Author: janaseitz1
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Fall Fun on Route 301
There is a ribbon of road which runs between Highway 84 and the Hudson River – from Carmel to Cold Spring – which I first “discovered” when finding an alternate route than the Taconic on which boat trailers are allowed. Various adventures brought me back time and again until I finally connected the dots. Route…
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Misadventure
For many a moon I have shared my adventures here, but only the successes. As in social media, the losses are usually left out. There have indeed been many failed excursions. When things go wrong (and they do), you should laugh it off, learn what you can and spin a good tale about it. I…
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Cowtown (or Eight Seconds in Jersey)
I’ve about decided that New Jersey is the most surprising state of the union. I swear each time I cross those bridges, I discover something totally unexpected: sacred Indian lands, a lavender farm, a mini-Sweden (Swedesboro), a Japanese day spa, swamps to paddle and most recently a classic American rodeo. And not just a rodeo,…
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Something Sacred
An image was emblazoned in my mind’s eye when I was a child, that of a Native American man with a single tear running down his cheek as he canoes through a trash-strewn land. The resonant voice in the background read, “Some people have a deep abiding respectfor the natural beauty that was once this…
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The Cabin in the Woods
The thing about Spring is she can be cruel, like a gorgeous woman who eludes you at first embrace. Spring Break in the Northeast can go two ways: you can tackle the last of the cold or welcome the first of the heat. I was recently lucky enough to experience both when I headed to…
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Adventures in Shopping
It’s that time of year again. To shop. I hate doing it but I love giving, so I’m usually in a pickle about now. I don’t even shop for me year-round, so end up getting myself practical things like socks and underwear. But there’s really no way around it. Gifts must be given to honor…
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Treat Her Like a Lady
Well, this may be the longest autumn on record. I feel like I’ve been Falling for a year. The changing leaves don’t hold much sway over me anymore as the gorgeous days just keep coming. I have worn myself plumb out on solo trips and done some super fun group trips. I try not to…
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The Fabulous Farmington
Pure joy for me is throwing my kayak, boots and hiking sticks in my car and hitting the open road in autumn with just the slightest suggestion of a destination in mind. You really can’t go wrong when bathed in gold and red with a cool breeze coming through the car windows and the butt…
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Forever Wild
For our nascent nation the Catskills were the first frontier, a vast wilderness across the mighty Hudson just waiting to be explored with high peaks, deep valleys and old growth forests. For me the Catskills are a huge chunk of green seen as a blur from the car window which can be accessed off I-87…
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An Ode to Summer Camp
In 2015, I had the privilege of helping kick off a summer program for teens with the Friends of Rye Nature Center which we named Paddle Adventure Camp (PAC). It has shaped my adult summers in the manner that sleepaway camp shapes kids. I never imagined I would be doing it this long, never thought…