You might be wondering just what brought us to Wellsboro? The answer to that is simple: Ice Fishing.
Marty has had this dream to rekindle his enthusiasm for ice fishing ever since he retired. Last year, he drove up to this area to take a class on Ice Fishing safety so that he'd be prepared to tackle (no pun intended) the adventure, should the opportunity arise.
But as you might have guessed, Ice Fishing requires a relatively thick layer of ice (4 inches minimum, I've been told, although that seems rather scanty to me), and in order for that to happen, the weather has to be accommodating. So, Marty has been scoping out the daily weather reports so that he could determine the best time to travel to this area to satisfy his longing.
He slowly collected the necessary gear: an auger, ice picks, insulation flotation overalls, and just about anything one might need in order to get out on the ice safely to catch a fish. And, last week, he announced that it was time, and he asked if I'd be willing to travel with him to this quaint town, so that he could fish in a nearby lake. I agreed, and picked a charming B&B along Main Street where we could stay, since the drive is several hours long.
There had been some question of the integrity of the ice, so Marty stopped into the local tackle shop to check, and when he came out with a huge smile on his face, I knew that his dream was soon to become reality.
We arrived at our B&B just as the sun was setting, and some snowflakes had begun to fall.
The place has just two rooms, and as luck would have it, we have the place to ourselves. The room is quite cozy
and the welcome board was certainly a nice touch!
The house is located just across from a Victorian mansion that holds the local free library, and a church built in 1894, that peals a lovely tune several times a day. I don't think I could have picked a better spot!
We decided to walk into town for dinner, and we couldn't help but admire the picturesque scene, with the gas lamps aglow along the median strip, and houses dating back to the 1800's along either side.
We passed a statue of Mary Wells, wife of one of the original settlers for whom this town was named.
The county courthouse clock was beautifully aglow with night approaching.
We soon found ourselves at Beck's Bistro, which offered a warm cozy atmosphere, and the food was scrumptious!
Little did we know that we had stumbled into Trivia Night at the Bistro, and within short time, all of those empty tables that you see were filled with people, eager to take part in the evening's game. How fun is that?
This morning, Marty awoke early and headed out to his intended fishing location while I relaxed in the comfort of the cozy environs here. By mid-morning, I decided to venture out and about to check out an area called "The Green", as I had noted an unusual monument sitting in the center last evening, but couldn't quite make out what it was from a distance.
As I got closer, and saw what appeared to be three children in a boat, I thought to myself, unless this is Wynken, Blynken and Nod, I can't make out what it would be. I walked around to the placard, expecting to see some sad story affiliated with this unusual monument, and what did I see?
A metal inscription, "Wynken, Blynken and Nod, Dutch Lullaby"! Now, what are the chances of that? I recalled that the baby shower that was given for me for my first child, had this as the theme, but, honestly, it's not a lullaby that I would have expected to see in the middle of a town square! The statue has stood in the middle of the green since 1938.
Walking along, I spotted another view with the county courthouse in the distance.
The sailor represents a memorial to veterans of all wars.
And this soldier statue is in memory of those who died in the Civil War.
I enjoyed walking into the town and admiring the unusual architecture of the many buildings.
Festive decorations still adorned several of the shops.
And I found myself peering into the window of the Highland Chocolate shop on Main Street.
Note the decorated Gas Light for which this town is known.
It didn't take much to entice me to enter, and soon I was greeted by an enthusiastic woman who was eager to share the story of the chocolate shop with me. Apparently all of the decadent chocolates behind the glass case are made by Special Needs employees. Of course, I couldn't resist purchasing a box of hand made truffles,
and I also picked up a can of maple syrup, having been harvested from this woman's owned acreage.
Guess you could say that I'm supporting the locals, right?
Heading back out on Main, I walked to the site of the Wellsboro Diner. Marty and I laughed when we spotted it yesterday, as the facebook page picture is obviously enhanced in comparison to the real thing. The diner opened in 1939 and has been in continuous use since then, standing on the original location.
By now, it was beginning to rain a bit, so I began the walk back to the B&B, but decided to pop into a small cafe and enjoy a white chocolate latte.
It tasted even better than it looks!
By the time I got back to the B&B, I was quite damp, as I hadn't thought to take the umbrella with me on the way out. But, I popped my things in the room, then headed down to this cozy room, to relax, and to write this blog.
I particularly loved the stand with these home made, quilted table runners. They offer them for sale, if one should like to take one home. The workmanship is beautiful!
The latest ice fishing update from Marty: no fish were caught. But, more importantly, he did NOT fall through the ice! And it appears that a day ice fishing in the rain is better than a day not fishing....at least for the fisherman!
Hope you enjoyed my latest travel adventure! Who knows.....if the weather freezes up again, we just might be back!
In the meantime....stay warm!!
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