Tania and I took a drive upstate today. We drove into Manhattan, then up the FDR drive to make our way into New Jersey. Once over the George Washington Bridge, we made a couple of circles until we found Palisades Parkway which took us to Bear Mountain.
We first drove to Lake Welch. We stopped to snap a couple of pictures and then continued west. A windy, sunny road led us up in elevation towards a roundabout which then sent us north to Lakes Skannatati and Askoti. We utilized the parking next to Lake Skannatati, and walked for a bit. Our first point of interest was the bridge we crossed before entering the parking lot. The bridge went over a steam of water which connected the two lakes. We enjoyed the soothing sounds of water running over the rocks. The weather got the best of us, and we then walked back towards the car.
We kept driving north on Seven Lakes Dr. and made our past Lake Tiotati. As we continued, we ran into some deer. It was a mother with its fawn. As we approached them the mother seemed concerned, but not frightened. I snapped some shots and we continued on our way. As we drove, we saw yet another lake. This one was smaller, and was therefore freezing on the edges. It was very peaceful. The water was calm and reflected the image of a thick forest onto it. The sun set over us, and we managed to get a last look before we left the park.
After refilling the car with gas, I tried to influence Tania that we should try to ‘beat the system’. I was convinced that we could find a way back into queens without paying any tolls. We tried crossing Bear Mountain Bridge Rd, but were charged $1.50. Luckily, we found a rest stop on Highland Ave which allowed us to get a nice view of the stars.
As it got dark, we got hungry. We made one last stop at the Westchester Diner Restaurant on Albany Post Road in Peekskill NY. It was nice seeing faces that were not common to us. The diner had a neat train track around its cash register which kept distracting me as I ate. We drove back into Queens to park and eat some dessert.
Can’t wait to go again! I love how the pictures turned out too 😀