Catching Up on a Busy August

Jason and Bri have spent the summer with many places, events and projects on the radar. It was needed to catch up so listen as they talk the Lancaster Renaissance Street Faire, music and food at the Erie County Fair, hiking around the Rochester area, and the Lewiston Jazz Festival. Now, we are in the countdown to fall and cannot wait to share more adventures.   

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Transcript

Jason:

The Buffalo Brews podcast. The first thing we're going to talk about here is we're going to talk about going back to the Lancaster Street Fair.

Bri:

Oh, I already forgot about that.

Jason:

You haven't forgot about that. You haven't forgot about that. Here's number one.

It didn't rain like it did last year. It's a true story. That's I mean, it was a beautiful day.

Bri:

Yeah.

Jason:

Got to see some of the aerial artists finally be able to do their thing. In full. Yeah.

And it was fun. It was fun. Yeah.

I think it takes a certain amount of talent to be able to do that, practice that. And then, yeah.

Bri:

And you know, they're not getting paid a lot, so that's not their full-time job. That's just their extracurricular.

Jason:

No. But you talk about a fitness level and wow, I was pretty impressed with what I saw. But when we go to the Lancaster Street Fair, they have all kinds of things going on.

They have the vendor booths. They have the performances. And then, of course, it's right there on the main drag there in Lancaster.

So you conveniently have Lily Bell Meads right there. And it was National Mead Day at the same time.

Bri:

Mm-hmm.

Jason:

Yeah.

Bri:

Is that the Renaissance Fair? Yeah.

Jason:

Oh. Yeah. The Renaissance Fair.

You were calling it the Street Fair. Well, Street Fair. Renaissance Street Fair.

There's different names for it.

Bri:

Well, Renaissance Fair, you dress up. Street Fair, you go in shorts and a tank top.

Jason:

No. There are definitely no medieval tank tops.

Bri:

No, there was actually a lot of people that were dressed up this year compared to last year.

Jason:

It was really cool. And you notice the nerddom of how everybody compliments each other.

Bri:

Yes.

Jason:

Yeah. It's a lot of fun.

Bri:

But it's good. Yeah. Because people are having a good time and having fun and there's cool things.

Cool fun foods.

Jason:

Yeah.

Bri:

Cool fun drinks. The businesses, I'm sure, all are happy about it. I mean, they're busy, but they're making a lot more money than I think they would normally.

Jason:

Yeah. You have Lily Bell Meads. You have a few restaurants along that stretch.

You have the wine bar that's there. There's a brand new ice cream place that went in across the street.

Bri:

The beer place.

Jason:

Yeah. Fatty Beer right down there on the corner.

Bri:

On the corner. Yeah.

Jason:

Yeah. We were able to have some beers at Fatty. We weren't the only people in Garb inside of a poor shop.

That was fine.

Bri:

Mm-hmm.

Jason:

Lily Bell, I think it's just borderline stereotypical cliche that you would go in Medieval Garb and say, you know, pour me a mead.

Bri:

I don't know that people are doing that on a regular basis, but for that day, they definitely were.

Jason:

No.

Bri:

Yeah. And there was lots of cool vendors. So, you know, support your local vendors.

Jason:

Right.

Bri:

Rolling all them dice and, you know, making all the fun stuff.

Jason:

Yeah. Got some new sets of dice for Roll for Brews and that was fun. I always like deferring to you because you find really fun colors and patterns.

Bri:

I think just because I'm a girl. Yeah. I think dudes are like, those are cool.

I'll take those. Yeah. Where girls are like, oh, let me see what else you have.

What does this look like in the sunshine? Right.

Jason:

I just don't want plain, you know, so if I'm going to do a fun project like that, then I might as well have some good accessories for it.

Bri:

For sure.

Jason:

Right. And then, so yeah, vendors. We enjoyed a good part of the day, saw a little bit of the Queen's Parade.

It was smaller. We caught the tail end of it. And again, Fatty Beer, Lily Bell Meads.

And then we went in garb to dinner up to Yelling Goat, which was fun.

Bri:

Because I called it Laughing Goat.

Jason:

Laughing Goat, which is carried over into this past weekend. That was really funny. But I like that restaurant.

