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Rows of charming wooden boathouses on Canandaigua City Pier have a distinct old village “seaside “charm . The Historic Canandaigua Boathouses rustic beauty and unique personality make a visit to the Canandaigua Pier a Summer bucket list activity. If you ever find yourself in the Canandaigua area, make it a point to schedule time to …

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The town of Newark holds so much history that I find myself constantly returning and researching it.  A short drive to many of the Finger Lakes attractions and historical sites, you definitely need to consider visiting. There is so much history in this town that was once the industrial and retail center of the county, …

Read More about Vintage Gardens Bed and Breakfast (The Jackson & Perkins Estate) Newark, NY

updated 4/22/2016  Willard Asylum for the Insane In a nutshell Willard officially opened in 1869. By 1877  Willard, at 475 acres (1500 patients) was the largest asylum in the United States1 .  In 1995 Willard Psychiatric Center closed its doors, but a portion of the campus is a  New York State Department of Corrections rehabilitation facility for inmates. Obviously, …

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I remember when I first learned that salt potatoes are a regional dish. I was shocked that the rest of the country is oblivious to what is clearly the best way ever to prepare potatoes. Salt potatoes are so popular in Upstate New York I can not imagine a family picnic, carnival or fireman’s chicken barbecue …

Read More about Book Review: A Taste of Upstate New York: The People and the Stories Behind 40 Food Favorites

  Upstate New York is home to a growing community of Amish and Mennonite families. Drawn to the area’s fertile soil and available farmland, they have become a pleasant fixture here. It is very common to see horse-drawn buggies on the roads, young Mennonites in their late teens and early 20′s are often seen riding …

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I wrote this article in the summer of 2013, but because watching It’s a Wonderful Life is part of our Christmas tradition and with the upcoming 68th Anniversary Festival of It’s a Wonderful Life in Seneca Falls this weekend I wanted to  share this again. This was not on my Summer Bucket list, but I am …

Read More about Seneca Falls: George Bailey’s (It’s a Wonderful Life) Bridge