Janet and I just celebrated 33 years of marriage. Funny how it quickly the time has passed. Twenty of our years together have been spent living in Missouri where I grew up. Janet spent many years hearing me talk about places that meant something to me as a child. Though her family is here in New England, many of her childhood years were spent in upstate New York in the finger lakes region. To celebrate our 33rd anniversary we booked a weekend at the Hudson Manor Bed and Breakfast to go back in time and visit the area of Janet’s youth.

Interestingly enough, the Hudson Manor Bed and Breakfast is owned and operated by one of Janet’s high school friends, Jim Somerville. He and his wife Kristine have put a lot of work into making the place a very beautiful place to enjoy the finger lakes. Our first night we enjoyed a wonderful lake cruise and dinner aboard Captain Bill’s Seneca Legacy. While the food was only mediocre, the cruise itself was relaxing and beautiful. It’s no wonder the finger lakes are so popular as a vacation destination.

Sunday morning we rose early to a fantastic breakfast prepared by Kristine. After breakfast we made our way to Watkins Glen State Park.  Watkins Glen is a beautiful series of waterfalls cut through the rock over one and a half miles. The trail included tunnels, bridges, and 830 steps.  The journey was a lot for two middle aged adventurers, but the views were worth every heartbeat.

The purpose of the entire visit was to visit the tiny town of Interlaken. In the 70s, Janet’s father was pastor of the First Baptist Church and Christian School. Though the town was never a thriving metropolis, the Sheppards have always praised the village as a great place to grow up. One of Janet’s favorite memories was the family visits to Taughannock Falls. I’m a sucker for waterfalls as is obvious by this post. These falls certainly did not disappoint.

High school friends Frank and Mary Lou greeted us and took around the church. Things have changed since the 70s, but it was fun to go back in time and reminisce about the good old days.

The only downside was seeing the house they lived in abandoned, and overgrown with vines.

We made our way back to the B & B for a great night’s rest, a beautiful sunrise over the lake, and another fantastic breakfast.

Our weekend retreat was truly magnificent! I loved seeing Janet relive so many wonderful memories.  Jim is planning a high school reunion possibly as early as next year. It will be fun to come back and visit this place again.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller