So, today started as a typical Saturday morning. I was up around 5am and got in a solid two hours of work. This is where the normalcy diverged. I went back to bed. I know, I know, the world must be coming to an end. But, it’s true! Life as we know it didn’t cease to exist and the world went on, mostly not even caring that this travesty occurred. That is pretty much the only weird thing that happened.
Having only planned for a single full day of family fun in the western-most tip of NY, we did what all Americans would do, we headed out to the National Comedy Museum (by way of Phil -N- Cindy’s Lunch Diner in Jamestown, NY. It smelled just like a diner should and we were hungry. When asked, “Do you want gravy on your fries?” what do you think the answer was? Well, it was, “Of course I do, how else would you eat them?” One of the most delightful parts of traveling this great nation is experiencing all the regional cuisines. I don’t think I have ever been offered gravy on my fries in the south. I was also not surprised in the least that not only did Phil -N- Cindy’s not have sweet tea, their unsweet tea was (gasp), instant. I suffered the indignity of instant tea while enjoying my meatloaf sandwich and fries, smothered in brown gravy. Audrey took advantage of all day breakfast and ordered two pancakes. For followers of the adventures, you might remember all the way back to Hawaii where Audrey accepted the pancake challenge and consumed the largest pancake ever seen (up to this point). It has become a running theme. She rose to the challenge and made short work of the Hawaii pancakes. When we were out in Petaluma, CA the opportunity presented itself again. This place was not playing around. The single pancake was enormous. You can see it here . I am a bit ashamed to say, she had to throw in the towel on this one. She made a valiant effort, but it was ridiculously huge and proved to be too much. Ok, now back to Phil -N- Cindy’s. Melissa got a glimpse of the pancakes being prepared and grew concerned that Audrey might, possibly, experience two defeats in a row. When Audrey stated ‘I ate over half’ in reference to the Petaluma defeat, Ryan clearly stated, “Over Half is Under All.” It is a true statement but a little harsh given the situation. Still, very philosophical. The champ was ready and willing. When two dinner plate sized pancakes arrived, they were quickly dispatched. The champ was back! On the way to the Museum, we grabbed a few doughnuts and coffee at Tim Horton’s. There really was no need as we were all stuffed. Ryan and I just wanted to bask in the glory of what our neighbors from the north all seem to love.
On the way to the next destination, we realized there was a little pop-up street market blocking our way. We figured we had time, so we checked it out. There wasn’t a whole bunch of stuff of interest until the very last booth. A local distillery was passing out shots of their liquors. Melissa ‘forced’ me to taste the blueberry vodka. I thought all vodka was distilled from potatoes; I was incorrect. This vodka starts from apples and is naturally gluten free. It was very smooth and tasted like blueberries, not apples. At $30/bottle, we thanked our hosts and left the bottles there. When I asked Melissa why I had to take a shot of apple based, blueberry vodka in the middle of the street in Jamestown, NY she simply said, “I wanted to know what it tasted like, and now I know”. I guess my tastebuds are a marital asset and the sensations I experienced flowed through me to her. We have been married for a long time…
We finally made it to the Comedy Museum, remember the Comedy Museum? That was our primary destination. Well, we made it. Our tour guide, Jeff, gave us the 4-1-1 on what we needed to do and in we went. The museum is quite lovely and goes over a lot of comedy through the ages. The interactive displays are fun and very well done. We particularly enjoyed seeing Fozzy Bear, Seinfeld’s puffy shirt, Gillian’s standup, and Ryan and me in the Laugh Battle. If you ever find yourself in Jamestown, NY, I highly recommend it. We were not able to go through the Lucy and Desi exhibitions since they open back up on Monday (have been under renovations). Did I mention that Jamestown is the birthplace of Lucille Ball? No? Well, it is. Lucille Ball is near and dear to my heart. Not just because of her comic genius. Desilu Productions, owned by Lucy and Desi, was the company behind Star Trek. If it wasn’t for Lucille Ball, Star Trek never would have been made. She was truly a juggernaut in the entertainment industry.
We headed back to the RV to get the Adventure Dog and drive up to Lake Erie. Melissa figured we were this close, so it only made sense to go touch the water. Ryan pointed out that all the other great lakes we have visited had dead fish on the beaches. I did not remember this factoid and assured him this would not be the case. Well, there was a dead fish. We did enjoy skipping stones of all sizes into the lake. The beach is a mix of mostly smooth stones and a little sand, pretty waves, and a brisk breeze. After a short drive down an unmarked bike path (backed the truck up to our starting point) we saw a lighthouse and headed to dinner.
Having the adventure dog with us we (Melissa) had to find a restaurant that allowed dogs. She zeroed in on Ellicotville Brewery and was able to secure patio seating. We had a lovely server, Bridgette, who attended our every need. Dinner was fine. I think I have determined in my very brief stay in this part of the country the chefs have a tendency to under-season their creations. All of the food was well prepared, just lacked some salt and pepper. Even my blackened fish tacos were not very seasoned. I will say this place has the best stout I have ever tasted. I am not a dark beer drinker, but this was really, really good.
The only thing missing from dinner was milkshakes. At least that is what my children told me. Luckily, we were right across the street from an ice cream shop. Crisis averted. Milkshakes acquired, we headed back to the RV to get a good night’s sleep before heading out to our next destination in the morning.
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