Ira Visits the North

Old Oct 24th, 2011, 05:51 AM
  #1  
ira
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 74,699
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Ira Visits the North

Hi All

It has long been known that there are lands outside Georgia. Some of them, such as Southern Tennessee, South Carolina, Alabama and Florida have been visited by enough travelers that they are familiar to most educated Georgians. For example, we all know that in Florida, "the farther South you go, the further North you get".

Yet, there are “faraway places with strange sounding names calling, calling” us.

We know that Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania were once hotbeds of anti-Southern sentiment. Yet, are they still that way?

Do the peoples of Canada still trade furs for knives, axes and firearms?

Just what is a “buckeye”?

Our purpose, in addition to experiencing the strange practices and behaviors of the exotic peoples outside the South, was to view the country and scenery of the Northeast as the trees took on their Autumn foliage. The key stops along the way were Buffalo, NY, where Roberta was born; the Thousand Islands; Québec City, CN; Middlebury, VT, the Mecca of the leaf-peeping zone; and Frostburg, MD, where the northern tip of the Southern hardwood forest meets the southern edge of the Northern hardwood forest.

We left Madison on Oct 3 and headed North on US441, a secondary road which extends from Southern Florida well into Ohio. Once North of Int85, the route took us through the pleasant scenery of several National Forests, where the trees were just beginning to turn color. Tallulah Gorge, in GA, the drive through the Nantaha National Forest and Rte 71, in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park, are particularly worth noting.

Pigeon Forge is a resort destination for those who enjoy discovering such not-to-be-forgotten adventures as Dollywood, The Lumberjack Feud and the Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Feud. Vacationing with the family here and in Gatlinburg, home to Cooter’s Place (remember the Dukes of Hazzard), seems to be a popular goal.

Should you find yourself in Pigeon Forge, the Pigeon River Inn has little balconies facing the river. It is inexpensive and not unpleasant. There are various places in town where you can have a better breakfast than that offered by the motel.

Dinner at the Bistro 109 in Sevierville was very nice: Grilled pork chop with apple/cranberry chutney over Orzo, accompanied by a melange of squash, peppers and onions for me, “Maryland” crab cakes with veggies and baked potato for my Lady Wife. Moderately priced.

Moving on the next morning, we skirted Knoxville, stayed on back roads until we had to get onto Int75, and then left it at London, KY for the pleasant views of the secondary roads through Annville, Beattyville, Pineville (The Natural Bridge State Park is worth a visit) and Frenchburg before stopping for the night outside Morehead, KY.

As Baedeker once said, “There is little here to detain the casual visitor”.

The next day we drove into and through Ohio. With the exception of a few hours in Columbus, where we visited the Children’s Park, the replica of the Santa Maria and the surprisingly intriguing topiary garden, there is nothing to report.

The children’s garden is a delight. Amusing statues of fantastic beasties are sprinkled beneath a caopy of trees that provide a cool and shady spot for play. There are channels of running water and fountains to add to the ambience.

The topiary garden is a reproduction of Seurate’s “A Sunday on the Island of Grande Jatte”. One can walk among the figures as if one were inside the painting. The most provoking aspect is that you can walk to the pond and then look back to the people who are standing “in front”. It’s like being in the painting looking out.

Leaving our serendipitous find behind, we said “Goodbye, Columbus” (See wiki) and headed across the vsast fertile plains of the agrarian and industrial heartland to Mansfield, OH, where we stopped for the night at the Travel Lodge. Nice room, inexpensive, good breakfast.
Dinner was at Skyway East, a pleasant place out of the 1950’s. This is where your mother and father (or your grandmother and grandfather) went on special occasions when you were very young. They still make up matchbooks with your name on them.

When I asked the maitre d’ if they allowed smoking, he said, “No, but we have been doing this for over 50 years”.

Lobster bisque, salad bar and a grilled trilogy of 1/ lobster, prawn and scallops for Roberta, Hawaiian Monchong fish, salad bar and a baked potato for me, an almost for-real Key Lime pie (we can’t resist yellow Key Lime pie), a bottle of “Menage a Trois” and 2 Manhattens – under $100.

For those of you into the newer cocktails, they are famous for their Brandy Alexanders, Grasshoppers and Pink Squirrels.

More to come

ira is offline  
Old Oct 24th, 2011, 05:58 AM
  #2  
ira
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 74,699
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
A slideshow is available at
http://tripwow.tripadvisor.com/tripw...7-5e30-98d2?lm
ira is offline  
Old Oct 24th, 2011, 06:06 AM
  #3  
cd
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,981
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Looking forward to the next installation!
cd is offline  
Old Oct 24th, 2011, 07:10 AM
  #4  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,067
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Hi Ira - it will be interesting to see how you liked the north. I hope you found some decent color. Unfortunately this has been the absolutely worst year for fall foliage where I live (western Mass) that I can ever remember.
isabel is offline  
Old Oct 24th, 2011, 07:29 AM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 17,106
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Just knew this is going to be a vastly pleasurable read when the TR started out with "It has long been known that there are lands outside Georgia."

