Holiday Happenings

The decorations are up and we had an amazing Village-wide celebration over the weekend to kick off the holiday season. Santa came to town via a red helicopter, there were horse and carriage rides and the Tree Lighting ceremony really got everyone in the spirit.

Power is Back!

Just an update. The electricity has been restored and we're back to business as usual. A big thank you to our guests who took it all in stride and seemed to enjoy the candlelight and extra fluffy blankets.

Halloween Snow!

The trick was on us this year. Greenwood Lake got dumped with about 17 inches of snow this weekend. Couple that with fall leaves still on the trees and the end result was a lot of damage, road closures and power outages. Thankfully the Inn fared well. We're hoping to have electric service restored today.

Innkeeping is always an adventure. Saturday night we hosted the cast and crew of The Weather Channel. They were broadcasting from our area since apparently we were at the top for snow accumulations. Guess it's time to start thinking about ski season.

Clinton Road

Local lore and urban legends always seem to surface around Halloween, but the stories of Clinton Road in West Milford, NJ live on all year long. If you’re looking for paranormal activity or a fearful adventure, take a ride on this 10-mile desolate road that’s just minutes away from the Inn (The NJ side of Greenwood Lake is West Milford). Clinton Road has been featured on many TV shows, books and websites, most notably on the Travel Channel’s Most Terrifying Places in America 2. Here’s a clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5Vygs1Ff5I. And just last week this article ran on Yahoo News. http://news.yahoo.com/clinton-road-jersey-most-terrifying-road-u-194000764.html

Reported incidents on Clinton Road include encounters with phantom headlights, hell hounds, freakish wild animals, Satan worshipers, KKK rituals, mob dumping ground for frozen bodies, among many others. Come check it out for yourself.

Fall Foliage at the Lake

Unseasonably high temperatures coupled with the bounty of the Warwick apple havest has made for an extrordinary fall. The foliage will be peaking later than ususal this year so there's plenty of time for leaf peeping. And there's no greater spot than at the Thomas P. Morahan Waterfront Park in the Village of Greenwood Lake. October always brings a parade of cars through Greenwood Lake and up and over Mt. Peter into Warwick. What many of these passersby don't realize is that a picture-perfect view awaits if they stop the car and explore Greenwood Lake before heading into Warwick. Mountains, brilliant foliage and waterfront, it doesn't get better than that.

Greenwood Lake's Interesting History

I'm always learning something new about Greenwood Lake's varied and historic past. Greenwood Lake has been many things to many people. Summer retreat, professional boxing camp, Hudson River School painting subject, but creative people have always had a magnetic attraction to this picturesque place. This morning I came across a fascinating article that just ran on NorthJersey.com today. Check it out here. It's an interesting read about the large number of famous vaudevillians and circus people that lived in Greenwood Lake in the early 1900s.

Joe Jackson, GWL resident

NJ Botanical Gardens

Since being apart of America in Bloom (a national municipal gardening competition) for Greenwood Lake last year, I've really caught the gardening fever. It's become my new obsession and I've certainly gained a greater appreciation for public gardens. We're fortunate to have a wealth of beautiful gardens to explore in the area. Over the weekend I visited the New Jersey Botanical Gardens in Ringwood, which is a short ride (15 min) from the Inn. The grounds are amazing and it was a beautiful fall day to walk around. Here you'll find 96 acres of specialty gardens surrounded by 1,000 acres of woodlands. It's a must see for garden enthusiasts, and casual strollers alike. October 1 & 2 is Harvest Fest at the gardens, which I'm sure will be a great event.

Humphrey Hotel (now the Waterstone Inn) on Display

If you've had the chance to visit the Inn, you'll know that we strive to showcase the rich history of Greenwood Lake, especially the old hotels. So I was thrilled to discover that currently at the Greenwood Lake Library there's a display of two original phones from the Humphrey Hotel (now home to the Waterstone Inn). The phones are owned by Greenwood Lake residents Fran, Larry, and Theresa Seccafico, who were personal friends of Walter and Loretta Humphrey. Also on display is a telephone book, dated 1946-47, showcasing the phone numbers of residents and businesses of the time. If you're in the area it's worth stopping by to take a look.

