Monday 2 June 2025

A successful breakfast in the room using the microwave, a fast food salad container from last night, our eggs and some sliced, smoked ham. Hard to reason why a motel gives you a fridge and microwave but no crockery, cutlery or containers. A very good single serve coffee maker, yes, but paper cups. Water glasses, no but plastic disposables. Luckily, we have a bit of a picnic box.

As we are on the shore of Lake Ostego and close to the Erie Canal at Cooperstown, we decide to do a relaxing cruise on the canal. An hour down to lock 18, down 20’ and out the other side, turn around and back through the lock, up 20’ and cruise back to the dock. A bit of fun if you haven’t been through a lock before, I suppose. Very good commentary on the history of the Erie Canal.

Then, back into Cooperstown proper. A beautiful, upstate New York village with well maintained timber homes and mansions, a vibrant, if not touristy Main Street and expensive lake front hotel, golf course and small marina. It’s also the home to the Baseball Hall of Fame and the Cooperstown baseball bat manufacturer. Oh, and also some boutique breweries, distilleries and wineries. A gin and bourbon tasting resulted in Lady P buying a specialist gin and Flashy having a Guinness in the sunshine of the local pub’s front porch.

In two strokes of genius, we find the very flash Otsego Hotel and despite our misgivings as to our state of dress, we enjoy a mocktail and a Californian Cabernet, with a snack of the most excellent Buffalo wings, at the outside circular fire bar overlooking the lake. Not to be outdone and after searching Main Street in vain for an early dinner venue, we discover the Lakeview Hotel and their marina side bar and restaurant, where our young serve Declan, chats about university life and brings us a beetroot and candied walnut salad and a wonderful crab cake to share. A relaxing and informative day.

Main Street, Cooperstown.
The outdoor fire bar and those excellent wings.
Didn't eat here!
Very good Lakeside Marina dining.
Now, that's a crab cake.
And that, believe it or not, is a delicious beetroot and candied walnut salad.

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