October 2026 Mystery Day Trip

When my alarm went off at 5:30 am yesterday morning (October 14th), I laid there questioning my sanity for booking an all day tour so soon after just getting back from a week long trip…..I still haven’t totally recovered and got caught up from being away and here I go, again…..but, I do love an adventure and don’t like to miss out on the mystery tours, if I can help it…..I almost didn’t sign up for this one – I had an appointment that I couldn’t move, but the appointment ended up getting rescheduled (not by me), so I was able to go — I did give a short consideration about the wisdom of going just 5 days after a longer trip, but you only live once, right? So, I dragged myself out of bed and got ready to go! And, I’m glad I did!

Oh, Boy…..another Mystery Tour…..you know, where we give our money to First Choice Travel and all we know is what time we’re leaving, about what time we’ll get back, that we’ll have a good meal, and we won’t be more than four hours away…..that kind of a Mystery Tour!!! Mystery Tours are for the adventurous at heart….people willing to take a chance and just enjoy the day – wherever it brings you! LOVE THEM!!! And this one was no disappointment!!! Our tour manager was Kathy and our driver was Udi. The weather was pleasant — low 60s and mostly cloudy with a misty rain in the morning, but that cleared up by lunch and the sun even peaked out from time to time!

We left Batavia at 8:00 am and the thoughts about where we might go were all over the place…..our first surprise was that we didn’t get on the thruway!!! We went south on route 98 at the roundabout in Batavia and then west on 20 and ended up on lots of back-woodsy-boondocky roads! So, where did we go???

FIRST STOP:

Gooseneck Hill Waterfowl Sanctuary in Delevan, NY!

Our morning stop was so cool!!! Unfortunately, it was a misty rain, but we still really enjoyed it and learned a lot!!! Milt & Rosemary Minor have run the sanctuary / farm for over 40 years. They have two aviaries on site with over 700 geese and ducks (78 species – many of which are on the endangered species list) from all over the world, along with over 1000 koi fish that help keep the water in the aviaries clean. Rosemary began our tour with a talk about how they got started (her stories were priceless and entertaining) and all about the different species they have on site. They and the other staff members truly love what they do and take keeping these birds safe their mission in life! It was fascinating! Then, we went out to see the aviaries – an upper and a lower large bodies of water that the waterfowl call home. The aviaries and a pathway between them have a netting and fencing that keep the birds inside and predators out – they can travel between the two aviaries as they wish. During the winter months, they have barns that are heated so that the birds don’t succumb to the weather. It’s amazing….and obviously a labor of love for the Minors. The sanctuary is a non-profit 501c3 organization — look them up, if you are interested in helping their cause.

Milt and Rosemary live on-site – they own the property and built the aviaries and all that is needed to run the sanctuary.

Rosemary and Milt on our bus saying goodbye after the tour.

Their most specialized species is the Pacific Eider Ducks that originated in the Alaskan Tundra….Rosemary traveled there to harvest eggs when it was still legal to do so….now, they are no longer able to obtain any new ducks of that breed. As their endangered species die off, they can no longer get replacements, so they will eventually lose the species from their sanctuary. They do breed as long as they have males and females that can procreate. Right now, they only have one swan – his name is Bigfoot – his mate died a while back! He is HUGE with an enormous wing span. They tried to call him over so we could get a better look at him – yes, when his name is called, he does respond! He started to come across the water when he was beckoned, but he lost interest about half way, turned his butt to us, and swam back to where the others were…..guess he was shy that day! hehehe The birds are not aggressive – like you often find them to be in the wild – Rosemary said “they won’t bite or fight you – they are spoiled!” but warned us to watch out for them flying by so we don’t walk into their flight path or we might get slammed into…..several sped past very close to me while I was standing there admiring them!

When we went out to the upper aviary, the koi fish came swarming to the shore to get the treats that were tossed to them! They work hard to keep the water clean.

The aeration keeps the water moving and oxygenated, which also helps keep it clean and so that it doesn’t freeze in the winter. It’s quite an elaborate process!

When we got back on the bus about 11:15, we had our lunch…..typically, the lunch on these mystery tours is a very fancy affair…..but, this time, the main included meal was dinner (more on that later – for now, I’ll just say “WOW”) and we were under a time crunch, so we pre–ordered Subway sandwiches that we ate on the bus on the way to our next stop – fine dining at its best – haha. I had tuna — it was a full foot long sub with chips, a cookie, and a bottle of water….half my sub and my chips came home with me!

SECOND STOP:

Arcade & Attica Railroad in Arcade, NY

We didn’t have to go far to get to stop # 2. It was actually a guess from the ladies behind me for the morning stop, but when we passed it by, they gave up on the idea. We were happy that it became a reality! This is something I’ve wanted to do for quite some time – every year, I think “I should go do the Arcade & Attica Railroad train ride”….and every year goes by without doing it! But…..now, I’ve done it!!! WOO HOO!!!I I love train rides!!!

It is a step back in time to ride on the last operating steam engine train excursion in New York State…..and one of only a few in the whole country. They regularly run tourist excursions along the 14 mile round trip ride between the Arcade and Couriers Depots using the 107 year old steam engine # 18. It was a lovely ride. The entire ride, including a stop at the Couriers Depot, takes about 2 hours.

These seat backs slide over so the seat faces the other way for the return trip so that you’re not riding backwards…..how cool is that???

The conductor came through to punch our tickets just after we started off on the ride…..I felt like I was on the Polar Express and Tom Hanks was about to punch out a message on my ticket!

We got off at the half way point – the Couriers Depot – where there was a small museum, snacks and drinks, and restrooms….

THIRD STOP:

Agle’s Farm Market, Eden, NY

Then we were off to stop # 4 — a really nice farm market in Eden, NY – Agle’s Farm Market! We did some shopping and browsing. I picked up a jar each of pumpkin butter and apple butter to go with the apple cinnamon and marble breads I planned to take to our Pastor Appreciation Lunch at church the next day…..they were really good!!!

DINNER STOP:

Ilio DiPaolo’s Italian Restaurant, Blasdell, NY

WOW WOW WOW!!! This place is amazing!!! They put on an incredible family style meal for us – traditional Italian – and we were stuffed full of the most delicious food!!!

First they brought out the salads and warm rolls…..then a pasta course of penne with sauce (soooo good), then the main course was platters full of a rolled beef dish, a chicken dish, assorted vegetables, and potatoes – the platters were passed around the tables and more were brought out when they were emptied – dessert was vanilla ice cream with creme de menthe. When Kathy read off what they were going to offer us just before we got off the bus, I realized it sounded like most would have cheese…..so, when the waiter brought the warm rolls, I asked about it — he said “Oh you’re our cheese allergy – we heard about you and will take care of you!” and they DID!!! I got a separate plate full of each of the meal options that were on the platters, but prepared separately with no cheese!!! It was so perfect and they were so gracious about it and I was ever so appreciative!!! I usually make do in these situations – I don’t go hungry, but rarely get treated like I matter to the staff! I will definitely keep this place in mind…..it was awesome!!!

AND….they even greeted our group on their sign!!! How special were we??? (photo courtesy of Andrea from First Choice Travel — it was a revolving message sign and I missed getting a good shot of it before boarding the bus to leave!!! Thanks, Andrea!)

What a full and amazing day! I was exhausted when I got home last night and I’m really dragging today – but, I enjoyed every bit of the day and am looking forward to the next adventure!