Rod Stewart Tribute by Rick Larrimore at the Beach

Greenwood Lake has a great summer concert series. You can get your chairs or blankets and plop yourself down and enjoy the music in addition to an amazing view of the lake. This Sat, July 30 is Rod Stewart Tribute. Also see below or visit our website -

http://www.waterstoneinn.com/ or http://www.villageofgreenwoodlake.org/entertainment.html

for a list of past and future concerts. And of course MY Favorite..being IRISH NIGHT!!! You will definitely see the Mulcahy's dancing that night!

Sat Aug 6th Peach Tree Project - Songs of the Allman Brothers...
Sat Aug 13th Christine Spero Group - Brazilian, Latin, Jazz

Fri Aug 19th Gabrielle Tranchina, Jazz Trio...
Sat Aug 20th Island Sensation Reggae, featuring Roughneck Chicken

Sat Aug 27th Irish Night, Bagpipers, Balladeers, Dancers & Band

Sponsored by the Gaelic Cultural Society

Green Efforts in Innkeeping

Living in a lake community we're always aware of environmental concerns, especially those that affect the water. When we first opened the Inn four years ago we knew we wanted to do everything possible to conserve resources and to do business in a sustainable way.

Over the last couple of years we've done a significant amount of landscaping and maintain a lot of flowers around the Inn and down by our waterfront. For watering we bucket it out of the lake. Aside from being practical, the plants benefit from the nutrient rich lake water.

Most of the cleaning supplies that we use are naturally derived. Our ammenities (soap, shampoo etc) are packaged in recycled materials. In fact guests have become quite fond of our soap. Its unique design (with a hole in the middle) not only helps you get a better grip, but it saves on the amount of soap that's usually wasted.

The new initiative this year is composting. In the kitchen we're using all the vegetable and fruit scraps, egg shells, coffee grids and tea bags to make great garden soil. Now that our peak season is in full swing I'm amazed by the amount of scraps we produce. At home the worms are at work breaking it down and I'm glad that we can reduce the volume of waste going in the garbage. So far the results have been great. From what I've been reading, worm compost is five times more nutrient dense than average garden soil. Next spring we"ll have all the soil that we need for the landscaping around the Inn.

Good Neighbors = Good Business

One of the things that I enjoy most about this business is interacting with our guests. Probably the most often asked questions people have are "What's it like to run an Inn?" and "Why did you decide to do it?" In talking with other innkeepers, and from our own experience, I think it all boils down to doing what you love. I'll be honest, it's not a business that's going to bring in a windfall of cash. But, I think having the Waterstone Inn is a natural fit for our family. Denis (my father-in-law) founded an organization called Project Children that has been bringing kids from Northern Ireland to the United States for 37 years. In this time, the program has touched and changed the lives of over 20,000 children, as well as countless host families, volunteers, and supporters. So much so, that Denis (though he'll never offer this information) was twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. The most amazing thing about it is that Project Children all started here in little Greenwood Lake in Denis and Miriam's own home.
My husband Sean and his siblings Denis Jr., Maureen and Tara, literally grew up being hosts to visiting guests from Ireland. Whether it was a coordinator for the program or a homesick kid, each guest that found themselves in Greenwood Lake for the summer was taken under the wing of the Mulcahy Family. In doing so, the Mulcahy kids learned to give generously of their time, gained patience in dealing with people, and most of all grew up with an awareness of community.

All of these qualities are apparent at the Waterstone Inn. As a business we're active in the community. I'm the president of the Greater Greenwood Lake Revitalization Committee. We're helping to build the Greenwood Lake Merchants Guild. We're always on board to help out local fundraisers by donating nights at the Inn as raffle prizes. I've made my poor husband plant flowers in the rain and lift 50 pound hanging baskets onto the telephone poles in the Village. Why??? I often myself. The answer is simple, it's doing what you love, the satisfaction of knowing you're contributing to the community in a positive way, and believing in good karma. In my heart I know that all these things are not just good for the soul, but also good for business.

