Snowout in Brooklyn

Got back from Christmas in Vermont to find Brooklyn under piles and piles of snow...storm came through on Sunday. It's Wednesday night, and we still have very limited mobility and services in the outer boroughs. Check out this great capture of the blizzard from Mike Black:

December 2010 Blizzard Timelapse from Michael Black on Vimeo.

Here's the fallout (falldown?) from the storm as of Wednesday around noon, 12/29/2010 here in South Brooklyn.

Sunset Park - Snowout 12.29.10 from beth harrington on Vimeo.

some more...

Sunset Park 2 - Snowout, as of 12.29.10 from beth harrington on Vimeo.

(Please excuse the audio - I did not edit)

I also did some videos in Park Slope, Red Hook, and Bay Ridge which I will post later. Whole streets remain blocked and impassable with snow. Bloomberg has promised all streets will be cleared by tomorrow morning. Here in Sunset Park, we aren't holding our breath.

On the Road Again: Upstate NY

Before the weather got so humid that we couldn't leave the house without a fine misting of sweat, we made it out of the city. We didn't know at the time it was going to be our last trip out before fall officially fell. Striking up northwest, we aimed for High Point State Park, in New Jersey. It contains a part of the Appalachian Trail. It was a lovely hike, up over High Point (the highest "mountain" in NJ - East Coast mountains are different than West Coast mountains. I maintain the West Coast alone has 'real' mountains). We climbed the ridge, a sudden quick ascent with a lovely tree cover, hiked across the bouldered ridge, and then half skidded, half fell, and kind of rockclimbed (without gear) down the other side - on the "trail," it must be said - to the lake. We turned around at the lake, feeling a little cheated by the fact that there's a road for cars, campers and boats to come in without working themselves over the ridge like we did.


Back in the car, we headed back into New York state towards the Catskills. Driving along the gorgeous, winding Delaware, we stopped to see an early bridge by John Roebling, the German-born engineer who, later in his career, designed the Brooklyn Bridge. The bridge was beautiful, beautiful enough that E managed to lose his wallet in the parking lot.

Of course, we didn't realize we were short some identification and purchasing power until we made it to our B & B, the Pura Vida outside of Bethel, NY.

The B&B was off an alley, on a creek, with a lovely hammock - peaceful. We were a little thrown by the teenagers who were staffing the place in the owner's absence, who despite their sweetness made us feel like babysitters. The TV and internet, which were "for guests" to use "any time" were always dominated by them, and we had to ask them to get off the phone to use it to call out (no cell reception!) to cancel all of E's cards. They had no recommendations for dinner either, so E and I tried a bbq place with horrible food (if driving through Bethel, do not put any south in your mouth!) but a lovely view of the lake. When we got home, they asked where we had been, and upon hearing, said, "Oh that place is awful." Well, it's why we asked you before we left, but ... ok...still some lessons about hospitality to be learned here. Not feeling comfortable watching bad Lifetime TV with the teenage boys and their lady dates, E and I went upstairs and hid out, taking a luxurious bath in the great bathtub and then playing Trivial Pursuit. To the place's credit, the owner did upgrade us for free as her other guests hadn't made it. We thank her for that! Our privacy upstairs was much needed, as the teenagers got into a shouting fight shortly after 11p and we were thankful to have a locked door and some stairs between us & them.


Sunday was not as gorgeous as Saturday, but lovely in a mournful, autumnal way. After our teen hosts made us breakfast of eggs and about 30 pieces of toast, we went driving through the Beaverkill Valley in the Catskills, and made it one third of a soggy hike around Alder Lake before turning back (too many piles of bear poop means there are bears nearby)!

Alder Lake has an abandoned mansion on its shores.

We finished the day off with a lovely meal and a drink at the Dancing Cat Saloon. Our waitress was cheery and positive, and we enjoyed the rustic, quirky atmosphere as well as the sandwiches and healthy pub food made on local Flour Power Bakery bread!

The Dancing Cat Saloon in Bethel was the best food we had in the area. I highly recommend it; if you're ever in the area, stop by - the waitress is charming, the food healthy and delicious, and the live music vibrates the wood floor so you can feel the beat in your feet.

