Hubby and I just came home from a 4 day mini-vaycay in Watkins Glen, New York. Located in the Finger Lakes, Watkins Glen is home to wineries, rolling hills, gorges, waterfalls and Farm Sanctuary. We picked this place to celebrate our 4th Wedding Anniversary because we have always been intrigued by the work they do at Farm Sanctuary and wanted to check it out for ourselves.
This trip combined my favourite passions – photography, animals, food, wine and of course my Husband! We stayed at the Harbor Hotel with a balcony that overlooks Seneca Lake. I was excited to see that all of our supplied toiletries were fully biodegradable, recyclable and cruelty free. I love seeing such large establishments trying to minimize their impact on our planet.
Our first day there, the weather was pretty iffy. It was hot, humid and muggy and at any minute it looked like it was going to rain. Fortunately for us, this gave us the perfect conditions for photographing waterfalls. Waterfalls are tricky – the long exposures required to make the water look like silk usually mean getting up early before the sun is on them or snapping shots at dusk unless they’re deep in the forest. The sunshine can also cast harsh shadows which ruin the image. We hiked through Watkins Glen State Park which was absolutely phenomenal. We couldn’t get over the beauty and splendor of the place and best of all, other than a few minutes of rain, the hike was perfect!
After a swim back at the Hotel I couldn’t wait any longer to visit Farm Sanctuary. Farm Sanctuary works to abolish the suffering and pain of farm animals by encouraging vegan living and exposing the truth behind factory farming. All of the animals that live at Farm Sanctuary began their lives in the most unspeakable abuse and living conditions but were all rescued by this wonderful organization to come live the peaceful life they deserve. The tour began with a short educational video. The majority of it was uplifting, how Farm Sanctuary began and their cause but of course there was a short part exposing the brutality farm animals face on a daily basis. As soon as this came on I looked at the floor and cried. I didn’t need to watch it to know it was despicable, especially when I heard my husband clench his teeth in disgust.
The remainder of our tour was spent meeting the animals and walking around the farm. I couldn’t get over how friendly they were! We met the special needs cows, some sweet goats that loved getting their antlers pet, some sleepy piggies that dozed with smiles on their faces and my favourite – the turkeys! When we got in to the turkey pen I was a little scared. I love Ella our Parrotlet, but she can give one hell of a bite and she’s only 5 inches tall! These turkeys of course were much larger than that and walking right towards us gobbling! Hubby kind of stood away looking uncomfortable so I tentatively held out my hand and began petting one turkey’s back. Well I guess that’s what all of the fuss was about – she just wanted some love! It was really humbling to see that even a turkey could have so much personality and be so incredibly friendly. Meeting the animals was really the perfect way to strengthen my vegan roots, it showed us that every animal has feelings, their own unique personality and deserves to live just as much as we do. Leaving the gift shop, my husband announced he was ready to become a full vegan.
If you’re interested in learning more about Farm Sanctuary or going veg visit their website.
The rest of our vacation included some fine vegan dining (the best part about Farm Sanctuary is that many restaurants in the area offer a couple of vegan options), a visit to some local wineries, walks on the pier and some good ol’ fashioned R&R. I of course have to say that first day at Farm Sanctuary turned out to be every bit as moving as I’d hoped it would be and made the entire trip worth the long drive!
And don’t worry bunny lovers, BudgetBunny will of course be returning to it’s regular self shortly!
