Recent trip to Rennselaerville

How can you describe the physicality of natural perfection? Finding the right words can be overwhelming, even when you encounter something so beautiful every day, such as when I wake up every morning next to Nicole. Yet I try to find the words as best I can. She says I manage--sometimes.

And sometimes, when we manage to get away from the city we call home, we get to enjoy some of nature's top-tier beauties. A recent trip to Rennselaerville, New York is one such privilege.

Where the landscape is as pretty as the people.

Rennsearville, a small town of Dutch origin where the Catskills end and Albany county begins, is an important piece in a tiny package. Nicole and I were fortunate enough to stumble upon this village gem merely by chance. We had visited Nicole's Nana at her house in nearby Middleburgh, and on our way back, our GPS routed us through the town's only thoroughfare. We were impressed with town's stately homes and historic grist mill, but the Huyck Natural Preserve truly took our breath away. Hiking trails, waterfalls, and exquisite greenery. Pretty puts it mildly.

In the time since, every time we visit Nana, we have made Rennselaerville a regular stop. Like the everyday beauty of living with the love of your life, it's fresh experience that never grows old.

And even with that said, this visit was different--and not merely because I finally acknowledged surrender in my own private war against coffee.  No, this time I decided to let Nana's little doggies, Angie and Rosie, have their way with me. For some reason, I didn't much share their enthusiasm when they would jump up and down on their internal pogo sticks as they tried to lick my hands, face, and basically climb over me like Edmund Hillary on Mount Everest. Okay, I guess they aren't that bad. And wouldn't you know it? Some of Nana's other four-legged friends saw my newfound magnanimity and decided to be a little more outgoing and little less bashful than normal.

After we said goodbye to Nana, we headed back towards the Rennselaerville Huyck Preserve.  Once there, we were relieved to discover that Huyck Preserve had rebuilt one of the bridges that was wiped out by Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. Nicole took some photos of me posing with the landscape. As usual, she took some very good shots, but I couldn't help but mention that the only way to make them look better would be to place the photographer in with the rest of the subject matter.

After hiking, we stopped by in the town's only restaurant: The Palmer House. Unlike most restaurants, all the food is locally sourced, and everything on the menu is actually made in the kitchen. As you can imagine, the menu changes constantly, and never disappoints. How unexpected that one could find a plate of oven-roasted chicken quesadillas and pesto portobello sandwich with fresh salad greens in such a remote locale as this.

A nice respite from the big city . . . 

Afterwards, we shared a strawberry rhubarb cobbler, and yes, I admitted that I had finally succumbed to drinking coffee.

"It's not all bad!" Said Nicole. "And besides, I like being able to drink coffee with you." Then she pointed at me as her face broke into a grin. "You see, you're just like Larry David! Just because the tea is hot doesn't make it a shared experience."

"Hmm." I said. Nicole noticed I wasn't exactly clued in to what I was saying. Apparently, I haven't been watching enough of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. I suppose coffe isn't all bad. In fact, it is actually quite good, when it is  fresh coffee with a plate of cobbler. And when one is about to drive three hours into New York City. Then it is also good. That's what Hemingway would say.

We had a good time, but as always, we were happy and grateful for the one person who helped us discover this slice of heaven in the first place. And as usual, we can't wait to make the trip up again soon . . .