Tuesday - Wednesday, September 6 - 7th 2022 … Two Lane Adventures Continue!

Before we left Chemung County, I enjoyed my final walk. Since there was so much rain on Monday, I ditched the trails and stuck to the roads. I am glad I did, because on my way to the beach I met a single deer and she stood still as I passed.

The sky still looked ominous but the weather does not call for rain. I guess it will just be an overcast day to travel.

I walked the parking area by the beach and climbed the hill to the overflow RV parking and picnic area and on the way toward the park entrance I ran into these three deer munching on the leaves of these bushes. Again, they stayed there as I quietly passed.

We just wanted to get to Brain & Janet’s, so we took I-86 across the southern portion of New York. This highway that cuts across the southern extremities of central and western New York, connecting Binghamton on the east with the Pennsylvania state line on the west. Historically signed as New York State Route 17; being gradually consumed by Interstate 86. It was a good choice, because Route 6 in Pennsylvania would have been treacherous with this fog!

I find it interesting that there are schools that are changing their mascots because they were called “Chiefs” or “Indians.” But the New York State Southern Tier Expressway sign still sports a Native American-themed logo years after other highways got rid of theirs.

Sadly, just west of Bath is a wind turbine graveyard! This wind energy is supposed to be all the rage … but what happens to the parts when they are worn out? Almost 9% of the total electrical energy produced in the US comes from wind power. With so many wind turbines being installed, what happens to the wind turbines when they are decommissioned? 

Wind turbines are made mainly of metal and can readily be recycled into high-value goods. However, the wind turbine blades are an exception. Wind turbine blades are huge and strong, so they’re difficult to grind up and reuse. And they’re made of a mix of glass and plastic fibers that are tough to separate, so most end up in landfills. In Ireland, they’re using large pieces to make a bridge on a pedestrian and bike greenway. And at a wind farm in Kansas, there are plans to try placing old blades vertically in the ground and using them as electrical transmission poles.

It was a day for transporting “big” things … we saw more than 12 halves of manufactured homes heading east.

We also saw this oversized cylinder, I am thinking it is a piece of a wind turbine. But, I could be wrong!

Chautauqua Lake is a popular inland lake for recreation including boating, sailing, paddle sports and fishing. The lake is 17 miles long and up to 2 miles wide at its widest point. It is speculated that “Chautauqua” (She-talk-wa) means “bag tied in the middle,” “place where fish are taken out,” or “two moccasins tied together.” The reason for the ambiguity is that the name comes from the now-extinct Erie language.

The local lore favors “bag tied in the middle,” a reference to the unique shape of the lake, a south and north basin that come nearly together at the halfway point, where the Village of Bemus Point is located and the I-86 Chautauqua County Veteran’s Memorial Bridge. This is where we crossed the lake.

We left New York and crossed into Pennsylvania without fanfare, no signs … just the exit numbers reset. This portion of the highway, in Erie County, is known as the Hopkins-Bowser Highway and is signed as such. My research could not determine why it was designated as such. I did learn there is a Hopkins-Bowser Highway in Super Mario Brothers!

Ohio wanted us to know that we had arrived! They gave us a BIG welcome! Conneaut is the first town we pass through in Ohio. This town’s claim to fame is their port. The Port of Conneaut continues to be the northern loading point for train cars bearing iron ore for Pittsburgh area steel mills making it an international shipping port. Conneaut is also the home to the Lake Erie Correctional Institution, a privately operated prison governed by the State of Ohio.

We arrived at Village Green Park campground, in North Kingsville to see Brian & Janet Jones. It is our home for two nights. After we got set up, we visited for a bit and then we headed out for some dinner. 

We went to Breakwall BBQ back in Conneaut. 

 

Charlie & Janet had the wings and fries. Brian had a salad and I had the jalapeno grilled chicken with brussel sprouts. 

        

Janet & Charlie were not impressed with their food, so we filled out bellies, but Janet & Brian won’t be back for a while!

After a bit of touring the area, we arrived back at the camp. I needed to get out and walk, so Janet joined me. We did a short 2-miles, but it was nice to catch-up with Janet as we walked.

