Was in in upstate NY recently and reminisced about the golden age of the "resorts" that proliferated in the Catskill Mountains serving up heaps of entertainment to vacationers from the city.

Belly dancers who worked the resorts had to ride between gigs still dressed in their costumes which was usually under a raincoat. They worked very hard because they usually got a whole weeks work done in one night. My mother's friend Midge (who performed with a snake named Sami) loved working the Catskills. One of the best agents for the resorts was Charlie Rapp. He is still remembered to this day and my Mom Johanna was one of his acts. Johanna preferred working in Greektown (six nights a week) over the Catskills, but she did go up occasionally. (Johanna thought she'd freeze her butt off in Catskills! Ha Ha!)

Sabah Nissan used to like a gig she had at an Armenian resort way up in the Tannersville area which was a part of the area they now refer to as the "Yogurt Belt." (The "Borscht Belt" was the area around Liberty/Monticello, etc. etc. Was founded by European Jews, thus that name.)

I'd like to invite Sabah to tell us a little about Tannersville (what happened to that place, etc.) if she'd like to join in to this post.

Also, I have a question about a place I came across in Liberty, NY. There was a dilapidated old sign falling down at Lake Marie Rd. that said, "Persian Garden" with an arrow pointing the way. I made my boyfriend go in search of it and a few miles out we found an old resort (two beige color 150 year old looking rooming houses!) and even a boat house that matched. It was long abandoned. Does anyone know if that was Armenian or has anyone even ever heard of "The Persian Garden"?