A Spectacular Autumn Drone's-Eye View Of the Mohonk Preserve...

The explosion of Fall colors on New York's Shawangunk Ridge are second to none. I've spent many a weekend hiking around up there trying the capture the spectacular vista with my Zone VI 4x5 camera, but this video gives you a view of what it must be like for a raptor riding the thermals around those cliffs.

You're also provided with several unique views of the Mohonk Mountain House and of SkyTop Tower, a landmark that features prominently in my novel, Little Birdies!  Enjoy your trip...

Hike Until You Drop (But Don't)...

Towards the end of Little Birdies!, Willie Nolan, an environmental program specialist with the Bureau of Wildlife division of New York State's Department of Environmental Conservation, is at the Mohonk Mountain House and needs to get to Sky Top Tower to see how closely the birds are being monitored by the authorities. He's forced to climb the Labyrinth at night, to avoid the State Trooper parked at the base of Sky Top Road.

When he returns, two hours later, he describes the trail to Dan Grant: "It was blazed by sadists for crazy people," an observation that anyone who has attempted the near-vertical scramble knows to be true. Here's a great up-close and personal look at the entire trail, from the bottom up to the Tower:

And, yes, I've done it. My advice? Carry water and little else, wear sturdy, supportive footwear and don't fall...

The Carriage Road to SkyTop Tower...

Here's a great look at the carriage road leading from the Mohonk Mountain House to SkyTop Tower. Towards the end of Little Birdies!, Mandy and her friends track the birds to the tower, where they've taken up residence and enjoy riding the thermals during the day. Enjoy your walk...

Marc Morrone talks Birds 101...

Television personality Marc Morrone is here doing what he does best, educating the public about pet keeping. This is a great, concise primer on the pros and cons of keeping exotic birds as companion animals:



Marc had some very kind words for my third novel, Little Birdies! :

"One of my favorite books of all time was Watership Down, by Richard Adams. The author's descriptions of the pastoral English countryside were vivid and organic, and transported the reader into an imaginary world in ways that only a great novel can do.

It's that ability to carry readers away and immerse them in a fictional world that I most like about Little Birdies! by Anthony F. Lewis. The fact that the setting for much of the book was New York's densely forested Hudson Valley and the spectacular Mohonk Mountain House only upped the measure of personal satisfaction for me. Lewis captures the region's look and feel in a manner that effortlessly sweeps the reader away to the woodland steams and primordial highlands that inhabit the story.

Another mark of a world-class novelist--the late Michael Crichton comes to mind here--is attention to detail; especially scientific detail. There are few things more upsetting for me than when an author ruins a perfectly good story by getting the facts wrong. Such is not the case here. Like Crichton, Lewis has exhaustively researched his subject matter, providing the reader with a convincing and realistic platform from which to launch the story.

There are many good stories around. What sets books like Little Birdies! apart from the rest is the author's attention to detail and the ease with which he draws the reader into the story. Do yourself a favor ... curl up with a copy of Little Birdies! and be prepared to be transported."

 Read the opening chapters of Little Birdies! here, the reviews here. And, of course, the book is available at Amazon, in both softcover and Kindle editions,

Sky Top Tower...

Here's a quick little video, apparently taken from one of the upper floors of the Mohonk Mountain House, showing the snow covered lake and overhanging cliffs. About 25 seconds in, the photographer zooms right in on Sky Top Tower at the top of the hill, providing a great, clear look at the structure. If you've read Little Birdies!, you'll recognize this as a pivotal location in the story:

New Mohonk Mountain House video...

Here's a wonderful short history and video tour of the Mohonk Mountain House. It was shot in the Fall, so it's particularly visually striking. 


The Mountain House and Sky Top Tower (visible for a moment in the video) are featured prominently in my latest novel, Little Birdies!. Consider purchasing a copy as a gift for friends and family who are passionate about parrots, scifi/adventure stories or the Shawangunks. Sample chapters are here, reviews here...

Autumn color peeking through up at the Mohonk Mountain House...

Here's another nicely done photo-montage of the Mohonk Mountain house and its surroundings. Looks like they're showing a little Fall color up there; no dino-birds, though...

A short trip to Mohonk...

Here's a great little video providing a comprehensive look at the entire Mohonk experience. Included are intimate views of the Mohonk Mountain House, including a rare peak at the interior and detailed studies of the grounds and landscaping (especially the Victorian gardens, the many gazebos and gigantic covered deck overlooking the lake). Also shown are mountain vistas, local cliff sides, wildlife ... it's a great little getaway at your computer screen. It's an eight and a half minute clip, so fix yourself a cup of coffee and prepare to enjoy the trip!