Sounds of Summer

If you arrive at the Inn and park in the lot behind the house don't be alarmed if you hear "someone" whistling at you, it's just the resident parrot next door. He's been known to whistle at people getting out of their cars, but is mostly fondly remembered for the way he whistles the tune to the Andy Griffith Show. It's truly priceless to hear. I love opening the windows to the kitchen and listening to him sing away while I cook breakfast for guests. I've even overheard a "meow'ing" contest with a passerby cat. I think the cat was more surprised than I was. That's one talented bird. Maybe he'll get picked up as an extra on Rob Reiner's Summer at Dog Dave's, the movie that's filming in Greenwood Lake this summer.

I missed the parrot over the winter when he hibernates inside or perhaps goes to Florida with his owners. I'm happy he's back to his summer perch on the screened in porch of the neighbor's house. When I hear the familiar Andy Griffith theme song I know summer has arrived.

Father's Day

It was a picture-perfect Father's Day. We enjoyed a home-cooked dinner on the deck thanks to Tara. The weather was amazing. We had to take advantage of it so after dinner we headed down to the docks and hopped in the canoes and kayaks for a family paddle down the East Arm. The "Arm", where the Inn is located, is ideal for kayaks and canoes. It's a no wake zone, so the water is calm and it's a relaxing row down to the main lake. For a quick workout I like to go to "Barbara's & Back." Barbara's refers to Mayor Barbara Moore's house, which is right at the pinnacle of the lake. It's a gorgeous house with even more breathtaking landscaping. This past year it was featured on the cover of Our House magazine. If you're coming down the East Arm, you can't miss it. It's the one with the sea plane usually docked outside. Barbara's husband Jim is an advid pilot. He's also the founder and organizer of the annual Greenwood Lake Sea Plane Fly-In, which takes place every September.

Not a bad way to spend a Sunday. You'll probably hear me say this alot, but I love living by the lake!

Circus in Town

I love the fact that even though we live in a little town, the circus still comes every year and sets up right in the middle of the Village. The excitment builds as the elephants pull up the tents (which apparently not many circus's still do) and the kids catch a glimpse of the animals and performers.

In this photo are two faces you may see around the Inn, Seana (Maureen's youngest) and Seanie (my oldest son that's almost 5). They both had a blast at the show and feeding the elephants is always a highlight. All around, the Kelly Miller Circus does a great job.

Street Fair Fun

We took to the streets to showcase what the Waterstone Inn has to offer. Yesterday the Greenwood Lake Merchants Guild (of which we are a member) hosted its annual street fair on Windermere Avenue. For sale at our table were Waterstone Inn mugs filled with our signature Irish Soda Bread and discounted gift certificates. Thank you to everyone that came out to support us. The weather wasn't perfect, but we still had a great time. Our spot was in a prime location, across from the center of the action at Murphy's. A live band played outside under a tent and the clam bake was the place to be.

Next public appearance: July 3, Village of Greenwood Lake Bed Races. Hopefully we'll have an entry this year.

Hollywood Coming to Greenwood Lake

The stage is set. Hollywood's big wigs will be calling Greenwood Lake home this summer! It’s finally gone public that Rob Reiner’s new movie, Summer at Dog Dave’s will be filmed in Greenwood Lake. Morgan Freeman is cast as the lead character, who's a writer of Westerns that’s lost his groove. His agent suggests he go up to the lake for the summer to reflect, relax and get it together. For more info check out Variety online at http://www.showblitz.com/2011/05/possible-summer-lovin-for-madsen-and-thompson.html.

Want to catch a glimpse of the action? Filming starts July 11, M-F and is scheduled to last about a month.

Memorial Day Weekend

We put all the boats in the water..........




watched the beautiful fawn on the neighbors lawn....











...guests did tons of canoeing and kayaking...


















did some fishing......caught a few sunny's.....



A beautiful weekend at the lake.....................summer has begun!!!! yeah

Being an innkeeper.....