They do some good things there. There's always things on the menu that I get. And then I'm like, oh, there's other things I would get on this menu as well.

For sure. So I feel like they're always rotating things around. Yeah.

So then we did that. I would look forward to it again next year when it comes up. I think this was a good year for it.

And fast forward to the following weekend, then we go back to the Erie County Fair. And we get to see another set of great musical acts. Right.

Bri:

Every single year. Fourth year in a row. And everyone was amazing.

Jason:

Sammy Kershaw, Colin Ray was amazing.

Bri:

Oh gosh. Yeah, for sure. And then Tracy- Blew me out of the water.

I was not prepared for that. Now, Tracy Lawrence, I was like, he's going to put on a good show. Sure.

But Colin Ray came out and just blew me away. I mean, I loved him back in the day, but like seriously, it was awesome.

Jason:

You talk about 90s country artists, they bring a lot of energy to the table. He's definitely one of them.

Bri:

Yeah. Still bouncing around, singing, sounds awesome. Was totally into it.

I loved it. I was super happy.

Jason:

Yeah, I like that.

Bri:

And again, the day went by so fast. It's like we got there right when they opened. Next thing you know, it's like almost six o'clock and we have to go to our concert.

Jason:

Three, you know, like 2.30 rolls around, Jess shows up. We had a little bit of time to do, you know, we hit grapes and hops.

Bri:

Well, we always have to make sure we have the beer and the cider.

Jason:

So what were the ones this year? The beer this year was the Hefeweizen, I'm sorry, it was a Hefeweizen style Czech Pilsner. So it was done with Hefeweizen yeast.

So that was really good. Huh? Yeah.

Yeah. I mean, you thought it was more malty than it was with the, you know, diacetyl that they use for the fermentation process on it. And then the, geez, the cider was.

Bri:

Really you didn't make that up?

Jason:

No, I didn't. Well, I didn't bring it. I didn't bring it to the attention.

I mean, what I was focusing more was the food on the fair.

Bri:

We always have the drink.

Jason:

Right.

Bri:

Well, while you're looking at that, I got to meet two new friends, which I can't even remember their names now. Do you?

Jason:

Well, you have to remind me where we met them. Sometimes I need a little. The sea lions.

Oh, no, I don't remember their names.

Bri:

I know. They were so cute though. So we watched the sea lions, wait, they were sea lions because we learned the difference between a sea lion and a seal.

Is a seal only has openings where sea lions have ear flaps. Yeah.

Jason:

Right.

Bri:

So it was really cool and they were so cute. And then afterwards you could take your picture with them and I was sad because she said you couldn't touch them. But one of them came right up to the back of me and like laid on my shoulder.

And wow, what a heavy feeling. Like I couldn't even believe it. And she totally got my back all wet and I didn't even care.

I was like, it'll dry. It's fine. Right.

Jason:

You would never seen a sea lion.

Bri:

Never. I can't say that. I mean, I've seen it on TV when sharks eat them on shark week.

Okay. And now that I've seen them in real life, I totally understand why sharks are eating them. Right.

They're just, they're like a delicious blubbery snack. I mean, I get it, but they're so cute and they're so smart.

Jason:

So yeah, it was adorable to watch them. Oh yeah. They were, they were a lot of fun.

I've only ever seen them in like an aquarium. Oh yeah. Yeah.

That's the only time I've ever seen them. And then they just swim. I mean, I've never seen like a sea lion show like they, you know, cause they, they can be trained.

They're very intelligent.

Bri:

Yeah. Super smart. Yeah.

They were adorable. Yeah. So I loved it.

It was like my second highlight of the whole day. I mean, it was my highlight of the day until the concert and then I was like, oh, this is really the highlight of my day, but it was still really cool.

Jason:

Uh, the caramel drizzle was the, uh, was the cider that we had.

Bri:

Oh yeah. I should have remembered that cause I was like, it tastes like a caramel apple.

Jason:

Yeah.

Bri:

Yeah.

Jason:

Which was very, very good. I liked that a lot. Uh, Chuck Privatera in, from Eden, he was one of the local, I think it was the Stumbling Falls Homebrew Club.

He's a part of, if memory serves me right. So he was the one who won the contest and then Blackbird, um, produces the cider and Blackbird of course, part of Resurgence and then Hamburg Brewing does the beer. Um, I forget who was the one, the one, the beer though, but he, that guy has won before.

