Due to sweltering summer heat and three straight weeks of sun, the berries at -------- ----- --- (name redacted to keep crowds down) are already past prime, so we needed to head that way to pick some. In the past we've harvested raspberries here but this year we missed by a week and merely picked, a subtlety lost on many but of great consequence. Still, this is a patch worth keeping a secret: about three quarts in less than an hour in the patch. When we were done we walked back to the car looking like cutters on the way to a farmer's market, and headed to Promised Land State Park.

All the lakes in PA are reservoirs. Most of them are now state parks, and we'll take what we can get. We had a great and simple picnic in the shade near the boat launch, dining on baguette/provolone/calabrese/sprout/avocado sandwiches and raspberry-infused tea. Delicious. Then into the boat for a paddle most of the way around the snag-infested waters of Promised Land Lake, seeing the sights, taking the panorama below (click to embiggen), and working up a sweat worthy of a rinsing swim.

Our final stop was Port Jervis NY, one of the 10 coolest small towns in America. It happened - unplanned - that there was a street art fair going on, along with some choice 'antiquing' (what do you call stores which have durable goods which are less than 50 years old but have been previously owned?) and a couple of neat galleries. Not bad, but interestingly we discovered Milford PA across the river and liked it more, finding a cool downtown as well as a neat converted lumber yard that now hosts a host of indie shops.

Home through the National Rec Area, with roadside BBQ in the Poconos for dessert and raspberries to nibble at home.