Fun Things Around Ithaca

The countryside of New York State is certainly different from any place I've ever lived before. Our day-to-day lives are almost entirely spent within the city, but you don't have to go far before you're surrounded by forests and watersheds and farms. Recently, we drove about 15 minutes to Baker's Acres and picked apples. I really enjoyed this, although it was kind of chilly. The apples look so pretty on the trees, and they are uncommonly crispy and tasty. And really cheap when you pick them yourself. I tucked Samuel into my sweatshirt, and we had a good time. We picked about a peck (~2 gallons) and have already finished them, so we're thinking of going back on Saturday.

Ithaca is home to one of the largest book sales in the country, with proceeds benefitting the public library. We went to the sale on the first weekend, when all books were $4, and again last weekend when everything was just a dime (prices decrease daily, but of course the quality of the books remaining does also). The venue is just a nondescript warehouse crammed with bookshelves. It was fun to browse and hard not to buy. We ended up taking home a dozen or more books on history, parenting, baseball, and more.

Another neat thing about living here is seeing the fall colors in real time. People transplanted to CA from the East always talk wistfully about fall colors, and now I better understand why. I'd previously seen a forest full of color in pictures or on a day trip to the mountains, but I really enjoy being able to see the actual change occurring. Just a month ago, almost everything was green; now I'd say about 40% of trees are other colors, and every day there are a few more. When I walk home from work, I get a good view across the valley from the top of the Libe Slope, which is where I like to check how much more orange and brown there is since yesterday.

The Cascadilla Gorge Trail follows a creek through a gorge that must be a couple hundred feet deep, over many cascades and falls. It's really fantastic, especially considering that most of it is within the city limits of Ithaca. If I'm walking to work, it's not the fastest way to go, but it is the fastest way from my bus stop to work. So I walked it this morning, after missing my bus by a hair. It was actually the first time I've walked up the hill to work since the semester began and buses started to run earlier, so my lungs were a bit sore towards the end. But I still made it before the next bus would have gotten me there. A couple months ago, Laura made a virtual hike of Cascadilla Gorge, and I had forgotten to put it on the blog until now. The water was muddy and opaque that day, usually it's much more clear; but regardless, it is a beautiful place. 

Posted by Matt on 10/21/2004 11:09:00 PM