Wish You Were Here - New York State

My view from the cottage at Sunny Point

The cottage at Sunny Point

As many of you know, I earned my BFA from Syracuse University in up-state New York. It has been a long time since I lived there and I had forgotten just how beautiful it really is. Last week I had the absolute pleasure of teaching at the Arts Center of Yates County.

On my way to work with change of clothes and some supplies in back pack

The bike and the easel in the cottage, total heaven

The folks at the Art Center were so wonderful to me, I have to take a minute to thank them. Not only did they put me up in an amazing cottage right on the Keuka Lake in the wine country of the Finger Lakes, but they also rented me road bike so that I could continue my triathlon training and bike the 9-miles to and from class every day. 

The Art Center of Yates County is in an old bank building on Main Street

The art exhibition space is downstairs with classroom space upstairs

Classroom space at the Art Center

Sunny Point was an amazing place to stay, so serene and quiet. The adjoining studio barn was incredible, we held a one-day workshop there with six students on Thursday.

The studio space at Sunny Point

Along the road that I biked, which followed Keuka Lake, were several wineries. I had to stop and do a tasting at Keuka Spring and Rooster Hill, since I had a backpack and they were along my route! The folks at Keuka Spring were so nice that they even extended a "visiting artist discount!" 

Keuka Spring tasting room

The town of Penn Yan itself was lots of fun to explore and walk around, looking into little shops and having lunch at Lloyd's Limited pub and Millie's cafe.

A large Mennonite population in Western NY

Pub lunch

Main Street

There are some incredible Victorian style homes all over upstate NY, I always appreciated this on my ride from Western Massachusetts back to Syracuse. The homes and professional offices on Main St. Penn Yan were kept up very nicely. If only I could have gone inside to see the wood work!

Main Street, private home

Main Street, professional office

On Thursday afternoon after my one-day class had wrapped up, I made the 13-mile ride to Hammondsport, NY at the end of Keuka Lake. Let me tell you this small town was well worth the ride! It was voted the Coolest Small Town in America 2012 by Budget Travel. And this town truly stood up to that, I stopped in the park to listen to live music, had an ice cream, and enjoyed the architecture. 

Great live music on the town green in Hammondsport

26 miles of biking allowed for some ice cream in Hammondsport

I couldn't stay for dinner as I had to get back before dark

I prepared most of my own meals at Sunny Point rather than go out. I grilled chicken on the BBQ grill for the first time ever and it was actually fun! I had a great pairing of chicken, grilled veggies and local wine with a view!

Grilled chicken and veggies with salad greens, local Pinot Noir 

The lake never ceased to offer stunning views

The breakfast nook in the kitchen at the cottage

I have been asked to return next year to teach. I might try to combine it with a triathlon, cross lake swim, or around the lake bike ride, all endurance activities that the area hosts in the summer. What could be better? I hope you will follow the right hand column of my blog and keep an eye open for the Art Center of Yates County next year. Come out and paint and tear paper with me, drink wine and enjoy all that the Finger Lakes region of beautiful NY State has to offer!

Painting papers in the classroom at the Art Center

sporting my heart rate monitor watch