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| Early Fall Scene, Catskill Mts 1888, J. Tubby |
Friday 30 September 2016
Soggy but Amazing
So it was this past Friday, Kim and I headed up to the lovely mountain hamlet of Phoenicia, New York, home of our dear friends, Robert and Holly. You may remember we were at the North Carolina Coast with them a scant 2 months ago (see previous post). Among the many lovely things they have done for us was our wedding present: a stay at the fantastic Phoenicia Lodge. We have endeavored to use our great gift essentially since we got married a year ago June and the stars finally aligned and schedules were adjusted to allow us to go.
Of course, I taught all day Friday and then jetted home to throw a few things in a bag, pack up the Golf and point it north.
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| The trusty steed: VW Golf: Conveyance through the 1500, 1700 and almost 500 mile journeys this year |
The weather turned very moist about Wednesday night and the rain soaked atmosphere lingered over the Philadelphia area clear through today (which is Monday already). The drive up through New Jersey and then Southern New York alternated between medium to light rain and mist the entire trip. It's about 192 miles door to door but the trip from our house to the beginning of the the New York State Thruway (Interstate 87) is fraught with stop lights and heavily traveled US 202. So, 5pm rush hour, rain and 192 miles. It's a good thing we love each other! All things being equal, it should have taken us about 3.5 hours without stops. Of course, we stop some and we were traveling across dinner time. We stopped in the farthest reach of Northern New Jersey at a Moe's Southwest grill and had forgettable tacos. Sustenance was achieved.
We pulled in to the Phoenicia Lodge on NY Route 28 about 10 minutes after 10. A very long day for both of us. The Lodge though was just what we needed. Rustic but not spartan, roomy and quiet. Our friends had affected an upgrade for us so instead of 2 double beds, we had a slightly larger "cabin" with a nice Queen bed. The Proprietors are great friends of our friends and thoughtfully taped a small, excellent map along with the key, to the window of the closed office. You can't do things like that in the city but Phoenicia is kind of remote. It was dark, rainy and about 55 degrees so, a little raw. Again, I was pretty exhausted but I will say that as I opened the door, the smell of cedar and dampness revived me considerably. It was the smell of canoe paddles and wicker creels, old snowshoes and mildewy playing cards, muddy boots and granola. In short, it smelled like camp
Since we know our olfactory sense is the one most tightly connected with memory, you can imagine the backflips my brain was doing when that smell hit me.
Totally spent after the day we'd both had, we fell into a well deserved slumber.
Saturday 1 October 2016
One for the books
The first of October dawned deeply overcast, 50 degrees but with no actual precipitation falling.
Our intent had been to take long drive up and around the lower Catskills for some early leaf peeping. The Smokymountains.com 2016 Fall Foliage map, upper Ulster County NY was supposed to be "near peak" on 30 September. The Red, Sugar, Silver and Mountain Maples were mostly tardy at Phoenicia's elevation of only 827 feet above sea level and had not gotten the memo. Up on the nearby mountains, I suspected the Maples and Sweetgums, Hornbeams, Sycamores and all their deciduous pals must have already started to go over. Why did I not know for sure? The cloud ceiling was so low, that we could easily see the edges about 4-500 feet up the slopes. The cloud cover was also quite thick as even at around noon, no shadows could be seen.
There had also been a somewhat unconfirmed possible lunch with one of Kim's oldest dearest friends in Woodstock NY which is only about 14 miles away. My loose plan had been to head up 214 and 296 to historic Route 23 and loop around to Woodstock. We headed to the amazing Phoenicia Diner for a very filling, delicious and locally sourced breakfast. Sated, and it being Saturday, we headed over to the the old church right in Phoenicia to check in with Holly at her Saturday morning volunteer job at the basement flea market/thrift store. After a catch up with Holly in the clothes isle, we got a tip that there was a wickedly winding road not far away up on the side of Katerskill Mountain. Since we wanted to be in Woodstock around 1pm, I jettisoned the Route 23 plan and instead we headed for the challenging road. Along our way, plans firmed up and we were indeed to meet Joan and Brian at 1pm in Woodstock. A helpful local as well as Holly, helped us identify landmarks to the entrance to the locally famous drive.
We headed up 214 about 1130am and passed through the tiny mountain towns of Chichester and Lanesville before arriving in Tannersville. We didn't realize it but we'd already passed the turnoff for Route 16, also known as Platt-Cove Road. When eventually we found it, it did not disappoint. On the Hunter side of the mountain, again, the cloud ceiling was low and a soaking, misty rain was falling constantly. As we descended into the gorge, the weather on the other side of the mountain was quite a bit better. At one point, we rounded a bend and had somewhat of a vista looking southeast and we could see for about 3 or 4 miles. Also, it wasn't raining or misting on that side. Amazing.
Platt-Cove road is not for the faint of heart driver. It is barely wide enough for two vehicles to pass, barely, barely, It is also filled with very tight switchbacks and very steep inclines. I stopped at one point to snap a few pictures and walking back downhill 20 feet, I had to lean back a bit, so steep was the pitch of the road. All told it was about a 15 minute drive and I imagine on a clear day, the views are spectacular as well. Again, Mother Nature prevented us from seeing too far. My suspicion about the higher elevation trees being farther along their yearly cycle was correct. Up on the mountain, I would describe the foliage as "partial". Down in the valleys and along the Esopus Creek, it was patchy at best.