Glad you went exploring the universe outside of Georgia, ira, and glad you're taking us with you!

Looking forward to more!
easytraveler is offline  
Old Oct 24th, 2011, 12:40 PM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 14,467
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Love that TripWow slideshow!
follow_your_bliss is offline  
Old Oct 25th, 2011, 05:34 PM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 45,322
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Lovely slideshow, ira! And I am so glad that you and your lovely wife were able to take this "heading north" trip.
LoveItaly is offline  
Old Oct 26th, 2011, 04:06 AM
  #8  
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 877
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Bookmarking
Pat_in_Mich is offline  
Old Oct 26th, 2011, 06:21 AM
  #9  
ira
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 74,699
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
The next day, because of the distance, we took the Interstate to Buffalo, NY. The drive was rather dull, except for occasional stretches of pleasant hills and a view of Lake Erie when approaching the city.

In Buffalo, we spent a very pleasant three nights in the Master Suite of the Elmwood Village Inn (hwww.elmwoodvillageinn.com/). The front room looks out the main street, while the bedroom has windows on the adjoining side street. Temperatures were comfortable enough, and the streets were quiet enough, that we could sleep with the windows open and the AC off. We highly recommend the Inn if you ever find yourself in Buffalo.

Our arrival coincided with the Innkeeper’s birthday, and Ms Powell graciously invited us to attend her party that evening. To say that a good time was had by all would be a gross understatement.

Breakfast the next morning, a simple affair of freshly ground coffee, home baked pastries, fruits and condiments, was quite sufficient to prepare us for the 15 min bus ride down to City Hall. Whether by luck or by plan, Buffalo’s City Hall (one of the country’s finest examples of Art Deco public architecture) is still intact.

We spent a pleasant hour, or so, being shown the various artistic and architectural items that make the building so interesting. One of them, a large mural in the lobby representing Buffalo uniting the US with Canada, has the motto “Frontiers Unfettered by any Frowning Fortresses” - a piece of alliteration that stayed with us for the next week.

A short walk from City Hall brought us to the bus stop from where we traveled up to the Albright-Knox Gallery (http://www.albrightknox.org/). [Travel note: The buses are not cheap, but the day pass is.]

Surprise! Surprise! We were quite unprepared for the offerings on display: Cezanne, Dali, Degas, Childe Hassam, Lichtenstein, Henry Moore, Mondiran, Jackson Pollock, Rauschenburg, Renoir, Seurat, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Warhol are only some of the famous artists whose works are shown here. Well worth a visit.

More to come.
ira is offline  
Old Oct 26th, 2011, 06:51 AM
  #10  
ira
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 74,699
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I forgot to tell you about the bear.

We were driving on Rte 11 through the woods in the Natural Bridge State Park when we had to stop behind the car in front of us.

A young black bear was ambling across the road. Having come down the hill on our left, he was making his way over to the hill on our right leading to a creek. He was not unmindful of the cars - sort of like a celebrity pretending not to notice the gawkers.

ira is offline  
Old Oct 26th, 2011, 07:57 AM
  #11  
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 4,935
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Not sure how you ventured into Columbus but I am guessing you wandered right by - http://germanvillage.com/, http://www.shortnorth.org/ & http://www.hockinghills.com/. The latter of which is particularly sad since you seem to have an outdoor theme. Your time would have been better spent in Ohio, than that particular portion of TN. (IMHO)
SAnParis2 is offline  
Old Oct 26th, 2011, 08:11 AM
  #12  
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 7,142
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
t
bardo1 is offline  
Old Oct 28th, 2011, 08:23 AM
  #13  
ira
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 74,699
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thanks for your suggestions, SAn
ira is offline  
Old Oct 28th, 2011, 09:16 AM
  #14  
ira
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 74,699
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Following our visit to the art gallery, dinner that night was at the Rue Franklin (http://www.ruefranklin.com/). We were seated in the small area to the right of the bar as you enter. Very Mediterranean in feel. The doors open out onto a garden.
My Lady Wife had the escargot, which she felt needed more garlic, and the pepper crusted salmon. I went with a series of appetizers: Country paté made of veal and pork accompanied by a house-made chutney –very good; Octopus a la Nicoise, (Mediterranean) very nice; and the Foi Gras Torchon with cornichons and a terrine of vegetables. With a bottle of chablis, 2 glasses of house wine, coffee and tip - $150.



Breakfast on Saturday was a simple repast from a local shop – bagels, lox spread, cream cheese, vegetable spread – and a cuppa. Best bagels we have had in a verrrrry long time.

