POD’s are always interesting.  Michael wings it.  I plan.  It is his week. Today he has a plan. Brunch on the water in Saugerties at the Diamond Mills Tavern—recommended by the gentleman that owns the house we rent—and two lighthouses.  I think it does sound like a plan—a good plan—as long as I have at least an hour to get ready.  I do.

Brunch at the Diamond Mills Tavern

If this building has a history, I can’t find it. A cursory look on the Internet tells me nothing, but as soon as we walk into the tavern, I can tell I’m going to like it. A dining room that is light and bright and airy and new and sparkling clean—so, of course, we ask to sit on the deck.

The day is cool, the sun is warm, and the water sounds from the falls soothe. We are both starved. It is 2 p.m.

Everything on the menu looks spectacular, and I have a hard time deciding what to choose; when the waitress tells me they are out of smoked salmon, my choice is made for me.  I order an autumn salad and salt-roasted cedar-planked shrimp on Parmesan grits with a poached egg and a Sole Italiano (vodka, Aperol, fresh lemon juice, sugar, and a red wine float) for my early afternoon brunch-time cocktail. Michael orders things more decadent than that and a Spring Fizz to drink. The second time around, he orders a Sole Italiano.

The day is so lovely, and the food is so good; it makes up for last night’s dinner. I want more.  I want to come back. Tomorrow.

Lighthouses

Saugerties Lighthouse

Our first lighthouse is in Saugerties. We just have to figure out how to get there.  Google Maps helps us out. We are deposited in a parking lot that leads to a trail that leads to the lighthouse.  It seems a lot of people in New York have the same idea we do on this bright sunny afternoon. It is getting to be an old story, but the parking lot is full.  We are creative in our efforts to find a temporary home for our car.

The trail is long and winding, going through shady woods and interspersed with bridges over marshy grasses. The reward after our walk is a sturdy two-story structure—that is also a B&B—with an attached lighthouse tower. Despite all of the cars in the parking lot, it seems there is no one here until we walk around the back and see individuals lounging on the deck or reading or visiting or out on the sandy beach playing. Running. Digging.

Hudson-Athens Lighthouse

Our next stop is the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse. We look at Google Maps to see which town is best for viewing and choose Athens because it is on this side of the river. We choose wrong—the lighthouse is too far away to take a photograph good enough for Michael to add to his cache of lighthouse pictures, so we walk along the well-manicured, flower-laden waterfront, sitting for a spell and wishing we were hungry.  Happy Jake’s looks and sounds apropos to its name.

We continue north to Coxsackie, trying to find the entrance to the tollway. On our way through Coxsackie, Michael starts talking about the town and how large it is—he’s got the jest of the name down, but he murders the pronunciation—and I break out laughing. It’s good to laugh.  It’s good to be married to Michael.