I arrived on a day when the temperature was in the high 80s. The property was closed up and was quite warm inside. There is a portable air conditioner in the main room which I turned on. I then left for dinner, returning about five hours later to find that the air conditioner had not cooled the main room much at all and had no effect on the separate bedroom, which has no air conditioning unit. For the rest of my stay, the apartment heated up during the day and took hours to cool down at night with open windows and fans. It’s fair to say that this property is effectively without air conditioning.
I used the dishwasher to clean some drinking glasses and coffee cups. When the cycle finished the pan had not drained and opening the door caused water to pour onto the floor. There was rust inside where the plastic coating had peeled off the metal racks. The serial number on the door indicates that the dishwasher was manufactured perhaps in 2004 or earlier.
On my second night at the property, some family members and friends visited the property briefly to switch cars as the friends were heading back to the city after dinner. I drove in behind their vehicles and heard a woman’s loud voice. When I got out of my car I was told that a woman had come from a neighboring property and ran off as I was coming into the driveway. She was shouting “You are not welcome here . . . you are breaking the rules . . . the speed limit is 5 mph . . . there are seven signs . . .”
The next day a hand-written sign was posted on a pole near the property, titled, “Do not ignore the 5mpH!” which said, “Dear Renters and Guests, We cherish the peace, quiet and safety on this private road. The speed limit posted is 5 mph! Please respect our rules. Thank you! The Owners and residence [sic] of Whitney Bay Road.”
I visit Chautauqua every year with my family. Unfortunately, this year was the peaceful we anticipated.