applesandaspen

Woodstock is beautiful. There are plenty of Hippy tie dye shops marketing Woodstock memorabilia, and the spirit of the 60’s is still very prevalent. We encountered some very colorful individuals who didn’t seem able to move past their drug induced haze, but we met even more lovely mellow and content people, just happy to be where they were with people who thought the same way…

The Inn on the Millstream was wonderful, clean, and fabulously located, though the bed was hard as a rock. But its location alone was worth the tossing and turning.

The restaurants, though more expensive than we expected, were delicious. We highly recommend Joshua’s http://www.joshuascafe.com/
and Taco Juan’s http://www.tacojuan.com/.

Saturday we found some really great books at “The Readers Quarry” http://www.readersquarry.com/index.html
Housed in this small out of the way cottage was the most interesting collection of books we’ve come across in a while. NYC used bookstores are usually free for all’s- with volumes spilling off shelves and multiplying in piles on the floor. Finding a specific book is nearly impossible, it really just a chance to find a book you didn’t expect to want but now can’t live with out. The Readers Quarry however is managed by a book seller who is quite selective and we couldn’t be more fond of her for that. Every shelf had an armful of antique and rare volumes. We poured over for these shelves for a few hours. The shop was clean and well lit, and there was that ever seductive musk of aged pages that we just had to bring home with us. I restricted my self to finding just one jewel, due to my recent need to vanquish all excess in my life, while Aaron brought home an armload.

I also found that Woodstock has a wonderful yarn shop “Woodstock Wool Company” http://www.woodstockwoolcompany.com/ where I was able to find some luscious yarns and buy some used Vogue Knitting magazines for only $2! The shop was spacious and well organized. If I lived in Woodstock I imagine I would be a frequent customer.

On Sunday we went on a long bike ride up through the back country roads deeper into the Catskill mountains. The ride was gorgeous. It was decided that deciduous forests are so much more beautiful than evergreen forests simply because of the luscious undergrowth that deciduous trees allow. We rented bikes from Overlook Mountain Bikes for only 20 bucks for 4 hours. The guys there were awesome and I highly recommend renting from them when you visit. ( and you just must visit- its so beautiful!) http://www.overlookmountainbikes.com/
We rode into the Catskills and past some beautiful country real estate. We found this amazing lake that was quite literally overflowing with water lily’s.

Back in Woodstock we also traipsed up and down several of the local streams whose quarried slate rock beds made for beautiful waterfalls. the streams were a gathering ground for early those seeking early morning meditations and children seeking refuge from the warm afternoon sun.

we stayed in a beautiful beach house and rode bikes all over the island. at night go run on the beach- theres a florescence in the sand and waves that light up when moved- so while it may be midnight and you cant see anything you can see the waves rolling in and the sand kicked back from running down the beach. comb the seashore for horshoe crabs, jelly fish, shells, and flying fish! amazing- first perfect beach experience ever- pure and lovely!!!

I lived in Boise 5 years and I loved it- if you can get past the conservative politics the city itself is wonderful! you have great resturants (the kulture klatch, bar gernika, saffron, and the taco truck!) art ( boise art museum rocks!) and natural wonders- there are 50 natural hotsprings with in 50 miles- try skinny dippers! they are perfect!
I miss you boise- but Brooklyns cool too!

great restaurants, beatuiful fountain, and not far form Frida Kahlo’s home/ museum, but the flea markets in this neighborhood are unreal! beautiful silver, finely woven garments, everything i could aske for and more! i would love to go back!!!

one of my favorite places that i’ve ever been! go early so you have the time to absorb every picture, every article of clothing- every book, everything- I was there only 2 hours before they closed and i could have been there all night! remember your id, and know that you’ll have to leave your purse at the front desk. bring your camara!!! you can take pictures in her garden- make sure you do a self portait!

I live in NYC, but when i went to mexico city i felt like i’d finally visited a metropolis- its sooo big! so beautiful! the museums were amazing- the history- being able to visit frida kahlos house and teotiuacan! WOW! you absolutely MUST go there at least once in your life!

I was hugely dissapointed in the Bahamas- I spent time in Nassau and on Paradise Island- the locals have no respect for thier environment even though its what keeps the country (barely) financially afloat! the water was pooluted, the streets were just as polluted as any street in NYC.
I stayed at the Sivananda Ashram on paradise island- very dissappointing too- they’re soo caught up in thier religious ideologies that the grounds are overgrown have huge areas full of trash. This is a yoga retreat?!
Nassau is poor- you can tell the locals are struggeling even though the facy resorts should be pulling in significant cashflow for the nation, but i think people that visit just go tot hte resort- spent every penny in the resort and never really leave the resort. that or they are the idiots that take the cruise ships- dock come and drink all day and waste money on touristy crap and the gift shopps and then leave at 6 pm to gett back on the boat and sail to thier next destination. These tourists do the most environmental damage- they trash the dock with litter and empty beer bottles and no one cleans up after them.
Every morning i would walk up and down the beach and gather a trash bag of trash- only to have more wash up the next day.
The Bahamas is becoming a cesspool- and I was so disgusted by the lack of concern or care for the environment that I will never return to the Bahamas.