I played with a rubber chicken, sipped an award-winning dry Reisling, relaxed on the couch of the “I Love Lucy” set and stayed in a luxury lakeside hotel with stunning sunset views.
Lucille Ball grew up here, as did Roger Tory Peterson, the father of the modern field guide. But Chautauqua County, New York, may be best known for the world-renowned Chautauqua Institution, founded in 1874 as an educational experiment. Thousands of people gather each summer for the nine-week sessions of eclectic programming that includes the arts, education, religion and recreation.
Another must-see: 53 miles of Lake Erie Wine Country.
– Jan Schroder, Editor-in-chief
Stay in a waterfront hotel with fabulous sunsets
If a hotel wants to capture my heart, it includes a view of the water. I was charmed by the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel as soon as I walked in the lobby and saw the sun shimmering on Chautauqua Lake.
I tore myself away from the view long enough to partake of the refreshments in the lobby – fruit-infused water, warm apple cider and cookies.
And I was in luck – my room had a balcony overlooking the harbor where I could view a few boats motoring by and flocks of birds swooping over the water.My spacious room was elegantly appointed with wood floors, desk, sofa and refrigerator. I enjoyed morning coffee from the Starbucks coffee station on my floor and yes, I did walk down there in yoga pants and a pajama top, something I would not have done going to the lobby.
We arrived on a gorgeous sunny day, so I threw my suitcase down and headed outdoors to explore the 9-acre property. In addition to a large pool, the hotel has an indoor pool, hot tub, multiple firepits and the lively Carousel Bar that serves lunch and dinner.
The other dining option is Lakehouse Tap & Grille, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner with the option for al fresco dining.
Tour the world-renowned Chautauqua Institution and stay in an historic property
One of my goals while visiting Chautauqua County was to learn more about the intriguing Chautauqua Institution that I’d been reading about for years. Here’s how the Pulitzer prize-winning historian David McCullough described it.
“There is no place like it. No resort. No spa. Not anywhere else in the country or anywhere in the world. It is at once a summer encampment and a small town, a college campus, an art colony, a music festival, a religious retreat and the village square. And there’s no place with anything like its history.”
During our golf cart tour of the 750-acre property I learned that Chautauqua Institution was founded in 1874 as an educational experiment.
The experiment worked. More than 100,000 people attend the events during the nine-week summer sessions that have a weekly theme and include lectures and arts performances. Many of the guests stay in one of the 650 homes, purposely built close together to encourage community.
The other housing option is The Athenaeum Hotel, a massive 150-room Victorian-style hotel opened in 1881, the largest wooden structure in the East. With high ceilings and a soaring lobby with a fireplace, the hotel is charming, although in need of the $20 million planned update. The wide wraparound porch is a lovely place to relax and enjoy views of Lake Chautauqua.
The hotel, which is open May through October, is directly next to the 4,400-seat amphitheater where many of the events are held. There is also an opera house that holds 1600 people and the Bratton Theater with 250 seats.
Learn why everyone loves Lucy
You can’t be in the Jamestown area for very long without running into Lucy. The beloved comedienne, Lucille Ball, was born and raised here, a fact commemorated with museums, a yearly Lucille Ball Comedy Festival and the Lucille Ball Memorial Park in Celoron, where you can see two statues of Lucy.
The first statue placed in the park was the subject of much controversy. Meant to depict her TV pitch for the alcohol-containing Vitameatavegamin health tonic as she got tipsier and tipsier, the statue was rather grotesque and dubbed Scary Lucy. It was replaced by Lovely Lucy, with Scary Lucy being moved to another section of the park.
Lucy’s childhood home is still standing and we drove by the small privately owned shingled home on 8th Street, now known as Lucy Lane. While the home is not open for tours, you can see a video tour and purchase Lucy-themed merchandise on the owners’ website.
You can learn more about Lucy and her life at two museums in Jamestown.
• Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum
This small museum features the lives and professional careers of the “First Couple of Comedy,” Lucy and her husband, Desi. I really enjoyed seeing all the costumes and memorabilia and learning more about Lucy’s early career and Desi’s journey from Cuba to becoming a musical star in New York.