Our day was spent wandering about – Elmwood Village Farmer’s Market, Delaware Park, Erie Basin Marina, Forest Lawn Cemetary and the house where Roberta’s father grew up.

We had a “light” lunch at Bistro Europa (http://europabuffalo.com/) a sandwich and a beer each - $30. The décor is “chabby chic” (shabby shiek?), but the food is very good. Home-made bread, artisinally cured meats. Roberta said that the bacon on her BLT (you can have an egg on it if you wish) was the best she had ever tasted. The pigs were fattened on peanuts and the flavor came through. I had a Reuben, which I thought was very good. The meat was prepared a la Montreal, not NYC.

Dinner was at The Left Bank (http://leftbankrestaurant.com/). Get there early. This is a very popular place. Bth the onion and the carrot bisque soups were very good. My Seafood linguini was good, LW’s seared scallops were excellent. The folks at the table next to us thought that the calamari was very good. With 2 glasses of house wine consumed while waiting, a bottle of chablis, coffee and tip $90.

After a breakfast of fruit, baked goods and coffee, accompanying some pleasant conversation, we bid goodbye to Ms Karen (lovely lady) and set off for the Thousand Islands.

Gasoline being anywhere from $1.25 to $1.75 a gallon more on the Canadian side, we chose to follow “The Sea Breeze Expressway” along the southern shore of Lake Ontario. You can actually see the lake for most of the route.

Highlights along the way were a stop at “Thirty Mile Point Light House”, Fort Ontario in Oswego, NY and the beautiful, pleasant back roads through orchard country.

Sunday and Monday nights were spent at the Glen House Resort (http://smugglersglen.com/) outside Gananoque. We had a very nice large room with a big, comfy bed, a small balcony overlooking the cove and a gas log fireplace. (http://smugglersglen.com/Pinewoods%2...wer/index.html) The latter was a very nice touch.

The staff at the lodge was very pleasant and helpful. The meals were nice. It was a pleasant stay, but we both think that the price was higher than was warranted.

Monday was spent on a tour of the Thousand Islands with a 2-hr stop at Boldt Castle (http://www.ganboatline.com/BOLDT_CAS...E_-118563.html).

This being one of the longer tours, the boat was not crowded. While at Boldt Castle one of the 2-hr tours came through. The vessel was filled to the gunwales with people.

I last saw the castle about 4 years ago, when it was a ruined derelict. Today, thanks to the efforts of the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority, it has been mostly restored. Well worth a visit.

After a nice day on the water (“a bad day on the water is better than a good day on land”) we returned to the resort for drinks on the balcony and a pleasant dinner.
ira is offline  
Old Oct 28th, 2011, 09:48 AM
  #15  
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,700
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
As someone we know said about a different 'north,' it's grim up there.

Nevertheless, good report, Ira.
cynthia_booker is offline  
Old Oct 29th, 2011, 12:52 PM
  #16  
ira
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 74,699
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
After breakfast Tuesday morning we loaded up the car, plugged in the GPS, stowed the water bottle and headed into the hinterlands toward Quebec. Following the back roads (Rts 20, 40, 13, 640, 25, 125, 158 and 131), our route skirted Montreal (Gracious, how it has grown), took us through the small towns of the farm country where we came upon the Fromagerie La Suisse Normande. (http://www.lasuissenormande.com/francais/)

What a nice surprise. This is a small cheese manufactory opposite a large dairy farm. The very pleasant lady who operates the facility with the help of two assistants gave us several samples of excellent artisinal cheeses. If we had let her, I think that she would have given us a little of everything.

Since they are located near several sheep and goat ranches as well as their own dairy farm, they make cheese from each type of milk. Of particular interest is their soft, aged cheese made from cow, goat and sheep milk.

Naturally, we bought several packages to help us stave off the pangs of hunger.

Returning to our main route, off we went until we reached the woods and climbed the mountain for an overnight stop at Auberge de la Montagne Coupee (http://www.montagnecoupee.com/auberg...ccueil_ang.cfm).

We were very, very pleasantly surprised.

We were given a very nice, double bedded, standard room overlooking the woods and the valley beyond. The furnishings, the amenities and the overall condition of the room was quite agreeable. After wandering the grounds for a bit and admiring the views, we had a bit of cheese, a glass of wine (or two) and went down for dinner.

We each chose the $47 pp menu. For appetizers, I had the beer-braised bison (always avoid alliteration) and Roberta had the Mesclun salad. Main courses were the Confit de Canard with a bit of foie gras for me and the Catch of the day for my Lady Wife. For dessert, Roberta chose the Mini jar of chocolate cream with raspberries in wine liqueur nestled on a lemon zabaglione, while I had the cheese plate.

The food was very good. The wines accompanying the meal (extra cost) were of very good quality. The service was excellent.

