Enjoying Ithaca

We just got back from a wonderful trip to Ithaca this weekend. It was more of a vegetarian journey rather than a frugal one, although it certainly did have frugal undertones. We left Friday after work and school. Since it was about a four hour drive, we opted to eat dinner on the road. I made wraps with Tofurky, soy cheddar, lettuce and avacado. We also had pickles and store brand frosted mini wheat type cereal for dessert. I wouldn't eat it as a cereal but it makes a great snack. All the sugar is right on the surface where you can taste it and there's a huge amount of fiber too.

Our motel was less than stellar but totally adequate considering how little time we spent there. The staff was very friendly, I just wish they had been a little cleaner. Our room did have a fridge, microwave and range which provided us with lots of options. Knowing that Jim is a big time snack before bed kind of guy, I brought a mix of oatmeal and sunflower seeds for just this purpose. I also brought plain and vanilla Silk, dried currants and bananas.

By the time we got to the motel, we were all exhausted but it took the boys a long time to settle down. That didn't stop us from being out the door bright and early Saturday morning. We were on a mission to experience a vegan restaurant breakfast. I must confess, despite the alluring menu, I approached the ABC Cafe with a fair amount of skepticism. Sure it was a vegetarian restaurant and it had vegan options but was I going to be the one over 24 in the place? Would my kids be the only kids in the place?

All my angst was unfounded, breakfast at the ABC Cafe was one of the most amazing culinary experiences this vegan has had in a long time. The prices were reasonable as well, although it never seems reasonable when you're paying for 6. The patrons were people of all ages and this time it was the waitress who spilled four glasses of water on the table, not my kids for a change!

Afterwards, we headed down to The Commons where they were having a Rock the Arts festival. We enjoyed some jazz, some vocals and some theater all free and outside in the beautiful weather.

More on our Ithaca trip tomorrow.