I am not sure where the location is  but you have the scenic view of Chautauqua Lake and one of the boats that the lake became know for.

Steam boats and tour boats have been a popular site on the lake for years. Many years ago they were used for shipping along with providing transportation to various  towns on the lakeshore. They built the local businesses up with trade and tourism.

Today there are two passenger boats left; The Chautauqua Belle and the Summer Wind. Both passenger boats add to the atmosphere of the lake and make a wonderful activity for a day or evening.

From Millan.Net

It seems these two often disagree on the outcome. There is also a disagreement as to which groundhog is the the best in predictions. I myself believe it has a lot to do with which side of the state line you live on as to which groundhog you will believe.

One fact is Dunkirk Dave is the second-longest predicting groundhog. The groundhog is also the only animal honored on the calendar with his own holiday.

Fro more information on Dunkirk Dave visits Daves Home page

For additional information check out Groundhogs Day trivia.

An update on Dave’s prediction will follow

Happy Groundhogs day!

photo credit: r_bowley

Sitting along Lake Erie and Pennsylvania’s Northern border, Chautauqua County is an area that many people do not know about. But if you look into New York history, Chautauqua County has a diverse history that dates back to several Indian nations, founding exploration and the beginning of the Chautauqua movement.

Chautauqua County has been the home of many famous people including Roger Tory Peterson, former Governor Ruben Fenton, Lucille ball, Natalie Merchant and Buffalo Bills player, Shane Conlan

The following you tube will show the variety of Chautauqua County and its quaint towns and villages. I have always found the architecture in these towns to be inspiring. Each town seems to have it own area of interest. If you look closely at the buildings in Jamestown NY you will see many stained glass windows, Lily Dale has a vintage flair while the town of Chautauqua has a touch of almost every architectural style imaginable.

And while I tend to favor the summer and spending time at one of the five lakes or walking one of the many trails, winter offers a wide variety of winter sports.

Mayville, NY will host it’s winter festival “President’s Day Weekend Ice Castle Extravaganza ” in February. The building of the Ice Castle has been a tradition for many years. There are Sleigh rides offered on weekends through the quaint winding streets of the Chautauqua Institution and the ski resort, Peek-n-Peak near Findley Lake, has both winter events and summer activities.

Growing up near and area that offers so much makes me tend to overlook what all the area has to offer. I am reminded when I watch a video or entertain friends from out of town.

photo credit: revdode

I have heard the term Hamlet but I had to actually look it up to see the description. A hamlet is defined in the dictionary as a little village or a village without a church.

The term “hamlet” is not defined under New York law, but many people in the state use “hamlet” refer to a community within a town that is not incorporated as a village. Hamlets do not have a government of their own therefore they depend upon the town or village that surrounds it for municipal services and government.

Most hamlets also do not have official boundaries, but the New York State Department of Transportation does put hamlet names on rectangular green signs with white lettering at locations of its choosing.

Often if you are travelling or looking up history, the hamlet names appear and it can be confusing to figure out where they are located.

In Chautauqua County there are eight hamlets:

Ashville – located between North Harmony and Busti. The Smith Bly House, located in the hamlet is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Findley Lake – is located in the Town of Mina NY. It is nestled along the north side of Findley Lake, which is a small lake that has many many local tourist attractions. Small gift shops, summer homes and camps make up the surrounding area and the ski resort Peek’n Peak Resort is close by.

photo credit: gregor_y

Hamlet – Hamlet was originally an historical railroad junction. The small hamlet remains in the town of Villenova but its population is extremely small.

Irving – This hamlet is located near the east town line and the eastern county line in the Town of Hanover

Irving is the Seneca nations governmental headquarters for the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation. The Seneca Gaming and Entertainment, a Seneca-owned bingo hall, is located here along with several tax-free gasoline stations and smoke shops.

Laona – Laona is a hamlet near the village of Fredonia.  It is part of the town of Pomfret.

Laona has been an area of importance to Spiritualist groups since the mid-19th century. Spiritualism began here in the winter of 1844-45. The Laona Free Association organized after 1850 and the First Spiritualist Society of Laona was formed in 1855. Lily Dale, which is just outside of the Town of Cassadaga is also a well know spiritual community.

photo credit: nico060475

Maple Springs – located within the town of Ellery in Chautauqua County.  It is situated along the east shore of Chautauqua Lake between the villages of Mayville and Bemus Point.

