Our summer adventures continued for 3 days after leaving the Qman, Stephanie, and Charlie. Jim and I arrived in Eastport, rested and then…. Mommy and I took off to meet our good friend, Bill Hollings for Sharon Springs, NY and the Glimmerglass Opera Festival in Cooperstown.
Knowing it would be a long day, Mommy and I decided to stop overnight in Keene, NH and before you ask, “No, we did not stop at the NH Liquor Store – going or coming!” Jim had packed us 6 bottles and we were praying that we wouldn’t need more over the 5 days we would be gone! 🤣
Our route to Keene was pretty much straightforward, a little bit of interstate, lots of backroads, a couple of missed turns, but we arrived at The Burrell House Inn safely. Funny story, The Burrell House Inn is run by a lovely couple, Ditteke and Josh. Okay, not funny yet. Mommy called before we left and talked to Ditteke before we left to secure our room. Ditteke asked where Mommy lived and when Mommy told her Eastport, you could hear Ditteke’s voice change. Josh and Ditteke had been talking about Eastport. Josh wanted to relocate in Eastport. Josh had heard of Eastport’s magic.
Guess I did a walk around to show off our room in Keene.
I walked down the street to get ice while Mommy rested and then we were ready to explore the town and find dinner. So many choices and all only 2 blocks away. I think the restaurant, Otto’s, chose us. We were tired and couldn’t decide what to do. Have you ever had one of those days. Mommy and I had perused so many menus online, and truly this was not one either of us wanted. The food was everything we wanted. It was light and fresh. We even shared the last little bit with a puppy who was walking with her handler (of course we asked before we shared). Have I mentioned Mommy has never met a stranger she didn’t like? That applies to dogs as well!
Meandering home, Mommy found an ice cream! They had Deer Tracks from Giffords, her favorite AND grapefruit gummy bears for Jim. She even finished it before we stumbled into our room.
We only had 4 hours left to drive Friday morning. Mommy was sleeping peacefully as I was texting with Jim. He guilted me in going for an early morning walk. I am glad he did. There is street art all over the buildings in downtown Keene. I did not get pictures of all of them, but Idid get few, even managed to get the street map of all the pieces – after I was on my way back to the hotel. 🤦🏻♀️ {Note: some pictures I took the night before}
I mentioned Ditteke and Josh were interested in Eastport. We met up with them at Brewbaker’s, a coffee shop and more. Would have loved to try their food, or stay and go to their entertainment that night. We enjoyed our visit and talking with Ditteke and Josh and telling them about our love of Eastport.
There is a reason I live in Carthage, NY and Eastport, ME. Both places I can walk, have very little traffic, and well just a slower way of life. Not really slow, but content. That being said, our route around Albany and Schenectady reinforced my love of the North Country and Downeast Maine. But we made it and we were in time for a glass of wine and a great visit before heading off to the dinner at Glimmerglass before seeing Sunday in the Park with George.
Let me tell you a little bit about where we were staying, Edgefield Bed and Breakfast. If you click on the link, you will notice the website is limited. Just a little information, no links, no way to reserve a room. Google it and welll, you just find the house number. Oh and I hope you like hills! It is a great workout if you are walking! The bed and breakfast is run by Daniel M Wood. Dan has a great presence and is the most wonderful host. Dan’s twin brother David, decorated the house for Dan. David lives in Staten Island during the winter months, in fact, Dan lives in Staten Island with David. They are hilarious, sweet, kind and Dan is an excellent cook. If you need a place to stay when you attend Glimmerglass during the summer, or if you want to go over to Cooperstown and visit the Fenimore or the Baseball Hall of Fame, give Dan a call. You won’t regret it.
There were 8 of us for breakfast on Saturday morning and 9 of us for breakfast on Sunday. How much fun to sit around the table and talk about Glimmerglass, the show seen, impressions made, where people live, what they do. The guests staying with Dan and David come every year, the same weekend. Bill Hollings, our dear friend from Nashville and who visited us last year after Glimmerglass and talked us into attending this year; his good friend from Middlebury, VT, David Clark~David and Bill went to elementary school together!~; Jim and Amy-they live in NJ and have a house in the Berkshires, Jim works for ASCAP; Wes and Bob who live in New Hartford-Wes and Jim used to work together; and Saturday night we added another David-the new guy. I wondered if he or I were younger. He looked my age and then shared that he was 60. I said, No, way. He said he was born in 1965! OMG we are the same age, I realized. I was born in 1966. WOW! next year is going to be a big year! Jim will be 69. 🤣 🤦🏻♀️
The whole reason we went to Sharon Springs, in addition to visiting with Bill Hollings, was to see the shows at Glimmerglass. What an experience. So much going on. Mommy and I were just signed up for Sunday in the Park with George, Sondheim’s musical about Georges Seurat’s painting of A Sunday On La Grande Jatte and Sandra Cisernos’ The House on Mango Street. When I was in high school and actually in college as well, I saw Sunday in the Park with George. I saw it the first time with my parents and my brother when it opened with Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters. These Resident Artists and Artists in Residence took this musical and owned it. Mommy and I cried through the first act and the second, loving every minute of it. The House on Mango Street is new to the operetta world. This book tells the story of Esperanza and her growing up years on Mango Street. The book is made up of vignettes of Esperanza’s life. The music and script accurately represented the book. It was beautifully told. The reason we picked The House on Mango Street? My children read the book in middle school during reading class and I taught the book when guest teaching before I was hired.
Glimmerglass offers (for a price) a dinner before the Friday show and a brunch before the Sunday Matinee. Resident Artists who are not performing are asked to attend the meals and to sit with the patrons. Friday night, Bob had been in a performance through Yale Opera with one of the Resident Artists, Shyheim Selvan Hinnant. Shyheim was the first Resident Artist we met. He was cast in Rake’s Progress and ss the Preacher Man in The House on Mango Street.
Saturday, Mommy and I had a free day. We drove to Cooperstown, found a Legion (didn’t go in), toured the Baseball Hall of Fame, shared a snack down at the Lighthouse on the water, toured the Fenimore Art Museum, and joined Bill and David for dinner at the Blue Mingo, also on the water. While we were eating, I noticed a group of young people having a good time at the table next to us. I didn’t really pay attention, until 4 gentlemen joined them. Well who do I spy? A beautiful redhead with whom I had spoken Friday night. She, too, was a Resident Artist. They were all Resident Artists out for dinner between the two shows, celebrating a birthday of one of the young ladies. She said her name was Erin and she was 22. Sunday Brunch we were graced with Erin and her friend Kellen, and even the redheaded Maggie joined our group. This is what makes Glimmerglass special. If you get a chance, GO! So much fun!
After the matinee, Mommy and I hit the road. We found a back way around Albany and Schenectady and high tailed it to our destination, The Riverhouse, by Weekender (Formerly the Jack Daniels Inn) in Peterborough, NH, found a place to eat and hit the hay. Man wee our arses dunched. Monday we were back at it again. On the road, but headed east. Maine, “The way life should be!”
#HowFortunateWEAre #RetiredAndLovingIt #MakingOurOwnSunshine