The Society & BMW Road Trip Crumb….. Sara Graham
The Society & BMW Road Trip Series continues well into the fall season! Members have skipped town to New York, Montreal, and Ottawa - just to name a few cities. We asked culturite & travel writer, Sara Graham, to regale us with tales from her recent drive up to upstate NY with our trusty BMW X1. Check it out below and for more serendipitous experiences from the files of Sara Graham, visit www.thetravelpresse.com!
Day 1: Toronto, ON to Aurora, NY
I admittedly left Toronto a wee bit later that I should have. Although 1pm instead of 4 would have gotten me in to Aurora, NY in much better time for the start of a craft beer dinner that my hotel was putting on, I arrived safely thanks to the BMW X1 I scored on a loan from my girls at The Society Global. All told, this first leg was about fours hours of driving …done on a half tank of gas! So we can safely put #fuelefficient on this beast of a BMW.
Upon my arrival, I was pleasantly surprised that the kitchen had saved me four courses and a couple of beers! Far too much food to be indulging in so late at night, but I was starved so I happily took a seat at the bar, while everyone else was served dessert, and dug in. After my epic meal, I had a chat with exec chef Greg Rhoad about the impressive selection of brews chosen to highlight craft breweries of New York State, and his monthly epicurean series of lunches and dinners that run through to May 2012. Seriously thinking I’ll be back for one of them!
Day 2: Aurora to Roxbury, NY
For a travel writer I’ve not been traveling much the last few months. So, when the opportunity to test drive the new BMW X1 came up, I immediately started fantasizing about hitting the open road to upstate NY. Timing was such that no one could call shotgun (at least nobody I’d want to spend 8 hours straight with), which is not ideal, but what’s a girl to do but grab the Beemer by the gears and just go! The real point being there’s nothing quite like trucking along to tunes I’ve not heard in ages, and taking in the grand views, along with a glimpse into small town life, between Aurora and Roxbury, NY. And between tropical storm Irene bringing record rains, and an early September cold snap, there is some spectacular Fall foliage throughout much of New England this season.
So after a working morning at the cozy Aurora Inn, I walked next door to Bet The Farm and the wine tasting began. Next stop was the Heart & Hands vineyard as the gracious staff at the inn had arranged a private tasting for me. Usually only open at the weekends, Susan – who owns and runs the operation with hubby Tom – guided me through the vintages on offer and I picked up the delicious 2008 Barrel Reserve Pinot Noir.
Next, I took off for the Catskills and zipped through little towns called Triangle and Greene. Probably stopped a few too many times to capture the scenery so arrived rather late (again) at The Roxbury Motel.
Day 3: Touring Roxbury and surrounds
Delaware County is incredibly picturesque and there are a lot of little towns with their own thing going on. Took a drive over to the Arkville Bed & Breakfast for a diner-style omelet and home fries. Then I was back to my motel to tour a few of the 27 rooms that make this boutique hotel an ideal escape for some of New York City’s boldfaced names.
All rooms and suites at The Roxbury Motel are indeed over the top, but the quirky cool and kinky kitsch has earned it endless accolades from the likes of Fodor’s, National Geographic and Tripadvisor.
What’s the big deal, you ask?
For the last seven years Greg and Joseph have been bringing sexy back to the roadside motel by creating themed rooms loosely inspired by tv shows, films or cartoon from the 60’s and 70’s. Think: Fred’s Lair, The Mod Pod, Golightly a Go-Go and Genie’s Bottle. Maria’s Curtains is fashioned after a scene in The Sound of Music, while the whipped ceiling in Maryann’s Coconut Cream Pie plays off the baking babe’s signature in Gilligan’s Island. I was sufficiently creeped out sleeping in Noir Boudoir – a suite that would suit Morticia Addams quite nicely.
Post tour and chill session in the motel’s Shimmer Spa, I headed over for dinner at Peekamoose in Big Indian. The former chef of the Gramercy Tavern whips up delicious dishes at this cozy joint that’s about a 20-minute drive from Roxbury. On the drive home, Bambi & Co decided to suddenly scamper across the road! Thanks to the X1’s superior braking system, I was able to hit the breaks without impact (and heart attack). Thank God.
Day 4: Roxbury, NY to Toronto, ON
The 7-hour drive home was smooth sailing (save for the torrential downpours on I-90) and I enjoyed the epic scenery all along the stretch between Roxbury and Stamford, as well as the misty vistas along 10 North.
The road trip was amazing and I hope to do it all over again next Fall!