While I knew about Lucy’s iconic TV shows, I didn’t know she was the first woman to run a Hollywood studio churning out hit TV shows. Desilu Productions was responsible for such shows as “Star Trek,” “The Andy Griffith Show,” “That Girl,” and “The Dick Van Dyke Show.”
My favorite part was seeing the exact replicas of sets for “I Love Lucy.” I could just picture Desi walking through the front door, calling out in that booming voice, “Lucy!”
• National Comedy Center
I recommend allowing several hours to visit this fun, interactive museum with state-of-the-art exhibitions devoted to the art of comedy. So why in Jamestown? As many things do here, it all goes back to Lucille Ball, who wanted her hometown to become a center of comedy.
There are more than 50 exhibits in the 37,000-square-foot museum. You can draw your own cartoon on a digital screen, stand behind a studio camera and explore studios and production sets, add your own sound effects to a clip from “Blazing Saddles,” act out a scene from “I Love Lucy,” “Dumb and Dumber” or ‘Saturday Night Live,” or play with props.
There’s a bench where unsuspecting guests sat and then giggled after hearing the fart noises emanating from their seat. Proof once again that farts are forever funny.
A member of our group acted out the “I Love Lucy” scene where Ludy and Ethel work on the conveyor belt at the candy factory, getting more and more flustered as the belt gains speed. She didn’t realize it, but we were watching her being televised on the other side of the wall, much to our amusement.
If you’d like to experience what it’s like to be a stand-up comedian, jump up on the stage and perform a classic comedy routine from comedians that include John Mulaney, Jerry Seinfeld or Chris Rock and wait for the applause.
The Center hosts the annual Lucille Ball Comedy Festival with 50 live events and up to 15,000 attendees. And yes, devoted fans dress up as Lucy and even copy her signature red hair.
Visit the institution that’s really gone to the birds, in a good way
If you’re into bird watching, Roger Tory Peterson is your guru. Born and raised in Jamestown, Roger created the first modern field guide, “A Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern North America,” published in 1934. The field guide is filled with his gorgeous illustrations and “Peterson System” of field marks and classifications.
The Roger Tory Peterson Institute in Jamestown has the largest collection of his work. Even if you don’t know the difference between a cuckoo and a canary, you’ll enjoy exploring the Peterson artwork and artifacts. Then take a hike on the nature trails on the 27-acre preserve.
Fun fact: Peterson was instrumental in getting DDT banned after he saw the devastating effect it has on several species of birds.
Learn about the life of one of the most accomplished men of the 20th century
Speaking of incredibly accomplished men I didn’t know about, Robert H. Jackson was U.S. Solicitor General, U.S. Attorney General, and a U.S. Supreme Court Justice. But most impressive to me was that he was also the Chief U.S. Prosecutor of the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg from 1945-46, appointed by Harry Truman. (You can watch footage of the trials on the Center’s website.)
Born in Pennsylvania, Jackson spent 20 years practicing law in Jamestown before moving to Washington D.C.
The Robert H. Jackson Center, which includes several exhibitions about his life and work, is housed in a former Masonic Lodge and Alonzo Kent mansion, which you can also tour. Of special note is the Ulysses S Grant Room. Grant visited Jamestown in 1875, invited by the co-founder of Chautauqua Institution, Rev. John H. Vincent, in an effort to attract more visitors.
Indulge in adult beverages at breweries, distilleries, Lake Erie Wine Country
I was introduced to a refreshing Gin Twist in a bottle at Southern Tier Distilling Company in Lakewood and tasted delicious bourbon cocktails at Mazza Five & 20 Spirits and Brewing in Westfield, which was founded in 1972, the first winery, brewery and distillery in New York.
I’ve never met a wine region I didn’t like and Lake Erie Wine Country was no exception. You can find more than 20 wineries along a 53-mile stretch on the shoreline of Lake Erie. A good place to start is the Grape Discovery Center, which has a tasting room, maps, exhibit area and a gift shop with tons of wine-themed merchandise.
My schedule didn’t allow visiting many of the wineries, but we did meet the lovely owners of the Johnson Estate Winery, Fred and Jennifer Johnson. They took us on a tour of the property, which ended with tastings of five wines in the tasting room, housed in an apple shed built in 1920.
For more on Chautauqua County, please visit Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau
– Jan Schroder, Editor-in-chief