It’s a beautiful Sunday afternoon, cold but sunny. I worked a holiday vendor show all day yesterday, the dog is being clingy, and we can’t stay inside or I’ll fall asleep. Where can we go? Answer: Chautauqua Institution

I had totally forgotten that Chautauqua has its Winter Village going on. But it’s Sunday, and admission is always free on a Sunday. We drove through the main entrance and headed down to the lake. There we watched the geese, Moto sniffed where another dog must have been, and we watched the beautiful horses lead a carriage tour. The tour guide’s voiced echoed off the empty buildings.

Bestor Plaza was much busier. A couple of stores and cafes were open, and Christmas music was playing. We paused briefly by a fire pit and I attempted to get Moto’s photo. I stopped in The Lemon Tree and the bookstore, picking up what else but books! Also found a Christmas gift so that’s one more person crossed off my list.

The Winter Village is going on weekends through the end of the year. Check the website for individual opening times. This time of year, you don’t need gate or parking passes.

(You’ve noticed I’m not great at keeping this blog updated, right? Of course you have. It’s because I never seem to make time to sit in front of a computer to create a pretty blog post. So I’m trying something new. I’m typing this on my phone, in the car, and I’ll add the photos from my phone’s camera! And I’m going to call these posts my Rough Drafts.)