On the Road with SueBob, Day 2: People First

Have you ever been to a wine tasting? That's pretty much the reason we, and everyone else, are in the Finger Lakes. Sounds easy enough, but please understand the reality of the situation. There are hundreds of wineries within an hour of here. Each of the lakes has its own winery trail. Add to that brewery trails, grape trails, state parks with not-to-be-missed gorges (I had better not miss the gorges, because I'm not even sure what they are), and the surprise and all-enticing addition of the cheese trail, and you have yourself a conundrum. After an executive meeting involving three versions of the same map, a dozen brochures, two iPads, and four indecisive adults, we finally deferred to our host, Guy, from The 1840 Inn on Main.
Let me digress for a moment to tell you that this bed and breakfast is one of the best we have ever stayed in. Beautiful home renovated to its original grandeur with exquisite detail, with the personally required in-room private bathrooms. A porch with plenty of space to relax on white wicker furniture leads into the dining room, decorated in sophisticated golds and reds. There's a common living room complete with period furniture and classic board games. Our rooms are perfect, and being who we are, we've investigated the other three rooms by now (the guests were gone and the doors were open, I promise) and they are actually palatial. Breakfast? I have to save that discussion for another day. Here's my point: we have stayed in a lot of beautiful bed and breakfast properties, but this one has the key factor that takes it over the top. The innkeepers are pleasant, gracious, helpful, give me another good adjective and I would list it here.
Guy heard us (if you know my family at all, of course he heard us) spiraling into complete befuddlement trying to plan our day. He dared to enter the maze of our confusion and offered to lead us through. My hero. The magic he wields is in his simple, unassuming demeanor. Ten minutes after speaking with him, we had a plan. Armed with sweatshirts, bags, one new and improved map, an iPad, and Bob's serious camera equipment, we loaded ourselves into the Enclave and headed out for our first day of adventure.
We saw lots of things, explored various places, olly-hop-noodling to Geneva, down the west side of Seneca Lake, around Keuka (pronounced QKA) Lake, and back up Canandaigua Lake. Believe it or not, we only did two wine tastings, but they were both unique experiences. The one I will remember years from now, however, is the one at Bully Hill. I actually preferred the wine at Fox Run, but our vintner at Bully Hill chatted openly with us about her own life. She's a teacher who drinks a lot of wine (tell me about it, sister). How could I leave there without purchasing wine after sharing a personal conversation about life's challenges with this young woman?

As any traveler knows, we had to have a small world experience in our day. It happened at our dinner spot, recommended by the heroic Guy, Beers and Brats. I had a brat made with wine marinated pork and apricot, with sauerkraut made from locally grown cabbage, bacon, and pineapple. Yes, your mouth should be watering. But again, what I will remember the longest about this stop is the conversation we had with our waiter. Here comes the small world connection: he has cousins in Harpswell, Maine, who are lobstermen and in the elver market.

There were lots of other stops yesterday, but it's the people who are vivid in my recollection. The woman in the shoppe (yes, deserving of the pe) who talked insistently about her Airedale terriers, Daisy and Gatsby. The guys working the lunch counter and the bartender on the back deck of the Olney Market who couldn't wait to talk about the Patriots-Bills game. The bartender who was on a first name basis with Mitch and Bob after an hour long stop in Hammondsport. The places we visit can be beautiful, interesting, unusual, inspiring, but it's the connection with people that leaves the real impression.