More on Rhinebeck

Still overwhelmed.

I don't quite know where to begin.

There were so many buildings and vendors, they are all just a blur.

And Saturday is just a distant memory. We got there fairly early. That much I know because we did not encounter "heavy" traffic until we were almost at the gate. Also, when we were leaving, we were able to judge our parking location in relation to the vast number of cars that arrived after we did.

Heading to the Parking Spot



Early in the day, movement through the buildings was fairly easy. I never felt that my granny cart was a hindrance. By lunchtime, I was regularly hearing comments around me from people warning each other, "Watch out for the cart." So, although it was a convenient way to carry a lot of yarn around with me (and a good way to save energy for all the walking I was doing), there was a bit of a cost in terms of navigating through crowds. I eventually found it was easier to push the cart ahead of me like a stroller instead of pulling it behind me, because I could watch for the gaps and avoid rolling the wheels over people's feet.

Crowds



Lineups everywhere were very long. Forget about chicken pot pie for lunch on Saturday. The line was at least 60 people deep at the booth (where they also sold baked potatoes and baked sweet potatoes, as well as homemade chicken pot pie). We had burgers and fries and watery hot chocolate, which was only about a 15 minute wait in line -- though Carolyn and Lise generously let me save the seats instead of standing with them. I was grateful for any chance to sit and rest for a bit before tackling the next round of buildings. This was my first big outing with the new hip. I am not used to this!

Although we feel like old pros now (well, you know what I mean), our first trip to Rhinebeck was quite overwhelming. You walk in the first building, look at the wares of eight or ten vendors, do a bit of admiring ("Oooh, pretty!"), and then step outside again only to realize that there are many, many more of the same type of building to look through. And that is when your brain freezes and your eyes glaze over.

My First Purchase




Speaking of freezing...we kept checking the weather and it was telling us "snow". Well, we never did get snow. And it only rained on Sunday. But it was COLD. On Saturday it got colder through the day. I was wearing layers, but parts of me were still exposed to the cold. On Saturday I had decided that my outer layer would be my denim jacket instead of the warmer pea jacket I had also brought with me. I was afraid of being too warm, but that definitely was not a problem. I wish I'd worn the warmer coat.

I am working on photos for the rest of my purchases. But I will have to post them later. I need a rest now. Blogging this Rhinebeck trip is turning out to be hard work.

I think I need some time to recharge.