The waterfalls at Watkins Glen were running full as we trekked along the gorge trail, thanks to the recent rains and the views were as spectacular as ever, although the trail was wet and somewhat slippery. We parked at the main entrance which proved to be more convenient than the south entrance. We did the north rim trail back which was fine except at the end when there were lots of steps going downhill.
Lunch was at Grist Iron brewery, yet another brew pub that has popped up along the east side of Seneca Lake. Great views, decent food (bbq brisket, pulled pork, steak sandwiches. Then we drove east to the western shore of Cayuga lake to get some award-winning cheese at Lively Run.
Back to my happy place high above Cayuga’s waters north of Ithaca. We had an easy 2.5 hour drive from Niagara Falls, stopping at an old favorite spot for a late lunch — Ardennes, a Belgian Brewery with a menu with too many great options to choose from, located in a beautiful 1909 French Norman sheep barn set on a long green lawn.
We ate frites and mussels at a picnic table under an awning that kept the rain away and chatted with a couple visiting from Delaware with their sweet lab mix rescue Emma who reminded us of a younger Millie.
We missed our usual turnoff to drive south along Cayuga lake but no problem. We found another country road winding past farms and weathered wood homes. And there was Morgan Half Acre Produce market with some of my favorite hard to find apples…snapdragons! And brightly colored Indian corn.
In Ithaca we went to a surprisingly classy dispensary, HighlyConnected, that had displays worthy of a jewelry store, with paraphernalia and weed displayed in glass cases. Very different from the warehouse style dispensaries in southwest Michigan. I got yet another brand of gummies to try for sleeping. I had to buy these because I didn’t brung my stash into Canada, even though cannabis appears to be legal. At the checkpoint, the Canadian officer asked if we had any firearms or cannabis. Nope. I was nervous about getting through US immigration (thanks Trump) but we showed our passports and were quickly let back into our country.
The falls did not disappoint. On a spectacular fall Sunday morning we took in the famous falls from the US/NY side which has a lovely state park (the country’s oldest). The Canadian side has the big garish stuff — high rise hotels, casino, theme park, Ferris wheel.
We drove across the Rainbow Bridge, ehich has stunning views. Then at the park we walked along a gorge-side trail (paved and accessible) to the American falls and then across a pedestrian bridge to Horseshoe Falls. Glad we arrived early (9 am). Still easy to park ($15 on a Sunday; the park is free) but lots of tourists, especially of East Asian descent (and lots of East Asian restaurants on the Canadian side.)
Another highlight: Mississauga Fort and path along the lake in Niagara-on-the -Lake. Gorgeous views at sunset, with the silhouette of Toronto skyline off in the distance, across Lake Ontario. Refreshingly free of other people/tourist and overpriced parking. We did walk along Queen Street, the main tourist drag, which was packed w/ people windowshopping, eating ice cream and visiting bakeries. We ate at one of the two famous pubs, the Olde angel inn, circa 1789, which was atmospheric but very loud. It’s English. “Probably the best pub in the world” boasts the historic looking plaque by the entrance. (The other town pub, the Irish Harp, gets good reviews from our Ithaca pals!) Good pub grub (shepard’s pie and fish and chips.)
At the fort along Lake Ontario
The town is charming with old buildings, lovely public gardens and the Shaw Festival but more developed since our last visit, maybe 15-20 years ago.
American side
GPS took us on pretty rural backroads (apparently to avoid traffic on bigger roads) where we noticed lots of houses flying Canadian flags which we guessed was a reaction to our President’s ridiculous threats.
We’ve been going to traditional red sauce southern Italian restaurants lately: Gian-Tony’s in St. Louis on “The Hill“ last week and this week to Giovanni’s in downtown Detroit, in an industrial area with several large hulking factories. Around since 2958, Giovanni’s has a dark interior with old fashioned decor and servers dressed like wedding ushers in all black. Very good lasagna, chicken piccata, veal masala.
