Storm King Mountain

Before the weather cooled down Brian and I spent the day upstate exploring Storm King Mountain. We used this guide to lead us around on three different trails. The hike was super steep at the beginning with rewarding views at the top of the mountain. Two huge bald eagles flew out of a tree right next to us when we were at the peak, which was so amazing! We loved all of the views of the Hudson Valley and the fall foliage. We can't wait to return next year!

Mini-moon

Brian and I had the best time on our mini-moon upstate. We stayed at the Hillside Schoolhouse in Barryville, NY. The space was absolutely beautiful and made the weekend all the more special. We spent our days hiking the trails around the area, starting with the Mongaup River Trail right when we arrived. We also hiked the Tusten Mountain Trail, which offered beautiful views of the Upper Delaware Valley from the summit.

Our meals throughout the weekend were all delicious. We ate at The Heron in Narrowsburg for both dinner and brunch- my fried egg dish (pictured above) was so interesting and yummy! But our favorite meal of the weekend was at Dyberry Forks, an amazing farm to table restaurant located in Honesdale, PA. Our meal was well-worth the hour drive there. Everything we ordered was so flavorful and fresh! We headed back to New York City with happy hearts and upstate dreams. We would LOVE to own a place someday upstate!

A little video from our mini-moon.

Brian and I had the most amazing time upstate on our mini-moon the weekend after our New York City wedding. We spent our days hiking around the Barryville area and our evenings enjoying fantastic dinners in Narrowsburg and Honesdale. Here is a little video capturing our favorite moments from our long weekend. I can't wait to share more photos soon!

Exploring Bear Mountain

We are approaching our one year anniversary of owning a car, my first since moving to New York City in 2003. One of our favorite places to drive to as a family is Bear Mountain. We hiked for several hours last Saturday around the summit. The beautiful weather brought large crowds to the mountain, so we decided to take the paths less traveled to sync up with the Appalachian Trail. We were able to enjoy breathtaking views of the area and rarely ran into other hikers as we explored. We hope to make it to Bear Mountain one more time before the winter weather arrives!

Scenes from the Weekend.

We were blessed with the most perfect fall weekend. On Saturday Brian, Emily, and I hiked Bear Mountain all afternoon, discovering new paths around the summit that offered stunning views of the river and changing leaves. That evening we treated ourselves to pizza from Rizzo's and watched Hocus Pocus (It was Emily's first time seeing it!). On Sunday morning we took family photos in Central Park and stopped at the Plaza Food Hall for treats. We also had a delicious  brunch at Burnside Biscuits in Astoria. How was your weekend?

Ntchisi Forest

My adventures in Malawi began as soon as I arrived in Lilongwe. After a day of getting settled at our lodge in New Area 12 and touring a local market in Old Town, my new friend Iris and I woke up before sunrise for our journey to the Ntchisi Forest Reserve. The forest contains some of the last indigenous rainforest in Malawi and is home to a variety of beautiful plants, flowers, insects, and animals. We were eager to explore the forest on our four and a half hour hike. 

We arrived at the Ntchisi Forest Lodge a little after 8:30 am and sipped on coffee as we reviewed a map of the forest. Petal, the manager of the lodge, pointed out the major sights to see on our hike and gave us some tips for our walk (watch out for the ants!). After second cups of coffee were poured and enjoyed, we were off on our hike! 

The beginning of the hike was beautiful. After walking down a long dirt road, we entered the forest and were immediately surrounded by lush, green forest. I was in awe as we climbed higher and higher, admiring the tall trees and unique plant life. And Iris was the perfect hiking companion. She encouraged me the entire time, eased my nerves when the path got rocky, and was just as excited as I was to stop and take it all in. 

The views from the Ntchisi Forest were breathtaking. The reserve was surrounded on all sides by rolling hills and valleys that were dotted with small villages and farms. Off in the distance, Lake Malawi blended into the blue, hazy horizon. We stopped at every view point, found a comfortable rock to sit on, and admired the amazing scenery. 

As our hike continued around the reserve, we walked through patches of cedar trees, observed the landscape change from green and lush to dry and rocky, and stood inside the giant tree. 

After our hike we were tired and ready for lunch! We made reservations to eat at the lodge that afternoon. The food at the Ntchisi Forest Lodge was absolutely delicious. We dined on a perfectly prepared spinach and onion quiche, fresh tomato and avocado salad, and the most amazing freshly baked tomato and onion bread. Oh, that bread... I had read about how amazing it was in the guestbook before our hike, and couldn't wait to try it. It exceeded all of my expectations! I continued to eat pieces of it long after I was full; the bread was too good to pass up. Iris and I enjoyed a second pot of coffee out on the patio before heading back to Lilongwe. We couldn't have asked for a better excursion to start our time in Malawi!

A very special thank you to Petal at the Ntchisi Forest Lodge for making our day so wonderful. Her hospitality made our experience all the more amazing, and our meal at the lodge was the perfect way to conclude our day at the Ntchisi Forest. Also, thank you to Masa for being such an excellent and reliable driver.