THINKING AHEAD

This is the snowy, icy, wintery wonderland outside our window. Everything in our yard is buried under a deep, deep blanket of snow and there are 5 foot icicles hanging off our roof. I love winter. I do. But I'm OVER it.

Luckily, according to Punxsatawney Phil, spring is near. And summer is near to spring. So, by the transitive property of geometry, summer is near. Right? So it's totally normal that I've been browsing the internet for bathing suits and beach bags and whatnot.

Wanna join me in my escapist fantasy? Great! Let's talk about swimwear.

I am loving this ruffled bandeau from J.Crew.

And I think it would look super cute paired with this high-waisted bikini bottom from Urban Outfitters.

Most places are selling swim tops and bottoms separately these days...so I'm gonna consider that my cue to get creative.

I am IN LOVE with these sunglasses from Cutler and Gross. Sadly, they will never be mine because they cost a bajillion dollars. But they are basically my vintage style cat-eye wayfarer dream come true.

And yes, I've gone so far as to think about what bag I would like to be toting when swimming hole hopping come June.

One of these French market baskets from Brook Farm General Store would be perfect.

Other things on my wish list: a pretty handwoven towel for sunbathing and impromptu picnics.

And a portable radio.

My countdown to summer officially starts now.

MAIDEN VOYAGE

We took our new canoe out for a sunset voyage! We set off from the boat launch at Kingston Point Park and paddled north along the shore of the Hudson. Except for a few distant barges, we had the river to ourselves. And my goodness was it picturesque. The swallows were out in force, and there were deer drinking along the banks.

Justin sat in the back...so he did most of the paddling. Luckily, summer camp served him well and he's quite the canoer! And the boat? She is indeed yar.

Now we just need to name her. Some ideas: The Harvest Moon, Colonel Mustard, Trocadero (after my favorite Swedish soda), The Hello Yellow, Golden Girl, Josephine (after my gram), and The Crescent Moon (in homage to Henry Hudson's ship The Half Moon). What do you guys think? Suggestions? Opinions?

DREAMS DO COME TRUE

We got a canoe! It's a 17 foot vintage mustard yellow Old Town with a light minty green interior. I did some serious craigslist hunting and this was one of the cheapest boats out there. And it's pretty darn cute too.

We had to drive an hour and a half to get it....which was totally fine. After all, it was a bargain. But...driving an hour and a half back with a giant canoe strapped to our tiny old car was a little bit nerve wracking. Once we were convinced that it was not going to fly off of our roof and on to the Thruway we were fine. Apparently our canoe strapping skills are better than we gave ourselves credit for!

Next up: take her out and see if she's yar.

OVERLOOK DRIVE-IN

Last night we went to see Inception at the Overlook Drive-In in Poughkeepsie. So fun! And cheap! Monday is bargain night -- $5 for TWO features.

Unfortunately, we don't own a sweet old convertible...but we made due with Justin's hatchback by putting the seats down and throwing an air matress in the back. It worked surprisingly well.

At some point we want to check out the other drive-in near us in Hyde Park. And next time we'll know to bring blankets and bug spray. Live and learn.

THE QUARRY

I know...I know. ANOTHER swimming hole post?!

I can't help it! The last 6 summers I spent living in Brooklyn I barely ever saw water...and did very little frolicking outdoors...so when I find all of these amazing natural wonders up here I get REALLY excited and HAVE to share them with you.

These pictures are of an old quarry turned swimming hole. It is fed by a natural spring and the water is clear and beautiful. And it's right in Kingston...super close to our house. I have a feeling Justin and I will be seeing a LOT of this place this summer.

Kaaterskill Creek

New favorite swimming spot! Kaaterskill Creek.

It's pretty much perfect. There are a lot of different deep pools and waterfalls all up and down the creek...so no one spot gets too crowded...even on a hot Sunday afternoon.

And it's easy to access. No crazy hikes or trespassing.

We followed directions we found on swimmingholes.org...which tells you where to park, where to find an easy path down to the creek and provides the approximate latitude and longitude of the spot.

That's a 35 foot cliff jump above the waterfall.

And if you look closer...

...you can see a kid jumping. Justin managed to take the picture at the exact moment he leapt off!

FIELD TRIP: PHOENICIA

Phoenicia is one of my favorite summertime spots upstate. It's a quirky little town with lots of personality and plenty to do. We just spent the afternoon there with a couple of our friends from Brooklyn...and let me tell you...there is no better way to spend a super hot day than floating down the Espous Creek on an inner tube.