I know that. And it's just the name.

Bri:

Good for him then. He's just making some bangers.

Jason:

Yeah. I mean, that's cool. You get some diehard, uh, homebrew people.

Bri:

Love that. Yeah.

Jason:

You know, who knows? Maybe, you know, down, down the road, if we have a place where, you know, we can, we have brew space and who knows, we, maybe we can create something that we can enter into a contest and maybe, you know, and go from there, um, but you know, as the fair was coming, coming toward us, it was a matter of looking at all the new foods that were coming out. Um, but I know you had some fun foods that you enjoyed.

Bri:

Okay. Number one, Mexican street corn baked potato. Can't even believe it didn't win.

Jason:

Uh, no, it didn't even place.

Bri:

This thing was like phenomenal, but I guess you have to like Mexican street corn or maybe people just overlooked it because I saw a lot of people getting baked potatoes, but they weren't getting the fancy Mexican street corn one, which big mistake because that one was amazing. Right. Yeah.

It was delicious.

Jason:

Yeah. And then, um, walk on the wild side was back. Yeah.

So we had noodles, actually had noodles for breakfast.

Bri:

Yeah, we did. And then later we found that there was places doing like breakfast sandwiches and whatever, but who cares? It was super fun to have noodles for breakfast.

Jason:

It's like being, you know, being at a certain age and like, I'm going to have ice cream for dinner.

Bri:

Have ice cream for dinner, right? You're the boss of you. Right.

Exactly. Right.

Jason:

Yeah. What, um, and then for, uh, for the day we spent a little time at the animal barns, uh, stopped by the pig races again, which is always like, they're so adorable. So fun.

Bri:

With their little bums running, their little legs going. The funniest thing though, is when their little legs are going, it's, it's their butts for me. They're like, because they're trying to go as fast as they can.

And it's like their little bums are just, you know, not catching up with them.

Jason:

Do a quick, uh, quick lap knowing they turned that circle.

Bri:

Yeah. Yeah. So cute.

So cute.

Jason:

What, uh, uh, other, uh, food that we had? I know that we had the, uh, the, uh, the cold brew, the, uh, was it a chocolate chip cookie cold brew that they did?

Bri:

Yeah.

Jason:

Um, which is a different, and we're finding out in some research that other places that you go are now really getting into the cold brew. Like we hit Starbucks here just, just the other day and here they're doing like, like butter, like almost like a butter pecan.

Bri:

Yeah. Are we going down that road now? Are we skipping over to like this weekend already?

Jason:

No, no, no. This is, that's a whole separate episode, but what I want to talk, you know, talk about is how like drinks are kind of taking another level here. So like.

Bri:

Well, everybody likes a good drink.

Jason:

We've been reading about different things like brownie cold brews and you know, this butter pecan, like we, we saw, um, it, I mean, it's, I think, I think people are having a lot of fun with it. So it's not just the same blando old coffee and.

Bri:

Well, I think there's, you know, choices that you can go to, which is why, I mean, I'm not a Tim Hortons fan. I know. Boo on me.

Cause all of you people are crazy in line at Tim Hortons. Tim Hortons is not my thing. Don't understand it.

But anyways, um, I feel like everyone's trying to do it. Like you see the commercials for Tim Hortons, the commercials for Dunkin Donuts, the commercials for everybody, because I think these fun local places like overwinter and spot and things like that, they're making these amazing coffees. People are talking about it.

People are posting pictures of it. So the bigger places, Starbucks, Tim Hortons, Dunkin, they're like, we, we gotta like step up our game a little bit here because if not, everybody's going to go to these like little local places and get all these like amazing things.

Jason:

Uh, speaking of drinks, I just looked up the, uh, the awards here real quick. The best beverage was the Fruity Pebbles, uh, shake.

Bri:

Which didn't we have some, oh no, that was the, um, what did we have last year that was like a Fruity Pebble pretz, no pretzel, whatever.

Jason:

Oh, that was, oh yeah. The waffle, um, waffle on a stick and then they rolled in Fruity Pebbles. But what I did have is when we were down, we went down to the other beer tent with, with Jess to, to have a beverage.

