Near Storm King Art Center is a great B&B, appropriately named Storm King Lodge. Benjamin and I stayed here for a night, and we had a really good time.
The proprietor of the lodge, Hal, was a fascinating man, a retired professional trombonist. He told us some of his stories about touring with the New York Metropolitan Opera and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He also showed us his son’s sculptures, which were these really nice combinations of glass and metal, shaped into stacks like spinal bones or arranged as full skeleton cowboys. I loved them. And as all good B&B owners do, Hal shared the history of the house… it was originally a Dutch barn built in the 1700s. Swallows inhabited the back porch rafters, and every window pane was graced with their beautiful nests. We woke up to the sound of them fluttering outside our window.
At breakfast, we met a former CIA agent, who shall remain purposefully nameless. He was really into music and had a lengthy discussion with Benjamin about the joys of attending good shows and the differences between the various musical decades. Agent X was with his friend, who shall be called 002. She was an interpreter in a particularly dicey place during the Cold War. I liked that 002 was reading J.D. Salinger’s short stories. We also met a young woman getting her PhD in Psychology, and her Software Engineer fiance, who was really an aspiring science fiction writer.
I do love the people that you meet at B&B’s, and there were other things to love about Storm King Lodge.
Jacque and Lucy were the resident’s furry canine friends. Jacque was an elderly pup who looked like a big, pretty wolf, and Lucy was a Chow mix who entertained us by stalking a bunny. She was unsuccessful, but we admired her determination.
The outdoor pool was phenomenal! Hal painted it black to naturally keep it warmer, and it worked! It also made the water a gorgeous navy blue. I loved the feeling of stepping in, being able to see my feet, and then having them disappear into the deeper water. It was so nice to swim outside in fresh air surrounded by a mountain vista.
I must end with a few more words for the barn swallows. I loved their cobalt blue wings and their forked tails. I loved how their nests were like little hives. Most of all, I loved how they remembered that the lodge was once a barn, and therefor, they belonged there.
Storm King Lodge was lovely and we hope to visit again soon!
