New York - The Wrap Up

Well, it took me a little longer to get back with a post but here is the wrap up of our week (June 29th - July 6th) in New York.  This all now seems so very long ago!  It is hard to believe that we will be leaving Virginia and traveling back to Bangkok a week from tomorrow.  Where did the time (seven weeks) go?!?

One afternoon, my mom arranged a small barbecue with family friends that I babysat for many years ago.  It was a lot of fun because now those children are grown up and have children of their own.  While I felt a little old, it was good to see and catch up with them.   Another day, my aunt and uncle drove from New Jersey for a visit.  My uncle, dad and Kevin golfed in the morning and, after they all napped (because golfing is such a tiring sport), we had a nice lunch together.  We are planning to drive across the country next summer and my uncle had a lot of good ideas and suggestions of places for us to visit on our journey.

We also hiked through the Black Creek Forest Preserve in the Town of Esopus, about a 20 minute drive from my parents' home.  

The Black Creek Forest Preserve is a 130-acre woodland tract in the Town of Esopus, a small town on the Hudson River about 75 miles north of Manhattan. The Forest Preserve is a hemlock and hardwood forest and has three marked trails that traverse the land and pass along the banks of the Hudson River.  We combined all three trails (yellow, blue and red) for a three mile hike.  I had run 8 miles that morning and planned to take it slowly so, while Kevin and Caitlynne took right off on the trail, Christopher tagged along with me. 

Right at the beginning of the trail, there is a suspension bridge to cross over Black Creek.  

My son (who must always be in motion) tried to see how fast he could sprint across the bridge and back.

Black Creek.  Isn't it beautiful?

 

The first part of the hike was literally straight up the mountain.  The path was very uneven and we had to be careful and keep our eyes on the ground so we didn't trip over the many rocks and tree roots on the path.

We reached the top of the mountain and took a little rest on a big rock.

 

I spotted a blueberry bush near the trail.

We finally reached the Hudson River and enjoyed some beautiful views.  This photo is looking up and across the river to Rhinebeck.

 

 

We continued on our way and came across some wonderful stone walls that were in excellent condition.  

After we left the river, the rest of the hike was much easier as it was almost all downhill.  We were back at the suspension bridge in no time at all. 

 

 

One of our favorite traditions while in New York is to visit the hot dog truck at least once (or twice) for lunch.  We usually don't eat hot dogs but there is just something about the hot dogs that this man serves that makes eating those chemicals and preservatives worthwhile!     

 

On our last night in New York, we took my parents to dinner at The Egg's Nest, a very funky little bar and restaurant in High Falls.  

The Egg's Nest is truly an institution in High Falls/Ulster County and I can't remember a time when it wasn't open.  I used to go there with friends during the summers I was home from college or while visiting at other times.  Oh, the memories!  It is kind of neat to be going there now with my own family (although my behavior is MUCH better!). The food is quite good but the true draw of The Egg's Nest is its decor which has been called an "eclectic and colorful"  "funky collection of sixties hippy kitsch" and "looks like something Martha Stewart would do after ingesting a fist full of LSD." Apparently, the owner, Richard does all of the decorating & painting and redecorates quite frequently so as to keep it "interesting". I was a little uncomfortable walking around with my camera and taking photos of the decor while people were trying to enjoy their dinners but I think you can get an idea of what the interior is like from the few shots I did get.

The front entrance gives a little hint as to what the inside is like.

The front door.

On the ceiling. 

More stuff on the ceiling.

The painted wall going up the stairs.

Christopher taking a sip of his raspberry lemonade.

Very tart!

My dinner (Reuben sandwich).

 

After dinner (take a look at the painted table - it was beautiful!).

 

That wraps up our visit in New York!  We left New York very early Friday morning, July 6th to return to Virginia.  My brother, Jim, and his wife, Jan, always have a "not to be missed" 4th of July party (although this year it was going to be held on July 7th) and we wanted to get back in time to celebrate.