Um, after walking by it twice, we went back to that ice cream place and had the cookie butter ice cream sandwich. Yeah. Yeah.

That was so good. Right. Yeah.

Talk about something fun. A potato did win for best savory food. It was the Bill's baked potato that was, uh, it was topped with Carolina pork barbecue.

Bri:

Yeah. See, not good guys. Mexican street corn.

Jason:

That's worth that. Yeah. Mexican street corn potato, uh, butter, Mexican sweet corn, cilantro, and then garnished with lime and it had crema on it.

Bri:

Yeah. I feel like that just, oh my gosh, it's creamy. It's sweet.

It's so delicious. So delicious.

Jason:

Uh, I'm trying to see if we didn't really hit up the food much this season. I don't, I feel like we didn't do a whole lot of, uh, we had the drink. We had a couple of the savory items.

I'm just scrolling down here real quick. The cookie butter.

Bri:

We didn't eat too much food. Ice cream sandwich. And I think the reason for that is because it was so hot.

Jason:

Yeah.

Bri:

And when it's like 93 degrees, you don't, you really just eat less. So you eat something and you're like, no, I'm super full now.

Jason:

Right.

Bri:

Like I can't eat anymore. We were just staying hydrated. A lot of water.

Jason:

Yeah, for sure.

Bri:

Yeah. For sure. And I think, you know, I, that's what happens.

I think that's why we're all chunkier in the North. Yeah. Serious though, when it's cold, not only do you stay inside, but you want like those yummy, comforting, high calorie, warm meals.

Jason:

Right, right.

Bri:

And then when you're like, it's the summer and you're hot, you're not eating that. You're eating like cold salads and fruit and all these like super like healthier things because, you know, it's hot and you don't want to, and your stomach like eats, it eats because it's hungry and then it's done, you know, I feel like there's not a lot of overeating in the summer.

Jason:

No, no. Um, I, and then, so that turns into a four-year tradition, which we're looking, already looking forward to year five.

Bri:

Oh my gosh. Right. We were already guessing.

Like one of my guesses is Joe Diffie.

Jason:

Joe, I've seen Joe Diffie before and he's, he's, he's another one I saw on that, on an acoustic show one time. Yeah. That was really good.

Um, my vote is going on Mark Chestnut.

Bri:

Yeah.

Jason:

We'll see, you know, that's, that's one that I haven't, I've never seen. And he, I've, you know, he had some pretty decent hits.

Bri:

I'd like to see some women too.

Jason:

Me too.

Bri:

I feel like we don't see enough girls. Me too. There is.

Jason:

I don't know.

Bri:

Maybe they're just not touring like the guys are.

Jason:

Yeah. And that could be the case. I mean, you know, we did get an opportunity to see Terry Clark again, and then, so I'll get to see your girl because, uh, Dina Carter, right.

So, you know, that was a, uh, that was a cool experience. Yeah. Um, but yeah, you're right.

I don't think there's too many of the nineties women who tour much, but yeah. Terry, we've seen twice now. Pam tell us.

Yeah, Pam was, yeah, at the fair one year. I think that's it, right?

Bri:

Yeah. I just don't think that there's a ton of women. We're always like a lineup of three guys, which is cool.

Like it's totally fine, but I'm hoping maybe one next year can be in the rotation. You know? So I'm just saying, but we'll see, we'll see what happens.

It's exciting.

Jason:

Well, it's, it's fun. And I, and Jess seems to be excited about it too, that every year we get this opportunity and then it's a matter of just snatching up some tickets as quick as they can go. I mean, it's, it is exhausting trying to get those tickets.

Bri:

You're the master at it though.

Jason:

I don't know.

Bri:

Like I'm logged on and I'm ready to press the button.

Jason:

I am. Uh, all I do is I just hit, I just hit button, button, button, button, button, button, button, until I can get three in a row and then I eliminate other buttons and then I secure something. And you know, so the second year in a row, front row, which is good.

I mean, one of these days I'm still hoping to get right in front of that stage, but we'll, we'll see what happens.

Bri:

Like front and center.

Jason:

Front and center. Yeah. Yeah.

I hope that that's the case. I don't know how those people do it when they get them, but here we are. Just luck of the draw.