...is alot of fun, but also hard work. One fun thing about having an inn, is all the people you meet. Especially repeat customers! Its fun to be able to remember people and names and them be so happy to come to our place. As some may know, we are a family run B & B. Mom, Dad, sister Moe, brother Sean, Sister in law Lisa-aka our Martha Stewart- the nieces and nephews running around. The added helpers like Christine and Joe. So, its even more fun when guests come and ask about Dad, or mom and know us all. They really become friends and not just customers. So, a quick shot out to our repeat guests.....We thank you for coming back and enjoying our place!

Power Boat Racing Returns!

It's been 12 years since there's been power boat racing on Greenwood Lake, but this weekend the American Power Boat Association brought back the tradition. With Brown's Point State Park (on the Jersey end of the Lake) as homebase, there was a great line-up of high-speed races. Because of the specialized nature of the trailers for the racing boats they had to be lowered into the lake by crane. It was pretty amazing to watch. Some of the boats were said to reach speeds of 170 mph! For more info on power boat racing check out www.screamandfly.com

Dirtbike Races and Concerts to come!

This past Sunday May 1st, the whole Inn crew gathered at Tuxedo Ridge ski center to support our friend Gerard and the Tri-state MC. They had a huge turn out. Hundreds of dirtbikes blazing all over the mountains. They had a 5 mile long track that crossed over all the ski slopes, from top to bottom and the woods in between. The place was packed. We also were able to walk up the slopes to different areas of the race. They had food and beer and the day was beautiful.

*So in addition to the fun dirtbike race, Tuxedo Ridge is having concerts and some Spartan Tournament. The concerts were a big hit last year so check out there website. Tuxedoridge.com

Bus It!

This past week, I had no car to drive to work. I decided to walk to the bus stop and take the NJ transit bus to the City, (Port Authority) I recently had guests who took the bus up to us and stayed for the weekend. Its cool to know people have the option to take the bus and walk maybe half a mile to our Bed and Breakfast. I listened to my ipod and got comfortable, I looked out the window as we drove down Jersey Avenue toward West Milford. We drive all along the lake. It was beautiful. The mountains looked great, the trees are just starting to bud. It looks like the beginning of a Bob Ross painting," little tree here, little tree there" It takes about an hour and twenty minutes. Stressfree and cheaper!! Especially with the gas prices lately.

Birthday at the Winery

One of the benefits of living here in Greenwood Lake is that we're in the heart of NY wine country. So tonight for my birthday (I won't say how old), I'm headed to nearby Palaia Vineyards with friends and family. We're having an impromptu party in "the treehouse." (If you look at the picture to the left, it's the closed-in deck part of the building.) Here they have live music and a great little menu of tasting plates to complement the main attraction, the wine.

I simply love Palaia, it's a fun laid-back place that always has unique events. A favorite in the fall is the Lucy Grape Stomping Contest. Contestants dress up like Lucille Ball, jump in the grape barrel and do their best impersonation of the famed I Love Lucy episode. Can't beat that for originality. And in the summer there are music festivals galore. The Neil Young tribute weekend usually draws a big crowd. Palaia has also been known to host Toga parties, Star Trek night and of course ladies' night. Clearly it's not a typical winery, that's why it's one of my favorites.

Tonight is open mic night, so anything could happen. Can't wait to pop open one of Palaia's award winning wines and celebrate another great year! BTW, don't call too early if you want to make a reservation tomorrow morning :)

Lisa

Hooray for Local Produce

As a family business with a vested interest in Greenwood Lake, at the Waterstone Inn we're trying our best to support local merchants. The thing I love the most about Greenwood Lake is that we don't have any big box stores or shopping malls. We're a community of small businesses that are here because we love what we do and offer unique products or services. As the menu planner and cook at the Inn I was thilled when a produce market opened right on our main street. Reminicent of the markets that I miss so much down on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, (where our old apartment is) Monica's Fruit and Vegetables is exactly the type of business we needed here in Greenwood Lake. With no chain grocery store in town, if last minute guests checked in I'd have to haul over to Warwick or West Milford just to pick up fresh fruit and vegtables. Now, at a moment's notice I can head into Monica's and let her pick of the day be tomorrow morning's special. The fresh herbs are fabulous. My cheddar, chive and scallion omlette special was a big hit. ~Lisa~