Dispatches from the Road: Ithaca & Delaware Water Gap

This past weekend, E and I went upstate. We had never been "upstate" since we moved to New York, and I think we had totally different expectations. Having been to Rochester before, I imagined aging hippies with gardens and lots of rolling hills with farmland. E started playing 70s R&B.

It took us about five hours to get up to Ithaca from the city, given the crappy tolls and the roads. Most of the way, we were on the freeway, but those last 31 miles off the main freeway into Ithaca are a killer, especially during a blinding steamy midsummer storm. With my trusty copilot snoozing away in the passenger seat, I drove around a corner and right into a sunny downpour, completely enfolding me in gray golden light and humid rain, slowing me from 60 to 30 in 3 seconds flat. By the time we rounded the next hill, the rain had moved on, and the world was a hazy glow by the time we hit Ithaca's picturesque downtown. We had been racing the clock to try to make Moosewood Restaurant before the legendary vegetarian mecca closed its lunch service, but we had to settle for the Ithaca Bakery instead. My friend Vanessa had recommended it to me, and we were very pleased to find that we shared her food taste!

Once inside, we then had to decide from a plethora of offerings, including fresh sandwiches, deli offerings, and salad. They also do their own baking and have a coffee bar, as well as selling gourmet packaged specialties. I tried the Flat Rock sandwich, which was turkey, goat cheese, sundried tomatoes, basil and balsamic vinegar on fresh baguette and E tried the Willow, which was barbequed pork. I didn't manage to get a taste of his, but mine was delicious and I assume that given the speed E ate his, it was scrumptious too.


After lunch, we stopped by the Ithaca Falls. It was a random, GPS-scrolling trip ("Hey! Falls!"). We eagerly followed our GPS, only to wind up in a condo parking lot. Confused, we thought maybe the condo had demolished the falls. Coming back down the hill, I missed the turn down Lincoln. As we kept driving, we crossed a small bridge and looked to the right. Falls! Our GPS had directed us to vaguely the source of the Falls, but not their access point. Flipping a quick U-ie, we parked and walked into the falls. It's a gorgeous spot, easily accessible from downtown Ithaca and we were envious of those without prior engagements who were bathing in the warm, sticky afternoon.




After our Ithaca visit, we drove through the stormy night to Scranton, where we had reserved a Sleep Inn. Basic, sure, but it had a pool and a hot tub!

The next morning, after a refreshing pre-breakfast swim, we headed out to find some coffee and find the Pack Shack. Our GPS listed a place called Sacred Grounds, so in a quest to support local business, we embarked on a tour of Scranton's Dunmore neighborhood, which was far swankier than I expected from Scranton. Our GPS was off by about 500 yards, so we arrived at an empty lot, shouted at the GPS, and proceeded to the next intersection to turn around and then arrived at Sacred Grounds (our bored-and-therefore-too-attentive barista got both our orders wrong). Served us right for going so far out of our way for a coffee!

We made it to the Pack Shack, where we had reserved kayaks. They were really sweet and accommodating, and we were the only customers there due to the predicted rain. They drove us upriver about 7 miles and then we came back down, more slowly, enjoying the views of the Delaware.




It was beautiful, pleasant, and silent...blessedly silent, with no music pumping from cars, children screaming on the street at 11pm, car alarms, and all other Sunset Park soundtracks.

We did get rained on, but after we came around a bend of the river, furiously paddling with rivulets of rain in our eyes, the rain suddenly stopped.
After our river cruise, we went for some lunch at Minisink hotel, which was recommended by our kayak hauler. It was the perfect small town bar: the menu's on the wall, everyone knows each other and look at you because they don't know you, and the beer is cheap. All the ball players came in after their games. We enjoyed our food; it was delicious and well-earned.



Afterwards, we drove back into NYC...with full stomachs and tired, sunburnt arms.


Ithaca Bakery
400 N. Meadow
Ithaca NY

Minisink Hotel
Take 80 East to Route 611 Delaware Water Gap (exit No. 310) Turn left at the traffic light onto River Road. At the stop sign by the bend in the road, look to your left. The Minisink is an old red clapboard building by the stream.
Read more about the bar here.

Yorktown, Virginia

e suggested we go to this beach none of us had been to before: grandview nature preserve, yorktown, VA. as you can see, it was worth the try!