Bri:

Yeah.

Jason:

I mean, I feel like I'm pretty quick on the draw, but you're even quicker somehow.

Bri:

Right.

Jason:

I don't know.

Bri:

Yeah.

Jason:

Or maybe there's a secret to it. Maybe there's a.

Bri:

Maybe that you don't know.

Jason:

I don't know. 30 second, like secret entrance. Like some sort of algorithm that's in an app that's just like here, mine.

Thank you.

Bri:

Yeah.

Jason:

Yeah. Um, we, uh, we managed to finish the summer hiking challenge, which is more in depth than it has been in the past, because in the, in the past it was like 75 points, you know, however you look at it. This year it was a hundred points, but we really sank our teeth into the bigger hikes, which I think is the idea behind doing it early.

Bri:

Yeah.

Jason:

So because of that, then what we created was the Rochester hike-a-mania. Yeah. Right.

Because get out there and hike everything that we can brother.

Bri:

So this time was the first time that I had Josh actually sign up with us to do a challenge. So he's come out and hiked here, there with us before while we're doing a challenge. But like this time is the first time that I had him do the challenge and I know he won't really be into the winter challenge because he's just not a winter kid.

I get that. I mean, he's an adult. I call him a kid.

He's 28. But, um, so that's why I was like, Hey, do you want to do the summer one? Get out, you know, burn some calories, whatever.

And, um, I think for us, yeah, attacking it early was the key because when we had all that rain at first and all the waterfalls were flowing, I was like, can we please go and do this hike, this hike? Like I was super excited because I wanted to be able to see the water. And I'm so glad we did because I didn't even know it was going to be a dry summer, but look what happened.

So yeah. July was just ugly. It didn't even rain.

No. Yeah. It was like, oh my gosh, it's sprinkling for a second.

Right. Yeah. It was terrible.

That you didn't even mow your grass for a month.

Jason:

Yeah.

Bri:

The only thing that was growing was like a few weeds in the middle of the yard and that was it. And I'm like, cool. But, um, but yeah.

So we got a little bit further to go with Josh for him to complete. Cause we did a whole bunch.

Jason:

But he is so close.

Bri:

Yeah.

Jason:

Which was, which was definitely great. I mean, uh, it was turning, uh, so, um, so a lot of new places for you and I on this little day long excursion in Rochester.

Bri:

Oh, Hike-a-mania.

Jason:

Freaking crushed it. Yeah. And the way we did it.

So I remember we started all the way up in the Northwest with Turning Stone or Turning Stone. Oh my God. That's a casino.

Bri:

It's a casino.

Jason:

I did this before. Didn't I? Yes, you did.

Turning Point Park.

Bri:

I think even when you typed it in.

Jason:

I'm just going to go all in on red. As in how embarrassed I am.

Bri:

Red. Always go black.

Jason:

Oh, I'm just like how embarrassed I am. But yeah. Turning Point Park.

What'd you think of Turning Point?

Bri:

It was fine. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. It's just a little park. I feel like it's a really nice area for families because it's paved.

First of all, and you can walk, like you can be on the water safely because there's the huge boardwalk. Right.

Jason:

This is the biggest boardwalk I've ever seen.

Bri:

Yeah, me too. So I think that like, if you're, if you have little kids, I mean, this is doable, very doable actually with a stroller when people are always like, can I do this hike with a stroller? Can I do this hike with kids?

Very much so. You know, and I feel like it was very family friendly, so it was nice. Yeah.

I mean, it wasn't very challenging, I would say.

Jason:

Just that, just that initial hill.

Bri:

Yeah. And you, you know, you, it's, it's enjoyable for like an avid hiker, I feel like, because it's pretty and it's perfect for a family.

Jason:

Yeah.

Bri:

So when your family signed up, great hike to go to. Yeah, for sure.

Jason:

We ended up going back to Ellison Park, doing that one. I think it was counterclockwise. We went up to the challenge point, which was on kind of a, I guess it's just an, just like a terminus that, that kind of overlooked the gorge.

So that was a good one. Nice climb through that park. Yeah.

So it was, you know, it was a kind of a lollipop trail that the way that one works out, but we had to- A little more challenging. Yeah. Yeah, that was good.