First Flight

So, I can cross this off my bucket list. Maureen got me a Intro flight lesson in Orange County airport, in Montgomery, NY. Take Flight was the company. This is the plane I flew. There was me and the instructor. He has pedals and controls also, so if I messed up, he could take over. But there was a good ten minutes a was flying on my own. It was awesome! The best part was, Gary the instructor, said " OK, i wanna try something with you..." so he turned off the engine. Showing me that you don't need the engine to fly, it is all about the movement of air over and under the wings. Soooo as we begin to decent, and call in to land shortly. I say " Are we gonna turn the engine back on.?!" He says " I don't know, maybe..ah no, no I'm not." So we just glide right in and land. *Tara

Mulcahy Reunion Weekend

After living and working in Tokyo for almost 2 years Denis Jr., his wife Heidi and their three children came home to the States. (To fill you in on the family tree, Denis is the oldest brother of Sean, Maureen and Tara, the resident innkeeper.)

In an effort to get out of Japan in the aftermath of the earthquakes and tsunami, Denis and his family went on vacation to Vietnam and left behind almost everything except a few suitcases of clothes. With the American ex-pats now mostly gone from Japan it looks like Heidi and the kids will be home for good in Connecticut. Denis may have to return to wrap thing up at work.

This weekend they came back to Greenwood Lake for a mini Mulcahy family reunion at the Waterstone Inn. Saturday we all went to cousin Seana's softball game. For a post game treat the whole family went to Bellvale Creamery for the first ice cream of the season. The view from there is amazing! The ice cream shop overlooks the entire Warwick Valley. Then Aunt Tara kept the kids busy with an Easter egg hunt at the Inn. That night we ordered great food from both the Inn at Long Pond and Murphy's. We can't get enough of Murphy's lobster tails!! So good.

Sunday the kids went fishing (it's spawning season) from our docks and came across a great find, a HUGE turtle shell. Below is a picture, although it doesn't really do it justice. At over 20-inches long the locals say it's one of the largest that they've seen. We've hoping to preserve it and display it in the Inn.

The weather was gorgeous and we truly enjoyed some R&R time with the family.

Warwick Drive-In

Warwick Drive-In is open.....soooo exciting. They had the new movie "HOP". http://www.warwickdrivein.com/playing.htm So much fun. Also check out across the street. Pennings Farm. Fish Fry Fridays and Live music on the weekends. Two of my favorite spots. See you at the drive-in.....bring your blankies!

April Fool's Day

April Fools Day…ya this is not a joke, I am actually gonna try to do a blog.

We are all looking forward to the spring, not to say winter was bad, because I just love

the snow. The lake was totally frozen over again this year, and there were tons of

activities on it. Snowmobiles, quads, ice skating and ice fishing. Winter Carnival though

delayed by a night had a huge bonfire once again. I’ll save those stories for next winter.

Anyway, Dad is looking forward to getting outside to get the docks in gear and get the

flower pots out. We all of course can’t wait to just “chill” on the deck, ….after the work

is done of course. Even though the mountain is bare, it still is a great view. Each season

really is beautiful…and even though winters may be rough to shovel and travel to work

it is a beautiful sight and allows us to look forward to the next one coming. Saying that,

soon we will be complaining it's too hot!! But hey thank god for the lake.

Tara

Summer Planning

Greenwood Lake is gearing up for another great summer season. The planning is in place for the summer concert series, the 4th of July fireworks (probably the best in the Hudson Valley) and flower plantings throughout the Village. Tonight at the American Legion the Doo Wop group Magic Touch will be playing to help raise funds for the fireworks. A local favorite, Magic Touch always draws a great crowd when they play down at the waterfront park. If you haven’t come to Greenwood Lake yet for the free lakefront concerts, put it on the agenda for this year. The schedule should be published soon. We’ll be sure to post it on the Waterstone Inn website when it’s available.