What a delight our stay in Lake Placid was. Having never been, I was thrilled when Farmboy revealed our anniversary trip destination! We arrived around 9pm on Friday night to a lovely, old historic Inn- steps away from both Mirror Lake and Lake Placid.

I loved the beautifully decorated grand piano in the foyer and the heavy architectural mouldings/woodwork throughout the inn.  Once we were settled in our room (I’ll come back to that) we went downstairs to the pub style bar to have a glass of wine. All of the dark stained wood paneling and the copper ceiling tiles created a wonderful ambiance in the pub. Of course, the giant moose may have had something to do with it too.

The staff was very helpful and friendly encouraging us to visit various places to best take in the scenery. We asked to see the Inn’s dinner menu. Known for its world class cuisine… here are a few offerings from the menu that sounded particularly interesting:

Buck Island Crab Cakes- with orange basil beurre blanc

Bison Meatloaf- over roasted garlic Tucker Farms mash potato, with thyme scented veal jus

Shrimp and Pasta- with asparagus, plum tomato and sweet Thai basil sauce

Puff pastry wrapped creme brulee’  (Tried this Friday night… Excellent!)

 Our room- The Hibiscus Room #20, was wonderful. Quaint with many dormered walls/ceilings creating a sense of being in a cozy nook.  Keep in mind its on the third floor (no elevator so don’t accidently leave something in the car!). Luxury linens and a spacious comfortable bed created a cloud that I did not want to leave! What a relaxing way to start the day. Although there was a TV in the room we never turned it on.

 The bathroom was simple and refined with tile floors, a pedestal sink, claw-foot tub, skylight and luxury, plush robes and towels. Ahhh. Uncluttered.

The grounds around the inn were charming as well. Stone walls, a private garden, a flagstone patio, little baskets of herbs containing the beginnings of what was to come from the kitchen. Located one block off the main street there was no traffic or noise from passing cars.

Saturday morning we met Mary the proprietress as we left for our 2.7 mile walk/run around the perimeter of Mirror Lake. She was friendly and inquisitive about our plans for the day. Little did we know how she would save the day on Sunday!

I do wish that we had gotten back to the Inn in time for dinner- the menu sounded so good! Maybe next time. Sunday morning we started the day with a hearty Adirondack breakfast in the front dining room. Baked goods, clean crisp linens, polished flatware and Brazilian coffee that was so smooth I drank it black.  Farmboy and I chatted with some of the other guests and learned more about the 100 year old house’s history from the owner. Her carmelized onion and red pepper omelet was scrumptious! In the light-filled breakfast room Farmboy and I gathered our thoughts and plans to make the most of the day. After the car was indeed packed I rummaged through a bag in the trunk to find some notecards to give to Mary as a little Thank-You gift for her hospitality…

Did you hear the one about the couple celebrating their 18th anniversary? You know, a perfect weekend… only moments to go before they continue their romantic drive home through the Fall-colored mountains? That one. Where she locks the keys in the trunk by accident while in the process of getting a goodie out to give to the Inn owner. Hysterical, isn’t it? Not. Needless to say, our lovely hostess went “above and beyond” to help us be on our way and keep any disasterous anniversary memories away. She took such great care of us- making all of the calls to help us find a way to get into the car and on our way home.

Heading to Lake Placid? Stay at The Interlaken Inn. You will be so glad that you did. Tell Mary the artist who locked her keys in the trunk on her anniversary weekend sent ya. She’ll remember. For more information visit their website here.

Do you ever just need to hear the ocean? I do. Having been raised in Mississippi, the Gulf Coast and its ocean-like waves and breezes were never very far away. Living in Upstate New York on a farm feels pretty land-locked. Last year I NEEDED to hear the ocean. Needed to, I tell you.

It was my turn to plan our anniversary trip. Ocean waves were a priority… preferably within hearing distance from the hotel with the window open. After much research we packed our bags, made sure kids, dogs, cats, horses, rabbit and everyone else was all set and headed East. While traveling across I-90 towards Albany I informed Farmboy that we had important dinner reservations that evening outside of Boston… step on the pedal, Gretel!!  He freaked out because of course we left later than we planned- not uncommon.

Luckily, we found a lovely historical grain mill erected by Thomas Edison on the way wherein we changed into our dinner clothes and later pulled up just in time for our reservations at Blue Ginger in Wellesley, MA. Having watched Top Chef Masters last season, it was fun to eat at Ming Tsia’s restaurant!

Our final destination was still a surprise for Farmboy. We drove an hour or so northeast… until the land was nearly gone. Only crashing waves were visible in the cast light of the streetlights.

Bass Rocks Ocean Inn. I highly recommend it- more family oriented than romantic getaway. We hope to take the kids back there one day. The propritores were delightful. Helpful. Kind and funny. Our room was basic… what can I say… after my stay at Hotel le Germain in Toronto I am positively ruined for most normal travel. Nevertheless, with the windows open I COULD hear the waves and it felt like we were on the edge of MY known world.

Breakfast in the Inn was included and substantial. Farmboy was delighted at our location and we left to find our adventures for the day. I read online about Babson’s Boulders… created in an old abandoned settlement called Dog Town. It was rather bizarre but a nice hike, good exercise and pretty foliage even though there was a good possibility of getting lost out in the middle of nowhere. What are adventures for!?

There was a Fall festival in Rockport and we had a great time listening to a band that we had never heard: Brad Byrd. Saw some amazing artwork in the local galleries and  just had a good time shopping, looking, taking it all in and being in the present.

That evening we went to a small beach up the road from the hotel called Good Harbor Beach (pictured below). A beautiful beach protected by a little cove. Can’t wait to play with the kids there one day.

We ended the evening at a small restaurant in Gloucester- The Franklin Cafe, that we found on TripAdvisor or Yelp. Oh my goodness. One of the best meals we’ve ever had… who knew?! Dare I say that it was better than our meal at the acclaimed chef’s fancy restaurant?? I do dare!!!

So the next morning our hostesses at the Inn encouraged us to take the Captain Bill’s Whale Watching expedition out of Gloucester Harbor. Now, mind you… earlier in the year I had been working on some new designs for the Bar Harbor Whale Museum in Bar Harbor, Maine. I studied and learned all about whale flukes, markings, various species to come up with the following designs. One of the reasons I love being an artist… I always get to be a student through research.

Imagine my delight at the idea of going whale watching!? Have I ever told you about my fear of open water? That being said… Farmboy and I are all about making memories and new experiences. So we did it! Really… it is amazing- their size, their grace. I was afraid that we wouldn’t find them. But we did and it was truly unlike anything I have ever experienced before.

Distant view of Boston skyline.

A spray/blow sighting.

A female and her calf.

A memorable trip for sure.

For more information on Cape Ann, Bass Rocks Ocean Inn and Captain Bill’s Whale Watching please click on their names for their individual websites. Happy Whale Watching!