Dad’s proposed “quick trip to Bainbridge to pick up windows” turned into a full day’s adventure!
We began our day with a delicious breakfast at the very grim Main St. Cafe in the even grimmer town of Susquehanna Depot. As railfans, we couldn’t resist poking around by the old station; sadly; it’s now basically falling down and is all marked private property.
The adventures continued with a benchmark-hunting adventure that took us through Ouaquaga (HOW do you pronounce that?!), and somewhere along the way we spotted a sign advertising Manure Tours … I can only imagine what that is. We checked the watchman’s tower and signal bases nearby just in case they held any benchmarks, but none were evident.
Next on our route was Lanesboro’s Starrucca Viaduct, an historic stone arch railroad bridge built in 1848 and still in use by the Southern Tier Line of Central/Southern New York. I had already found the benchmark set in one of the viaduct’s pillars years ago, but Rich wanted to see it, and I figured it would give me an opportunity to submit an updated log. There’s nowhere to park because the viaduct is on a blind curve, so Dad dropped me off to take photos, and drove a few miles up the road to find somewhere to turn around. Meanwhile I took some photos in the drizzle and hopped back into the car when they returned. While in Lanesboro we looked for my the house my grandmother grew up in. We’re pretty sure that we found it, although Mom wasn’t certain.
Then on to the BM in Ouaquaga, and then Bainbridge. We first stopped at the town offices, found the BM and right above it but inside the window a gorgeous purple flowering Thanksgiving cactus! Recalled the derailment we’d read about while on the site. Then on to get the windows, which Dad did while R and I looked for the BM on the railroad bridge just behind the window place. Couldn’t find it, maybe due to the ice and snow, assuming it was on the lower shelf, but I don’t know if that’s the case since it doesn’t quite match the description, but nothing really does. Will have to try again in summer.
Then in typical fashion, mom decided she wanted to make more of a day out of our adventure. We headed northeast toward Cooperstown, stopping at Fly Creek along the way and trying all of the goodies, and seeing all the ducks! I bought a two pound jar of honey for whole wheat bread and wilderness huckleberry tea in a moose tin.
Then on to Ommegang Brewery, where we did a tasting (after waiting a while) and enjoying generous portions of all 6 beers, then having a light lunch. Mom and Dad both had salad, apple, bread and cheddar cheese (Dad also had the creamy bratwurst soup, of which I had a taste). I had the cheese plate (one sheep, one cow (cheddar) and one goat (blue) cheese), local honeycomb, pistachio butter, figs, baguette, and R had the chicken breast sandwich with slaw and aioli. R and I shared the Hop House. After eating we bought two jars of their strawberry jam because we liked it during the tasting and it has no stupid corn syrup, just sugar.
Next we did a quick run into the Bear Pond winery, where my mother and I did the tasting of 6 wines while Dad and R poked around. We bought a few bottles as well as Lapsang Souchong tea cheese just because we can’t even imagine what it’s like. Rich noticed it in the case before I did and he knew I would have to try it! It’s from the same cheesemaker (Harpersfield) as the lavender cheddar we had and loved last year, so we’re hoping for the best!
A-a-a-n-d within a mile of passing the “Welcome to Pennsylvania” sign, dark clouds appeared overhead and it was raining. Well, at least we had a few hours of sunshine and warmth—a definite window into the season of warmth that will come.