The Mohonk Preserve and Mountain House were the setting for the third act of Little Birdies! for good reason ... there's no nicer place in the area to spend a few days, in fiction or in real life. Check out the reviews and sample chapters for Little Birdies! right here. Enjoy! 

Visiting the 'Gunks...

It's that time of year again, and there's no better place to appreciate the spectacular Fall colors then a drive or hike in the Shawangunks. I've been hiking (even camping, before it was banned) up there since the early '70's, before half the world knew about it and when you could actually park your car on 44/55 without it getting towed or ticketed.

Here are two comprehensive and easy-to-read articles outlining a brief history of the area, as well as touching on the geology, biodiversity and current status of what is truly a unique ecosystem.

Formed some 420 million years ago, The Gunks have been eroded by weather and ground down by glaciers to form a unique landscape ideal for hiking, biking, skiing and climbing. Within 15 minutes of the center of New Paltz are over 200 miles of trails located in the three properties preserving The Gunks: Mohonk Mountainhouse, Mohonk Preserve and Minnewaska State Park Preserve. The trails range from wide and pleasant carriage roads to steep and challenging rock scrambles. ...The Gunks are home to numerous rare and endangered species of plants. Fox, bear, deer, porcupine, beaver, bobcat, skunks and snakes abound. And the Gunks are ideally situated on the major migratory paths of birds making them a perfect location to observe both permanent residents as well as those just passing thru. 

Read the entire article here: Hiking & Climbing the Shawangunks.

This second article is a history and current rundown of the Mohonk Preserve and the Mohonk Mountain House. These were the locations that were featured prominently in my book, Little Birdies! (sample chapters here...):

Mohonk exists today solely because of the inspiration of Alfred and Albert Smiley. The brothers purchased a parcel of land adjacent to a lake on top of the Shawangunk Ridge and created what became the most important of the great mountain resorts, Mohonk Mountain House. ... Of all the great Mountain Resorts of New York, Mohonk stood above the rest for its setting, implementation and realization of the ideal. Others, like the Catskill Mountain House, may have had more spectacular views or grander accommodations, but Mohonk was possibly the most sublime and definitely the most picturesque.

 Read the entire article here: Mohonk Preserve & Mohonk Mountain House.

Mohonk pics...

These are some shots from the web site of the Mohonk Mountain House. All locales were featured prominently in the climax of Little Birdies!.


Here's the resort from the ridge, showing the large, covered deck overlooking the lake.


Here's a nice autumn shot of the Shawangunk Ridge. Sky Top Tower can be seen at the very edge of the ridge.


You can see Sky Top Tower at the upper left-hand corner of the image.

Spend a few minutes at the Mohonk Mountain House...

Here's a nice clip that gives you a good look at the terrain around the historic resort, as well as some views around the property that you generally don't see,including a brief glimpse of the deck where Willie, Dan Grant and Prof. Ross hatch their plan to rescue the birds...

Mohonk Mountain House video tour...

Here's a newly posted video tour of the historic Mohonk Mountain House. It's the setting for the finale of Little Birdies! and a spectacular place to visit, even if only for a day trip for a hike around the area.

Mohonk Mountain House...

Here's a short film of the Mohonk Mountain House from the 1930's. Towards the end, there's a great shot looking up the sheer cliff to Sky Top Tower, the setting for the climax of Little Birdies!.

The Mountain House...

Here's a nice little video clip of the Mohonk Mountain House, one of the locations in Little Birdies!. Sky Top Tower is on an adjacent, 300 foot tall cliff overlooking the resort.

Sky Top in 3-D...

Check this out! As I've mentioned before, Little Birdies! takes us to Sky Top Tower (at the Mohonk Mountain House) near the conclusion of the story.

Here's a very clever 3-D model of the old stone tower: Sky Top Tower - Lake Mohonk, New York

Very cool...

Mohonk Mountain House celebrates 140 years...

The famed Mohonk Mountain House is celebrating their 140th anniversary this year. They've been entertaining guests since the start of the Ulysses S. Grant administration, and play host to the runaway Little Birdies! for more than a few chapters.

There's an excellent photographic retrospective here, and more here. It's a spectacular establishment set within a truly unique environmental ecosystem. It's well worth the visit, even if only for a day hike.

Mohonk Mountain House...

Here's a short video showing a pretty good view of the Mohonk Mountain House (including the large deck overlooking the lake), the Shawangunk Ridge and a brief look at Skytop Tower towards the end. A great deal of the action in the second half of Little Birdies! takes place at or around the Mountain House, Skytop Tower and the local environs...