Mini Vacation

All of Central New York goes on "Mid-Winter Break" this week.  Many people take off for Florida or ski slopes.  Things such as Molly's Sunday symphony practice are not held. When the pastor announced last Sunday that this Sunday that there would be no Sunday school, Jeff and I looked at each other and said "Let's go somewhere!" I hope the pastor did not hear us and get offended.

That evening, we came home and quickly planned a mini-vacation.  Most places in the Adirondacks were booked.  We found our way to deciding on Corning, NY, two hours away.  The Corning Glass Museum came highly recommended, as well as the Rockwell Museum of Western Art.  The downtown historic shopping district is supposed to be nice too.  We found a hotel right in the heart of it so we could walk everywhere.  A hotel with a really nice pool, I must add. We booked Biscuit a few nights at the pet motel and dropped him off on our way down on Friday night.

When we walked in Anna announced, "This place is CL-ASSY!"  It was not the usual Red Roof Inn type place she usually stays - dog-friendly. But it wasn't technically upscale.  There was live music in the lounge and we indulged the girls with expensive and fussy dessert at the hotel restaurant adjacent to the open bar area where the jazz quartet played.  They loved it. So much, in fact, that Anna tried to angle for the same arrangement the next night with no luck.

We had scoped out the main street the night before, so Saturday morning we walked into town and grabbed coffee and muffins, then came back for a nice swim and dip in the hot tub.

  It was the most unique hot tub experience I'd ever had - the tub was outdoors, and it snowed while we sat in it.  It was odd to be perfectly warm and comfortable sitting in a pool of water in a bathing suit with snow falling on your head.  But fun.

We then made our way to the Corning Museum of glass. First, we had to stop at a pastry shop Anna had spotted named  "Poppleton Pastries."  Poppleton is an old friend of ours:) Not that he had anything to do with the pastry shop.

 Molly trying a sample

We did enjoy those pastries! Raspberry scones for Molly and I, Chocolate cupcake for Nan

Stopping to pose in front of the clock tower before crossing the footbridge to the museum. Our family misses living in a place that is walkable.

 It was a VERY well done museum, integrating history, art, and science. 

This was my favorite piece, in the Contemporary gallery.  You probably have to be in front of it to totally appreciate it, but it really is beautiful.  Anna said it was her favorite too.

Molly was entranced my this one.  Don't worry, I'm not going to post a bunch of pictures of the exhibits.  You know us - there aren't that many anyway!

The live demonstrations are one of the best parts of the museum.  This one was about using flame work to sculpt glass.  Pretty amazing.  There was also a demo on glass blowing, one on fiber optics, and one on glass breaking (the properties of glass when heated and cooled in different ways).

There were interactive displays for the kids as well.  The hands-down favorite of the day (and an extra cost and call-ahead reservation) was the "Make Your Own Glass Sculpture" Molly and Anna got to participate in.

Getting the instructions, ready to go with safety glasses on

The lady who worked with Anna was great.  Anna was probably a fun pupil as well:)

Moll blowing the glass

Anna at work

Anna's creation.  It looks a lot different now that it is cooled.  The colors are different when it's hot.  They cool them down slowly overnight so they don't crack and you pick them up the next day (or they ship them to you).

Molly's creation.  The finished products I hope to display in our living room.

We had a fun dinner out Saturday night, more swimming Sunday morning, and a visit to the art museum where no pictures were allowed.  It was a fun place to visit as well, with crafts and a scavenger hunt for the kids.  

It was so nice to spend time with the family, just having fun.  Had we stayed here I totally would have worked around the house.  I feel like we totally relaxed and appreciated the time that seemed a little more precious now.