Chautauqua Institution

Today Bob and I took a road trip from the northeastern corner of Ohio to Chautauqua in southern NY state. It was a quintessential June day, perfect for a "getaway day". Located on Lake Chautauqua, the Institution is a gated community of lovely homes, beautiful public buildings, and a delightful waterfront (see the extra pictures). I have heard it described as a modern day Brigadoon, and it does have a way of casting a spell on people who walk through the gate (and pay the price of admission).

Our reason for going there today was to hear an interview of Garry Trudeau and Jane Pauley on the stage of the iconic Amphitheater, lovingly called The Amp by residents and visitors like us who return year after year for the opportunity to listen, learn, and widen their perspective on the world. 

In addition to being entertained and enlightened by Pauley and Trudeau, whose interview "On Creative Expression" was hosted by Roger Rosenblatt, we also heard a lecture (after lunch in the Brick Walk Cafe) by John Shelby Spong, a retired Episcopal bishop, who in the 1960s was voted public enemy number one by the Ku Klux Klan for boldly supporting the civil rights movement while serving a church in a small, racially segregated town in North Carolina. Bishop Spong will be there all week, speaking at 2 pm daily in the Greek-styled building known as the Hall of Philosophy (also an extra photo for today). I could happily have stayed at Chautauqua for the rest of the week, one day was just too short, but our daughter, who was dog-sitting with Gulliver, wasn't available all week, so we headed home, satisfied that our getaway day at Chautauqua was well worth the price of admission.