Chautauqua NY: June 30-July 2

On Tuesday (June 30), we got up and headed to our next location, Chautauqua NY where we visited our friends Susan, Michael, Julia and Madeleine Clark and Susan’s parents, Jim and Judy Moffitt.

We stopped at a city called Jamestown which is close to Chautauqua, NY (our next destination). To say it was raining would have been an understatement. We ate at a place called Friendly’s and they delivered on their name for sure! I had a very good lunch of grilled cheese and fries. Daddy and Mommy were very impressed because I have not been as interested in eating during meal time, just for snack time on this trip. After the reprieve from the rain and some lunch, we headed to see our friends at the Chautauqua Institute. Michael met us at the main entrance to help us get the gate pass and then drove with us to the hotel.

Yes, it was still raining. Our room was not ready, so we unloaded the car and gave all of our things to a nice man. I don’t know why he wanted them but Daddy seemed okay with the set up so I did not whine. I have whined about most everything this trip so it was good that this particular situation did not bother me. I was actually playing with Michael so I didn’t even notice. We headed to Michael, Susan, Julia and Madeleine’s place and I got to play on their porch with a play refrigerator, stove and phone. Of course I picked up the phone immediately, held it in the crook of my shoulder and started moving items from one place to another on the play kitchen. This is what Mommy does all of the time. I don’t think it’s possible to just talk on the phone; you must be doing something else at the same time.

The Chautauqua Institute is like no other place I have been. It was started by a couple of Methodist ministers in the 1800’s as a place to send Sunday school teachers to learn about the bible. It has been the site of many historic events, including Roosevelt’s “I hate war” speech and visits from historic figures like Amelia Earhardt. It feels very scholarly but fun too. There is a summer camp for kids (you must be at least 3 years old, though, so I could not go this year) It has a really big amphitheater right by our hotel where they have lectures, musical performances and plays.

I wish I would say that the rain stopped, the sun came out and out to the beach we went. I cannot say this. I also wish that I could say that I started sleeping more and whining less, but this also would not be true. But I can tell you that we had a delightful time with our friends on the grounds of “yesteryear” (aka Chautauqua Institute). Mommy went to a lecture about the Gnostic Gospels; I stomped in water, not just one day but two days. We went on a long walk, met some friends of Susan’s and ate our breakfast, lunch and dinner in a fancy restaurant in our hotel.