Just spent a delightful weekend in the center of the universe. It had everything—great restaurants, beautiful scenery, great accommodations, and friendly folks. Where could it be but Callicoon? Went down to catch up with my sister Billie and her husband Peter, son Chris, his wife Beth, and their wonderful daughters Emily and Peyton, all visiting from the steamy state of Florida. And we’re all vaccinated! Hooray! We stayed down the road a bit in a fabulous Airbnb outside Narrowsburg. It was one of the famous Catskill Farms homes built in the Mid-Century Ranch style and was just perfect for our getaway. Three bedrooms, two baths, an open kitchen with great appliances, screened-in porch, air conditioning (a must for last weekend!), and a screening room downstairs. Excellent! I hadn’t had a chance to spend time in Callicoon since the pandemic, but I had heard about lots of places I wanted to check out. Top of my list was The Wine Merchant, which is on Audley Dorrer Drive behind Lower Main Street. We sat outside under the umbrellas enjoying a lovely breeze along with our crisp, beautifully chilled white wine and tapas. We shared small plates of pork tenderloin, egg with anchovy, and lamb shoulder in a sauce so good it brought tears to my eyes. (We cadged some bread from brother-in-law Peter to soak it all up!) I bought a bottle of the white, but it didn’t last long enough for me to catch its name! Not to worry—I will be back! Meanwhile, the kids were rafting and kayaking down the river, seeing lots of eagles overhead, and jumping in for a swim to cool off. On Sunday we headed down to the famous Farmers Market, but honestly it was too hot for me to do any serious shopping, though the vendors had great offerings. It seemed a much better idea to adjourn to the back deck at Peppino’s and enjoy some lunch in the shade. We grabbed some tables and our waitress Maggie brought out Peppino’s delicious pizzas and salads. Another delightful repast. Then it was time for some retail therapy. I mean honestly, how long could I hold out? We went into Spruce Home Goods and fell in love with everything we saw. The glassware! The linens! The soaps! The breads! The coffee! This store contains so many beautiful items that you need to spend at least an hour to appreciate everything. I made some very satisfactory purchases and promised myself a return trip. Billie, Peter, and I had lunch on Monday at the Callicoon Brewery. The Brewery is another Callicoon success story. Housed in the old Olympia Hotel, which stood in disrepair for as long as I can remember, it has been renovated with a great deck and an interior like an old-school saloon. Walt, the cook, makes a mean cheeseburger and fries. I must point out that we passed at least three other restaurants on our walk to the Brewery! More to try! Callicoon has got it going on, and I can’t wait to go again.