Instagram: Cooperstown for the Fourth of July

We had the most delicious Fourth of July in Cooperstown this year. Here are some fun photos I took on instagram if you’d like to see:

On the Fourth we rode in my Dad’s Model A Ford in the 100th Springfield Center Fourth of July Parade. There is no hard proof but we’ve been told it is one of the oldest parades in the country. My daughter and her friend threw lots of candy out the window. It is always a little bit of struggle to remind them to throw it. They’d rather keep it all to eat themselves!

After the parade our friend hosted the most beautiful casual country luncheon. I love her house, especially her outside dining room. It was so nice to catch up with old friends over wine and crisp.

We took lots of walks around town, especially since my little guy woke up around 5:30 every morning (!!) One day I was even the first customer at Stagecoach Coffee.

When I go back in August I can’t wait to try the new Beekman 1802 pop-up store and restaurant on Main Street. I love The Beekman Boys and am so glad they are champions of upstate New York. (Yes, that is me in the reflection wearing a sweatshirt over my pajamas and pushing a stroller at 6:05am…)

The sunrises each day were so pretty and made for such rewarding photo safaris despite the hour. My favorite is the sunrise photo of Otsego Lake. They call it Glimmerglass because it looks like a sheet of glass when it is calm like that. Which is most of the time.

Mom’s newest garden ornament is this regal turkey. I love how she lords over the ferns with grace and authority.

I lucked out with lots of transplants for my garden in Connecticut. Hello, primroses! As we fill up the garden at the new house I am reminded that gardening is really about recycling plants from one place to the next.

Our Saturday farmer’s market visit is always one of my favorite activities. Over the weekend my friend Brian made a special appearance with his cotton candy maker and spun fresh cotton candy out of real maple sugar from his maple trees. Heaven!

I also picked up a few treats for myself: rhubarb, herb-wrapped goat cheese, snap peas, arugula & edible flower salad, potatoes, strawberries, and a lemon verbena plant.

We ended the weekend with dinner at the Ice Cream Social on the lawn outside the Presbyterian Church. They serve hamburgers, hot dogs, pasta salad, potato salad, and cake and ice cream that is out of this world. It is the best kind of small town gathering. We caught up with old friends, the kids ran around with balloons and ate ice cream for dinner. Ah, summer.

Congratulations, Cooperstown, on being named one of the top 10 best small towns in America by Fodor’s Travel. The honor is well deserved. See you in August!