Cartwright's Maple Tree Inn's 15 minutes of Fame!

I was just on the PBS site and I saw...Cartwright's Maple Tree Inn! For those who haven't been out there yet, it's open about 2 months of the year (late Jan-late March, I think) and it is in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE near Angelica, NY. It's a bit of a drive from Rochester, but well worth it. Anyway, it is featured on PBS's special on great breakfast places around the US (it's the first one in the special). Check it out!

Watch the full episode. See more Breakfast Special.

Peter's Sweet Shop

We're moving from the Highland Park neighborhood in a couple of weeks (to U of R housing). We've become very attached to the neighborhood--in case you were wondering, it's the best one in the city! I could go on for a long time.

Of all the sweet things in the HP neighborhood, the sweetest is Peter's Sweet Shop. It's right here on Clinton. Every day, Peter hand-makes chocolates while his wife mans (womans...) the counter. Even the little cards labeling the chocolates are hand-written. In my opinion, their best chocolates are the caramels, the butter-creams, and their specialty "sponge candy" (the inside is crunchy with little air bubbles). If you take a child in with you, there is a distinct possibility that they will leave with a complimentary chocolate-on-a-stick (and if you go in twice in one day, you can kiss your child's dinner-appetite goodbye, as we found out).

Are you looking for a gift for someone? Do you have an intense chocolate craving? Go to Peter's Sweet Shop! You will be very happy you did. (Photo credit: Peter's website, who borrowed it from the Democrat & Chronicle).

mmmm...Autumn

There are plenty of places around Rochester where you can go to soak up that fall feeling.  The ALL-KNOWING Rochester kids' activity page (recommended by a wise friend) has a complete "Fall Page" that lists all of the farms, orchards, etc. that have fun fall festivities (FFFs for short).   

Last year we went to Powers Farm Market in Pittsford.  We picked out a pumpkin, petted the animals, and walked through three giant corn-husk teepees that are full of lit jack-o-lanterns.  We also went on the haunted hay ride through the woods.  The hay ride was a lot of fun, but it's hard to remember if it was really worth $3.25/person (kids 1 & under ride free).  

We're going to try somewhere different this year, for variety's sake.  Maybe somewhere more farm-y than Powers (which isn't a farm).  What are your favorite places?