For breakfast the following morning we each chose the crepes – one regular and one of flax seed – filled with a chocolate/cheese mix and topped with crème fraiche.

Before we left, we stopped at the nearby Cistercian Monastery (http://www.abbayevalnotredame.ca/sej...ere/index.aspx) where we viewed an interesting exhibit of art work by the monks (some of it going back nearly 100 years) before stocking up on some excellent maple syrup at very good prices. (Fear not, we bought some American maple syrup in Vermont.)

The auberge is located about 1:30 hr from Montreal, 3 hr from Quebec in Saint-Jean-de-Matha. Highly recommended.

ira is offline  
Old Oct 29th, 2011, 01:13 PM
  #17  
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 8,875
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Enjoying your report although my dumb ipad won't show me your slide show.
santamonica is offline  
Old Oct 30th, 2011, 05:28 AM
  #18  
ira
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 74,699
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Sorry to hear that SM.

You are missing what might be the best visual experience since Edison invented motion pictures.

ira is offline  
Old Oct 30th, 2011, 06:24 AM
  #19  
ira
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 74,699
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Off we went from the Abbay toward Quebec City.

A small digression regarding our TomTom GPS.

It is excellent for driving in cities, especially at rush hour, because it knows the traffic patterns and where the congested streets are. It took us into and through QC during rush hour like a greased snake.

OTOH, it has a penchant for back roads.

Traveling between the Montagne Coupee and Shawinigan, for example, it took us off the equivalent of a US interstate onto a service road so that we could take an unpaved lane into a cement plant.

Another time, we were on a 90 kph road when it decided it would be faster to use a series of 50 kph byroads.
Since we were in no hurry, I didn't mind the scenic route, but it couldn't have been faster.

Anyway, we made our way into Québec City and to the door of the Gite de Paris (http://www.adorequebec.com/index.htm).

This B&B is very conveniently located with respect to the various sites and sights that would interest the usual traveler, on a quiet street of old houses. The rooms are nicely kept, the breakfast is very good (meats, cheeses, breads, fruits, cereals, yogurt, confits, eggs and a hot eggy something - omelet, quiche, etc), the staff is pleasant and helpful. A computer is provided for your use, and the kitchen is open 24/7.

I parked the car at the City Hall lot, about 6 min walk, for $12 pd.

Be aware, however, that although the two downstairs rooms are of a good size (no 2 is quite large), the upstairs rooms (Moon, Stars and 3) are tiny and the stairs are very steep. I think that we are about 15 years to old to have fully appreciated the charms of our visit to the Moon, although it did have a nice view onto the street through large French windows.

With the caveat that one should arrange for a downstairs room - there seems not to be an extra charge - we can highly recommend the Gite de Paris.

Unfortunately, we arrived with steady, cloudy, cold and drizzly weather, so our two days in Québec City were dampened a bit. We visited a couple of art galleries, wandered up and down the streets of Old Québec, had a cuppa and a bite at Paillard (http://www.paillard.ca/) which was a very nice place to stop and rest, and took some photos.

Aperitifs at the bar of the Chateau Frontenac was pleasant, although pricey.

Dinner at “The Old Canadians” (http://www.auxancienscanadiens.qc.ca/en/index.htm) was nice. We were seated in a small, low ceilinged, comfy, upstairs room, which was nice on a chilly, drizzly night. Dinner was traditional, backwoods Canadian fare: pea soup, bison, pheasant, meat pie, grilled salmon. Just the sort of thing one needs after a long day of felling trees.

From 4:00 – 5:45 PM they offer a 3 course menu for only $20. A bargain.

Our other dinner was at La Cremaillere (http://www.cremaillere.qc.ca/index.shtml), We were seated off to the right of the stairs in a very nice room that gives one the feeling of being in a prosperous, but not ostentatious home. We each ordered from the menu, about $50.

We started with appetizers of Salmon “Carpaccio”, which wasn’t really a carpaccio but was very, very good, and the special of bison tartare with goat cheese under phyllo. This was served on a long, narrow dish on which was painted a stained glass window in red, yellow and green purees with a balsamic reduction for the leading. A delight to the eye as well as the palate.

My Lady Wife had the salmon (you might be detecting a pattern here) – very moist and flavorful - while I enjoyed the papardelle (wide noodles) with porcini. The noodles were definitely freshly made, and the porcini were as good as any I had in Italy.

Desserts were a pot of chocolate cream with a zabaglioni sauce-covered fruit and a fruit cup with homemade vanilla ice cream, candied orange zest and a tuile cookie.

With wines, coffees and tip - $200, and worth it.

More to come as we sneak into the US and head for Vermont.

ira is offline  
Old Oct 30th, 2011, 03:35 PM
  #20  
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 8,875
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
saw the slide show. very cool. looking forward to vt.
santamonica is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -