Lake Como in the Catskills??

Lake Como is one of Italy's most popular and romantic destinations. Discovered by the Romans thousands of years ago this gem of zen tranquility has been attracting crowds for centuries. Now, I haven't had the opportunity to travel to Italy but this past autumn I was able to experience a taste of it in the Catskills. [Can you say, "Delusional"?]... Ok, maybe it was a stretch, but given the way the economy is, we gotta take what we can get. Parla Italiano anyone??

It was the perfect day....temperature in the 60's and the sun was simply beaming. We were up from the city on a house-seeking trip. We had envisioned finding our home in Sullivan county but thought keeping our options open would be the smart thing to do. There had been this grand Greek Revival home in Deposit, NY that I simply wanted to see. Deposit is about 35 minutes north of Roscoe in Delaware county. Manhattanites are starting to buy there as homes can be purchased at a very low price and taxes tend to be lower. Greek Revival seemed to be the dominant architecture of the town and there was a cute sense of community there. It is far from developed and lacks the conveniences of some of the dreamy hamlets of Sullivan county but we figured it would be worth the discovery. The house was beautiful and quite big.....but it didn't really speak to us. After the viewing, it was close to lunch and our patient but starving four year old was starting to unravel. In retrospect, he was simply amazing during the whole house-hunting process...we would call him our little bathroom inspector. For some reason, he felt the need to give us the thumbs up or down on the bathrooms of every home we went to see :>)....

Back to Italy in NY, our agent, D., told us about this amazing inn we could have lunch at and raved about the scenery. So we drove up a winding road, under a rustic train bridge and after ten minutes arrived at our destination.

The Chestnut Inn is an oasis located on Lake Oquaga....built in the late 1920's it was a very popular vacation destination back in the 50's and 60's. Stepping into the inn was like stepping back in time......


There was jazz music playing in the background....a grand fireplace in the lobby and plenty of lakeside seating.
We opted to sit outdoors....the vistas were just breathtaking and many of the guests were lounging on the dock reading their favorite book.




Our biggest surprise was the meal...it was an amazing slice of gourmet at an affordable price. Even the snobbiest of foodies would have to buckle at the quality of service and presentation.

The Chestnut Inn serves lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. This is the perfect venue for a wedding, corporate meeting or a lunch getaway. The rooms are all updated with luxurious amenities. We actually went back for Thanksgiving and the scene was out of a story book. So while it isn't exactly Italy.....it's certainly worth the trip!

Godere (Enjoy)!!

Tech Girl

On My Way To Schrute Farms -- When T.V. Meets Reality?

I consider myself to be some what hip when it comes to pop culture...besides, for many years it was my job to deliver pop culture and sports news to morning audiences with my own sassy twist. I worked with three LOUD sports announcers and I had no choice but to speak a million miles a minute to get my point across. Anyway, about two weeks ago it was a very cold and dreary Saturday evening...my husband and son were sound asleep and I had one of those very rare but much needed alone moments. I decided to start researching additional areas near our future home that we have never explored. As you can already tell...I love adventure and discovering new places...so with a fabulous glass of red wine in hand and an 1803 candle burning in the background (as a side note: 1803 candles are the absolute best soy candles I have ever encountered. My favorite scent is the grandpa's trees and I love the fact that my purchase supports a farm in the midwest). I started my search on Google...Honesdale seemed like a good place to start. I found all these fabulous links about future spring/summer events to look forward to, upcoming writing seminars and the cutest european bakery. Finally, I came across a travelocity link to Schrute Farms. It convincingly stated, "Schrute Farms is the number one beet-related agrotourism destination in Northeastern Pennsylvania."


In reading further, I discovered that Schrute's had table making classes and beets wine. Heck....I love a good glass of wine so beets wine was just up my alley....sign me up I thought. I'm a city girl who would certainly be willing to trade in my stylish shoes for a new country experience.

I innocently started reading the reviews...and little by little started to get a sick knot in my stomach. There were reviews about ghost wailing at night, cousin Mose "watching" over the guests (he was the unwanted roomie that never left the guest rooms), only one primitive bathroom and who could forget the infamous optional story bed-time package with cousin Dwight.

Although I am not British I thought to myself..what in bloody hell is going on here and why are they getting so many 5 star reviews?? Of course by now, those of you who are fans of the NBC show The Office know that this is virtual marketing at its best. The characters of the show went to "Schrute Farms" and I believe there is a pending wedding with two of the popular characters. Since I don't watch the show it took me a wee bit longer to catch on. For those of you looking for a good laugh...here is the link to the travelocity reviews click here.