Maple Springs is the setting for Midway Park, the fifth-oldest remaining trolley park and fifteenth oldest amusement park in the nation. Many families have visited Midway Park fro generations.

Waterboro – Located in the northeast corner of the Town of Poland.  It is now a little used railroad stop.

Hamlets, although hard to find on maps today, held an important part in past history in Chautauqua County New York.

photo credit: saikofish

When you pass through an Amish community you will see windows with no curtains and black Amish buggies in the farmyards. The Amish refer to us as “the English”

Growing up around many Amish communities I have become accustomed to many of their customs and beliefs. Here are a few traditions:

1.  Sunday is a day for church and family. The day begins very early and lasts until dusk. There will be no business conducted on Sunday.

2.  Amish usually dress in black or dark blue colors. Many areas are using brighter colors but in my more traditional area black and blue are still the primary colors. They also have no buttons on their clothing.

3.  Amish children can sample some of the English ways when they are young but must choose whether to follow the Amish tradition at a certain age and forgo any modern convenience. If the choose the English ways they no longer belong to the Amish community.

4.  Most Amish do not allow their photographs to be taken. They feel it captures their soul. It is ok to photograph their homes or buggies – just not their faces.

There are many more traditions in the nearby Amish communities in Chautauqua County, Cattaraugus County and Warren County. The best way to learn more about them is to shop in their local stores or take a trip to a local Amish community. It is like stepping back in time.

photo credit: cindy47452

Cherry Creek Amish Community

The largest Amish community in Chautauqua County is located near Cherry Creek NY.  Several Amish families settled just outside of Cherry Creek in 1949 and set up a community where they use no modern conveniences.

The Amish are known for their skilled craftsmanship.  Many Amish make a living by making and selling furniture, quilts, and other handmade items from shops beside their homes. Recently Amish sheds, barns and garages have also been added to the skills they provide to the surrounding “English” communities.

The Amish are continuing to harvest Hickory off of our land for creating Amish rustic furniture. They will probably be here for another two weeks. They show up when it fits in their schedule and usually let me know before hand when they will return again.

So far I have picked up a few new recipes, learned more about the Amish traditions and found a great place to purchase my plants for gardening next year.

If you would like to find out more about Amish tradition in Chautauqua, Carol Lorec, Foxe Farmhouse Bed & Barn offers an Amish Flair Tour.

photo credit: jerochan1

Its small diners,  bread and breakfast accomodations and being located close to Lake Erie and Chautauqua lake help form a recreational area that will appeal to all.

And of course there is the Chautauqua Institution, which offers a rich history and classes in many artistic areas. The lectures they offer daily also fill out a schedule that will appeal to all ages.

About Chautauqua, a book written about Chautauqua show an insight into the area of Chautauqua, its history through the ice age, American Indian and later when it was developed into a town and as a” Chautauqua Assembly.”

The following link should take you to a PDF form of the About Chautauqua Book written in the late 1800′s.

photo credit: rick020200

Tucked below trees, it’s easy to miss at first. But the importance of a labyrinth, both at Chautauqua and in history cannot be overlooked or missed.
photo credit: svanes

What is a labyrinth?

A labyrinth is an ancient symbol dating back over 3000 years. The symbol relates to wholeness and combines the image of a circle and a spiral into what looks like a wandering path. This path represents a journey to our center, who we are, and will return us back into the world in which we live.

It is important to realize that everyone has a path in life. We will take twists and turns along our journey often not knowing what lies around the next bend but once we start there is only one way to go, forward.

Labyrinths are used worldwide. They can be found in medical centers, parks, backyards, retreat centers, prisons, sacred sites and churches. One of the more well labyrinths is the Chartres labyrinth, which is inlaid at the cathedral in Chartres, France. It is made out of paving stones and dates back to around 1200.
photo credit: bunnygoth

The Chautauqua Institution Labyrinth was designed by Lisa Moriarty and is the Circle of Peace design. Located under trees at the north end of Turner Community Center makes it accessible and available to the community and public. The labyrinth can be used year long, unless hidden with snow in the winter. And with the winters that Chautauqua sometimes has, the labyrinth can be deeply buried.

The current labyrinth was constructed in 2005 through the combined efforts of several Chautauqua labyrinth supporters. Special Studies classes, Chautauquans and the general public use it. Labyrinths are used as a way to relax, to renew one’s spirit, as a walking path or a place to pray.

