Allegany State Park, New York State

Wow.

Camping.

We know we've done it YEARS and YEARS ago in Washington State, a bunch of times, with a boyfriend; then a few years ago in Ontario, Canada with another, for weeks at a time...and now, now...it's like camping for the very first time.

First of all, did you know New York State has mountains? And did you know the Allegany State Park is IN the mountains...and did you know at night it gets cold, freezing cold, in the mountains? Did you you know two regular sized Mexican blankets will NOT keep two adults warm through a cold, damp, night, or two in the mountains...

Yeah, it wasn't very restful those first two nights. Luckily we were tight lipped with the bitching and complaining, as was James. Taking a trip into a nearby city, finally, the day of our final night, we got two sleeping bags to throw on our air mattress and slept way better last night.

So, the park. The park is amazing, so many lush trees, and animals, lakes and streams.

The first day we decided to go for a hike, which was supposed to be about 6 miles roundtrip. We were wrong, and at one point tried to be adventurous, going in search of a trail and headed off into the trees next to a stream. We figured the trail would pass the stream because the trail ran parallel to the bridge/road the the stream went under, where we had been standing.

Over an hour later we emerged, our legs scratched all to hell from off-trail adventure, feet damp from removing shoes and socks and crossing streams of jagged rocks, only to come out on the road FIVE MINUTES from where we had entered the forest.

We basically did a huge loop, and never did find the trail we were looking for, only a site they used for making firewood, full with a wood chipper and old picnic tables. It was pretty fun, despite "misplacing the trail", walking through streams, being an adventurer, even though we are sure James was worried, but to be fair, he knew we had very basic idea of how we were going to find the trail, but Allegenay State Park is rife with bears and other wild animals they don't have in England, not to mention it's 65,000 acres (97 square miles). It's the 3rd largest State Park in the United States.

We stayed cheery and optimistic, laughing and yelling "Yay! Problem solving!" and "Team building exercises!", as James rolled his eyes at us. It turned out to be the best part of the hike that turned out to be 11 miles, lasting 6.5 hours.

The second best of the hike was The Bear Cave-Mt Seneca Trail, 4 miles in itself, the start is uphill (depending on which entrance you take) and climbs to an elevation of 2,106 ft - but only about 600 feet from the starting point, so it's not so bad, but it is rated 'moderate' in difficulty. At the end are giant boulders jutting from the earth, you can see the layers of history in them, and they are covered in moss, forming all sorts of neat paths and caves.

Bear Cave Trail Boulders - Allegany State Park, 2012

Bear Cave Trail Boulders - Allegany State Park, 2012

Bear Caves Trail, Allegany State Park, 2012

Once we got back to the campsite, with blistered and tired feet, we decided we wouldn't be doing any more hiking while at Allegany Park, and went to a park spot nearby that had barbeque pits to make dinner of steak, mushrooms, zucchini and corn on the cob. (it had gotten to late to build a fire at our campsite)

Allegany Park itself was great, we arrived the weekend before the season opened so the general stores weren't open, which also meant it was very quiet, and free of people and cars. The initial camp spot we reserved, at Cain Hollow Campground (in the Quaker Area), was in Loop C, but the ground of the sites in both Loop C and B proved to be too hard to get tent pegs in, so after some driving around we settled on the more open field like terrain of Loop A. It was excellent, and private. Though the shower and bathroom facilities lacked..., compared to the facilities about 4 miles away, which we used the last two nights, because showering with dead bugs and birds, well...one night was enough. (bird poop all over!)

Our campsite at Cain Hollow - Quaker Area - Loop A

All in all if you like to camp, tent style, and hike/bike lots, this is the park for you (though they have plenty, loads actually, of sites for RV style, as well as many cabins); if you like nature and animals this is the place for you - we saw woodchucks, foxes, deer more than once, and lightening bugs, slugs.

For James it was the first time he'd seen a woodchuck and lightening bugs, he took pictures and video of both. We had hoped for bears, but from a distance and not near our campsite, sadly there were none to be seen, though lots of warnings. We figured in our tenting spot, far away from people, we were a nylon bagged treat for local bears.

It should also be noted that cellular service, including wireless signals, were limited in much of the park.

Our first camping experience with James is complete, of course there was some bickering, but once we got into the flow of it it was peaceful and fun. We've decided to do more camping on the trip than planned (mostly to save money), however, we will be doing more KOA-style because we want to do less outdoors and more just having a place to rest our head as we venture into nearby cities.

