Sunday Drive: Lake Minnewaska

We woke up Sunday without any solid plans, which made me so happy. That's how I like to roll on all major Hallmark holidays. The only plan is to be together.


The morning was sunny with a slight breeze, so My Sweets made a killer batch of strawberry pancakes for breakfast and suggested we go for a hike. Yes, please. Nothing I love more than watching my littles run free. I wanted to get a few things done around the house... he mowed the lawn... and then we set off on our perfectly unplanned adventure.


Tom is a human compass, so he instinctively knows every awesome place and how to get there and home again. He never refers to maps or GPS, which amazes me. I think it's because he grew up wandering the woods and driving back-country roads. Now when we are together on weekends I don't feel a single urge to plan or direct or schedule in. I do those things all week. Instead, I like to roll with it and just see where the day takes us. He's the same, so it works quite well.


This time we ended up at Lake Minnewaska. I've never been, but it was breathtaking in spots and {bonus!} completely hikable with a City Mini stroller. I always have the Ergo on hand for Oliver, but instead My Sweets offered to push him on the unpaved gravel. Surprisingly he remained awake, content and totally enthralled with the vista. Go Oliver!


On our hike we encountered plenty of flora and fauna, slithery lake snakes, mysterious animal holes, rocky cliffs and grassy knolls, an old wooden bridge, heart-shaped treasures, deep cracks in the earth, a deserted lil' beach for fishing or watching salamanders swim, and the perfect landing -- at the tippy top -- on which to devour those desserts we picked up from the village baker on our way out of town. {1 strawberry-lemonade cupcake for me, 1 blueberry pie cupcake for Buby + Bleu to split, 1 slice of lemon-berry mascarpone cake for Tom, and also a hunk of onion-garlic cheddar cheese with a rustic baguette.}


Oh, and even though the parking lot to the preserve was packed when we got there, the whole afternoon I think we only passed a handful of hikers. It surely felt as though we had the whole lake to ourselves. The kiddos were in their glory, and so was I. Best ever way to spend a Mother's Day, if you ask me.


Note: I'll be back later tonight to enlarge and caption, like I do. There were just so many photos on my camera I wanted to get them up.