Morgan, Zach, and I spent the first weekend of August relaxing in the Catskills, and we couldn't have had a more perfect weekend if we had tried! We stayed in the most quaint little cottage on the the Delaware River on the Western Edge of the Catskills, and took the dogs with us, for a much needed escape from the city.
We got in Friday night, and celebrated with a several beers on the front porch of our cabin...so peaceful and QUIET! Saturday morning, we woke up to a drizzly, misty morning, as the fog rolled down the river outside the house. We enjoyed our coffee on the porch and down by the river bank, cooked some bacon and eggs for breakfast and then drove into "town" to look for charcoal and a few other items. By this time it had cleared up and was turning into a beautiful day! When we returned from town we grilled turkey burgers for lunch, and then rented kayaks and paddled down the river for a couple of hours. (The cabin owners drove us down to the historic covered bridge and dropped us off, and we paddled back to the cabins.) After we got back, Morgan and Zach set off to find more beer and fire wood, while I stayed home and started preparing dinner. I had been worried at first about the cabin not having air conditioning, but with highs in the 70s and lows in the mid 50s, we certainly did not need it! And were completely delighted when we got to enjoy a camp fire on Saturday night!
We grilled steak and chicken for dinner, and had some of my famous couscous salad. mmmmmmmmmm, delicious meal!! Then, after dark we lit the fire and sat out until after midnight, drinking beer and enjoying the night.
The next morning we slept in again, (about 9:30), packed up the car, and headed to the Eastern region of the Catskills, specifically to Woodstock. The drive was about an hour and half through the middle of the park, and much of it followed alongside the Delaware river. It was an amazing drive, and Zach enjoyed getting to play with his car again on the mountain roads. We stopped in Woodstock and enjoyed sandwiches from a cute little deli, and sat out on the square to eat. Woodstock is the MOST adorable little town!!!
After lunch we drove a couple miles up the mountain and started our hike to Overlook Mountain Fire tower. The hike was about 5 miles roundtrip, and it was straight up the mountain the whole way up. Roxie made it less than five minutes before we had to put her in the backpack, and Zach graciously agreed to carry her the rest of the way. About halfway up the mountain, we came to the shell of an old building, that was a ritzy mountain retreat/hotel built in the 1800's. It had burned down sometime in the 30's, I think. And was really cool to explore!
At the top of the mountain we climbed the fire tower (OK, so my fear of heights only let me go half way up) but I did NOT miss out on the MOST INCREDIBLE views!! This place was unbelievable. Absolutely breathtaking. We hated to head back down the mountain because we knew once we got back to the car, it was then back to reality. But we could NOT have asked for a better weekend, and felt refreshed and rejuvenated! I can not wait to return to the Catskills!
