Zee-zone: Father's Day in Mohawk, NY

This last Sunday it was Father's Day weekend, which I spent in a small country village in upstate New York named Mohawk and it was great!!! Mohawk is only an hour away from Albany and the road is usually quite smooth if you're driving a car. But because the weather was just right, and me and R. are so brave, we took his 990 cc Harley Davidson to get there. So, when we got to our destination point our faces were numb as well as our butts, and my mascara was all over the place because the wind hits the eyes terribly, even if you're wearing glasses. However, we were happy that the trip was safe.
Upstate NY is a very interesting place. Those, who visited only New York City or Long Island, or any other cities down there don't know that upstate New York is a lot different. The first thing that caught my ear is the accent - I always wonder about accents because I'm a foreigner. I do not speak English well enough to describe the specifics of it, but it is definitely more recognizable in women talk. I'm not sure if I like it, but I don't mind it at all.
Second thing that everyone appreciates right away - the nature. Upstate is famous for its forests, which are especially beautiful in autumn. When you're on the highway, thick green foliage of trees run along it, attracting your attention to their beauty. Short part of the road was running along the bank of a Mohawk river. Not too wide, but again, beautiful. Several springs and endless creeks add to the upstate beauty, simultaneously bringing clear water to the locals. I guess I will purposely omit the stories about wild animals that are everywhere: birds, snakes, deer, foxes, chipmunks, and even coyotes.

Rooster - symbol of a countryside

During our visit we went for a short ride around the area. Although Mohawk is only an hour away, its difference from Albany is drastic. If Albany is a Capitol City where a big part of population works for the government, Mohawk is a country place where people live in their own houses, possess some land and are more likely to be involved in construction and farming. I like going to the countryside because it is quiet, beautiful and calming. Down below you can see the pictures of the garden. Add to that singing birds, ability to tan whenever you want (and even naked =), fires that you can have dark chilly evenings in a warm company of your family and friends, and barbecue parties whenever you want! Doesn't it make you want to live in the country? =) I was lucky to experience all that!

Rose

Garden decorations

But I have to say, the most important thing about upstate NY is people. They are mostly hard working and seem to be simpler that usual townspeople, but it can get tricky. Women are great housewives and spend a lot of time taking care of the houses, but men here are special. There's this quite sensible attitude that they can give you. It's not that they are rude, but they have quite sharp tongues, if you understand what I'm talking about! =) Here and there you can see men of all ages covered in tattoos riding motorcycles. Bikes are big in upstate NY. You must have a nice big shiny bike to be a really COOL guy. It is no surprise at all that these tough guys worship Harleys. Sport bikes or as they call them "crotch rockets" are trash =). A real man drives Harley. Period. Unfortunately, I did not have a chance to take a picture of those rough guys with their girlfriends on backseats (which would be quite problematic and dangerous being on the backseat myself=) ), but I was enjoying the company of the best one of them the entire weekend. =)