Interesting places to visit in Cortland County

I wasn’t sure if visiting the Dragonfyre Distillery would be

worthwhile.  I have been to many distilleries and they are all pretty much the same.  However, when we drove up a side road and saw a sign “Beware of low flying dragons” I was intrigued.  And then alongside of the road there was a Small bright blue door to the Hobbit and I knew it was going to be worth the drive.  Before entering I saw a fairy door and I knew I was going to meet and see someone interesting.  

One of the first thing I noticed was their “Most Holey Knight: Sir Lea Kaslot” and the fact that there were dragons and fairies everywhere. You might say there spirits everywhere. Oh, and yes, there is a copper distillery, two of them, hand made by the owner Vincent Pedini.  He learned the process from his father who learned from his father but he is the one that decided to market the spirits.  Everything is

blended from locally grown products and none of the spirits have been blended with products from elsewhere. His wife, Donna, is the Artist in Residence.  Not to miss is the “necessary room” where Donna painted all surfaces including the ceiling and floor turning it into a magical forest inhabited by an interesting variety of denizens including dragons and fairies.  It was definitely worth the trip and on the way out I spotted a fairy in the forest waving “Good Bye” to us. 

Our last stop on the way home was in Homer.  We were told that the world’s largest pair of pants was in Homer Men & Boys store.  They are 8 feet tall. I wasn’t that impressed.  I don’t know what I expected but the store itself was impressive.  I have never seen such a large store with so much merchandise.  Every inch of the store is covered in huge piles of clothing, shoes, coat, and other apparel, Their motto, “If we don’t have it you don’t need it,” rings true.  They have been family run since 1951.  They also take on-line orders.

There was one more place we wanted to stop but on the way out of Homer I saw a beautiful octagon house and just had to take a

picture.  Octagon houses were popular for a short time in the mid-1800s.  It was thought to be cheaper to build, allowed for more living space, received more natural light and was easier to heat. It was also the time of spiritualism and religious movements in New York State.  Some people believed that an octagon house would prevent “spirits” from hiding in corners. 

Our last stop was at Tartan Acres located on a hilltop with great views.  I was surprised to learn the owner, Ken Clark, was from Mexico, NY where I had lived for 50 years. He and his wife purchased the property and remodeled the farm house planning to open a B&B but then Covid 19 hit so everything is on hold.  His wife, Brenda, saw alpacas at the state fair and her

love for them ended with raising them.  They have about 80, some of which were just born. We petted some and were amazed at how soft their fur is. They often host an open house and provide “Alpaca 101” classes for those interested in owning and raising alpacas.  The alpaca regarded us with an inquisitive expression.  It is easy to see how people become enamored with them.