A Sunday Drive In The Country

Waterfront Dining in the historic town of Essex, NY

My husband Fred and I decided, after he spent a long day in the garden, to close my shop the Pink Pig and take a country drive to the town of Essex, New York (www.essexnewyork.com) for dinner at a new restaurant which has recently opened for the season.

Nestled in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains, along the shore of Lake Champlain, the historic Town of Essex is one of the most unspoiled ensembles of Federal and Greek Revival village architecture in rural America. The hamlet of Essex, founded in the 18th century, was listed in its entirety on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

Essex is a postcard town and a photographers dream as it is impossible to take a bad picture.

Main Street is a quaint drive with shops, lodging and wonderful historic homes with beautiful gardens.

Also the home of former Governor George Pataki, with whom we had the pleasure of meeting as I stopped to take a few photos of their wonderful home. We caught them walking their dogs down to the lake for a swim.

Off to dinner, we arrived at the Essex Marina for a wonderful meal at the Rudder Club which is operated this year by Steve McKenna, Jonathan Pribble and Randy Sherman.

The Essex Marina (www.essexmarinany.com) is located on Lake Champlain and has a boating history dating before the Revolutionary War. In the summer months, life here centers on the water - and how could it not? Surpassed in size only by the Great Lakes, Lake Champlain stretches 120 miles north to south with almost 600 miles of pristine shoreline.

We were greeted by April our waitress and wisked off to our now favorite table in this charming place with a fabulous menu! The chef, Andy MacDougal will not disappoint you and I must mention the wonderful fresh desserts prepared by Erin Hall of Fancy Noche. What can I say.... a fabulous evening filled with wonderful food, service and atmosphere that will have you leaving knowing that you will be back for more real soon. The Rudder Club serves lunch and dinner with boat slips available to dock at the Marina.

Venture out and take your favorite country drive and if your travel plans have you visiting the Adirondacks this summer I hope you will make this historic town of Essex, New York a destination.

Come Visit Us!

Searching for Antique Treasures: My Antique DayTrip

I must say I have Cabin Fever as the winter months here in the Adirondacks Mountains are much too long. So I decided to do a day trip to Troy, NY. This historic city has an area dedicated to several streets lined with antique stores.

My first visit was to a friend whom I had met through my travels on the internet. Her store is filled with Cottage Chic Furniture and Shabby Chic Treasures and she certainly has a talent for displaying her wonderful pieces.

Pay a visit to her online site at www.vintagechicfurniture.com to see more of what her wonderful shop has to offer.

As I traveled further down the street I stumbled into a rather large Antique Gallery filled with a number of dealers offering anything from Primitive Antiques to Mid-Century Modern Furniture. The second floor featured an art gallery with the works of a fantastic artist Jennifer Lanne. I spent the next hour in amazement as I walked backed and forth admiring this artist which I would love to share with you.

Jennifer's paintings are rich in color and story. Jennifer paints what she knows...floral, fauna and farm with brave strokes and drenched colors that tell of fond memories and vistas filled with possibilities. Her work is strong and bright, classic with a freshness of her own. Botanticals and landscapes are deliciously lush and thoughtful, while barnyard creatures poised and elegantly simple. Jennifer lives and works in her 1870's farm in Ballston Spa, New York. Her art has been featured in "Country Living" and "Romantic Homes" magazines. I hope to pay a visit to Jennifer soon with the possibility of having her works available at the Pink Pig.

I hope you enjoyed my photo's of a day in the country searching for antique treasures.

PS As a traveled down the road to my farmhouse, I could not help but stop to say hello to my new neighbors.

 

 

Loving Life in the Country!

At Home In The Adirondacks

Westport is an Adirondack community proudly perched on the shores of Lake Champlain. A coastal community to the east, it is embraced by the Adirondack Mountain range to the west. Experience incredible sunrises and the shimmering Green Mountain vista of neighboring Vermont.

I thought I would share a few photo's of my life here in the country in the Adirondack Mountains. It is certainly winter here and the cold, sometimes below zero, temperatures have left us with plenty of snow. Here are some views from our farmhouse, my first store which is a former carriage house and my studio.

Cabin style living and Rustic Retreats are plentiful here in the Adirondacks where decorating your personal retreat includes Lodge Style Furniture and Vintage Beacon Blankets. Here is a rustic cabin taken from the woods. Now a studio of Barbara Smith, she has found her style creating decorative pillows using vintage Camp and Beacon Blankets. Barbara's pillows are available at the store.

With both my stores closed now for the winter months, my favorite past time is now taking photo's of some of the fantastic farms here with here with their livestock in the fields and their fantastic old barns....full of history I'm sure.

I hope you enjoy viewing my photo's of my life in a small town called Westport, NY


[Westport][antiques][Adirondacks][New York]