En route to Detroit we stopped at our usual place in Portage,Mi at Cravings, a counter in The Pacific Rim asian food store. We tried several excellent items- a scallion pancake with sliced beef that turned out to be huge and delicious. Easy to share. The pancake was thick and bubbly/crispy (my new go-to entree); the meat sliced lean and good quality, with a light sauce. Also had a nice fresh spring roll and D had the pork chop entree with cracked rice, a fried egg and broccoli.
Not only did we contend with 95 degree weather during our visit to Busch Stadium. The Cardinals and Nationals game lasted 11 innings after they tied in the 9th and then in the 10th. So it was a long hot game, although this didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of our two Cardinals fans (dirck and Noah). One of the better deals: a free shuttle bus to the stadium from Duke’s, a sports bar in Soulard. Other area bars also offer shuttles. All you do is buy a drink (and only 2 of the 4 of us did). The bus was ready and waiting after the game. Amen! We saved time, money, and aggro.
@ Soulard Airbnb
We wandered around City Foundry, a post-industrial entertainment complex with a food hall, retail shops and entertainment options. The highlight was Golden Gems, a women-owned gift shop with attitude.
Near the World Museum of Chess (home of the world’s largest chess piece), we had brunch at chess-themed Kingsbury Diner. (Thinking of our chess-crazy friend Russ!)
Then onto the imposing St. Louis Art Museum, in an elegant building built for the famous 1904 worlds fair here. It sits high on a hill overlooking a huge reflecting pool/lake with fountains, and the city fanning out beyond it.
The first thing encountered as we walked in the main entrance: five enormous and spectacular floor-to-ceiling paintings by german painter Anselm kiefer commissioned by the museum and installed in 2025, inspired by his visit to the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers here and the Rhine from his native land. Rivers flow into and become the sea, hence the name of the installation: Becoming the sea.
One of two decks at our Airbnb
We spent time in American Art with familiar regionalism artists from this part of the world including Thomas Hart Benton (of Kansas City) and John Steuart Curry (he painted the famous murals in the Kansas state house in Topeka).
The car weather gauge clocked in at 102 degrees as we drove into St. Louis, over the Mississippi and past the famous arch, reminding me of an earlier trip here with searing heat and humidity.
We’re staying in a beautifully renovated red brick building in historic Soulard, a tight neighborhood of streets lined with w/19th and early 20th century red brick buildings in various stages of restoration.
Central West End (Maryland & Euclid)
We stopped at the famous Ted Drewes along Route 66 for frozen custard (what else!), then has a very old fashioned Sicilian dinner (toasted ravioli, eggplant parm, lots of red sauce) on The Hill at Gian-Tony’s.
Bogarts
Today we walked up the street to the Soulard farmers market in the oppressive heat, trying to stay on the shady side of the red brick streets, where we had some beignets and bought another local delicacy, “gooey yellow butter cake.”
Lunch, Noah’s pick, was very good bbq at Bogart’s (in Soulard (owned by the same folks as Pappy’s BBQ) and pretty good ribs, burnt ends and brisket.
A Soulard street, with golf cart
We attempted to walk around the central west end neighborhood by Maryland and Euclid (home of the world chess hall for fame), past gated streets with elegant mansions (Pershing Street) near the green-tile domed basilica. We also drove down the even fancier Portland place, lined with huge mansions on enormous lots and gated shut at either end (we got in through a side street). Also drove around the beautiful homes adorning Lafayette square.
Abe Lincoln on covered wagon (reading while driving?)
I didn’t know there’s a Pontiac, Illinois (my Pontiac is in Michigan) but it’s in the map in central Illinois thanks in part to Wally’s, a super-sized travel emporium/gas station just of I-55 with clean modern bathrooms, a Winnebago camper with a Route 66 display of memorabilia available for purchase and an extensive selection of Wally’s potato chips (flavors including bbq brisket, chili cheese hotdog).
A well-attended book event for Our Diaries, Ourselves was held at the Lincoln Women’s club, located in a small red rock building with stained glass windows that was a former synagogue (witness the Jewish star in the masonry near the rooftop.)