So, if any of you are thinking of venturing up here this summer I highly recommend a stop in this gem of a town.  Here are some things you won't want to miss:

As previously mentioned: TUBING! I know it sounds kinda lame...but seriously...it is SO fun. Just trust me.  There are a few different places to rent tubes...but we've always gone to Town Tinker Tube Rental. It's right at the top of Main Street and is charmingly no frills. For instance, if you don't have water shoes...or don't want to buy them...they have a shack full of old canvas sneakers that you can rent for a couple dollars. And the photo of the old white bus at the top of this post? That's the tube taxi. You pile in there and a crazy old hippie drives you a few miles up the road to the launch point. From there you are on your own. The voyage will be relaxing at times and downright frightening at others...so be prepared. And when you see this bridge...

...stay to the left...and start praying...because I would say there is a 25% chance you're gonna wipe out. But even wiping out is kinda fun. 

SWEET SUE'S:  Jumbo sized super fluffy pancakes in a zillion different flavors?  Yes please!  This is definitely where you want to eat.  It's pretty much legendary.  Note:  A normal stack comes with three pancakes.  You will NOT finish three of these pancakes.  No matter how hungry you are.  Order two and thank me later. 

HOMER AND LANGLEY'S  MYSTERY SPOT:  One of my ALL TIME FAVORITE vintage stores.  This place is jam packed with all kinds of gems.  Clothes, records, books, housewares, collectibles, oddities(?)....pretty much anything and everything you've ever wanted.  It's all curated by proprietress Laura Levine who clearly has an eye for the amazing...and the...umm...unusual.  But no description of mine is going to do this place justice.  You have to go see it for yourself.  And while you're there give my regards to Petey the Piranha.

Other Phoenician delights worth mentioning:

The Nest Egg general store for old timey candy, trail maps galore, some hysterical dreamcatchers, a GREAT selection of moccasins and a big display of hippie gemstone pendants for $2.99 each. Mix and match till your hearts content.  Here are the ones I got...

And Justin picked up some new summer shoes...

The Phoenicia Library has a permanent book sale going on outside...even when they're not open!  50 cents for paperbacks and 1 dollar for hardcovers.  You just drop the money in a slot and go...honor system style!  

And before you head out of town you should definitely check out the time capsule that is the Phoenicia Pharmacy.  Stuff clearly isn't flying off the shelves here.  I would say about half of their merchandise has been there since the 70s or 80s.  And it is awesome.    

Below:  Some of their more modern stock.  And by modern I mean at least it's from the LATE 80s.

And if you need a place to stay while you're in town... 

KATE'S LAZY MEADOW is where it's at.  It's a few minutes away in Mt. Tremper.  Kate Pierson from the B-52s bought it years ago and restored it to its original mid century kitschy glory...vintage tchotchkes and all.  There are suites, private cabins, and airstream trailers available. LOVE. IT. ALL.

photo credits (from top to bottom):  bus and town tinker sign by nina westervelt;  bridge by AllisonLOL - found here;  sweet sue's and the mystery spot by me;  petey the piranha by laura levine - found here;  pendants, moccasins, and phoenicia pharmacy pics by me;  kate's sign found here;  airstream found here.  and as always: if i used one of your photos and you would like me to take it down or credit you differently please let me know.  i would be more than happy to change it. xx darbie

LAZY DAYS AND VINTAGE LANTERNS

Summer is in full swing.  We've had a lot of visitors over the past few weeks...mostly refugees from the super-heated streets of NYC.  We've been doing our best to treat them...and ourselves...to a proper upstate summer.  Think:  tubing the Espous, swimming in "The Deep", hiking through Plattekill Clove, kayaking on the Hudson.  And, of course, no upstate summer would be complete without  a backyard barbecue...so we finally threw down the $69.70 for a Weber grill and have been eating lots of delicious dinners on the patio ever since.  

This has inspired me to start sprucing up our back porch.  One of the first things I did was string up some of my vintage paper lanterns with a cord of cafe lights.  It instantly made it a hundred times more lovely out there.  And they look good in the daytime and the nighttime! Win win.

FIREWORKS FESTIVAL

On the Sunday before the 4th of July the city of Kingston hosts a fireworks festival down by the water,  just a couple of blocks from our house.  We watched it with our neighbors in their backyard.  What a view!  Fireworks look especially dreamy when they are behind a silhouette of trees.