Dan Antion

There Is One Choice – #1LinerWeds

The birthday girl at the start of our trek.

Our daughter Faith and I had a busy day on Sunday. In honor of her birthday, we planned to “hike” a bit of a Rail Trail near Northampton, Massachusetts, play a round of mini-golf and then find a place that served beer and food.

The temperature climbed over 90°f (32°c) well before noon, and it was quite humid. We walked about 2 ½ miles (about 4 km) before turning around and heading for our car. Of course, the walk back was hotter than the walk out. As we approached the parking lot, Faith suggested that we find the beer/food before mini-golf.

We drove to the Northampton Brewery where we were delighted to find that parking is free on Sundays in the municipal lot across the street from the brewery. As we entered the brewery, the hostess greeted us with:

“Table for two? Would you prefer outside on the deck or inside?”

Outside? On the 92° deck? In the sun? Where my beer will get warm? Where the tartar sauce on my fish sandwich will spoil before I get to the third bite? Where I will use my napkin to wipe my forehead instead of my mouth? Where the waitress will be crankypants because we made her walk across the hot rooftop? Where the humidity will wilt our nachos to the point that they can’t support the already rancid sour cream? Where the ketchup on my onion rings is going to create a picture reminiscent of Salvador Dalí’s clocks? Where the ice in our water glass will melt and the glass will sweat and drip all over me?

OR…

In the air-conditioned dining room?

Now that you’ve had the news and weather, I can report the sports. Faith and I were tied after the first nine holes of mini-golf. I pulled ahead at the beginning of the back nine. Then, on the 14th hole, Faith sunk a hole-in-one. I got into one of those back-and-forth-across-the-cup battles and left with a five. Then I promptly put my first putt on 16 into the marble chips for no gain and a penalty stroke.

This post is part of Linda G. Hill’s fun weekly series One-Liner Wednesday. And, given the time of the year, it’s also part of Just-Jot-January. If you have a one-liner, I’d encourage you to join in on the fun. You can follow this link to participate and to see the one-liners from the other participants.

The beginning of our hike began at this old rail trestle over the Connecticut River.
The birthday girl at the start of our trek.
We’re about to cross a small island and then the rest of the Connecticut River.
The main portion of this trestle continues across the river.
We’re about 1/3 of the way across the Connecticut River, and that’s the bottom. The river is quite shallow. We haven’t had meaningful rain for about three weeks.
The trail goes on for about 5 miles. We walked about half that far.
Now this is a nice car dealer – free air and water.
It was hot and humid, but most of the trail was shaded by trees.
We did a five mile round trip on this trail.
The base station has an air pump and a rack of tools (secured by cables) for bike repair.
Good brews, good food and an air-conditioned dining room.
Happy Birthday!
See the bright sun in those windows? That’s the walkway to the outdoor deck.
“Yeah, yeah, we get it Faith. You got a hole-in-one. Excuse me while I make four more attempts to sink that black ball.”
Up and down, but we ended the first nine tied at 21.
#14 – I was ahead up to that point, and then…

80 comments

  3. Happy Belated Birthday Faith! It looks like a beautiful hike in any other weather. The temps have been ridiculous. I haven’t even tried to drag Mr Reluctant out for a hike in weeks. Afraid we might stroke! You are so funny. Yeah, patio? You mean, the Sauna? Ummm…no. But I always gaze wistfully over my shoulder at it when we get seated indoors beside a family of six, all othe children under six. 😳 I do miss my Florida water side barstool days….
    Great post Dan! Happy Wednesday!

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  4. Dads and their daughters…always special. ♥ Happy Birthday, Faith! We’ve all enjoyed accompanying you and your dad on your hike via the photos.

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  6. This looks like fun, Dan. The last time I played mini golf with my boys was during December at a resort in the Drakensburg Mountains. It was nearly 40 degrees Celsius and it was most uncomfortable even though we only played after 4pm in the afternoon.

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  7. Happy birthday to Faith, the mini golf pro!

    I love the former train bridge. It’s so cool, one I would love to bike across. But not in 92 degree heat. I give you credit for the bit of walking that you did on such a hot day.

    You’re too funny, Dan. Your pretend responses to the waitress are hilarious and right on the money. Was there anyone out on the patio, eating their rancid mayo with dinner?

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    • Thanks Mary. It wasn’t bad walking out, but we had to remind ourselves that we had just as far to go back.

      There were people outside, working on turning the mayo brown. I don’t know what the appeal was. We enjoyed the A/C.

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  8. Sounds like a great day. Minus the heat. I always look at hostesses like they’re insane when they ask if I want to sit in the broiling sun, and yet there are always people out there roasting.

