It had been awhile since we had seen the fires of Autumn. So, we decided to travel North and go road trippin’ in upstate New York. Less than 60 miles away from the Big Apple is Bear Mountain, a charming hill overlooking the Hudson. The drive is gorgeous, a true cleansing of the soul through the glory of the changing foliage followed by a full three-hour hike detox, a fun afternoon at an Oktoberfest nearby wrapped up with a funny evening in a charming cottage by a small lake. This is not a major drift. But if you’re a on a time crunch and you need a breather it’s a nice option. So city slickers, this is for you.

We hit the road around 8am from Newark (we didn’t want to go to the city this time) and we drive up north. On the way before the hypnotic whisper of the road captures us, we decide to halt for breakfast. We target the little gem town of Montclair NJ. We find just what we were looking for at the corner of Grove and Walnut in a place called… The Corner. The atmosphere is cozy and inviting, the pastries are delicious, the coffee well served and the service excellent.

When we get back on the road we are smiling large, enchanted and ready to dive into Autumn and its ocean of burning foliage. Before long nature drowns us.

After an hour we exit the highway and soon find ourselves overlooking the small Hessian lake, and the Iona island resting at the bottom of an avalanche of red, gold and dust into the Hudson river. Three hours on the Major Welch trail offer a good refreshing hike, a few magnificent views of the valley and the sense of satisfaction and accomplishment you always get when you reach a summit, no matter how small. If you’re the fitness type, we suggest you run back down through the steepest trail, a good 25 minutes work out with a few challenges of its own.

Later in the afternoon, we go to the Anthony Wayne recreation area, ten minutes away, to enjoy delicious beer (Spaten, a lager from Munich), bratwurst with sauerkraut, knockwurst with caramelized onion, spätzle and schnitzel, some Bavarian folklore and a short, powerfully recharging nap. A simply joyful time in this beautiful forest.

As the afternoon turns into evening, you can easily go back to New York City and balance out your day in this innocent Eden. But we choose to stay and sleep in one of the Bear Mountain Inn cottage by the Hessian lake. The place would be nothing special (and overpriced) were it not for its location. Nested between the river, the lake and the mountain, in the middle of that sea of green, it’s hard not to be inspired.

Inspiration is amplified by the perfect psychedelic equipment and circumstances: a 10mg THC sour-gummy from Native Roots Dispensary in Denver CO, some creative artisanal chocolate from Theo (an exquisite small factory in Seattle WA), some protein chips. As luck would have it, when the rush of the day settles in, the oxygenation, the trail run, the carb abuse at the fest and the weed, and we turn on the TV, we are blessed with the perfect features back to back: The Hangover part II, Ted and This is the End. That Colorado weed is potent and reminds us of our beginnings… We know we are taking off when Alan (Zack Galifinakis) tells a white-headed capucin wearing a Rolling Stones denim jacket:

- “I wish Monkey could skype”

and we know we are sky high when it takes us ten minutes to understand this Ted joke, told by the eponym hero of the movie (a teddy bear with Seth McFarlane's voice for those who haven't seen it) :

- “Lori, this is Angelique, Heavenly, Chalrene, and Sauvignon Blanc. I love you girls. Y'know, somewhere out there are four terrible fathers I wish I could thank for this great night!”

Soon after, the lights go off in Georgia and that's a wrap ladies and gentlemen. We wake up in the middle of the night thirsty like elephants, zombie our way to the bathroom, wrestle our own clothes off and collapse into bed.

We enjoy the road trip back as much as we enjoyed it on the way in. Rolling through the majestic Autumn burst, it has a slightly different feel to it though. Deliciously melancholic, The Boxer from Simon & Garf playing in the background, the closing credit start to roll and the camera slowly rises into the air as the drifter cruises away towards New York City in the distance.