We enjoyed more time around the campfire with Brian, Janet and Sammy!

Tuesday morning, Janet enjoyed (maybe she really did not enjoy it) a 2-mile walk with me. I finished out the last 2-miles on my own. She has some decent and safe areas to walk at her campground. She is right next to a public golf course, too bad she can’t walk on that!

In the early afternoon, we headed out to explore a few wineries! Our first stop was a recommendation from a friend of ours, Craig & Tracy Lam, the Winery at Spring Hill. Craig & Tracy stayed there with the Harvest Host program. It is located in both the Grand River Valley and Lake Erie wine growing regions. It is a country winery with a friendly, relaxing atmosphere. Their warm and friendly staff was waiting to greet us at the door. Many choices awaited us at the wine bar. They offer handcrafted wines, unique hard ciders and craft beers. Their handcrafted wines feature grapes grown in the Grand River Valley, the unique hard ciders, craft beers from the best small breweries in the area, and cocktails using spirits made in local distilleries.

Their story begins in the spring of 1953 when the farm was purchased by Tom White, who owned and operated orchards in Chardon, Windsor, and then Geneva, Ohio. In later years he consolidated all operations into one location and expanded production at Spring Hill. The name Spring Hill, came from the numerous natural springs on the 200 acre farm. 

The third generation of the family, decided to change the operation. Tom had done processing for some of the local wineries and thought perhaps that might be a new opportunity for the family. At a Chamber of Commerce Dinner one evening, the seeds were planted during a conversation he had with a local businessman about starting a winery. 

Our winery journey started after the first of the year 2008. Jim & Judy Pearson, Tom Swank and his sister Cindy Swank, and Richard & Debbie Trice began the planning of The Winery at Spring Hill. Each brought to the business their own area of expertise, leaving few gaps of knowledge.

They remodeled some of the interior, added stonework, changed the red to a taupe color, and built the patio and outdoor seating areas. They opened March 7, 2009 with a staff of friends and family to a full house! As they finish their thirteenth year they have come a long way from their beginning in 1953, growing apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, plums, cherries, berries and vegetables, to their full line of wines and ciders. Look closely, do you see the heart in the sunflower?

I loved that we could get close to a few of the grape vines! Ohio has some ideal areas for grape production near the great lakes and in the Ohio River valley. Grapes also perform well in the rest of the state with careful cultivar selection and site preparation. People have successfully grown grapevines in Ohio since the early 1800s. A grapevine can live 40 years or more and provide as much as 20 pounds of fruit every year once established.

Our next stop was Old Firehouse Winery in Geneva-on-the-Lake. Old Firehouse Winey can be found just footsteps off The Strip, situated in the Village’s first fire station. 

It was a unique and fun place, located right on the Lake Erie shoreline, but it was more like a restaurant that served wine than a winery.

There were several buildings on the property and a ton of outdoor seating. We sat in one of the Gazebos. We wanted some food with our next set of wine. We got a big order of fries and nachos to share.

Janet & I each got the sampler of their sweet wines. The best tasting one was the slushy, made from a couple of wines mixed together.

Charlie enjoyed a sweet red and Brian was the DD and enjoyed his ice cold water!

The Old Firehouse Winery has the historic Erieview Park Ferris Wheel, made in 1956 located on their sunset patio. It is called "#5 Big Eli," but why? It was considered their "Fifth" model made from the original patents from George Ferris. 

William Sullivan, a steel bridge builder, saw the original "Ferris Wheel" at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. He was intrigued with the concept after riding the wheel and meeting with Ferris, and eventually patented the design. His company, the "Eli Bridge Company", still uses the patented design today. It was purchased new by the Pera-Woodward family in 1956 and placed in the now defunct "Erieview Park". After it's closure in 2007, the winery completely rehabilitated and rebuilt the wheel and relocated it to where it now sits at Old Firehouse Winery

When we got back to the campground, Charlie took a short nap and we enjoyed another fire! Tomorrow morning, we head out for our next #TwoLaneAdventure