Deer and Fungi

I needed to escape the metropolitan clamour of Manhattan today, so I took a trip upstate to visit the Rockefeller State Park Preserve. I had a bit of a spooky detour along the way, which you can read about here in my travel blog Where’s my backpack? When I finally reached the park, I was not disappointed. It is an idyllic jumble of meadows, streams, lakes, wetland and woodland deftly woven together by a series of leafy carriage roads. It is untainted by the noise of traffic, other than the occasional clip clop of passing horses, so you can relish the birdsong and chirping of crickets to your heart’s content. There is also an incredible variety of wildlife present, most notably birds, but I also spotted some other gorgeous creatures along the way:

Meandering around the dreamily-named Swan Lake, a few trees offered up delicious splashes of colour through the mostly green backdrop.

However, the most dramatic displays of colour came from an entirely different kingdom. Feast your eyes on these glorious creations:

This park has a real sense of place. I struggle with Central Park; to me it feels somewhat soulless, as I mentioned in an earlier post – in fact I had this same conversation with a fellow refugee from Manhattan that I met in the park today – he described Central Park as a ‘grass museum’ which I think sums it up perfectly. The Rockefeller State Park Preserve, on the other hand, overflows with charm and personality, encouraging you to be a part of it rather than observe it. This is my kind of place. It’s probably your kind of place too.

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