Writes of Passage

We went to this state park in late 1980s. I almost forgot about it, until I see this photo on Facebook today.

This 750-acre park is near Cornell University.

This camp at Taconic state park in New York looks deserted on a cloudy Sunday afternoon in November -:). There are cabins around the bathroom/showers.

253 NY-344
Copake Falls, New York 12517

A lovely and easy hiking park (0.75 miles each way; in and out) straddling New York and Massachusetts, along side of the brook. The waterfalls is on MA side but better part of the trail is on New York side.

Same park under different name in two states: Google Taconic State Park, you’ll get ‘253 NY-344 Copake Falls, New York 12517’, which is where we parked, at the opposite end of the falls; but if you google Bash Bish Falls State Park, you’ll get ‘Falls Rd, Mt Washington, MA 01258’, and it is high above the middle of the trail.

It looks like in the past, you could get down to the falls from this path; and over this little bridge, you might be get to the top of the falls.

There is no bathroom, we used the one on camp ground near by.

3260 NY-9D
Cold Spring, NY 10516

A great hike and got some yoga in. We started on the southern most point (map here), went up on WB Washburn (white trail) then came down mostly on CN Cornish (blue; mostly is carriage road). Bathrooms are portables. Parking lot is small. A satisfying dinner at Spy C conclude the 5.5 miles day.

Girls are generally patient photographers

more …

Special feature of iPhone, same photo: live vs long exposure

The river view photos

The Northgate Project is to preserve the ruins of the Stern-Cornish estate for future generations of enjoy. (More info here) The 650-acre land in the Breakneck Valley was owned by Sigmund and Dove Stern since 1904, their home was built by Werner and Windolph in 1912. After the death of Dove in 1915, Sigmund leased it to Edward and Selina Cornish in 1916 who ultimately purchased the estate the following year. The fire in 1958 had ruined it, and eventually it became NYS’s Hudson Highlands State Park, since 1967.

17 Cricketown Rd,
Stony Point, NY 10980

This state park is all about the Battle of Stony Point on 1779.7.16.

We came here on a sunny day in 2018 but it was closed unfor. The contoured terrain is very striking.

Losing this strategic point on the Hudson caused the British officer being court marshaled. The American officer was Brigadier General Mad Anthony

1 Museum Rd,
New Windsor, NY 12553

Ticket is per car and counting heads: $40/$50 for two people (weekdays and peak) to $100/$130 six people.

Storm King is a sculpture garden, or a welders

133 Huguenot St,
New Paltz, NY 12561

81 Huguenot St
New Paltz, NY 12561

The village was formed in 1678 by a group of religious refugees from France, known as Huguenots, and seven of their homes are preserved, making up the current Huguenot Street Historic District.

A snake greets us

… and more photos

The seven homes:

1. Bevier-Elting House
2. Abraham Hasbrouck House
3. Jean Hasbrouck House
4. DuBois Fort
5. Freer
6. Deyo
7. Crispell Memorial French Church

On the way to dinner at Garvan’s we passed by this marker that was erected in 2000, for the site of African-American Burial Ground.

Wawarsing, New York

One of the falls at Minnewaska, this hike is the most wonderful one: short and sweet during this trip, and I even managed to get my swim in.

This parcel of land became part of state park Minnewaska Preserve since 2001.

This access limits to this area only: you can’t get to other part of the Preserve.

• the falls and its basin
• To the to
• Top down

Parking is free, but the lot is small. We got there at 9:50 on Tuesday, Oct 12. Only one car parked. Upon a second look, it seemed an abandoned car, which made me feeling a bit scary. … I immediately snapped this photo and sent to my kids, just in case. Joke must be on me because there isn’t a connection. There is no bathroom either.

At the entry, there is a sign asking the hikers to clean their shoes, in and out, to stop the spread of invasive plant species. The boot brushes are like these at har tru tennis court, where we only clean after the game – on our way out.

The waterfall is 87′. The trail is easy hike, except one or two points of climb requires hands.

… We then ventured farther upstream … and discovered a paradise. A acorn-formed dog and a real sweet dog.

..walking up stream on the bed to the pool …

215 Huguenot St
New Paltz, NY 12561

A satisfying dinner after the swim at Stony Kill.

It’s one of two restaurants on the New Paltz public golf course. A pretty major venue, given the fact that the town has only about 14,000 population. The main house has a bar, with multiple floors and many small rooms. They’ve screened in out door dinning as well as outdoor in the woods, which is what we’ve, in the company of bees/wasps and mosquitoes 🦟, ha ha ha. There is an additional building in the back, that is hosting a wedding as we dined.

Fresh flowers and the bathroom has hand lotion. The service is very slow and they forgot our salad. Three tables in our area are piled high with payment folders, glasses and napkins. My wine glass is pretty dirty. In the belief that the alcohol  kills everything, I kept my mouth shut and drank from it.

Foods are great:

~ bread: super – Irish biscuit sort of thing, made by the owner’s wife (reallY?) … and I asked for a second slice–nope, you can’t take me anywhere
~ house salad: good, except the honey glazed walnuts which are pretty naked.

~ Appetizer scallops: super, succulent and tasteful

~ Appetizer shrimp scampi: good but looks a little deflected

~ Lamb stew: good for the soul