Fall Delights at the Lakeside Cider Mill

     What would fall be without the inevitable search for cider doughnuts? As we motored north on highway 87 we called our usual place and found they were sold out. Disappointed but not surprised, I quickly developed a plan B which involved a computer search for Saratoga Springs and cider doughnuts. I drove while John manned the iphone. 

      The first call found a farm only open on weekends. The second call resulted in an open shop and farm stand just a few miles up the road in a town located just a bit south of Saratoga called Ballston Springs. “Yes”, came the answer “we have plenty of cider doughnuts” as I pressed my foot slightly harder on the accelerator I realized I was smiling from ear to ear.

   If I could have described my ideal vision of a New England farm stand where shopping for the doughnuts would be as much of a thrill as eating the doughnuts, I could not have conceived of a place as charming and befitting of the event as the Lakeside Cider Mill. We entered the parking lot and I could hardly wait to park the car. Had I not been driving I am pretty sure I would have asked John to slow down just long enough to have me safely jump out of the car.

     I began snapping pictures as I approached the building like some Autumnal paparazzi, torn between my desire for the perfect shot and the perfect doughnut. I was even more charmed as we entered the store. It was obviously a working convenience store serving the local community year round. It seemed to me that the place came alive in the fall. I marveled at the pumpkins, gourds and apples that were everywhere as the smell of baked goods filled the air. “Hot apple cider and a dozen cider doughnuts” I gushed as I approached the bakery staff wide eyed and grinning like a fool.

     Turns out the Lakeside Cider Mill had been a farm since the late 1800’s and was purchased by the Pearce family in the late 1940’s. Their literature says it has been in the same family for three generations. Perhaps that is why we found everyone working there so helpful and friendly.

     The Lakeside Cider Mill along with leaf peeping, whoopee pie hunting, maple syrup searching and friend visiting will now become one of my fall in New England rituals. As many times as you visit an area there are always new wonders to be discovered and delighted by. Thank You Lakeside Cider Mill for providing one of these seasons delights 

Loving the Loveless Cafe

      While on the trip home from our wedding in 2009 I was to pick up a tourist magazine that would effect all future visits to the area. This magazine listed ten things I needed to do before I left town. The entry that caught my eye was for a place called the Loveless café. It was nearing dinnertime and we decided to seek it out and see for ourselves if it would make our own cut of top ten things to do in Nashville. It more than qualified. It became a highlight of our trip home and we knew we would always include a stop there on any future trip through Nashville

The Loveless Cafe

      We arrived at the café and I was immediately intrigued and charmed. I could tell right away this was not just any restaurant. It was a village of sorts, a compound really, including shops full of trinkets, works of art and a large line of Loveless café brand food products and souvenirs. I was told that prior to fifteen years ago these buildings were the Loveless café’s hotel rooms and I thought it looked like a place I would have enjoyed staying, had I only known. The building that housed the café was an old home and each room has been transformed into a comfortable cheery dining area. The lobby walls are covered with photos of celebrity patrons who just like us had visited the Loveless café and fallen in love. 

No visit is complete without a stop at the store

The staff is gracious & helpful no matter how busy they are

      On this trip we returned to visit, enjoy brunch and stock up on some of the famous loveless café preserves. We arrived about twenty minutes after every church service in the area ended. The hungry congregations had flocked to the Loveless as well and swarmed the hostess podium like bees around a hive. We opted to take out our breakfast and enjoy it, and the beautiful day on one of the picnic tables scattered throughout the property. 

       The omelets and home made biscuits were as good as we remembered served with three kinds of preserves and hot coffee. Sadly, the creator of the iconic Loveless biscuit Ms. Carol Fay Ellison has passed away but, she has left a legacy that will be shared by generations to come. 

       When we visit the Loveless Cafe we feel as if we are visiting the home of a good friend. I was especially impressed with the staff who made us feel welcome despite the Sunday crowds. I can’t wait to stop there again on our return trip.

The cafes famous biscuits and preserves
  Here is a link to the Loveless cafe website

We

La Grande Maison d'Arthenay

    We left Paris for the first leg of my 50th birthday road trip with a basic outline of our route. We generally let the road and our curiosities dictate the finer points, preparing for the unexpected, and reveling in all that we encounter.

 A vineyard we passed as we drove through the Loire Valley

     For the most part we find our lodging as we go. There are times we swallow hard, times we shrug our shoulders and have a good laugh.

The welcoming entrance of the Grand Maison

      Then there are times through serendipity, good karma or sheer divine intervention we find ourselves at a place like La Grande Maison d'Arthenay. 

Stone walls surround the property

the view across from the main house

     As the Loire valley unfolded before us we were relieved we had uncharacteristically booked our Loire accommodations based on the friendly and helpful correspondence with Michaela via the Internet. She seemed warm, informative and welcoming and we looked forward to meeting her and staying at the Grand Maison. Nothing could have prepared us for the feelings we experienced pulling up to the property that evening. 

Our room was elegant yet cozy

The night we arrived

 It’s the slow excited feeling you get when you know you have stumbled upon a treasure and stand on the threshold of a memory you will cherish forever. We parked Surrounded by vineyards and entered the gate where the warm glow of the house beckoned. Michaela and Sue welcomed us and we shared a glass of wine. I was immediately amazed at how perfectly our hosts had taken this centuries old building infusing it with a level of warmth and comfort that is rare to find anywhere while maintaining the integrity and history of the structure. 