I guess you can say the joke was on me or was it? So much for being a pop culture diva :>).....

Enjoy!!

Tech Girl

Not Your Ordinary Cup of Joe -- The Art of Coffee Drinking

For centuries, Europeans have mastered the art of coffee drinking and coffee culture. I love a rustic and unique coffee house that has an old world elegance to it. Your time is what you choose it to be....great conversation, a time to pen the next best seller or perhaps reading one. It's on these bitter cold days that I would love nothing more than to lounge at one of these cozy places. In the city, Starbucks has become the standard for coffee drinking....it caters to convenience (it's hard to walk three blocks without running into another one). On a recent trip to Oslo, Norway my husband smiled at the fact that there wasn't a single Starbucks in sight! This is why when we head up to the Catskills I love to frequent three of my favorite Sullivan county coffee houses.

Buffalo Zach's is located in the heart of downtown Roscoe, NY. This was the first coffee house I ever visited in the region and instantly fell in love. The decor can best be described as southwestern with a dabble of adirondack flair. Beautiful hand carved furniture adorns the place and I believe the owner does a lot of this work himself. There are many zen quotes posted on the wall alongside Native American art. The place just oozes charm and love.


Peter, the owner, is extremely welcoming and for you dog lovers out there.... he named the place after his two adorable labs. He also has an amazing story to tell and I will touch upon his special cause and how this place of business supports this dream in a future post. For those of you who enjoy fishing but absolutely need to stay "plugged" into your computers..Buffalo Zach's offers free Wi Fi. Outside of being a fabulous coffee house they also serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. In the summer, there is live music on their outside deck and even Peter has been known to belt a tune or two for the crowds. If you are ever in the area stop in and say hello.

If you love Samba with your coffee or morning juice then the next destination is one you might want to put on your list. Samba Brazilian Juice Bar is located on Main street Jeffersonville, NY.


This place is fabulously designed with dark wood floors, funky area rugs and nicely placed seating. They have exposed shelving with unique gift items that can be purchased. They are also connected to the toy store next door and from personal experience offers hours of entertainment for the children. The place has a festive and friendly vibe. In the words of a local Jeffersonville resident, "This would be the place you would take a city girl to impress her."

In the quiet and dreamy hamlet of Narrowsburg, NY is where my final favorite is located. This chic and modern coffee house is called the Narrowsburg Roasters. This place offers an amazing gourmet selection of coffee and hot beverages. Their sandwiches are absolutely delectable...if you are ever there be sure to ask for their turkey and brie.....have them toast it....you'll thank me later :>)......

The back offers a seating area with a mod like decor and there are local jams and products on display. There is also some leather seating at the front of the store offering views of the many adorable shops. Complimentary Wi Fi is also available. A great place to stop in for a quick snack or to catch up on the morning newspaper.

Enjoy!!

Home Sweet Home -- Country Living

So you can say it's almost official. In about two weeks we will be the proud owners of a quintessential farmhouse near Sullivan County, NY. The journey that brought us to this moment started last summer. A spontaneous trip sparked by an awful nyc restaurant experience (we have a 4 year old son who was 3 at the time...need I say more :>). We were "over" the city and decided taking a drive up north to the Catskills was just the medicine we needed. Mind you, neither my husband or I had ever been there before....we were purely going on a bohemian spirit of adventure and the inspiration from a NY Times article that talked about this quaint town called Livingston Manor. So off we went to our adventure......

We arrived at Livingston Manor only to find that maybe it wasn't so much of the "it" town that the Times had made it out to be. We couldn't even find a bed and breakfast to stay at. Lucky for me I always carry with my laptop and wireless card (what would we do without technology). We discovered there was a town called Roscoe just 5 minutes away and found a great B and B to stay at called The Reynolds House (one of the oldest operating B and B's in the country).

And so the real adventure would begin.....

I welcome you to this blog! I will be covering all the great family activities that this region has to offer. From the quaint coffee houses, to the local artist and locally grown products. There is so much to see and learn. For us this journey means more than just a weekend house in the country. This is a chance to reconnect to a simpler time. To unplug a little from the hectic pace of the city and return to what is most important....quality time with family and friends.

Hope you enjoy the journey with us!