Today we took an impromptu trip to Niagara Falls, less than 68 miles north of Allegany State Park. It was raining so our departure got delayed a bit as we waited for it to ease up so we could pack up the tent. James enjoyed Niagara, and we were happy to have seen it from the American side, having seen it once from the Canadian side. Being behind from stopping to buy New York State apples on the 'winery trail' we only made it as far as Syracuse, New York - where we got the cheapest hotel we could find for the night. Tomorrow we head to Boston. We're looking forward to fresh seafood (not James, he dislikes seafood), and doing some exploration of the East Coast. It will be our first real trip to the coast, and our first view of the Atlantic Ocean.
--------------------------------
More photos of Allegany:

___________________________

For more information:
Allegany State Park: http://www.stateparks.com/allegany.html
Allegany State Park - Quaker Area: http://nysparks.com/parks/1/details.aspx
Allegany State Park - Red House Area: http://nysparks.com/parks/73/details.aspx
Allegany State Park Map: http://enchantedmountains.com/files/downloads/map/img/map-allegany-state-park-20091203.jpg
Allegany State Park Reservations on Reserve America: http://newyorkstateparks.reserveamerica.com/Camping/Allegany%20State%20Park/r/campgroundDetails.do?subTabIndex=campDetail&contractCode=NY&parkId=31

Upcoming Road Trip: Chicago

Friday (or Saturday, we haven't confirmed) we're hitting the road on our first of a series of USA Road trips!

This one will take us first to an undisclosed location to spend the weekend in the city where we graduated high school, to have dinner with our dad; then off to Chicago where we will spend 5 days checking the place out, with a finale near Detroit at our very first massive Tweetup!

When James can finally stay in the country (United States) permanently, Chicago is the city we've chosen as a number one choice of places to settle, so obviously we have to show him the place.

He's never been more than about 100 miles from the place where we stay in ...oooops...you can't know where we stay in the United States. In any case it's a dreadful place (no good restaurants, no culture, no...anything)...and we are SUPER excited to show him the America WE know. To narrow it down for you, we will be touching foot, at least, in Wisconsin, North Dakota, Minnesota, Illinois and Michigan.

We haven't posted everything about our stay in the UK yet, there are more pictures, another restaurant review, and more general opinion. We might get some crossovers for awhile. We are already planning our next road trip, which will be about three weeks long.

While many of our travel plans have changed since the inception of the adventure last winter, previously dubbed "2012 Stabbing Tour"...we are adjusting as needed and plan to do as much as we can in the shirt period before we leave for Europe (destination unknown) August '03.

Hope you come back, or join us on Twitter (@JustCallMeFrank) and read what random things we have to say about people, places and things in Chicago.

The Green Room - Colchester, England

Being limited on funds during our four month adventure in England meant we had to choose carefully if we were to experience some higher end eating, other than what we could produce ourselves from the fresh and high quality ingredients of the grocery stores backed with our culinary education. We managed three very nice restaurants, none of which we were disappointed with. While this restaurant was the first we visited, we ended up writing about another one we visited after it first, The Anchor of Rowhedge, a delightful little pub restaurant overlooking the River Colne.

The Green Room, located in the North Hill Hotel of picturesque Colchester, England, is a cosy yet spacious restaurant serving seasonal dishes made primarily with fresh, local/British ingredients (some exceptions may apply) created by Chef John Riddleton, and inspired by United Kingdom cuisine.


Starting the meal with two starters to share - we always share at least a little of our plates with James, and vice-a-versa; we ordered Warm smoked duck, baby gem, chicory,pomegranate, pickled walnut for ourselves, while James ordered the Scottish-inspired Haggis scotch egg and kohlrabi remoulade with crispy capers.


The first thing you'll notice when eating anything at The Green Room is the fresh ingredients. Being locally sourced with consideration, and chosen seasonally, means they are of top quality. The smoked duck of our starter was tender and perfectly smoky, the greens of the salad crisp and the pomegranate seeds delightfully juicy.


