Syracuse

Every tour has its own personality, and every band member has their own favorite tour. I have difficulty choosing a favorite; for me it is more about which one I choose to miss when the rare opportunity to stay home occurs. I have never missed a Northeast Tour since joining the Band, this being my fourth. Some enjoy this tour for the shorter drives, staying in the same time zone as family, the ease of family visits, or the usually spectacular fall foliage. All of these reasons apply, but one of my favorite aspects of the Northeast Tour is the towns.

We stay in little towns, big towns, college towns, cities, and suburbia. In Syracuse, we found ourselves in the middle of the university student populated part of town. Shopping areas and college eateries were outside our front door with a campus and park grounds handy for walking.

Leslye, Chris and I ventured forth in search of a market; it has been awhile since we have seen a grocery store in walking distance. We never found a market, but we wandered around the shops, hoping to find walking shoes for Leslye. We stumbled across a restaurant serving natural foods, and decided to have dinner there. Taking our seats, I realized I had eaten in that location five years ago, although it was not necessarily the same restaurant at the time. It had very distinctive architectural features, so I know it was not my imagination – nor was I having a Troxel moment.

We’ve dodged rain for the past few days, and managed to do so again; while we were safe and dry in the restaurant, there was a downpour outside. Since Leslye was the only one carrying an umbrella, we were happy our luck held.

The concert was in an old theater, one we had played in before. It boasted a magnificently ornate interior, complete with stained glass doorways in the back of the hall. The hall has aged considerably, however, needing a little tender loving care. I was told after the concert that plans were under way for a renovation, some already begun in parts of the building not accessible to us. I wonder if we will have a chance to see the results five years from now. Rick brought a basket of apples from his parents to share with the Band.

Morning brought the cooler temperatures we have been waiting for; it was still a little humid, but my hands were a little chilled for once as Lisa, Ruth, Karen, Liz, and I set out for our walk. Liz had heard of a rose garden nearby, and Lisa remembered a park for walking. We found the rose garden with ease, right next to the park Lisa remembered. Volunteers from the Rose Society were deadheading the roses and cleaning the garden for the cooler temperatures coming.

Hills are becoming more frequent on our walks; there wasn’t a lot of conversation as we climbed the steeper ones. Fortunately, the “up” sides of the hills were on the first half of the walk; it was downhill heading back to the hotel. Breakfast was at Bruegger’s Bagels, and we headed back to the hotel. With the weather turning towards Autumn and Ithaca and a maintenance day in sight, there is a little extra spring to everyone’s step.