Bear Mountain 2011

Last weekend, Matt and I made a return trip to Bear Mountain State Park for mountain climbing (really, hiking) and their Oktoberfest festival. We had gone to this park last year and liked it so much we decided to make it an annual trip. We stayed true to our word :)

Last year, we went on the last weekend of October. This year, we were about a week earlier. There were several differences.

• The colors weren't as vibrant this year.
• The weather was a little more friendly this year; there was a little bit of a chill, but mostly sunny and pleasant. Last year, it was very, very cold and very windy.
• The park was WAY overcrowded this year. Last year, there was us and maybe 100 other people. This year, there was more than 100 people in line just for food/beer.

Who knew a week could make such a difference. I think it has to do with the fact that the last weekend in October seems to be consistently super cold in NYC, which may keep some people away from outside activities. AND/OR, people could be getting ready for Halloween and not going out for a day at the park. Who knows... but we preferred last year's trip to this year. So, for next year, we will make sure to go on the last weekend in October or go in November and make our own Oktoberfest :)

Now don't get me wrong - we did have lots of fun and enjoyed being in such a beautiful nature park :) We even made it further up the mountain this year than last year; we climbed for almost 2 hours. We heard from other climbers that a round trip, which is up to the tower and back, is about 3 - 3.5 hours. So, next year we are coming prepared with backpacks, water bottles, power bars, etc and making sure to get to the park early enough to make room for a 3.5 hour climb and several Oktoberfest beers as a yummy, frothy reward! Can't wait for our trip next year!

For comparison, here are a couple of shots from last year's trip:

We also stopped at Rockefeller Lookout on the way; this is a scenic stop in the New Jersey section of the Palisades Parkway. The views of Manhattan from here are really amazing. (By the way, just driving down the Palisades Parkway is lovely - LOVE this area of NJ/NY.)

On a side note...

Last Sunday we finally went to Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. We had been hearing about this place for a while, and were very excited about eating good BBQ. This place did not disappoint. Of course, you really can't beat Texas BBQ, but Dinosaur came pretty close. Also, they had an admirable beer selection (which always wins us over) and decent prices. We do plan on going back! And, we are adding this to our list of places to take friends/families/visitors. So, you can all look forward to trying out Dinosaur Bar-B-Que if you come to visit :)