Seeking Beauty on Roads Less Traveled

Mom and I have a rule when it comes to our “See America” road trips. It is a rule that has developed from experience. Wherever we are going, the exploration stops before nightfall. Street signs are too hard to see and getting lost, although potentially fun during the day can turn un-fun after dark when one is tired and just wants to be someplace comfortable. “Lick Street”, Mom says to me. “The bed and breakfast is on Lick Street”. You're kiddimg me, right? This is funny for a variety of reasons. One being that out of all the streets we drove past between New York City and Upstate New York, the one street sign we both mentioned out loud as we passed it was Lick Street. Great minds think alike I guess...or warped minds think alike :) Of course, our new bed and breakfast inn is on Lick Street. And as luck would have it, as nightfall approaches, we know exactly where it is. The Bountiful Blessings Bed and Breakfast is just that....a blessing. Owned by a lovely innkeeper by the nam...

The morning of the Barn Sale has arrived. I have to admit that I am rather excited. We set out for Mackenzie-Childs but by now, you should realize that we never get from Point A to Point B without getting a little sidetracked or distracted by any number of things...a road we have never been down before that looks like it could lead to somewhere pretty or this particular morning a sign that said “Lake Ridge Winery – Open”. Before 11a.m. seems a tad early for wine tasting but when in NY State Wine Country.... I will tell you, if you are in the area, you must try their apple wine....It's delicious. Get it? Apples? Delicious? Delicious Apples?  And we have 6 bottles of it, packed away in the trunk of car to prove it. Beautiful scenery all with a backdrop of Cayuga Lake. We did stop at another winery...the name eludes me. The town of Aurora is lovely. Federal-style buildings dating back to the mid 1700's line each side of Main Street. Lots of tourists in town and lots of local...