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  9. Very nice park trail with the bridge. We have something similar in the nearby forest preserves which I have yet to visit this year. Although I’ve never used them, I like the idea of having bike repair stations nearby.

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  13. Hiking on the rail trail, beer and food, then mini golf with Dad sounds like the perfect way to spend your birthday. Happy birthday, Faith! I would choose to dine inside too.

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  14. Happy for you and your daughter that you were able to spend time with Faith on her birthday. Sounds like you two had a lot of fun, Dan. Happy birthday, Faith!! FYI …. I choose AC when temps are that high but if there is fun involved, I’ll grit my teeth and do the heat. Have a great day!!

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  16. What a great way to celebrate Faith’s birthday. I love you answer to dining inside or outside! 🙂 May you find shade and air conditioning on Saturday!

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  17. Happy Birthday to Faith! It looks like she had a fabulous Birthday, a hike, food and drinks inside with A/C and a winning round of mini-golf with a hole in one too!

    I laughed out reading your response to the hostess. Funny stuff!

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  18. Happy Birthday, Faith! Gotta love a friendly hostess. **but that’s what I’m supposed to ask!** I love eating outside; my husband is just the opposite. And during the summer, that is not even a question I ask him.

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  21. Hi Dan – sounds ideal: father and daughter day out … by the water, away from the hot tin roof and on equal golf-footing … well done and lunch sounds much better inside! Way too hot … but that’s the weather – cheers Hilary

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  25. Dan, I enjoyed how you wrote out why it was such a tough choice deciding where to eat, but it reminded me of a story with a slightly different outcome. A few years ago, my friend and I went out for dinner at the local bar and grill. It was barely the second week of August. We got there around 4:30, I guess. It was August — so I was wearing just a t-shirt and jeans. We opted to sit outside because the weather was nice and clear, and we did worry that the A/C might make us too chilly…

    That was the day I almost froze to death in the middle of August.

    My friend ALWAYS has a sweater with her, so she was fine. But I couldn’t finish my food fast enough just so that we could go back inside — where I warmed up slightly in the A/C …. while sipping a milkshake that was less enjoyable than it should have been because I was already so darn cold.

    We then went directly to the store and I literally bought a sweater. And put it on before I even got back to the car.

    In August.

    Welcome to the North. ;P

    (And happy birthday, Faith!)

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    • Oh my goodness, Wendy. I’d never expect that in August. It’s so funny (sorta) that you bought a sweater. Thanks for visiting. I’m sorry if you read this earlier. I was reading on my phone and I had you confused with Joanne (above your comment).

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  26. Happy Birthday Faith!! Wishing you many more happy, healthy days, and many more special days with dad. Great golf game!! Lol.

    Dan, your pretend answer to the question of whether you wanted to dine inside or outside is still cracking me up! The hostess doesn’t care. She remains in the AC while your waitress/waiter have to keep going out in the blistering heat. 😃

    How you two managed to walk 5 miles in the heat is quite a feat…..even shaded by trees. Seems like you both celebrated Faiths special day in style and had another memorable time together.

    Great post!
    🐾Ginger 🐾

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    • Thanks Ginger. It was s great day. It’s good we turned around when we did, but we managed to keep hydrated. It was nice to find the water at the car dealer.

      We were nice to the hostess, but seriously, I couldn’t believe people were sitting out in the heat.

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  27. Dan, the only people who sit outside at a restaurant in Florida during summer are the tourists.Probably because it’s cold enough to hang meat inside, but we like it that way. Nice daddy/daughter outing. Looks like a beautiful trail.

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  29. I love that photo of Faith on the bridge! So glad you were able to spend time with her on her birthday (and that you had a nice chilly location for lunch because eat outdoors? BLESS).

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    • Thanks Laura. Faith sometimes likes to eat outside. I tend to think “cavemen ate outside” and choose the cool. The photo on the bridge is funny. She stopped and basically said “OK, let’s get this over with” referring to my “need” to get a picture of her everywhere we go. It did turn out nice.

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  31. LOVE your take on outdoor dining! LOL ME TOO! Sometimes The Mister and I meet for coffee at the shaded umbrella tables, and that’s okay. On the way home, we see people dining outdoors at the Mexican restaurant, and I assume they’re all tourists from distant equatorial lands.
    I couldn’t putt for squat in this heat. Faith is obviously the queen of heat wave mini golf!

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    • Thanks. I’ve done a table under an umbrella where I am in the shade, but then the sun moves and I’m baking, so, if possible, I choose to sit inside. I cave to the crowd I’m with, but… Faith did seem to get better as the mini-golf match went on. I’ll get a rematch ;-)

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