This Place is Growing on Me
Part 3: Halfway into 5 weeks in upstate New York
Peach Hill Park
The first time I saw this little neighborhood park I asked where the trail started and was told, ‘it's just grass you walk on.’ I couldn’t believe it. You walk on the grass?
It was true! Just like at Innisfree Gardens, the paths are just wide spaces of grass winding its way through tall trees with big green leaves that offer that beautiful dappled shade as only a leafy tree can do. By this time I’ve learned to stay away from the trees, even the ones with the soft-looking leaves, and especially the ones with red leaves.
The paths wind up and down the hill and run alongside old apple and peach orchards that while no longer harvested for human consumption, the local animals seem to enjoy the variety.
But it’s the views from the few high points, opening up above the trees and you can see for miles.
Mohonk House
This place is magical.
Beginning at the large yet quaint gatehouse and along the narrow winding road through a forest of tall trees hiding a house here and there, and arriving at the larger than life structure that makes you automatically think, The Shining, (and you would be right,) you get the feeling that you are entering someplace special.
The Mohonk House has a history I won’t even begin to lay out here, there’s enough that’s been written about it by people who know a lot more than I do. As a day traveler, all I can do is say Thank You to all the people who made Mohonk what it is today; an amazing place to explore a part special place on this planet.
This is where Susan Brearley and I had big breakthroughs about what the Garden of Neuro is, and what it could become as it grows to support women on their journey, each one different and with a purpose.
I had recently attended a short conference about women and Board Positions. The biggest takeaway for me was that there are many boards out there that are required by law to have women at the table, and yet they don’t because, the excuse is, there aren’t enough women, willing and/or qualified to hold those positions.
We had walked the other trails around the grounds. We’d even been up to the tower, a memorial built for Mr. Smiley, the man who started Mohonk house more than 100 years before. There was one last trail to take, out to a lookout space where Susan and Catalina captured the shots that would be used for this Garden of Neuro introductory video.
Sitting in this same lookout space, the Women’s Leadership Institute took shape. We talked about how we could find all the great programs and courses and curate them into something specifically tailored to what a woman needs to move her towards her goals, both personally and professionally. It was a very exciting moment.
White Cliff Vineyard
We had started out with the goal of going to an apple orchard.
The Hudson Valley is known for its apples and the things it makes with the apples, specifically Apple Cider Donuts. There’s even a store, Adams, that will cook them daily during apple season, outside. I’m not sure if I envy the neighbors or feel sorry for them. The smell is wonderful and it must be hard to resist.
Turns out, it was a holiday, and a lot of other people and their out-of-school kids thought it would be fun to explore the orchard too. So we made a spur-of-the-moment change of plans and headed to White Cliffs Vineyards instead.
What a great idea that was. The tasting room wasn’t too busy and we were lucky to have the son of the family who owns the vineyard as our wine guide. He walked us through a series of whites, rosé, and reds, telling a wonderful story for each bottle. Combined with the crackers and cheese Susan chose from the selections offered, we sampled the range and soaked in the stories. When the tasting was finished we took a bottle outside and finished the cheese and crackers before taking another 6 bottles home with us.
The Garden of Neuro Institute is an incubator for women’s agency and leadership, connecting Wisdom Keepers with Wisdom Seekers. We are a passionate group of women from all over the world who have formed this space on the foundation of trust. It’s a space built on sisterhood, and every sister feels safe to share their fears, brave enough to develop their agency, and expand their power to lift each other up. In the Garden, we honor each other’s journey, and every journey is celebrated.
