Garbage, Grapes and Groves

While nannying for us this summer, my sister Whitney told us about a Grape Festival near Rochester, NY. Apparently they grow a special type of grape in the Finger Lakes region and every year there's a festival around harvest time. She'd never been to the actual festival but had partaken in the goods from it. She told us the grape pies are best with some heated peanut butter drizzled over them. That was enough to pique our interest and it just so happens the festival coincided with a much needed break for both Brent and I so we've spent this weekend in upstate NY.

When we got into Rochester on Friday night we decided to go to Nick Tahou Hots, home of the garbage plate (another Whitney suggestion). There's no doubt about it, the place is a dive but the atmosphere more than makes up for it. As we were nearing Rochester, Brent noticed the place closed at 8 PM and the GPS had our ETA as 7:45 PM. If we hit any traffic, we'd miss it. He called to see if we could do take out just in case and the owner told him if we were close he'd keep the place open for us. Then he asked about our position, down to the mile marker and warned us about some construction between here and there. Turns out he used to be a truck driver so he really knew what he was talking about. They weren't kidding about the garbage plate... it literally looks like a plate of garbage but it was warm and tasty and perfect for a family that had been on the road for 6 1/2 hours. Nick Tahou Hots definitely has a special feeling to it. We talked with the owner and his wife as we left and they are salt of the earth people... the kind we need more of in this world. He was so happy we'd made it and talked highly of the missionaries who frequent the place. He joked we could tell Whitney to expect her commission check in the mail.

The Grape Festival started on Saturday and it was... interesting. It takes place in Naples, NY and they're not kidding about their grapes. The fire hydrants are grape purple. The ambulances have grapes on them. A good 1/3 of the people attending the festival were dressed in grape-colored clothing. There's no doubt what this town is all about. They sold not only grape pies, but "grapples" which are grape flavored candy apples, grape bread, grape tarts, grape preserves, etc. I've never been into grapes much but I have to admit the pie was strangely good. We didn't have any melted peanut butter to drizzle on it but we purchased an extra pie to take home and we'll try it there. The artisans were quite the dissappointment. Many people were selling what looked like their trash out on their yards. There was one booth were some young girls were selling friendship bracelets... exactly like the ones I used to make when I was their age 20 years ago. But the drive there and back was just gorgeous so that made up for it. I wouldn't go again, but if someone offered me some of that pie I'd jump at the chance. I've never tasted anything like it!

After the Grape Festival we headed to Fayette and Palmyra to see some of the church history sites we missed when we went to the pageant last summer. The missionaries still remembered Whitney fondly and apparently she had really talked up her Boston relatives so we got the star treatment. Some of them even recognized Liesel from a photo Whitney shared! The Whitmer Farm, EB Grandin Print Shop and Martin Harris Farm were beautifully restored and had a very special feeling to them. We left feeling spiritually recharged which is exactly what we were looking for. The best part? Brent had enough Marriott points for the hotel so we only paid for gas and food. It was just perfect for us because we're still pinching but we really needed to get away as a family. We've taken advantage of the hot tub and Liesel has loved sleeping with us in the king-sized bed. In the middle of the night I've been awaken by her patting my face kind of like she's just checking to see if I'm still there. Last night Brent tried to put her on the floor on some cushions but at 3 AM a fuzzy haired toddler pleaded out of the darkness "Up?" so she was back in bed with us much to her delight. Right now Brent's with Liesel in the Sacred Grove while I relax and pack up our stuff to head home. It's may not sound like much, but it's really been a great vacation!