I-55 is on and around Route 66, which went through many towns including Lincoln which has a new Route 66 museum (alas no time to visit) and an outdoor park with Route 66 plaques and a massive covered wagon driven by Abraham Lincoln.
@ Wally’s
We enjoyed visiting Ink & Imprint, the local indie bookstore), had a quick nosh at the Guest House coffee house, and bought carmel corn (although we were tempted by other flavors: loaded potato corn!) at Abe’s Carmel Corn (a third generation owned business producing a local delicacy here in the land of Lincoln and cornfields).
Both the New York Times and Midwest Living have published glowing articles about tourism in southwest Michigan, around New Buffalo, an area we’ve come to know well thanks to my sister who moved to Bridgman, a short walk from Weko Beach, a perfectly sandy stretch along Lake Michigan, just north of Warren Dunes State Park.
This trip we stopped at Farmette, outside New Buffalo, a farm-to-table food store and bakery with delicious breads and a good selection of cheeses, dips, pastries. No great sandwiches. Farmette reminded me of the Farm Club outside Traverse City.
We returned to the mango dispensary in new Buffalo that, yet again, didn’t have the sleep gummies I like (Camino sours, deep sleep).
We have eaten very well this trip at sophisticated, veg-driven farm-to-table places with lovely gardens and garden ingredients. The “farmer’s Scramble” (eggs, cheese, sautéed onions, squash and tomatoes) at PennyRoyal Cafe on the outskirts of Saugatuck was wonderfully fresh and tasty, served with perfectly browned crispy potatoes and muesli bread.
The place looks humble from the two lane BluE Star Highway, outside downtown Saugatuck but chef Missy Corey is a James Beard award semi finalist producing interesting takes on classic fare, with a focus on quality ingredients. We waltzed in at 1:45 pm on a Saturday and ate in a lovely shaded courtyard with native plants but the small casual dining room is cool – with an open kitchen, copper bar for seating and landscapes by a local artist. Easy in and out, minus the tourist crush in downtown Saugatuck.
Esch beach, Honor, MI
We also made a quick stop at the Fulton Street Market in a transitional neighborhood of Grand Rapids. The open air market is one long corridor, with a roof, packed with Michigan produce. We arrived around 1, when some vendors were looking to unload their produce. We may be eating green beans and basil for days.
Last stop, two cannabis dispensaries (yes, you read that right) in New Buffalo. I’ve been trying CBD/CBN gummies as a sleep aid but both stores I visited (Mango and Bowdega) were sold out of the kind I’ve been using (Camino deep sleep) so I ended up with another brand and a bunch of free samples that I don’t know what I’ll do with!
On our one slightly rainy day (the weather has otherwise been perfect, sunny, in high 70s and low 80s), we took a,pretty 1/2 hour or so drive to Traverse City where we had a lovely meal at a farm to table place called Farm Club that is perched on the edge of a pretty swath of yes, farmland.
Arcadia,Mount Baldy
We shared a fresh vegetable plate with two refreshing dips and delicious onion rings that were surprisingly light, tempura style, crunchy with drizzled hot sauce.At Higher Art, a gallery on Front Street, I found a perfect housewarming gift for a friend who may be reading this.
Airbnb diningAirbnb, HonorFarm Club
The next day we went to Arcadia, a very pretty village south of here,where we took a short hike through the woods and around a sandy bluff to huge dune called Mount Baldy overlooking shimmering blue Lake Michigan,drove around the lovely old Watervale Inn and resort and had a good lunch at the food truck KEtch 22 and neighboring coffee truck.
Ketch 22
There’s another new restaurant, MT Plate Diner, across the street that looked promising. We also stopped at the famous Gwen Frostic studio outside Beulah.
Gwen Frostic
Although this Airbnb maybe too expensive to stay at again, we really liked it. Great location on Martin Road, a pretty dirt road technically in Honor, only a 3 mile drive to Esch Beach. Very ice rooms and porches.An old fixed up farmhouse in the woods.
Farm clubPyramid Point (further north, Glen arbor)
