Hiking in Sterling Forest

  

This past weekend I finally had the chance to go on one of the guided hikes in Sterling Forest. My husband and I did the Fire Tower hike, which is about a 4-mile loop that begins at the Sterling Forest Visitor Center. Built in 1922, the fire tower affords an impressive view of Sterling Forest and the surrounding area. Sterling Lake is in the foreground to the northeast, Cedar Pond may be seen to the south, and a potion of Greenwood Lake is visible to the West. 

On the way to the tower there are ruins of the old iron mines and remnants of buildings that used to comprise the mining town of Lakeville. It was really interesting to see how much history is here (the first anchor ever forged in NY was made here) and amazing to be able to experience a part of the 22,000 acres of protected state forest. Can't wait for the next hike. 

Lilac Season

The sweet smell of spring is in the air around the lake. I had to capture it and bring it into the Inn. Lilacs are in full bloom everywhere. Some celebrate the coming of the cherry blossoms, but for me it's all about the lilacs. Maybe it's because I was born at the peak of lilac season (tomorrow is my birthday:) If you love them as much I do and you're in the area, at 10am this Saturday there's a presentation called "Lovely Lilacs" happening at the New Jersey Botanical Gardens (just 10 minutes from the Inn). 

We're Sponsoring the American Open Pro Squash Tour

Once again I'm amazed by the amount of activities that happen in our area. Our friends at Live Technology in Tuxedo Park  are hosting the American open of the Pro Squash Tour. We've signed on as an event sponsor for this year and we're excited to check out some of the best squash players in the world on April 25-29. For more info go to www.prosquashtour.net

Magic of Belle Isle

Greenwood Lake's long awaited Hollywood moment is almost here! The trailer for the Magic of Belle Isle has just been released and the movie will be opening in theaters July 6. This is the Rob Reiner film starring Morgan Freeman that was filmed here last summer. We had a blast hosting some of the cast and crew at the Inn and can't wait to see the finished product.

Here's the sneak peak http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ECo5Tbnd4Q

And I must admit, Greenwood Lake does look that amazing in real life too.

Fellow Innkeepers

Last night we had the pleasure of hosting the April meeting of the Orange County B&B Association at the Waterstone Inn. It's been a great organization for us to be a part of. There's a wonderful camaraderie between fellow innkeepers and I truly appreciate the kind words and advice people are willing to share. The best nugget of info that I learned from this meeting was how to use Facebook to link your Inn to area attractions. I will certainly be working on making this happen on our site.

B&B App for iPhone

Waterstone Inn is going mobile. We're now featured on I Love Inn's iPhone App, Inn Touch. If you're a traveler that enjoys staying at B&B's download it from the Apple App Store.

Spring Golf Deal

What an amazing start to Spring! The great weather has prompted some of the local golf courses to open early. Hickory Hill, which is less than 5 miles away from the Inn, is offering a round of golf with a cart for $25. That's a great excuse to dust off the clubs and get out there. To sweeten the deal, we'll take 10% off your stay at the Waterstone Inn if you golf at Hickory Hill in March and April.