Vacation.02

So I was able to edit some more pictures last night and wanted to share them with you. This will be the last of the vacation posts, I promise :) We didn't realize that where we were in New York was smack dab in the middle of wine country. The Chautauqua - Lake Erie Wine Trail stretches 47 miles -- and we were staying almost right at the half way mark. There were 17 wineries within a 20 mile stretch south of us and the remaining 6 wineries were spread out on the 27 mile stretch north of us. So we decided on our way out of town that we were going to try to hit as many as we could in a couple hours. We made it to 5 in all -- unfortunately time wasn't on our side, but we got a lot of tasting in!

First stop @ Johnson Estate Winery. This was by far my favorite. Didn't
cost anything to taste most of the wines, with the exception of the ice
wines and a few others. The vibe and overall experience was great! We
ended up buying a bottle of Chardonnay here, but I'd highly recommend
the White Spiced Wine they had here. Super yummy and served hot.

Second Stop @ Noble Winery. The view here was AMAZING. You got a
great panoramic of Lake Erie and it's high up on a hill, so it's nothing but
grapes and nature! You got 5 tokens for a $1 and they were discontinuing
some of their wines, so we picked up some great deals.

Third Stop @ Sensory Winery. This one was a bit off for me. It was one part
winery and three parts art gallery. They only had 3 things that weren't sold out
and overall, the atmosphere was non existent. We did like the only red wine
they had though (not pictured) and bought it. Unfortunately it broke in the
trunk of the rental car on the way home. UGH

Fourth Stop @ Quincy Cellars. This place was entirely too stuffy for my
liking. It was $5 per glass to taste -- and it'd be taken off your purchase
of a bottle. You got to taste the whole list for that price -- about 8-10
different wines, but we only wanted to have 3 off the list, and still only
got one glass for our $5 bucks! I really liked their Vidal Blanc though, so
we bought a bottle, but it was also the most expensive winery we went to.

Fifth and Final Stop @ Arrowhead Wine Cellar. This was just over the PA
border and right across the street from another winery that we never made it
over to. They had a TON of things to chose from -- $1 for 4 tastings. It also
was a spot to get all kinds of wine gifts/decor/etc. They had a number of
great wines and I ended up scooping up two, including this one in a cobalt
lighthouse bottle that I can't wait to do something fun with once I drink it!

All in all, it was a blast. Wish we had a little more time and a chauffeur and we would've been set for the day. Guess that just means that we'll have to plan an extra day in for it next time we're all in New York :)

Vacation.01

HOME AT LAST! Vacations are great, but when you're trying to pack as many things as you can into a small amount of time (not to mention the 12+ hour to and from + an extra 4.5 hours round trip to Canada) it's overwhelming and a bit stressful at times. I must say though, that it was one of the best vacations that I've been on in a while! I wanted to post some pictures from the trip for you guys and there's a ton more that I need to edit and such. But this should wet your appetite for now :)

Coming thru Cincinnati on the way to NY -- absolutely beautiful
city. Thinking of planning a weekend trip up here soon!

Me and the fam fam at the New York state line :) 

On the porch of where we were staying -- this is the Lake Chautauqua
Inlet behind their house. Very peaceful.

My first picture of Niagara Falls! Was pretty misty the day we went, but
was still one of the most amazing things I've ever witnessed!

View off the back of the Maid of the Mist -- we were on the Canada side.
That's Rainbow Bridge and the American Falls in the background.

One of at least 3.5 dozen pictures that I took while we were on the MOTM.
So glad that I own a waterproof case for my iPhone :) This is of Horseshoe
Falls -- ie the main fall at Niagara.

There was so much to do besides just see the Falls. We strayed upon
this putt putt course and decided to do a little golfing after dinner. 

They had like 3 huge T-Rex's through out the course. And a huge raging
volcano that literally spewed the hottest fire every 30 seconds or so.

I overcame my fear of heights long enough to ride the Sky Wheel. It had
a great view of the Falls and the whole surrounding area. Picture doesn't
do it justice, but it was 175 feet high :)

So all in all, you can see that we had a pretty great trip. It was awesome to knock Niagara Falls off my bucket list and I can't wait to go back again when the kiddo is a little older. I think it's definitely one of those things that everyone should experience in their lifetime. It's worth every penny and every second!

What's your favorite vacation memory?