Debra Dinnocenzo, the Labyrinth Coordinator, offers an orientation to the labyrinth at 7 p.m. every Tuesday during the season. She feels that it is important that people realize a labyrinth is not a maze. There are no dead ends or tricks to it. It is one path that leads to a center. You use the same path to return, making it unicursal; the path in is also the path out. It is a “walking meditation” that affects each person differently.

Dinnocenzo presents a history of labyrinths at the orientation. She explains the three stages to the walk: “releasing” on the way in, “receiving” in the center and “returning” or taking back out what you received from the experience. “There is no wrong way to use the labyrinth, Dinnocenzo said.

After the talk, questions can be asked and people will then walk the labyrinth. Depending on the day there may be four people in attendance or 20.

Dinnocenzo said participating in the labyrinth in a group is a very different experience. You know what you are feeling but you also see other people in various stages of the walk. You are all walking towards one point but because of the way the path is laid out you often look like you are headed in opposite directions. This is much like life, we walk the same paths but each person’s experiences are totally unique.

Dinnocenzo helped chose the location for the labyrinth by Turner Community Center when it was moved from Miller Park, which is located on the Chautauqua Institution grounds. They wanted it under the trees for shade but the location of the trees didn’t seem to quite work.

They started working on finding the center of the labyrinth and as they worked out from the center, a tree fell exactly where they felt the alter should be. The alter is a term used for the open area just inside the entrance.

The entrance and alter were emphasized by the tree. It became a unique part of the Chautauqua labyrinth.
photo credit: ~C4Chaos

Dinnocenzo became interested in labyrinths when she took a special studies class 6 years ago from Harriette Royer called Sacred Circles. She has since walked Labyrinths all over the United States.

about Chautauqua

Chautauqua, NY, is a small town located in Chautauqua County in Northwest NY. Chautauqua, which means “tied in the middle” is located near Chautauqua Lake. The word Chautauqua also stands for an adult education movement in the United States that was popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

photo credit: grilled cheese

Chautauqua is most well known for Chautauqua Lake and the Chautauqua Institution, a learning and cultural center. As the area grew in population Chautauqua County was formed and named after the largest lake in the area.

History of Chautauqua

The first Chautauqua was called the New York Chautauqua Assembly. John Heyl Vincent, a Methodist minister and editor of the Sunday School Journal, organized it in 1874. His friend Lewis Miller, a businessman, also helped plan the concept of “Chautauqua” also know as adult learning centers. Their campsite was located at Chautauqua Lake in New York State. This location was chosen for its isolation, beauty and for the lake.

Two years earlier, Vincent had begun to train Sunday school teachers in an outdoor summer school format. He felt that the informal outdoor atmosphere would create harmony and be ideal for religion and learning. The organization founded by Vincent and Miller later became known as the Chautauqua Institution and is still active today.

Adult learning assemblies expanded rapidly in the late 1800’s and were popular throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The assemblies brought traveling entertainment, learning and culture for the whole community.

With the introduction of radio, competition for lining up the best performers and lecturers, movies, and the introduction of television and modern day information, Chautauqua’s began to close. Today there are only a few of the educational programs left, with the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua NY being the largest and offering the most diverse program format.

photo credit: sugarcoma

Chautauqua Institution

The Chautauqua Institution is a gated community that is open for a 9-week season offering a full program of lectures, religion and wide variety of activities. During the season automobiles are not permitted on grounds except for deliveries. Add to this, the small winding streets, small gardens and Victorian style homes and you have a unique village setting.

Off season the community is very small but the Smith Memorial library, lodging accommodations including the Athenaeum Hotel and several small shops stay open. And behind the scenes planning for the following Chautauqua season is in full gear.

Chautauqua County encompasses 1065 square, has 6 lakes and approximately 50 miles of Lake Erie shoreline. Jamestown and Dunkirk are the two major cities with another twenty-seven towns and fifteen villages nestled in woodlands and along lakes. Chautauqua Gorge, Lucy-Desi Museum and Roger Tory Peterson Nature Center are only a few places to visit while touring Chautauqua.

In the summer months the lakes, rivers and forests are a popular draw for people. In the winter months skiing and other outdoor activities bring visitors to the area.

There is always an activity or place to visit in Chautauqua, NY.