Yesterday was a glorious day. The air was crisp and cool and absolutely clear as a bell. It was as if some giant cosmic Hoover vacuum had sucked the cloads and rain and polution out of the atomosphere. To waste a day like this would have been a sin. I grabbed the cam and the the tripod and headed to one of my favorite places to go in the fall. It's a short drive from the city, only about 40 miles north, and best of all it's almost completely devoid of people.  Just take the Palisades Interstate Parkway or route 17  and look for the signs directing you to an area in Harriman State Park known as Seven Lakes Drive. Pick a lake. Set up your tripod and click away. Wham! You're Ansel Adams.

     I spent a couple of hours at a couple of my favorite lakes in the area. The trees are not yet at their peak but there was enough color to make it interesting.


  
      
   

   


  

IF you go:  There are two ways of getting to Seven Lakes Drive. The fast way is to cross the G.W. Bridge and head north on the Palisades Parkway for about 40 miles. Look for the exit on your left. The other way is to take the Lincoln tunnel to NJ route 3 to 17. Drive north on 17 to the NY State line. Get on the Thruway and get off at the first exit and back on 17. Just past the town of Suffern look for the the signs to Seven Lakes Drive. BTW: The only reason to take route 17 is to fill up on that nice cheap Jersey gas. I paid $3.11 yesterday. Other places of interest in the area are West Point,  Bear Mountain and the Woodbury Commons outlet center.

We're off for a couple of days in celebration of the holiday. Back on Friday

All photos (c) 2008 Bruce Cooper