Lake Ontario

E and i finally made it to olcott, ny after a normally 7 hour drive turned into an 8.5 hour drive. oh well, we both napped (not at the same time, obviously) and the scenery was beautiful. the leaves are all changing up here - it's beautiful.

when we finally arrived, we were enthusiastically greeted by gracie, UJ and AC's adorable cockapoo. she is an 8 month old bundle of energy. we caught up with UJ and AC as we sampled some autumn brews.

i tried sam adams octoberfest, dogfish head punkin ale, and harvest moon. (just samples of each, not the whole thing:) all were pretty good but i liked the dog fish punkin (no, that's not a typo, it's punkin not pumpkin) ale best.

then, we each made our own stuffed burgers. i put a blend of italian cheeses, onions, and jalapenos in mine. i can't believe i haven't ever tried this - it was delicious! we will be making those again for sure. we also had a yummy salad with tomatoes and fresh oregano with balsamic vinaigrette and garlic fries. so good! if you love garlic you have to try these. basically just fries tossed with lots and lots of garlic and parsley. just make sure everyone else around you is eating them too otherwise you may not have any friends afterward.

J making garlic fries

AC nananaing the salad (don't ask)

grill master, UJ

i encourage sampling some stuffed burgers too. you just form 2 thin patties, top one with some toppings and press the other one on top. be sure to leave room on the edges to press together so it doesn't fall apart when cooking. you could also use ground turkey or ground bison for healthier burgers. try chopped veggies inside like peppers and onions, zucchini, or even avocado, red onion, and tomatoes for a guacamole burger. experiment away!