Friday, September 17, 2021 Day Trip with Jan

 Betty had to do laundry today, so I asked Jan if she was interested in doing something today.  She said she was free and we decided to go to Miller's Bulk Food Store.  After a couple of early morning errands, I picked her up and we headed out towards Wrights Corners to get on 104.  We passed several colorful farm stands offering vegetables and pumpkins.  When we got to MILLER's it was very crowded, and all the carts were in use.  I went out in the parking lot and saw an elderly man emptying his cart and I asked I could take it and he was happy to let me have it.

We both got several items.  Then we headed to GOLDEN HILLS STATE PARK.  I asked Jan if she had ever seen the ruins of the DRAKE MANSION and she said no, so we stopped there first.  The ruins are actually on property owned by GHSP.  We walked around for twenty minutes or so checking the remnants out.  They are not actually remnants of the house/mansion.  Most likely they are remnants of decorative stone walls, etc. in the garden area. 

We saw a funny item hanging in a tree, which I thought might be a geocache, but I don't think it 

is.   It had a mesh top, secured with a rubber band, and something that looked like folded papers inside.  I thought that if I took the mesh and rubber band off that I might not be able to get them back on properly, so I didn't try.  I showed Jan the location of the geocache that Peggy and I found many years ago, it is still in the fireplace, but I think it has been replaced since it is the size of a micro now and the way I recall it, it used to be large.   Another picture of the ruins.  

Then we drove to the boat launch area of Golden Hill State Park.  We had lunch at a picnic table and then walked around a little, and I took a bunch of pictures.  

After that, we both needed a bathroom and did not want to use the porta-potty's nearby, so we decided to drive to the main area of the park.  We used the ladies room there and then decided to head back to Lockport and check out the LYTLE NATURE PRESERVE.  On the way we stopped at Harris Farms and we each bought a few items.  

When we got to the area of LYTLE, I drove right by because I did not see the sign.  I turned around and went back and  I finally found it and we parked at the parking area for the bike path and walked over.  Unfortunately by this time of day, it had gotten VERY hot and humid.    Along the first part of the trail there are NO trees, and it had gotten hot over the past few hours, so we were happy to finally reach the wooded area. I loved seeing these:

I dropped Jan off a little after three p.m.   It was a great day!!!