Lake Oscawana, Putnam Valley, New York

I’ve been busy planning a motor trip for late September, so vacation has been on my mind.  A recent conversation with a colleague about camping reminded me of when, before my family moved to the suburbs, we would often spend weekends and sometimes a week or two in “the country”.  This was in the late in the late 1940s and early 1950s.  We would stay at the Trading Post Cottages on Lake Oscawana, Putnam Valley, NY. 

Before highways, turnpikes, and parkways this was about a 2-hour drive on 2-lane roads through Westchester and Putnam counties and then a circuitous route across Fahnestock State Park on 1-lane or dirt roads. Many sections of this had straight-up mountain on one side and sheer cliff drop-off on the other.  

My Mom and Dad knew the roads very well and would move along at a pretty good clip providing a real thrill for the passengers.  No wonder I love roller coasters!  I was exposed to that adrenal rush at a very early age. Coming down the last leg of the journey into the area of the hotel and cottages was always a time for cheers “we got here” and prayers “we didn’t go over the cliff”.

The main building, housed a restaurant, bar, game room and had hotel rooms on the second floor.  There was a wide porch along the lake side with Adirondack chairs.  I remember sitting there, listening to the music from the game room and coloring.

The cottages were a bit rustic.  There was one great room and smallish bedrooms. The great room had a kitchen area, dining area, the rest was comfy sofas, easy and rocking chairs.  There was electricity with limited lighting.  There was no running water; we got buckets of water from a well and hauled them to the cottage. The toilet was an outhouse behind the cabin without any electricity; this was always an adventure at night!

Before they had children my parents and their friends would go there mainly for the fishing.  After the kids whole families would go.  Some renting a cottage for a week, others staying at the hotel for the weekend.

Yes, this is me sans bathing suit

My first excursion was as a toddler.  There was a wooden “crib” at the lake shore.  This was a raised, wooden platform with railings that provided shallow water for little ones, like me, to enjoy.  Abutting the “crib” was an area that could be easily accessed for swimming and further out in the lake was a platform for diving and sun bathing.  

The shore of the lake was not very sunny; rather trees and woods came right to the edge and provided wonderful shady spots.  This was where I learned the pleasure of swimming in fresh water and to this day it still delights me.  We would stay in the water until our fingers and toes got “pruney”.  And even then, didn’t want to get out of the water.  Wrinkled digits, blue lips, shivering all over, none were enough to get us out without being told we had to.

Me, not Shirley Temple!

The main activities were fishing, swimming and exploring the woods.  There were no sidewalks, so sewers, no street lights, no cars.  Only row boats were permitted so the fishing was tranquil and plentiful.  Going fishing meant getting up before dawn or going out at dusk, rowing to the middle or far end of the lake and coming back an hour or so later with whatever we caught.  My Dad would clean and fillet everything caught and my Mom would cook and serve it.  We grew up eating our own fresh caught fish, so of course we learned to like fish early on.

Brother J and me exploring

Across the lake from where we stayed was a large campground that had the Appalachian Trail running through it.  This was where I learned to love going for a walks in the woods.  We would tread slowly and silently so as not to startle whatever bird or wildlife might be around.  We saw rabbits, deer, beaver and too many variety of birds to name.  Once something was spotted we would remain silent and still as long as we could.  I think I was probably always the first to move or make a sound (I was the youngest!) and that would startle the wildlife off to safety.  It was always an awesome thrill to come upon wildlife in its environs and to watch them scamper away.  

This was time spent in woods and lakes for the sole purpose of enjoying being there. I am so grateful to my parents, extended family and their friends for all the wonderful summer days spent there.  We fished, we sang, we played games, we laughed.  These times taught me to enjoy being "in the woods" and it still pleases me to this day.  

Where I have been living these past 14 years, well, it is a townhouse condo complex, a small one and our backyard is a state forest.  No wonder I fell in love with this spot when I first saw it!