The Castle at Consensus NY, Letchworth State Park

Just a Trip to the Park

I had heard that Letchworth state park was the "Grand Canyon of the East".  So with Chris wrapping up his time at RIT we should try to get up there. We did.  The park though not quite living up to the tag line was indeed beautiful.  Lots of photo opportunities. 

The Castle at Consensus

However it never held a candle to the Airbnb that I found.  It of course starts out with me trying to find cheap digs for a quick getaway, when this beauty caught my eye.  Billed a castle and coming in at $546  for the entire 3 nights well I was warily sold.  I booked and got denied followed by a message asking us to rebook using the sight unseen small group booking option. Fine. I warned the traveling party that I had no idea what to expect. 

We drove up to the 110,000 square foot decommissioned monastery. It sits on 20 acres and is abutted by a nature preserves and state lands. We were met around the back in front of the 6 bay garage and shown our rooms. Threes separate rooms on the third floor with private bathrooms. A shared kitchen and communal sitting area. The dogs were allowed to run free in the building and out. The sheets were clean and the bathrooms looked clean enough. It was dusty and worn-out. There was an amazing amount of stuff everywhere from an old car parked on the patio to boats, a crane, motorcycles. Inside was antiques and old plastic toys.   We stayed on the building to the left, on the right were "private residences" There was also a huge guest house, a pavilion. 

Get on the Bus, Forget About Us and Put the Blame on Me

There was a bus with a stone wall built around it. There were chickens and cats And there were crumbling grottos in the woods .  Actual grottos, some several rooms big. 

Crumbling Grottos-Seriously

 

The Devil Went Down to Dansville

I don't think that I can actually leave this post without mentioning Dansville, Tina Markle who apparently is making deals with the actual devil.  Not to mention the town as a whole which is involved with not just the KuKlukKlan but the Mafia and the illuminati, pretty impressive for such a small town. Which a may have believed if it wasn't the accusation against Martin Luther , of Lutheranism fame ,was a member of the Kukulkan as well. Now here is where I draw the line. 

An altogether creepy and fun time was had.  I have to mention that this trip was not for the delicate. The place we stayed at was fascinating but not luxurious by anyone's definition. I am grateful that everyone in my family can handle tough situations, I believe it helps us have a wider variety of experiences.  I am also grateful for the dogs. They make everything more fun.  They loved hiking off leash and the freedom to roam the building. Jo was a trooper and they both hiked miles in the heat and were ready for more.