1. Debbie and I headed out of Geneva, NY and pointed the Camry toward the Niagra Falls State Park, looking forward to seeing the mighty cascades in person that we've seen in pictures and on television so many times.
We arrived and immediately saw that more than a state park, it's a theme park with souvenir vendors, tickets to buy to ride a boat right up to the falls or ride a trolley around the park or walk up on a huge observation tower.
We just wanted to see the falls and I'd say that in order to enjoy and appreciate their grandeur, I had to block out all the stuff I described above. We walked to a trail that offered some views and the falls put big smiles on our faces. I was able, for a short time, to block out all the structures, vendors, signs, and other non-natural features of the park and I enjoyed feeling a sense of wonder.
We didn't stay long. It was starting to get hot out and whatever experience of nature we might have been looking for was pretty limited -- and we experienced our limited engagement with the natural grandeur of the falls and headed back to the car.
2. Back on my birthday on December 27, 2017, I got to split a Creme Brûlée (on the house) with Debbie at Radio Brewing. As I wrote back then, eating that dessert took me back to October 17, 2011. I'd just begun trying out a bunch of craft beers and that day I drank an unforgettable Creme Brûlée stout brewed by Southern Tier Brewing of Lakewood, NY. The brewery's name became kind of legendary to me -- I never dreamed that one day I'd visit it.
Debbie has also had great experiences with Southern Tier beers and so we left Niagra Falls and embarked on a two hour or so drive to Southern Tier's brewery.
We were about 40-50 minutes from the brewery when we left the freeway and travelled on a series of state and county highways. We passed through a series of handsome towns, all featuring small old churches. At many spots along the way we saw roadside stands selling produce and flowers. It was all pastoral, very lovely.
But, as I was coming straight down hill on one of these roads, a car pulled out into a country intersection. Hmm, I thought in an instant. That driver does not see me. I slammed on the brakes. The tires squealed. The driver seemed frozen and the car didn't move. I swerved around the other driver by going into the lane meant for cars heading toward us. Luckily, no cars were in that other lane. It was a frightening 10 seconds or so, but no harm done. I righted the Camry, returned to our lane, and continued our drive to Southern Tier.
3. Southern Tier has a large tract of property behind its brewery with picnic tables scattered across its hugeness. This area features a stage and after we'd been there about an hour, a couple of guys who call themselves Acoustic Jukebox played a mix of original songs and lots of covers - songs by Steve Miller, the Eagles, Tears for Fears, and others.
Debbie and I ordered a flight blending hazy IPAs with Imperial Pumpkin Stout and a raspberry wheat ale.
Then we ordered a second flight, this one filling in some gaps, including a sample of Pumpking Ale brewed with cold press coffee.
We enjoyed every beer we sampled and also very much enjoyed our food. I had a cheeseburger with a side salad dressed with bacon balsamic dressing and Debbie enjoyed her grilled cheese Panini and had the same salad.
We lingered for quite a while, letting the beer work itself out of my system, and enjoying the music, the gaggle of thirty-something parents with a matching gaggle of energetic kids, kids who had all kinds of room to run around and play. It was a great scene -- people of all ages, staff happy to please us, mild temperatures -- in short, a perfect brewery stop.
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