At Westhampton Cemetery, at Station Road and Montauk Highway in Westhampton, N.Y., I am struck by the contrast of artistic embellishments on old gravemarkers: corporeal skulls suggesting, to me, the deceased’s present existence, or smiling angels with wings, indicating the gone one’s aspiration. The place, these stones, the occupants continue to inspire. Consider, for instance,…
Category: New York State
Graveyards in October: Sellecks Corners Cemetery
Need a reason to take a drive through Pound Ridge, N.Y.? Head to Sellecks Corners Cemetery at the corner of Barnegat Road and 124 right over the border in New Canaan, Conn. Marvel at the little Methodist church there that opened to worshippers in 1851. Enjoy the peacefulness of the adjoining graveyard, and look out…
Need a Pumpkin? Pick Harvest Moon
Living in North Salem, N.Y., I just love seeing the party every weekend whenever I need to drive by Harvest Moon on Hardscrabble Road. Pumpkins, hayrides, country music, apple picking, coffee, donuts, pies, plants, and now New York-made spirits are available here, along with a big dose of fun. Yes, the parking lot is seemingly…
Prospect Mountain Summit: An Easy Ascent or Less So
What to Do on a Lake George Vacation Things I think about on my way up Prospect Mountain in Lake George, N.Y.: the state of man in nature, the state of nature in nature, preservation versus conservation, getting to the top, whether the brakes will fail on the way down, whether it’s fair to drive…
Ducks Need Not Apply
I’ll concede that I visit Lake George, N.Y. to enjoy the lake the scenery the boats. I am still surprised when I see a sign indicating that the ducks are not entirely welcome. Of course I know ducks poop. Also, they quack. I still think they should band together, start a revolution, and post signs…
Amusement Park Politics
I don’t know how many times I visit Florida’s Epcot before I realize Russia and former Soviet-bloc countries are not represented in its World Showcase pavilions. France and the UK most certainly are on its map, as are Mexico, Morocco, even China. But where is Russia? Czech Republic? Latvia? It turns out that back in…
On Lake Vacations
If I live on a lake, do I really need to vacation at a different one?, I wonder as the Brawny Sherpa, the Bonus Adventurers, and I jump into the car and head north toward Lake George, N.Y. I laughed when a Manhattan-based editor asked me whether, as a resident of a more rural part…
Greening My Road Trip
Sigh. We all know it’s less than environmentally correct to hop into the car on one of the most traffic-ridden weekends of the year, but sometimes we all just need to get away. Two environmentally cool things about my road trip to Lake George, N.Y.: Seeing a farmer’s market at a travel plaza on the…
Wacky Wednesday in Woodstock
Of the many things I like about Woodstock: It has a sense of humor about itself. —Lori Tripoli
August Anywhere: Beaches
Mid-Mid-August, end-of-summer, work slowdown, mind elsewhere, vacation, a break, who can concentrate? I am here, but my head is at the beach. —Lori Tripoli Planning a beach vacation? Consider these destinations: Gulf Getaway: Oasis in Condo-Land Biscayne, Largo, West My Kind of Camp: The Jersey Shore Stay in a Sandcastle on Coney Island