If whitefish was the prominent fish at the Lake Michigan eateries Jake and Stone visited, Lake Erie places featured perch, and here it was prepared deliciously, served with some nice local wines in an attractive, cozy room with local art on the walls.
Saturday, September 26 – Jake got some OK breakfast java at a coffee place up the street, and he found he was finally getting the hang of using his credit card in Canada. Like Europe, Canada uses “chip technology” with its credit cards, and it involves the customer inserting the card in a little machine and punching some buttons. (At restaurants the machine is brought to the table, where one approves the transaction and even adds a tip in percentage of the bill or by straight dollar amount.) It is easy once one gets used to it, and Jake finally felt he had the touch.
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| Ripasso Style Cab Foreign Affair Winery |
On summer Saturdays London has a large farmers' market downtown, and Jake and Stone spent a nice couple of hours tasting and buying local fare. Stone often gets a haircut when they travel, but this time she opted for a manicure instead, and found a nice one at Polish Nails where her pixie-haired manicurist filled her in on Canadian politics while trimming Stone's cuticles with professional pride. Lunch was at Abruzzi, a smart place very near the farmer's market, which included a glass of red so tasty our couple made a note of it (via i-phone picture) for possible future purchase.
The golf round that afternoon at the Bluffs back in Port Stanley was as wonderful as expected – perhaps more so, as Jake and Stone (Stone walking, not playing) saw not only the usual cormorants and a heron on the courses ponds, but a bald eagle soaring overhead. A combination of lucky shots and occasional good play let Jake play the 2,400 yard course with a good score, and they both greatly enjoyed the afternoon walk and scenery.
As they talked to Mark after the round he gave them a short walk around to see the three holes he is crafting among the trees and hills and gullies. Mark says he agrees with Jack Nicklaus who once said, nine holes is usually too short and eighteen holes is too long; twelve holes is just right. When he is done with his addition (sometime next late summer, he hopes) Mark will have only made better a course that is already a must-play.
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| The Bluffs Course at Port Stanley, Ontario -- a 9-hole Wonder |
In search of apres-golf libations, Jake and Stone found themselves seated at Barnacles Beerhouse and Eatery back in Port Stanley. A very local place, with a blue-collar/slightly alcoholic and friendly vibe, Jake was in heaven since an old time Canadian favorite – Alexander Keith's India Pale Ale – was on tap. Great place for local color, and the food looked pub-large as well.
The Kettle Creek Inn is generally thought to be Port Stanley's best eatery but on this evening for Jake and Stone it was a large disappointment. Perhaps it would have been different if they had sat out on the patio where the action was. Their inside dining room decor was pedestrian to a crawl, the service downright lousy, and the food only OK. After a short walk through the small downtown area, they went back to their room and watched the Yankees – but only because it was broadcast in French.
Sunday, September 27 – This day was highlighted by a late lunch/breakfast at Tammy's Breck N Ridge restaurant in Fort Erie, Ontario. A seemingly female-run place, this little gem on the way to the Peace Bridge was the surprise hit of the whole trip. Quaint and attractive, with lots of flowers/plants, a great wait staff, friendly atmosphere, and good food all make for a must-stop.
At the Peace Bridge the US Customs official seemed to find it questionable that they had gotten into Canada without passports. There were long moments of silence, where maybe he was checking them on some system?, but he finally waved them through.
In Penn Yan (NY), the Los Gatos B&B had handsome Rhode Island Red chickens in a pen near the driveway, lovely grounds, a solar presence that the owners say let them meet all their electrical needs with sunshine, and a upstairs suite that included a deck with a pastoral view of miles over Seneca Lake.
In Penn Yan (NY), the Los Gatos B&B had handsome Rhode Island Red chickens in a pen near the driveway, lovely grounds, a solar presence that the owners say let them meet all their electrical needs with sunshine, and a upstairs suite that included a deck with a pastoral view of miles over Seneca Lake.
Dinner that night was at Top of the Lake, where the main attraction is the view. The main attraction of the night however was the Super Blood Moon, the view of which from their deck was perfect until late in the event when clouds finally put everyone to bed. Good Night Moon.
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| Jake and Stone's Deck at Los Gatos |
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| Top of the Lake Restaurant |
Monday, September 28 – After breakfast with their hosts, Bernie and Susan (who might be accused of wanting to talk a little too much), it was off on a final bike ride, this time on the Keuka Outlet Trail. From the trailhead in Dresen, NY, the trail was the nearly opposite of those they rode on in Michigan. No asphalt here, only a thin dirt path, or sometimes two, through grass and stones that demanded attentive biking for most of the way. But the payoff was being truly in the woods and viewing two active waterfalls on the Keuka Outlet Stream. A wonderful, unusual, rustic and a little bit difficult ride.
Lunch (available: small plates, sandwiches, soups, salads) was on the deck of the Fox Run Winery overlooking Seneca Lake. When the weather changed, several other couples decamped for the interior. But to Jake and Stone in was not raining as much as spitting, and it wasn't cold as much as coolish, and it wasn't windy as much as breezy, so they stayed out and enjoyed it.
One of the many, many wineries in the Finger Lakes area of New York is the Hermann J. Wiemer Winery just off Route 14. Herr Wiemer was a German who back in the '60s help found the area's reputation for white wines, most notably riesling. Jake and Stone shared a $5 tasting and bought two bottles for future consumption and/or sharing.
After a little snooze and relaxation back at the B&B our duo went to dinner at Veraisons, the restaurant at the large, somewhat iconic, Glenora Wine Cellars. Here they once sat outside with a wonderful lake view, and once an apparent eagle scout on the wait staff got their heat lamp started, things were nearly perfect for their last-night dinner. At Veraisons one pays as much for the views (the moon, no longer bloody, playing peek-a-boo with the clouds over the lake) as for the food and wine, but in the end the considerable bill was worth it.
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| Waterfall on Outlet Trail |
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| Bigger Waterfall on Outlet Trail |
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| The Keuka Outlet Trail |
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| Veraisons' Seneca Lake View |
Back at the B&B, their upstairs suite is too warm, but there was little they can do except open the windows and crank up the fan in the sitting room. It dawned on Jake and Stone that maybe the negatives of B&B's in general – no individual thermostat in most cases, an often scheduled breakfast that is not to their schedule, the usual lack of a suite arrangement, an often premium price, and hosts that are usually quite nice but sometimes overbearing – will make them reconsider their tendency to stay at B&Bs.
They talked of this on the ride back south to Jersey, and of other things as well. Such as the 60 miles – “can you believe it!” – they biked on this trip, how much they liked the Traverse City area if not TC itself, how great the “Big House” was, and how neat it was to be in Canada for a bit again. And then there was the unexpected – the day-trip to Mackanic Island, the eggs and “American bacon” at Tammy's Breck N Ridge, and perhaps most of all, the Bluffs Golf Course.
All-in-all a wonderful trip, planned and unplanned.
All-in-all a wonderful trip, planned and unplanned.
