On the Road to New York

It was a gorgeously warm morning when we pulled out of Eagle Ridge court, pointed the car east and sped off to New York. Traffic was surprisingly light for most of the trip and the roads were generally and not unexpectedly in poor shape. 

The exception being the Ohio Turnpike between Toledo and Cleveland and I-86 in southern New York. In fact, the Southern Tier Expressway, as it's known locally, was a wonderful way to spend the last 170 or so miles before we reached Corning, New York. The scenery was really quite lovely, little traffic to the point of being a bit spooky, and the views along the Allegheny River Valley were remarkable. The NY Welcome Center overlooking Chautauqua Lake was a most pleasant surprise.

We stopped for a picnic lunch along the Ohio TP; other than gas and bathroom stops we kept pushing eastward.

Nine hours and nearly 600 miles later we pulled into our hotel in Corning. We had stayed at this particular Hilton property, the Garden Inn, overlooking the Chemung River back in 2019 and thought it a fine place to spend a night. Although I had checked in online before we left Michigan I never received my digital key so we had to stop at the desk to pick up a physical keycard. 

After unpacking a few items we walked from the hotel across the river into downtown Corning. I had made reservations at The Cellar, a wine bar on Market Street, and we were soon seated at a hightop with a view of the street so people watching played a large part of our evening's entertainment. We ate here in 2018 and in 2019 and found the food delicious, the service friendly and the wine list worth the stop alone. We were not disappointed this time either.

For our aperitif we ordered two glasses of Prosecco, each with a shot of Campari, to toast our arrival back in the City of Glass. For dinner we shared an order of roasted Brussels sprouts with walnuts, I had chicken with waffles on a bed of fried cauliflower, and Susie had two chicken empanadas and a house salad, all washed down with a glass of Sancerre. A perfect way to end a long day of travel.

From the restaurant we strolled back to the hotel and bed. 

Next stop - the Archers in Prattsville, New York, for lunch and then push on to Dick &
Dorothy's home in Douglas, Massachusetts.

Ciao for now!

Chautauqua Lake Welcome Center and overlook