* Sans cuckoo in these parts.A dollop of Cassis, a slosh of ice cold Oyster Bay Sauvignon blanc, and the flowers I used to loathe.
A bowl of Mexican blackberries from New Green Pea on Atlantic, carbon footprint and all. They are sweet and delicious (not usually the case). Mexico needs our trade. If I can help by eating their blackberries, I will.A little chicken is roasting in the oven, jets are landing at La Guardia, their flightpath to the east of the 66 square foot terrace; I have a weekend of drawing ahead of me for a Tribeca garden which will soon become real, plus some work for two other gardens - one in Soho, another in Tribeca; my mom is coming to visit in October and I will start to develop some serious leaf- peeping plans (advice sought), featuring, perhaps, trains and automobiles and the Hudson and a cabin?; my husband arrives in New York in the middle of July, and I feel totally wired.
Phew. Summer's coming.
My wife and I go to the hudson valley every autumn.
ReplyDeleteWe have been at the Motel 87, the Super 8, and a few other less than desirable places. Usually because we reserve too late. Reserve way early-July1st!.
Expensive -Mohonk Mountain House (ate at the restaurant 15 years ago, wonderful view, institutional food. Great building, but you can see it when hiking at the Mohonk preserve.
Where we go: Clove Cottages, near Mohonk and all its superb hiking (see below for small bit of it). Unassuming different size cottages with kitchen, quick trip to Catskills, New Paltz, High Falls, wherever. The scent of leaf mold and wood smoke in the air. All about the hiking, farm stands, leaves.
Michelle lives on the property with dog, cats, llamas. She's nice, leaves you be (bit too much personal history in the book-you'll understand if you stay there).
http://www.clovecottages.com/index.html
http://nycgarden.blogspot.com/2008/10/day-and-half-hike.html
Kate Pierson (of B-52s fame) runs a zany motel (pricey) on the edge of the Catskills.
http://www.lazymeadow.com/
A B&B listing service I've used looking for places:
http://www.hudsonvalleybandbs.com/
Enjoy!
Thank you! When do you usually go, Frank?
ReplyDeleteThere's a wonderful B&B in Saugerties, you might want to consider: Barclay Heights B&B http://www.outstandinghospitality.com/
ReplyDeleteThe husband teaches at the Culinary Institute, so the breakfasts are amaaaazing. Very pretty place and the surrounding scenery is wonderful. Tell them I sent you.
We usually go on one of the two middle weekends in October. Leave Fri, comeback Monday morning. Thruway traffic can be tiring on a Sunday coming back.
ReplyDeleteLast fall, the weather was P-E-R-F-E-C-T! Crystal clear, crisp, perfect height of leaves. But just as much it is foggy and rainy-still lovely and the leaves all the richer in the cloudy.
Kate Pierson, a B&B, that's funny. For those who roam, if they want to...
ReplyDeleteLisa - thank you!
ReplyDeleteBeence: I like the Mink cabin.
I automatically think of New England for leaf peeping, but yeah, the Hudson Valley would be perfect...and nearer! Funny to read about the Mohonk Mountain House...i lived nearby for a year (and worked as a chambermaid in Lake Minnewaska Lodge during ski season)...both places were quite down on their luck (30 years ago) and unless expedia.com says they've been renovated, i'd only go to those lodges to look at the outside and imagine what they might have been like in their heyday. The Clove Cottages sound much nicer!
ReplyDelete