The main house

     Our room was representative of the entire home, beautiful in its upscale simplicity. Each piece of furniture and décor seemed to be one that had been carefully collected and selected with an eye toward comfort to make a guest feel at home. I slept like a baby and woke to a delightful and delicious breakfast of hot coffee, freshly squeezed juice, croissant, muesli and yogurt. We were very pampered and very grateful. 

Breakfast was lovely & made with care

To the right of the main house are more accommodations

Every corner has a beauty and a peacefulness  about it

After breakfast Michaela very kindly gave us a tour of the property including the various buildings and explained their use in times past. We especially like learning about the pigeonnier ( here is a link to learn more ) and touring the wine caves where for hundreds of years both wine and history were made. 

A Fascinating tour of the wine caves

     I will return La Grande Maison d'Arthenay as it now has a special place in my heart. Thanks to our gracious hosts who made my 50th birthday trip so memorable and perfect. 

The pigeonnier

inside the pigeonnier

The pigeonnier from below

 Here is a link To  La Grande Maison  

A Magical visit to Cassis

     Funny isn’t it, that a place I’d never heard of became one of the highlights of my recent European adventure. A friendly hotel clerk in Aix en Provence shared with us a place she holds dear, a town on the French Rivera called Cassis. 

     Dating to ancient times and rebuilt in the 16^th century Cassis is famous for the Calanques, deep fijordlike inlets at the base of beautiful white limestone cliffs. 

      Since many of our most cherished adventures turn out to be the result of recommendations offered by locals, we happily set our course for the cote de azure. Arriving after dark we worried that all the hotels would be full. The first two places we stopped to inquire about lodging were indeed full but the desk clerk at the latter happily directed us to a little place up the road that might have a room. 

    The third place was indeed the charm and did in fact have a small beautifully appointed room just for us. We quickly settled in feeling lucky to have arrived in time to take advantage the double bonus of pre season pricing and availability.

     As the sun rose I stirred and slowly woke up cozy as a kitten in a beam of sunlight. Seeing the sun streaming in through the blinds I knew it would be a beautiful day. I opened the window and to my delight the Mediterranean Sea appeared like an unexpected gift before me and caused me to gasp out loud. I woke John up eager to share this experience with him. As we gazed out of our window arm in arm captivated by our first views of the water I felt the muscles on my face tighten and I realized it was due to my Cheshire cat-like grin.

      We dressed quickly and made our way on foot to the port. The ten-minute walk stretched to thirty as we stopped to photograph scenic views along the way. We snapped photos as if to somehow devour all we saw and preserve that delicious feeling of contentment, pure joy of discovery and the perfection of this new day. As we descended the stairs to the port we felt as if we were stepping in to a postcard.

     The shops and cafes were preparing for their day, placing chairs and tables in neat rows to face the water. Small boats bobbed against the dock as the fishermen returned to sell their catch, their fish still wet and flopping on the fish tables.

     As we began to explore the town we immediately discovered a store dedicated to local cookies. I stood in the middle of the cobblestone street torn by the gravitational pull of the cookie store on one side of the street and the bakery on the other side of the street.

      After a visit to both we wandered into the Cassis open-air market, several blocks lined with stalls, their  tables laden with all manner of delicious treats. I spun around like a character in some dream sequence and landed in front of a stand covered with bowls full of olives, sun dried tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.

 

     To my right I noticed bolts of cloth that reflected the reds yellows and blues that are so popular in the Provence region. Table after table revealed cheeses, charcuterie, breads, vegetables and all manner of kitchen toys and even clothing. I reacted much like a pinball that released from its spring darted joyfully stall to stall unable to take it in fast enough.

     John followed me smiling at my enthusiasm patiently waiting for something to eat . Still buzzing and chirping about the market we headed to an outdoor café for breakfast and people watching .Enjoying breakfast at the port of Cassis we had the feeling that our daydreams had somehow become real. We sat at the café taking in the city perched vertically on the cliffs, listening to the sounds of the marina, savoring strong coffee and flaky croissant, being in love and feeling lucky for all of it

      I will forever be grateful to that hotel clerk in Aix en Provence who gave us a memory we treasure. We sometimes receive amazing gifts from total strangers if we are willing to open our hearts and our minds and extend a hand of friendship.

Getting to know me

Getting to know me…
Getting to know all about me…

      The girl with no technical background now has her own blogs. Just because I am somewhat technically challenged does not mean I don’t have lots to say.

       That statement will not surprise those who know me well. Thankfully with a little help from my friends I too have now joined what they call the blogosphere. Perhaps we will be learning the ins and outs of this medium together and I will learn more each day, I’m sure.

      Learning something new is at the heart of this new venture of adventure. It’s a good feeling to challenge myself in new ways and stretch muscles that I did not know I had. 

      This has been a year of new experiences for me, most notably my recent marriage to the love of my life, but that is a story for another day.

     I’m a person who loves cooking, traveling, TV, music, reading, talking, yoga, learning new things, meeting new people and writing about it all. I’m a modern day explorer and I can’t wait to see what I (we) discover through this forum. 

     I hope others will find this blog a home away from home. It will be a place you will enjoy revisiting time and time again. Maybe we can find more similarities than differences. Maybe we will have fun exploring the differences.