Cycling/Shopping the Erie Canal - Part II

Well, we are halfway through - actually halfway plus a day!  Everything is going well.  Peter is doing the riding, despite some rainy periods, and I'm shopping my way across New York State.  I am definitely doing my bit for the economy!

Day 3 was Pittsford to Seneca Falls.  We woke up to heavy rain and thunderstorms and thanked our lucky stars for being in a hotel and not in a tent!!  Peter dutifully watched the weather radar and started about 2 hours later when it looked like all of the storms had cleared out.  I started out to the quilt shops for the day.  First stop was Ivy Thimble Quilt & Gift Shop in Victor and owner Trish follows their slogan: " Enter as strangers, leave as friends."  It's a great shop and you feel right at home as soon as you walk in.  I also got to meet Joanne, one of the long-armers and teachers.  She is also the leader/teacher for the Pastimers - the reproduction group.  Shop #2 was Sew Creative in Fairport and it's actually in an old train depot!!  Great news - they were having their Summer Sale - 40% of all of the fabric.  Yes, I had a little fun there!
 

Ivy Thimble in Victor, NY

My purchases at Ivy Thimble - baby flannel and Christmas tumbler pieces.

Sew Creative in Fairport, NY

Purchases from Sew Creative.  Christmas fabric to add to my tumblers pack, a Jo Morton fabric (great border) and two little prints that seemed to say "little girl dresses".

The actual ride brought Peter right along the Erie Canal, which he enjoys the most.  He's not big on riding along the roads.  The trail has been pretty flat, but there were some definite hills as they rode from Newark to Clyde - so glad I was in my car!! He stopped a little early so we could get ready for dinner that night - after a couple of stops along the way to see the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge - great place for bird watching. We were meeting my cousin Mike and his wife Jo at Stonecutters at Belhurst Castle in Geneva. Our table overlooked Seneca Lake - beautiful!!

Peter spotted these 2  8-man crew shells on the Canal near Fairport.

Day 4 was Seneca Falls to Syracuse.  Peter headed out nice and early and I got ready for my "special" day.  I was meeting my sister-in-law Anne at the Waterloo Premium Outlets - no quilt stores this day, just some good old personal shopping.  I scored a couple of new tops (always need those), a couple pairs of shoes and a couple of scarves - definitely a good day!  Anne and I headed back to their house and enjoyed some of the wine we had purchased when we did the wine tasting last week!!  

Luckily no rain for the riders and the ride went along the old Erie Canal.  Peter ended in Camillus and took some time for a boat ride on the Canal and a visit to the newly rebuilt aqueduct.  The riders spent the night at Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park and most of them had a chance to see the famous stop light on Tipperary Hill.  This part of Syracuse was largely settled by Irish immigrants and to honor that, the stop light is green on the top and red on the bottom!!  It's even in Ripley's Believe It or Not!  We lived in this neighborhood about 40 years ago and remember well what it was like on St. Patrick's Day!  Peter and his brother Steve enjoyed the All-American dinner at the zoo and the lecture on Engineering the Erie Canal.

Tent City at the Zoo in Syracuse.  Trucks bring the riders' suitcases to the next site.

Day 5 - today - was Syracuse to Rome and it was a bit rainy.  I think Peter was enjoying the visit with his brother, so he started a little later, but I still managed to visit my 2 quilt stores for the day.  Anne and I went to Calico Gals in Syracuse before I got on the road.  Owner Paula is the creator of the multi-state Row by Row Experience program.  She wasn't there, but the gals in the shop were eager to explain it to me.  Check out the link and see if your state is participating.  I loved the license plates that were made up for each shop!!  

Calico Gals in Syracuse

Peter and I met for lunch in Canastota - post rain.  Most of the riders were looking for water hoses to wash the mud off of their bikes and their clothes!!!  Luckily the folks at Three Pines weren't bothered by the mud!  Lunch and a quick trip to the Canastota Canal Town Museum and we were both off for the afternoon's adventures!  No time to see the Boxing Hall of Fame Museum! 
 

Canastota, NY

Cotton, Etc. in Wampsville was next on my list.  Great shop in an old brick building at the top of a hill.  Joanne was holding down the fort while Paula (the owner) was vending and demo-ing at Quilting-By-The-Lake at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse.  I remember way back when this was actually held by the lake in Cazenovia!  Baby flannels caught my eye here too.  Now I just need some more people to have babies.  I've been building my stash on this trip.
 

Cotton,Etc. in Wampsville, NY

Peter's goal for the day was Fort Stanwix in Rome, where Tent City was being set up.  At the stop in Chittenango he explored the Chittenango Landing Canal Museum and also learned that Chittenango is called Oz Land.  It is the home of L. Frank Baum, author of the  Wonderful  Wizard of Oz.  I feel very badly that I am an elementary school librarian and I didn't know that.  Definite gap in my education!! 

Tent City at Fort Stanwix National Monument in Rome, NY.  You can just see the Fort behind the tents.

A little more rain this afternoon, but the sun is out know and should be a beautiful day tomorrow.  I have really been enjoying the weather this week - cool, no humidity and mostly partly sunny days.  We haven't even had any humidity issues after the rain.  The nights have been cool and we've even needed a light blanket.  Next Monday is going to be a major reality check when I'm back in hot, steamy Florida!

I finally got around to taking some pictures of the fat quarters I purchased on my first day of shopping.  I'm seeing some beautiful Lucy Boston blocks and 6-pointed star blocks in my future!  I picked up some more today, but I left them in the car and will have to share another day.

Tomorrow is on to Canajoharie.  My  best friend from elementary school lived there for years, but now lives in Florida.  I will have to drive by and take a picture of her house for her!!  I have one stop to make in Utica tomorrow and then I think I am going to try and get some sewing done.  I haven't pulled the sewing machine out the past couple of days - getting lazy in my old age!!

Don't forget to order a kit for the Marcus Fabrics Friends and Companions Sew-along.  We were talking about prizes and giveaways today - you're going to want to be in this!!

Until next time, happy quilting,
Mary Ellen