May 29, 2025
Day 18 “Rain” day in Fair Haven
It didn’t rain. The forecast was rain in Fair Haven. It rained a bit last night, had wet pavement in the morning, but nothing else. For part of the day, it rained sunshine.But it was a good day to rest anyway, and Fair Haven is a nice, peaceful and bucolic little town, situated on Little Sodus Bay, an inlet of Lake Ontario.
So, a bit about Fair Haven for this entry, trying to do my best Rick Steves.
Fair Haven is part of the town of Sterling. Not exactly how that governance works - a village or hamlet as part of a larger thing? Or just a separate section with a different name, like Arlington Heights.
I took a walk along the bay and saw some very nice homes situated right on the water. Not McMansions, but tastefully done larger size cottages, typically with a boat dock. Across the street, homes a bit larger but not huge with nicely positioned decks to overlook the inlet. You can see sailboats in the bay and motor boats whizzing along. Some boats had ski bars so assume there is some of that going on when the weather is a bit warmer. It brought back memories of Newfound Lake.
Walking back up the hill, there is a chicken coop. Chickens of different types and ages. The coop is a neat design, with an upper chamber where the chickens roost at night to protect themselves from night predators. And it’s mobile. I got talking to the owner and he explained they move it every couple of days so the chickens have new bugs to eat!! Chickens eat bugs? As Johnny would say, “I did not know that.” The owner said they never have a mosquito problem and when the Japanese beetle season begins, it will be a bug festival for the birds.
I also learned that I’ve been traversing at least part of the Seaway Trail and have passed several of its historic sites. I probably should have noticed earlier.
For breakfast, I went to the Hardware Cafe, a cute gift store and cafe. It was an excellent take, and I was lucky since it’s open only Thursday to Sunday.
Dinner last night was at Brandon’s, a high energy burger and beer place that is very popular. Everyone there knew each other. Fair Haven is a small town so Im sure it’s a very tight community.
Dinner tonight was at the Pleasant Beach Restaurant. I walked by it earlier today and wasn’t sure if it was even open for the season because there was not any activity. I walked over at 6:30ish, and the parking lot was packed, cars parked along the street and overflow parking in the municipal lot. I wasn’t sure if it would have room for me! I went in, and it was clearly a happy hour for the “older” crowd, of which I think I am included. I was glad to get positive comments on my Red Sox hat and was amongst an anti-Yankee crowd. It’s clear Bills territory here so did not bring up the Patriots. The food was good. A very traditional menu, old style with meals which come with a salad on a separate plate and vegetables on the side. Nothing fancy but good.
And I’m learning more about the Amish in NY state. It’s a booming population with many communities established in this part of the state, migrating from Ohio and perhaps PA. There are also several different types of communities, ranging from Ultra-conservative to Progressive. Very similar to other religions. Several horse and carriages passed by the Airbnb while I was reading out front. Very interesting.
That was my day in Fair Haven. “Keep on Traveling”.
Palmyra tomorrow. Time to get back on the horse.
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 4 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 0 |