Our accommodations in Lake Taghkanic were in a comfortable cottage in Lake Taghkanic State Park. The nice thing about these cottages and cabins was that, although they didn’t have heating, they were equipped with fridges and stoves so we were able to heat water, make some simple dinners, and store adequate supplies of beer. Close by to Taghkanic State Park is Taconic State Park. According to at least one unreliable website, Taghkanic is an older spelling of Taconic, which makes sense but is a bit confusing if you ask me.
Monday morning we woke up relatively early to do a 50 mile tour of the farms and hills of southeast Columbia. This route took us through quiet country backroads, sometimes on rough gravel or dirt roads, under canopies of autumn trees almost at peak color. The terrain on this route is definitely hilly, with lots of rollers, but it’s lovely scenery. We passed through a couple of very small villages, such as Philmont, in which I came to the realization that it is sometimes hard to find an espresso in small villages and hamlets. We also passed through a strange small town called Harlemville. It was strange because it felt like a Northern California hippie enclave, complete with independent bookstore and healthfood store. Even the people walking around looked like ex-California hippies. I think this might be because there’s a large biodynamic farm located there, called Hawthorne Valley Farm. Or it could be a weird hippie cult ensconced in mid-upstate New York.
From Harlemville the route turns south and heads through Copake Falls and Copake. Copake Falls is right at a key entrance to Taconic State Park and offers access to the Harlem Valley Rail Trail. Also, there’s apparently a short hike here that leads to the Bash Bish Falls in Massachusetts, the highest falls in that state. We didn’t head up to see it as we were trying to rush a bit to beat an incoming thunderstorm, but sounds like it might be worth a stop. Copake Falls also features a general store with deli, offering a convenient lunch stop on the way back to Taghkanic.
Speaking of thunderstorms, I bought a terrible novel to read along the way, called Silent Thunder. This was the best of a horrendous selection of romance/suspense novels offered at the rest stop along the interstate. It’s about a “marine architect” named Hannah, a secret collection of symbols on the back of a submarine panel, and a Russian assassin named Kirov. Kirov!
Next: Mills-Norrie and Dutchess County
2 comments:
there are actually a fair number of hippie communes in New York (or at least there were when I was in college). You probably just stumbled across one.
Would you believe it? There is yet another state park in New York (in Finger Lakes) with yet another spelling: "Taughannock Falls". I kid you not.
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