Platt-Cove let us out right at route 33 and then 35 and right into Woodstock.
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| Platt-Cove Road view #1 |
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| Platt-Cove Road view #2 |
Once in Woodstock, we had about an hour to kill before lunch so we wandered around. Once we started our descent into the gorge, my phone buzzed with a text. Once we alit in Woodstock I looked at it and lo and behold it was a possible gig for Kim's band, Hank's Cadillac. It turns out, it is happening! We are playing a pre-show member party for WXPN ahead of the sold out Sturgill Simpson show this coming Friday. Thank you Mole Street Productions! This might prove to be an important gig as well as a fairly high profile and high visibility gig. We will see.
As I eye-shopped in the music store, Kim began exploring what it would mean to change a flight. She left early this morning for a week in Los Angeles. It took some doing but, she's on the red eye early Friday morning and will get back in plenty of time to make the hit.
One other kind of amazing thing about the area of the Catskills near Phoenicia is that there are no cell towers close enough to get a phone signal. It was only as we neared Woodstock that my phone woke up. This figures in that alerting the band and doing anything online (the wifi is sketchy at best also), proved challenging. Wrangling the details of this gig was background noise the rest of the trip but it was necessary of course.
About 1pm, we met up with Joan and Brian at the Landau Grill right on the main drag of Woodstock. It was decent and sustaining but of course the main event was spending time with Joan and Brian, Kim and Joan have been pals since the 1980s radio days and she now lives in Southwest Massachusetts. She is still on the air, as is Brian occasionally. Jealous am I.
After lots of great conversation, we strolled to the small flea market, Kim got a coffee and we bummed around the excellent bookstore. It was past 4 when Kim and I headed west toward the Lodge for a quick respite and refit before meeting Holly at the small art gallery in Phoenicia for a Shandaken Democratic Party fundraiser at which Robert was playing a set of 1960s music. It was a 1960s theme party after all. Robert turned in a fantastic set of tunes, carefully and lovingly recast for voice and acoustic guitar. It is, most of the time, difficult if not impossible to maintain the bones and heart of many tunes when stripped down to their most basic elements of melody, harmony and rhythm. It takes a bit of doing to preserve the emotional content of tunes of that era when you only have your voice and six strings. A true musician can do though and that is what we witnessed. It was very, VERY well done. The audience were all our age or older and I wondered at breakfast the next morning where all the young people were? After Robert's blazing set, a candidate for Probate Judge got up and told us who she was, what she intended to do if elected and asked for ur support. It was a little thrilling to see local politics so close up. She seemed perfectly capable and willing and if I lived there, she'd get my vote.
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| Lovlies! Kim & Joan |
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| A late fall bloom in Woodstock |
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| A sign only seen in Woodstock |
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| Robert making musical magic for the Dems |
After her brief speech, Holly, Kim and headed out to a fantastic dinner up the road a ways to Big Indian NY and Peekamoose. Oh my was the food amazing! The restaurant is also quite impressive and large. Lots of natural elements inside, tree root chandeliers, taxidermy, exposed wood etc. Quite impressive. Our main courses were all creative, locally sourced and delectable. Our waitperson was on old friend of Robert and Holly's whom Kim and I had met on an earlier visit there. Again, catching up with friends and chatting about everything under the sun; kids away at school, politics, music, East Germany....you name it. The desert course was one for the ages. We all got a different one, but next week is Holly's birthday and so, a giant sparkler was brought out and sining erupted and two extra desserts showed up (so we could try them all!). Amy was quite and excellent guide through the meal.
We snapped a shot outside all dressed up for the 1960s party and then sped down Route 28 to the lodge.
It was a fairly epic day with meals with dear, dear friends, hair-raising driving, wet leaves about to change, local politics at work and love, love love all around.
Sunday 2 October 2016
A melancholy anniversary, a picking party and homeward bound
The morning dawned dry but still quite overcast. We packed up and checked out, finally meeting the Lodge owner and chatting him up a bit. We once again headed over to the Phoenicia Diner to meet Robert and Holly. Once again, a memorable meal with delicious food and delicious conversation.
Post breakfast we followed our friends home and an impromptu jam session-picking party broke out on the porch. It was cloudy still but not raining although even at 1 in the afternoon, it was only 60 degrees. We played through a bunch of tunes we all love, Robert hammering out the leads on his Martin D28, me decorating and adding rhythm my EL00 and Kim adding beautiful harmony to everything. Now THAT is how you spend a Sunday afternoon in Phoenicia!
It being a sad double anniversary for my lovely wife regarding her parents, the bon homie, fellowship and musical distraction were welcome I think.
After our goodbyes, we headed South in hopes of making home not too late AND finding an apple cider donut. Alas, at two places we stopped, there were out by 130pm and we didn't see anywhere on the rest of our way home that might have been a likely spot to have them.
We stopped North of Flemington NJ at Porkchops BBQ for dinner. It was decent and I give them a B-. It was interesting note however that this place was actually the International House of BBQ. Asian and Hispanic counter and chef personnel, South American sodas and unusual flavors of drinks in the cooler and the special was Hawaiin Beef BBQ. Still, the main menu was pure Southern US. What a melting pot Flemington must be?
All told, Phoenicia and back with side trips to Tannersville and Woodstock, it was 474 more miles added to this years total driving miles.
A lovely way to spend an early fall weekend; friends, food, fellowship and love, Lots of love, all around.
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| 474 Love, love, love |
