Away

I've had this uncomfortable feeling that the summer hasn't yet started and somehow is already over. I know that neither is true, it's just a feeling.

So right now we are in Ithaca. One of my kids is doing a music program for two weeks here, and as long as we had to come up here to pick her up, we figured we could leave a few days early and hang out in the Finger Lakes region.

So let me talk about the Finger Lakes. They do kind of look like fingers on a map, but the name is just kind of sketchy sounding. What the Finger Lakes are known for, aside from their shape, is their wineries. Over the years, wines made in New York have acquired an improving reputation, but they're still nothing special in the wine galaxy.

But I figured out why the wineries here are such a big deal. Because there's absolutely nothing else here. I'm looking at the "wine trail" map and in between the wineries there's...well, corn fields and towns you'd never visit unless you needed corn.

So tomorrow we'll tour around. From what I've heard a lot of the wineries are in really beautiful spots with great views. That's the other thing people say about places where there's nothing, that the scenery is beautiful. And in fact it's very pretty around here. But I never forget a satirical article we had in my college newspaper (my college was not terribly far from here) on the pros and cons of being at the college.

Pro: A view of the Mohawk Valley
Con: Living in the Mohawk Valley

 I'm not saying it's equivalent exactly. This seems like a nicer area than around Utica (population when I was in school: 90,000, population now: 60,000, which tells you all you need to know). And of course I can find things to enjoy anywhere. I was just in advertising too long to not be wary of the overpromise.

I'll be back with a report on our touring and a bit about the hotel later.