We decided not to go north and went east over the weekend. Serendipity took us to Cazenovia, NY instead of Canada, and we ended up at The Brewster Inn. Cazenovia is a really charming little lake town and The Brewster Inn is pleasingly quirky and very comfy. Benjamin Brewster who built the place in 1890 made a killing with Standard Oil. J.D. Rockefeller was a colleague, friend and even a pallbearer at his funeral. After Brewster, it changed hands a few times over the years and has been an inn for the last sixty. Our dinner overlooking the lake in one of the three dining rooms was exceptional. The chef, who has been there for over twenty years, is still winning awards. The staff were terrific and lots of them have been at the inn for 30+ years. It felt a bit like we were in a Wes Anderson film. In a world where it is faster, harder, bigger, better, it was so nice to find a place that is slower, softer, smaller and the best for a relaxing and unique stay.
Late 19th c. stock certificate issued to Benjamin Brewster with a value of $818,000.00. Maturity value $1,335,355,525,000.00
"The principle of art is to pause, not bypass" -Jerzy Kosinski
We always take some time to stop and smell the art when we travel. If you take the time to pause, there are interesting surprises in unlikely places.
Fine nineteenth century oil portraits of early owners of The Aurora Inn in the front parlour and reception area of the inn.
We stopped for a drink at the Lincklaen House Hotel in Cazenovia. There is a wonderful series of oil paintings in the tavern from the forties by Merrill Bailey (1909-1981), an accomplished local artist. The booths, tables and panelling have decades of carvings by tavern patrons.
Connie's Diner in Waterloo opened in 1963 and the ceramic mosaic landscapes are from the early sixties.
