Vacation at Lake Chautauqua

Greetings, readers! I hope you are enjoying this lovely summer. I had the good fortune of going home to NW Pennsylvania to see my family in late June, and we also spent a few days on Lake Chautauqua, in western New York state. A summer resort, Chautauqua Institution, is situated on the lake, and it is full of ornate Victorian cottages and a grand 1880s hotel, the Athenaeum. My family stayed at Chautauqua Institution on a number of occasions when I was growing up, and I jump at any chance I can get to return to that lovely summer resort on the lake.

Most people get around the grounds of the resort by bicycle or on foot. I unfortunately did not have my bicycle on this trip, but I enjoyed strolling around the grounds nonetheless.

During our stay, we visited the Athenaeum Hotel, which is always a treat. Being inside this great hotel gives one the feeling of going back to the Victorian era. And there's nothing more soothing than sitting in a rocking chair on the large wooden veranda of the hotel and watching the waves wash up onto the shore of Lake Chautauqua.

 

 On my last morning in Chautauqua, I got up early to take a walk down by the Miller Bell Tower and the Pier Club. As a kid, I swam at the beach here, so I wanted to go back to have a look. It seemed like very little has changed since my youth!