I do like Ellison. It's a, it's a good one, especially when you get across the gorge, or across the gorge, across the creek.

Bri:

I know you were talking about that.

Jason:

And then, yeah, and then the train really opens up and it's becomes like, it's really fun to see, especially when you get on the backside, like the back left side of the loop coming down. So that's always, that's always great. When we finished Ellison, we jumped over to Powder Mills and I will, I will give you credit for the insanity that you chose.

Bri:

Was that the one that I was like, let's take this route that's straight up.

Jason:

Yep.

Bri:

Yeah.

Jason:

That was a 50 to 60 degree incline.

Bri:

Perfect.

Jason:

That we loved it.

Bri:

Yeah. Yeah. I had just eaten a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

I was feeling good. And I'm like, let's do this. Josh goes, we should probably go that way, mom.

And I was like, no, we're doing that. Yep. Yeah.

This is what happens when I like have some fresh protein in my body and sugar. I'm like, yes, the one that's straight up. Let's go.

Jason:

Very few times we had to put our hands down to the ground, but it was close.

Bri:

Oh, I did. I put my hands down three times.

Jason:

Heels weren't touching very much. No, no.

Bri:

Use those roots like steps.

Jason:

Right. Yeah. That's 70, 80 feet to get to the top of that.

It was fun though. I liked it. It was, I mean, good challenge.

It was, you know, it was, I think the climb was slow enough that you weren't really huffing and puffing by the time you got to the top.

Bri:

No, I thought it was fine. And then when we came down, we went the way that I guess was the preferred way to go up and, uh, and then of course Josh was like, all right, I liked your way, mom. Right.

Cause it was super fun. And once you were done with it and you realize you could do it, how great do you feel? I mean, this is the kind of stuff that we say all the time, like challenge yourself, challenge, challenge your mind, challenge your body.

You, your mind is the only thing stopping you from being able to do it. I mean, I would have rather gone up that way than down that way. Well, yes, absolutely.

Jason:

That, that would have been quite, that would have been quite the mess to come.

Bri:

Right. I, and you know, even when we climb mountains, I always say that when we get to the top, I'm like, okay, so where's the elevator escalator helicopter that's going to come get me? Because I don't want to go down.

I only like to climb up.

Jason:

That was, um, that was the challenge we faced when we, when we climbed, um, big slide mountain.

Bri:

Yeah.

Jason:

Right.

Bri:

I know. I'm like helicopter, anyone? Everybody's like, huh?

We don't even have phone service. I'm like, man. I guess we're climbing down.

Jason:

Uh, let me see here. So we, we hit a small park there. I remember, but, uh, admittedly that small park, the way that it's laid out, there's this like loop that goes around the pond, but the challenge point was literally like parking lot challenge point.

Bri:

Oh, the one that we kind of made up our own little hike.

Jason:

Yeah. Tinker nature park, which, uh, yeah.

Bri:

You, you get out of the car and it's like right there. So we were like, all right, well, let's just take a look around. There's like a gazebo.

We were watching the fish.

Jason:

I mean, that was, that was cool. I mean, and we didn't make much of anything out of that. Cause that was one where we really wanted to focus on Menden and of course Black Creek.

But I mean, doing that one, I think it was realizing that we're in the parking lot and the challenge point, you could literally see it from the parking lot. I know. So it was a little curious.

We'll come back here someday and like really explore this area.

Bri:

Yeah. And that's another one that seemed pretty paved. Like you could bring your kids in a stroller, family, you know, whatever.

But I mean, it was pretty.

Jason:

Yeah.

Bri:

It was peaceful. There was park benches. Like I said, that big gazebo, like.

Jason:

Yeah. Yes. I think we'll explore that more one of these days down the road.

Bri:

Right.

Jason:

But, uh, yeah, then, uh, across to Menden, uh, ponds, which we've actually hiked before, uh, I think we did.

Bri:

But it was a different challenge point this time.

Jason:

It was.

Bri:

So we saw different, a different side of, uh, yeah. Well that, and that park is huge. Yeah.

Because I, was that the one that we went like the last time we went kind of like up that huge hill and down. And then this time we kind of went up, we went, we went over the thing. And instead of going to the left, we went to the right and then kind of like wrapped around and up and over.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Jason:

Cause Menden, Menden ponds. That's a pretty, that's a pretty big park. By comparison.

