Chickens :)

I had to post this photo. I love it! For my brothers - Pawel and Maciek - they had a pet chicken before... but that's a long story :)

[photo courtesy of TopazLabs Website]

Watkins Glen Waterfalls and Wine Tasting

Part of our New York weekend was a trip down one of the largest NY Finger Lakes - Seneca Lake to Watkins Glen. About 2 hour drive south of Rochester through beautiful countryside, wineries and charming small towns.



Seneca Lake stretches about 37 miles south, very narrow and super long lake, with the small town of Watkins Glen on the south shore. "Watkins Glen State Park is the most famous of the Finger Lakes State Parks. Within two miles, the glen's stream descends 400 feet past 200-foot cliffs, generating 19 waterfalls along its course. The gorge path winds over and under waterfalls and through the spray of Cavern Cascade."



The day was cold, cloudy and hazy. We didn't have a nice weather on our little road trip, but at least it didn't rain much, and the autumn foliage was just amazing, as you can see the colors on the pictures. Golden and res leaves covered with the mist of waterfalls... It was a really beautiful trail.


On the way back we made few stop to the local wineries along the western side of the Seneca Lake. Wine tasting was exactly what we needed after this chili hike up the gore. I purchased few bottles of pretty decent desert wine. It's hard to get a good desert wine, and once you find something you like might as well get it. I had a chance to snap few photographs and even ate some grapes...

Short Trip to Niagara Falls... really short...

I guess it was too short, since I already know that I want to go back. I know, it's just water, but there's something amazing and mesmerizing about it. On top of the river water flows so quietly, like it doesn't even know that it's going to fall so far down... and then the big splash and tons of mist flowing in the air... hard to describe. It's imaginable that anyone would want to try their luck in the barrel, going down the falls...

[2 seconds exposure to get smooth water]

Our trip was short. We left Chicago on a early Friday morning and drove over 9 hours to Niagara Falls in Canada. Around 5:30 pm we finally got to our hotel room with amazing views of the falls. (We stayed at Embassy Suites Hotel, right on the falls - that is the hotel i would recommend). The evening was cold and crisp. I had a chance to snap few photos before it got completely dark. And since I didn't have my new tripod (my order didn't arrive on time) with me there was only so much i could have done. Around 7 pm. powerful light bulbs illuminated the falls, bursting red, orange, green and blue lights onto the falling water.




We did a lot of walking, had dinner and doughnuts from Tim Horton's - Canadian dunking donuts. Tim and Miker went out for a while and i hit the jacuzzi in our room and fell asleep watching the falls. It's so amazing - it never stops! You actually stop and think about it.
Next morning we had breakfast in our hotel, again great views :) and walked down to the falls one more time. The day was overcast and rainy...




After that we drove through the Rainbow Bridge and back to US. We made a stop on the American side of the falls, also. Completely different view. I wish we had more time to check out the Goat Island and the Observatory... but like I said - there is always the next time... I will do more of the touristy stuff - like taking the Maid of the Mist and walking through the tunnel to get behind the falls... and hopefully I will take my tripod with me so I can take some night shots... anyways - it was great to see the Falls. The second largest waterfall in the world. I will be back someday :)

[view from our hotel room, right after we checked in]

After that we headed over to Rochester NY, to visit Miker's family. But that's in the next post.