sometimes photos are bittersweet...

Lake Ostego (photo by me!)


Isn't it strange what makes you homesick out of a clear blue sky? On any given day, I love my life in Florida. Don't get me wrong. Of course there are people I miss like crazy & deep down I am inherently "New England" but Florida is home now.

I was just flipping through some photos though & I came across some of Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard from a few years back. There is this tiny little town nestled into the mountains of New York named Fly Creek. It's about 20 minutes outside of Cooperstown & if you didn't wander a little way off the beaten path, you would never know it existed. Back when I still lived in CT, I used to love a day trip into this area of New York, just me & my dad. It's about a 4 hour trip up but so worth it. We are only on one small stretch of highway the whole trip & at that, it's not a very busy one. Other than that, it's all these windy backroads with quaint little towns and farm country and the Catskill Mountains,just the two of us, some good music, some conversation. We have it all down to a science. I drive the first half of the trip. We stop at McDonald's to grab my dad a coffee & a quick bathroom break. Then he drives the rest of the way. We stop at this little place we affectionately call "the fly trap" because without fail there are always a dozen or more flies trapped inside banging on the window screens--darned if we even know the real name of the place LOL--but the pastries are yummy & we grab a couple of homemade doughnuts & stretch our legs.

Then it's on the road again, next stop Fly Creek. It's this neat functioning cider mill & orchard with a country store & a snack bar. We browse the store, get some cider (which they sell "regular" and frozen so that it will keep for those who are on a trip like ours) & other goodies. Then we have a snack, complete with some hot apple cider & some sort of apple dessert: apple crisp or apple pie or hot apple topped sundaes. Yum... With our stomachs content, we hit the road again, our destination close but not before one more stop along the way. On another side road, tucked away from first glance is the Cooperstown Brewing Company where you can take a tour of the brewery & sample some of their specialty beers. My dad always buys a case or 2 to savor during the hot summer months. He's practically on a first name basis with the brothers who own the place but this is just that sort of area: small towns where faces are familiar and people are still friendly & pleasant. Next stop for us is the ultimate destination: Cooperstown, home to The Baseball Hall of Fame. We always wander through these halls, see the memorabilia, the latest tributes. I am especially intrigued by some the photography that they display there now as well. But even if you aren't into baseball, the town still holds so much appeal. There are neat little shops all up & down Main Street that have a flavor of baseball of course, but also something distinctly New England. We aimlessly meander the street, stopping at a few old favorites (we've been doing this since I was a small child) & here too it's amazing how people stop to wave & smile, not just friendly but that look of recognition that warms the expression on their faces. My dad goes up probably 4 or 5 times from May through October (I used to make the trip with him in Ocotber for my birthday and the foliage) and these people have seen me grow up. There are a bunch of little places to eat scattered throughout "downtown" but we have our favorite places: a light lunch at the Pioneer Patio, where the owner will keep the restaurant kitchen open just for us even if he was about to lock up & he will stand behind the bar, chatting with us as we eat, talking a little baseball with my dad, always remembering my dad's favorite teams.

After lunch, we shop some more and then we drop our packages off at the car and take a long walk up & down the tiny streets, absorbing the atmosphere, looking at the houses that have all the old New England charm you would expect. We always end up on the banks of Lake Ostego (pictured above), enjoying the conversation or simply the comfortable silence. Then it's dinner at one of the restaurants "downtown" where there is a baseball theme to the establishment & they of course serve beers from the brewery we had visited earlier. We eat & relax & then as the sun is starting to set, we head for the car to start the ride home, tired from the day but that happy relaxed sort of tired that comes from a day full of time well spent. There was never any rushing around, just an easy pace. My dad drives the first leg of the trip and at McDonald's, we switch & I finish it up.

The whole trip is comforting & predictable as are the memories I have of it. It's one of the things I miss the most, being so far away now. And tonight the photos made me a bit homesick: for autumn in New England, for traditions, for my dad. But the memories are sweet & warm and they make me smile.

If you ever find yourself on a getaway to this area of New York, make sure you get yourself off the interstates & give yourself the freedom to explore, to find your own special memories. It's a place I hold near & dear to my heart...