Um, cause we really like Beaver Meadow down in North Java. That's about 580 acres there. This is over 2,500 acres.

It's a massive park. So, I mean, one of these days I would like to go there exclusively to do nothing, but just wander a good five, six miles in this thing.

Bri:

Yeah.

Jason:

Um, so it just seems like when we go there, it's like.

Bri:

Just trail to a different trail to a different trail.

Jason:

Right. Yeah. We're just doing, doing little slivers of it.

So it was like this kind of like small loop trail that we did to get to the challenge point there and you know, it was, uh, um, I thought it was nice.

Bri:

It was, it was actually, I feel like it was more challenging than the ones that were higher points. Yeah. So that one was very challenging.

And I don't know if it was because it was towards the end. We were starting to slow down and get tired, but at the same time I was like, you know, this is, this is tough, you know? And then we saw those people try to walk in with their kids in a stroller.

And I'm like, where do you think that you're going?

Jason:

Yeah. You weren't going to like the stroller. I didn't get the stroller on that one.

Right. Like what, what tells you that this. Is it a power wheels?

Like what? I don't know. It wasn't like they were going to have a tough time with that.

Bri:

Yeah.

Jason:

Yeah. So on that terrain. Yes.

Yeah, for sure. Definitely. And then we finished up on Black Creek, which we've had, you know, we've had some pretty good history with, we hiked that, that's the one in the winter.

Oh yeah. Where we suspected that you may have broken your toe on that hike, but we'll never know for sure.

Bri:

Right. I still may have, I don't know, turned some fun colors, but for a long time. But anyways, that one was so cool because in the winter we really explored it.

So we were able to go there and I feel like see the other side that we didn't. Cause we did that huge long one where we kind of were like, um, we parched, we went around, up, down, in, around the lake thing. And we did this huge like trail that we kind of like connected.

Once we got to the challenge point, we kind of connected and did our, like our own thing. And this one for the different challenge point that it was at, we went for to that backside. So it was cool to see stuff different and to see what it looks like without all the snow.

Jason:

Yeah.

Bri:

Lots of birds, flowers.

Jason:

A lot of birds.

Bri:

Yeah. So it was cool.

Jason:

It's a beautiful park.

Bri:

Yeah. And that one was the last one. So it was starting to not like sun go down, but sun be further down.

Jason:

Yeah. And I mean, we, I mean, we hit it hard cause we went out there early, jumped right into it, um, and then, you know, snacks in the car, kept the electrolytes flowing, we did, uh, we did a good job.

Bri:

It was, it was a good day. It was a very good day.

Jason:

Uh, kicked out of there and, uh, made a little stop at, uh, Eli Fish. Yeah. Okay.

Bri:

So if anybody loves a Big Mac hamburger, but you don't like the hamburger at McDonald's, they make a Big Mac pizza and it's legit.

Jason:

Yeah.

Bri:

It is legit.

Jason:

What do they call it? The Mac, Mac daddy. Is that one thing?

Bri:

Maybe. Yeah.

Jason:

Yeah.

Bri:

I don't know.

Jason:

But it's, but it's, you know, got the special sauce.

Bri:

Big Mac pizza.

Jason:

Yep.

Bri:

And it is so. Smelled like it. Oh, it is so good.

It's so good. But yeah, I loved that.

Jason:

Well, yeah. Um, so that finishes us for the challenge, puts us over the mark for that. And then, uh, Josh is so close at this point, like one more or two more, you know, solid hiking days that we would put in there before mid-November and he's going to be all set.

Bri:

Yeah. Which we'll be definitely hiking more. So we'll get it in.

Jason:

And then what, and then I want to finish out with something really cool with, uh, with Josh is the fact that, um, this year we got to bring him along for the Lewiston Jazz Festival.

Bri:

Yes.

Jason:

I'm going to let you just kind of take the reins on this one because.

Bri:

So last year we went for the first time and the entire time I'm taking these little video snippets and I'm like, Josh would love this. Josh would love this. Josh would love this.

And I was like, just sending it to him and he was at work and he's like, mom, you're making me so jealous. And I'm like, I'm sorry, next year, make sure you take off for it.