above: “Lovebirds” sit at a section of Kent Falls.
The cabin in Cornwall made one just want to hang out but we did manage to drag our butts off the patio chairs long enough to venture out and see what else the Berkshires had to offer. And, as nice as hanging out is, we were rewarded for our efforts with some great day trips.
Kent Falls State Park was just a few minutes drive from the cabin and was one of the most interesting water falls I have ever seen. The 250 ft falls cascades over beautifully sculpted and terraced rock from one tier to the next with pools in between. There are at least 6 major drops with the highest being 70 ft. Many of the pools are big enough to swim in and the bottom pool has steps into it to make it accessible for wading. That is, if you are hardy enough to endure the very cold mountain water!
We were wishing for a cold mountain stream the next day when we went to Macedonia Brook State Park to hike Cobble Mtn. Why we chose one of the hottest days of the summer to do the hike remains a mystery. Although the hike was only 3 miles and the summit only 1200 ft., the heat made the steep hike quite challenging. We were, however, rewarded with some views at the top which are probably amazing in the Fall during peak color. But, we didn’t spend much time at the top and raced back down to the bottom where the Lil’ Dude jumped in a small stream and the rest of us headed for the air conditioned car.
right: A rest in the shade.
left: The summit of Cobble Mtn.
right: Cooling off after a hot hike.
On our drive home from Cobble Mtn. we saw a sign for the Limerock Race Track and decided to check it out. The 1.5 mile natural terrain track opened in 1957, is home to the Skip Barber Racing School and was Paul Newman’s home track during his racing career. There weren’t any major races going on but a car club was doing some time trials and we were able to get trackside for a look. The Big Dude is a sports car fanatic. He has been known to get on the Ferrari and Lamborghini websites and design his own cars so he was thrilled to watch an assortment of cars, old and new, make their way around the track.
We then decided to get our wheels out, bike wheels that is. One of the neighbors had suggested a great bike ride to do in Millerton, a small town in upstate New York. Millerton has a section of railroad that has been turned into a beautiful hike and bike trail. Not all of the 46 mile trail has been paved yet so we chose a section from Millerton going South that was paved to make it easier for the Lil’ Dude to keep up. And keep up he did achieving his longest ride to date of 13 miles! The scenic ride took us among wetlands, farmlands and through rock formations. Being another hot day, we decided to cool off after our ride with milkshakes at the local diner, mmmmm.
left: Stopping for a snack.
left: It’s tough deciding what kind of milkshake to order.
Sometimes it is too cold, sometimes it is too hot and sometimes we are just plain lazy but we have found that making the effort to venture out and see more of the world despite these obstacles always leaves us happy and satisfied that we made the effort to get our butts off the couch.
above: A view from the Harlem Valley Rail Trail.
“For those who are willing to make an effort, great miracles and wonderful treasures are in store.” Isaac Bashevis Singer