A Maiden Voyage, Wine & Goats

It's been a long time since I've vacationed at a lake. So we chose to camp at Crawford State Park this week because its prime attraction is a big, beautiful lake. Since I made our reservation last January, I've been thinking about how great it would be to bring a paddleboard, canoe or kayak to Crawford so we could really enjoy the water. I found a free canoe at a yardsale but it was too heavy for us to lift. Jamie said a big hell no to paddleboarding, so I went looking for a kayak. Storage is a challenge, so I was stoked to find Sea Eagle, a company that makes inflatible kayaks that fit two adults. Then I had to convince Jamie that we needed a kayak. I'm not sure he ever actually agreed but...happy wife, happy life. So I ordered a kayak from Sea Eagle and we brought her with us to Crawford.

Today, we awoke to a warm morning with a bright blue sky. It was the perfect day for our kayak's maiden voyage. We unpacked, unrolled and inflated her and brought to her to the lake. We pushed off and started to paddle; tentative at first but gaining confidence with each stroke. I'm proud to say that we did not tip over and we were able to manage her together and individually. It was great fun and just the first of what are bound to be many happy days of paddling.

To celebrate our kayaking prowess, we drove into Paonia for another wine tasting. Stone Cottage Cellars is one of the area's mosr popular wineries. To get there, we had to take a very steep dirt road that seemed to be clinging precariously to the side of a mountain. I hate drives like this but there was wine waiting for me at the end of this road. So I shut my eyes and swallowed my silent screams. We arrived safely at the Stone Cottage, one of the highest elevation vineyards in the world.

Today, they were tasting 6 wines, 2 whites, 2 reds and a rose. Although it's not my usual choice, I fell in love with their Fireside Rose. It is gorgeous; tart, crisp and absolutely fabulous. Look at that color!

The folks at Stone Cottage told us one of the best things to pair with their wine is goat cheese from Western Culture Creamery. We could visit the farm, buy the freshly-made cheese and play with their baby goats on our way back to the campground. I think we burned some rubber as we peeled out of the Stone Cottage parking lot. Cheese and baby goats? We couldn't get there fast enough. Neither the cheese nor the goats disappointed.

We bought 4 types of cheese but we had to leave sweet Mongoose behind. I swear there is nothing cuter than a baby goat.

When we returned to Rhoda, the dogs sniffed me suspiciously. But all was forgiven when we took them for a long walk by the lake.

Following a wonderful dinner grilled by my husband who is also my favorite chef, we ended our magical day on the Rhoda perfectly... with a campfire and s'mores. Tomorrow is the Cherry Day Festival! Happy Birthday America! Hopefully we will still be able to celebrate another year of democracy in 2025.

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