So on Day Four (Sunday, September 4) we collectively agree to check out Watkins Glen State Park, which is on the south end of Seneca Lake, about a half-hour(ish) drive from Ithaca.
We didn't anticipate the huge crowd at Watkins Glen, but we should have. It was the Labor Day weekend, after all. Even though there were a lot of people, and they made climbing the hundreds of narrow steps of the Watkins Glen gorge falls a bit tight and mildly treacherous, they didn't detract from the amazing beauty. Watkins Glen has to be seen to be appreciated.
We returned to our hotel in the early afternoon sweaty and dirty. We cleaned ourselves up, and walked up route 13 to the Barnes & Noble about a mile from our hotel. (It's been a pleasure to discover how much Nora likes books and bookstores). We, of course, got iced coffees from the Starbuck's cafe in the store and spent close to two hours browsing. All four of us bought books. I bought Donna Tartt's The Secret History, a book I have intended on reading ever since listening to the podcast Once Upon a Time at Bennington College.
After the B&N adventure, we embarked on a new adventure: trying to find a restaurant in downtown Ithaca. The city was hopping and every eatery was packed. We were finally able to get into Monks on the Commons (in the Marriott Hotel--a place we'd considered staying in but was booked). It took the wait staff about a half-hour to decide who was serving us, but eventually (9:00 pm or so) we were able to eat. Avery and I had the house gnocchi which was excellent--and probably even better considering how hungry we were.
We returned back to the hotel and prepared for the long journey home.
Next: Day Five.
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