An Unexpected Experience in the Catskills
After a wonderful day in Niagara Falls AND a round of buffalo chicken wings from their namesake city of Buffalo, NY, we camped for the night in the town of Cooperstown, NY. What we thought was just the northern pathway village to the Catskills was actually the nationally-known home of the Baseball Hall of Fame (apologies to all who knew that, but we are soccer fans).
Unfortunately for us, we had forgotten to pack a bag of coffee (a glaring oversight on our packing list), making caffeine an urgent need. The search was not looking too promising as we wound our way through the Catskills’ rural mountain towns. Hope was in sight, however, when we stumbled upon a hand-painted sandwich board that proudly exclaimed “ART HOUSE ESPRESSO”. A quick Google search of the place told me…absolutely nothing. Nonetheless, we decided to give it a go. I mean…caffeine is caffeine, right?
Our travels have taught us that some of the best experiences come from saying “Yes!” to something that is outside of your comfort zone. And while I do enjoy a fancy cup of hand-poured latte art, this experience was no exception. We trudged through the door and three pairs of eyeballs looked up from an art gallery table to give us a kind, but confused look. We were out-of-towners and there was no espresso machine in sight.
I quickly ducked into the restroom and let Phil stumble through the introductions. Outside the restroom was a library filled with a collection of miscellaneous books and a hand-scrawled sign that read “Anyone who lives within 30 miles may take out a book. Good Karma= Returning Book Bad Karma=Not Returning Book.”
In search of Phil, I meandered through the library into what can only be described as a kitckenette in a cozy, old-fashioned living room aglow with multi-colored twinkle lights. Lo and behold, this bar actually had an espresso machine!
With no menus or cash register to be found, Phil asked the older gentleman behind the bar if he could make lattes and this barista happily obliged. After handing us two cups of coffee, we inquired about payment and we were told, “You can place a donation in the jar.”
We were taking our first sips of the coffee when our caffeine hero turned swiftly back to us with a mischievous grin on his face, asking “Do you want a tour?!” We weren’t yet sure what it was that we would be touring, but we weren’t going to say no!
He brought us back to the library in the front of the room and directed us to pull one of the books off the shelf. When Phil grabbed the book, a low-pitched hum filled the room. “It’s the C-scale!”, exclaimed our guide. As it turns out, one of the shelves of books has been wired to play a C-scale of notes as you lifted each book from its position. File this under things I did not expect today!
We transitioned to the back of the gallery where we were each handed a drumstick and encouraged to strike both the stair railing which was made of pipes, as well as the steps themselves which were wired to project the sound of a bass drum. Our guide pulled a handle affixed to the wall which revealed a hidden accordion. There were musical concoctions everywhere!
Once we had toured the interior (or so we thought), we exited through the backdoor of the gallery and found the “Home of the First Flying Human,” a walk-through art installation complete with a shrine of offerings including a gold, glittery Toms shoe.
We made our way back inside to tour the gallery space filled with an art series that was currently on display: gorgeous pieces of driftwood furniture and watercolor renderings of headwaters that trickled into trout streams. As someone who dabbles in (read: extremely amateur) watercolor, I really enjoyed these beautiful pieces of artwork.
Much to our surprise, the local artist whose pieces were on display, was the owner of one of the three pairs of eyeballs that greeted us upon arrival. Judd Weisberg is a nationally renowned fly fishing guide and conservationist, as well as an incredible artist. We really enjoyed our conversation with him as he walked us through his inspiration behind his work.
After our unexpected conversation with the artist, our guide had “one last thing” to show us on the tour. The front door, which we entered through, was connected to a chandelier made of keys that rattled and clanked each time someone new entered the building. We were so distracted by our newness & self-consciousness when we first entered the building that we missed the beauty that rippled from our arrival. There has to be a proverb in there somewhere.
A quick coffee stop turned immersive art experience ended up being a highlight of our trip thus far and it was all because we weren’t afraid to venture off the beaten path.
Thank you to the Prattsville Art Center for welcoming us: two out-of-towner Kentuckians from the other end of the Appalachian Mountains who just needed a cup of coffee and some kindness for the road.
Next up: A new state for Phil - Rhode Island!
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