The best of the two, however, was the scotch egg. Traditionally a boiled egg wrapped in sausage, rolled in a bread coating and baked, these scotch eggs were made from local free range eggs surrounded, instead, by haggis, a mixture of offal (organs such as heart, liver, lungs, etc) and minced onion with oatmeal, suet (a type of hard fat), spices and seasoning. It was accompanied by a tasty spicy kohlrabi remoulade sauce that brought to mind the taste of horseradish, and sprinkled with perfectly salty, crispy capers to offset the slight richness of the scotch egg. The most remarkable thing about the dish was the perfectly cooked yolk of the egg. Not cut until just before serving, the cook had to have the utmost confidence in their ability to pull the egg from the simmering water, and cool it, at just the right time. It was soft, creamy, and a beautiful shade of yellow.

Warm smoked duck, baby gem, chicory,
pomegranate, pickled walnut

Haggis scotch egg, kohlrabi remoulade, crispy capers

Chilean MontGras deGras

Sauvignon Blanc.

The main course arrived and we were greeted with beauty, and as we started a second glass of an easy to drink bottle of Chilean MontGras deGras Sauvignon Blanc. 


James' favourite dish is Beef Wellington so naturally he chose the Baked pork fillet Wellington with an apple, Gruyère cheese & thyme stuffing, watercress and whole grain mustard cream sauce; while we opted for the more "adventurous" Roasted kangaroo rump with a green peppercorn brandy sauce, crisp potato cake, and wilted spinach.


The kangaroo rump was extremely tender and reminiscent of young high quality venison* (in this case specifically deer). Light in flavour yet rich on the tongue, it paired well with the brandy sauce and crispy on the outside potato cake. Honestly if offered the dish again we'd opt for other selections, but the dish was in no way disappointing. The wilted spinach added a nice touch and when brought together gave you the fresh and seasonal taste of winter.


The Pork Wellington that James ordered was amazing onto itself, with the melt in your mouth texture of a perfectly cooked pork loin cloaked in a delightful stuffing of apple, Gruyère, thyme and watercress, as opposed to the traditional pâté and mushroom duxelle (a mix of minced mushrooms, shallots and spices), then wrapped in puff pastry and baked. It was both flavourful and succulent, not at all dry as some Wellingtons can tend be, another indication that the Chef and cooks in the kitchen of The Green Room know what they were doing. The mustard cream sauce was both a natural and tasty accompaniment to the pork. 

Roasted kangaroo rump,
green peppercorn
brandy sauce, crisp potato cake,
wilted spinach

Baked pork fillet Wellington, apple,
Gruyère cheese & thyme stuffing, watercress,
whole grain mustard cream sauce

No matter how full we are there is always room for dessert; or, as the British tend to call it 'pudding', which is not to say a milk-based dessert but rather a general term for the sweet course of a meal.

From the menu of delicious dessert options we chose Warm mini doughnuts with chocolate sauce, vanilla custard and strawberry jam - easy to share, though with great reluctance. James chose a Classic custard and nutmeg tart with vanilla roasted rhubarb and home-made stem ginger ice cream. Obviously ours was the best, but that's simply a personal preference, as with anything.

We found the custard in James' tart to be too bland for our taste, it would have been even better with a stronger, or sweeter flavour, while the crust itself was good, neither too thin, or too thick. The rhubarb, a very common fruit in England, was roasted and flavoured nicely and did not have the tough texture you would expect to find in a length of it. The ice cream was made in-house and it was delicious on it's own. The texture and creaminess exactly what you want from ice cream.

Our mini doughnuts were puffy, light and sweet, as a perfect doughnut hole should be, and the sauces served with them called out for being licked clean of their dish (we probably didn't...but after a bottle of wine, we may have ran our finger around each little dish to spare not a drop).

Warm mini doughnuts, chocolate sauce,
vanilla custard & strawberry jam 

Classic custard & nutmeg tart, vanilla roasted rhubarb,
home-made stem ginger ice cream

Great for after a

big meal, James enjoyed a

Remy Martin XO (cognac) 

The presentations of all the dishes were simple and clean. The staff was knowldgeable and friendly, they neither bothered you at the table too much, or too little, and with a raise of a finger were there when you needed them. The atmosphere relaxing and quiet, and the prices were what you would expect for a meal of high quality with the main course averaging in price from £14-18 ($22-30 at the time of this writing) and desserts around £6 ($10).

With a menu that changes with the season, we had really hoped to make it back for one more experience, but alas, our funds were cut even shorter, as was our trip.

There's always next time. And there will be a next time.

For more information on The Green Room, in the North Hill Hotel, of Colchester, England visit: http://www.northhillhotel.com/Bistro.html

*Venison is a term that is often used to describe any variety of four legged wild game animals such as elk, bison, deer, moose, etc.