Elaine Friedman and Claire Friedman write a humorous narrative about escaping New York City for a bucolic getaway.

These small towns in Connecticut give you a taste of the rural life and are full of colonial charm. Move the family here for a breath of fresh air!

with @aman_venice and @bernertravel 🇮🇹

My Year Without Matches: Escaping the City in Search of the Wild eBook : Dunn, Claire: Amazon.com.au: Kindle Store

Film study of A Sun (2019)

City of Bones film

• Fee Information: Squantz Pond State Park charges an entrance fee for out-of-state registered vehicles. For more information please visit: https://ctparks.com/parks/squantz-pond-state-park Squantz Pond immerses the visitor in a "mountain like" setting. Steep, wooded slopes disappear into the cool, blue pond below. In the fall, the park becomes a haven for photographers capturing the colorful reflection of the foliage in the mirrored surface of the water. In 1926 Squantz Pond was established as a state park.

Hike to the top of Storm King Mountain and enjoy the great views of Hudson Highland State Park. Near Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York.

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• Fee information: Bear Mountain State Park charges an entrance fee. For more information please visit: https://parks.ny.gov/parks/bearmountain/ • Long-Term Closure: As of September 2024, sections of this route are still closed due to damage sustained during the extreme rainfall event in summer 2023. For more information please visit: https://parks.ny.gov/parks/bearmountain/ Start on the 1777 West Trail which quickly access the Appalachian Trail. The AT then becomes the Timp-Torne Trail and passes the West Mountain Northwest Lookout. Eventually the two trails split and continue on the Timp-Torne. At Timp Pass, turn onto Timp Pass Road then the 1777 Trail which passes a shelter and an old cemetery just off trail. 1777 West will lead back to the trailhead.

• Fee Information: Minnewaska State Park charges an entry fee, and Empire Passes are accepted. For more information, please visit https://parks.ny.gov/parks/minnewaska • Partial Winter Closure : This route crosses or follows along a carriage road that is groomed for skiing when winter conditions allow. Hiking and snowshoeing is not permitted on ski trails. Please visit the Minnewaska State Park Preserve website for skiing information and call the Lake Minnewaska Visitor Center for updated access restrictions and current closures. This Rainbow Falls is located in Minnewaska State Park Preserve in Ulster County, New York (not to be confused with the Rainbow Falls and Indian Head trail in the Adirondack Mountain Reserve).The Park Preserve includes dense hardwood forests, beautiful views, waterfalls, three lakes and numerous hiking trails. The park is managed by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Park in the lower parking area and take the Mossy Glen Footpath (yellow), which is almost an immediate left off the Lower Awosting Carriage Road (corner of parking lot). The trail hugs the Peter's Kill for almost 2 miles. At the end of the Mossy Glen Footpath, take the Blueberry Run Footpath (blue) left and up to the Upper Awosting Carriage Road and make a right. Follow the Carriage Road for about a mile and look for the orange blaze on the right for Rainbow Falls Footpath heading downhill. Follow the trail a short distance for about a half mile to the base of the falls. Continue along the base of the falls following the orange markers UP the short rock scramble. Once at the top enjoy the view of the Catskills in the distance, Visitors might also be interested in nearby Castle Point and Lake Minnewaska.

Trail guide for this 3.0-mile hike here: http://hikethehudsonvalley.com/depot-hill/

This loop hike climbs the eastern face of West Mountain and travels south along the ridge, with numerous views of the surrounding area.

• Fee information: Bear Mountain State Park charges an entrance fee. For more information please visit: https://parks.ny.gov/parks/bearmountain/ This is a lovely paved trail with views of the lake and some small inclines. Accessibility: This trail is likely accessible with assistance for visitors using wheelchairs, mobility equipment, or strollers or visitors may need to avoid the steeper sections for safety. Accessible Parking: Number of designated accessible spaces: 5 at the trailhead; Number of van-accessible spaces with access aisles: 5; Parking lot surface: paved. Trail Details: Trail surface: paved asphalt, smooth; Average trail width: 8 feet; Estimated average grade category: mostly gentle (5% or less) with steeper sections at about 0.4 and 0.6-0.7 miles when going clockwise; Benches: yes.

This relatively steep but short trail leads hikers up to Cat Rocks. From the top, you'll see gorgeous views of surrounding mountains, farms, the town of Pawling, and Connecticut in the distance. Some sections can get muddy after rain. There is a small rock scramble towards the beginning of the trail and some boardwalks along the way. Overall, the trail is well-maintained and well-marked. Parking is available at a roadside pull-off across the street from the trailhead.

This is the "Bull Hill Short Loop" indicated by the park in various signs along the way. Start at the parking area at Little Stony Point (just north of Cold Spring). Take the Washburn Trail (white) to the right, which follows an old road to the entrance of a large old stone quarry, which the trail then skirts. The climb then sometimes becomes fairly steep, but never reaches the level of rock-scrambling. You pass a nice view south (looking down on Cold Spring), with a couple more views south along the Hudson further up. When you reach an intersection with the Undercliff Trail (yellow), turn left onto it, which soon passes another good viewpoint west and south onto the Hudson River and West Point. A bit further there's a view to the northwest (Breakneck Ridge, Storm King Mountain and Newburgh). The trail then makes a sharp turn to the right, with fairly minor ups and downs, and then descends (in large part following an old road) to the valley between Bull Hill and Breakneck Ridge. Turn left onto the Cornish Trail (blue). You will pass a bridge (where the green-blazed Undercliff Bypass Trail goes up to the right). Shortly after passing the point where the Undercliff Trail goes off to the right, you will reach a Y-junction, where you bear to the left to stay on the Cornish Trail. At the point where you reach the ruins of the Cornish estate, the road becomes a concrete driveway. Just before you reach the bottom of the driveway, the trail turns left and parallels NY Route 9D on its way back to your starting point.

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