Today, The Wall Street Journal posted an article on A Stress-Free Summer Weekend in the Catskills. It’s a wonderful, informative, and inspiring read urging me to pack my bags.
Elizabeth G. Dunn, a James Beard Award-Nominated writer, invitingly details a relaxed-paced weekend – for her originating in NYC – beginning Friday at 5. What’s great is that her weekend carries us into Monday afternoon.
Since Sullivan County encompasses almost 1,000 square miles (too much for even a long-weekend, Elizabeth notes) the itinerary stays specific to the lush Delaware Valley. This is where the Catskill Forest Preserve resides and where one can find plentiful outdoor activities awash in small-town charm.
My favorite part of the itinerary happens on Saturday at 8:30 am when Elizabeth suggests:
“8:30 a.m. Head along Old Route 17, a scenic drive that runs parallel to the highway and rolls gently over the Catskill foothills, to the nearby town of Roscoe (pop: 540), self-styled as “Trout Town USA.” On the sleepy main drag, Stewart Avenue, worn facades announce three fishing-supply shops, a gun store and a couple of restaurants that look like relics of the Johnson administration. A local roaster called Java Love opened a seasonal outpost here in a tiny log cabin that strongly recalls a child’s Lincoln Logs creation. Grab a coffee and pastries from the shop’s limited selection. 44 Stewart Ave., javaloveroasters.com“
Java Love Roasters is owned and operated by two close personal friends of mine, Jodie Dawson and Kristine-Ellis Petrik. They opened their first Java Love on May 1, 2011, in the historic Beekman Mill in Kaunenoga Lake, NY. With only 400 square feet, allowing only four customers inside at a time, they birthed their fledgling business.
Since then they moved into a beautiful old house on the south side of the lake which had been home to the Front Porch restaurant. They also have two coffee shops in their home town of Montclair, NJ and an outpost in Trout Town USA – Roscoe, NY; in partnership with the Roscoe Brewery.
Today they were showcased in the WSJ as the 8:30 stop on the start of a fabulous weekend in the Catskills. Congratulations, Kuel Women!
I don’t know about all the other Kuel Women out there, but I’m ready to pack my bags and my first stop; probably EVERY morning: Java Love!
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