Open: Sunday 1:00pm-4:00pm/Monday-Friday Closed/Saturday 1:00pm-4:00pm/Walking tour of the historical Town of Hurley on the fourth Sunday of each month from May to October.
The Hurley Heritage Society and Museum at 52 Main Street.
The sign that welcomes you to the museum.
The first thing you will notice is the section of the blue stone road that is displayed in the museum’s yard.
You can still see the grooves in the road that were left by the stone wagons that once traveled through the town.
The Front Hall has an exhibition of Revolutionary items and Native American everyday objects.
The showcase of Native American artifacts, located in the upstairs hall, features a timeline of projectile points(spearheads) from the earliest prehistoric times to 1350 AD. Many early tools and stone tools used by the River Indian Tribes are displayed with explanations and documented dates. The history of early pottery tells how and why the Indian settlers crafted utensils from local clay pits and kilns (from the museum website).
Hurley played a pivotal role in the American Revolution. Following the burning of Kingston (then New York State’s Capital) by British troops on October 16, 1777, General George Clinton made Hurley’s Main Street a military outpost. Immediately after the burning of Kingston, the Capital was moved to Marbletown until November 18, when it was relocated to Hurley. The Safety Council (which represented the combined legislative and executive functions of the state government) met in the Van Deusen House (from the museum website).
The Dutch Room:
The Dutch Room showcases how a living area might have looked in the Dutch and Colonial period in the 17th and 18th centuries. All curated items—Dutch bible, antique chairs, tables and cupboards, baby cradle, canvas floor cloth, butter churn, Dutch oven, pewter and china dishes—are typical of ones used by Hurley’s early Dutch settlers (from the museum website).
The Dutch Room
The inside of the museum offers you a glimpse of the past of the town of Hurley and in the time of the Dutch settlers.
The front Hallway Gallery is the old Dining Room.
The old Dining Room of the home has a wood burning fireplace for cooking with an old-fashioned toaster and pots for making stew. To the side is a butter churner and a spinning wheel for making clothes.
Off to one side of the room shows life at that time.
The historic kitchen with wooden shoes and a sausage machine next to the butter churner. The armoire is filled with linens.
The kitchen utensils and cooking materials.
The table had a cake mold and a cabbage shredder. The cabinet was filled with pewter and dishes. Home life in a Dutch home was a lot of work.
On display was a Dutch Bible and a felt hat and other items of Dutch life in the Hudson River Valley.
The History of Post Offices:
In the other room has an exhibition of post offices of the local area and their history and development.
The museum was able to replicate old post office of Hurley by saving pieces of it and brought them to the museum. This if the old front of the Hurley Post Office.
This is the original sorting station from the of post office.
The history of the Hurley Post Office.
Visitors entering the exhibition room are transported into the reconstructed interior of a vintage post office. A dozen display panels circling the room guide the visitor through the seven (yes, seven) iterations of the hamlet of Hurley post offices and through the upheaval caused by reservoir construction of the Ashton, West Hurley, Glenford, and Spillway post offices (from the museum website).
The artist Winslow Homer’s Hurley-An Arist’s View art exhibition:
The pieces of his work are shown took place when the artist lived in the area.
Winslow Homer, one of America’s greatest painters and illustrators, visited Hurley, NY, during summers of the 1870s to sketch and paint views of American pastoral life. It has been a not-so-well-kept secret that that Homer’s famed Snap the Whip is a Hurley scene. Now, recent research has unearthed a trove of his artworks that were inspired by Hurley homes and landscapes (from the museum’s website).
The exhibition on the Eagle’s Nest Community:
EAGLE’S NEST: EXPLORING THE MYTHS AND REALITY explores the history and lore of the Eagle’s Nest, a multi-racial community that resided on Hurley Mountain dating to the 19th century. The Eagle’s Nest exhibit looks at who settled and lived on Eagle’s Nest – not just the myth and hearsay, but a look at the archival records and documentation.
The Walking tour of the town every forth Sunday:
Every last Saturday, the museum has a walking tour of its historic downtown. The town is steeped in history and played a role after the burning of Kingston, NY by the British. It seemed that people escaped to Hurley to get away from the ruin.
The docents run an hour tour of the downtown historical area and give the history of the businesses and buildings that made up this historical town. With the threat of rain and dark clouds above us, our tour guide, Michael, took us on a modified version of the longer tour that was very interesting.
Two different docents gave two different approaches towards the tour and both were excellent. Try not to miss this when it happens at the end of each month from May to October.
The Start of the tour with our tour guide Richard:
The video:
Now a quiet picturesque town, the tour takes you past the historic houses, the Dutch Reformed Church and through their old Dutch cemetery where the remains of many of the first families of the area now reside.
The start of the walking tour
It is an hour-long tour packed with information and interesting stops along the way.
The Van Deusen House when it was the temporary Capital of New York State
The Van Deusen House-the former headquarters of New York State after the burning of the Captial of New York State-Kingston, NY.
The Pietrus Crispell house has served as the Parsonage since 1839.
The Dutch Reformed Church and the Parsonage.
The tour continued
Talking more about the historic downtown
We toured the Hurley Dutch Reformed Church and the parthage next door. We got to see the inside of the church and the pews of the main room. There were dedications to former ministers along the walls. The services are said to be interesting and engaging.
The Dutch Reformed Church of Hurley, NY at 11 Main Street.
The pews inside the Dutch Reformed Church of Hurley, NY
The Rooster Weathervane of the Dutch Reformed Church.
The Rooster Weathervane is a tradition of the church. The tour guide said that it was replaced by a cross which is a more Christian symbol of the church.
One of the older houses of Downtown Hurley. Built in 1715 it operated as the Half Moon Tavern in the18th century.
The Old Guard House
The Guard House where a British spy was held until his hanging in retaliation for the Nathan Hale hanging in New York City. It seems that a British spy did the same type of treason as the British felt Nathan Hale had done and hung him in the town the same way as retaliation for his crime.
The Old Burying Ground sign
Touring the Historical Cemetery in Hurley, NY:
The Video of the Tour
The sign at the entrance of the Old Burial Ground in Hurley, NY.
The Old Burial Grounds was the most beautiful part of the tour. The cemetery sits on a bluff overlooking the Catskill Mountains and offers the most beautiful view on a sunny blue day. It makes you less afraid of cemeteries after touring this well-kept burial ground. The tombstones are well maintained for their age, and you can see the family plots of the first families of the area.
The Old Burial Ground with a view of the Catskill Mountains in the background.
The family plots in the cemetery.
The cemetery after it received a lawn cut from the town.
The view from the burial grounds with the Catskills in the background.
Revolutionary War Hero Colonial Charles DeWitt gravesite.
The dogs that will greet you when you exit the cemetery.
These two friendly dogs wanted to join the tour with us by the cemetery.
The house that General George Washington was given a reception during the war.
The General was entertained at this spot during the war with people grateful for his service.
The house General George Washington visited when he was in Hurley NY. This is is Abe Houghtaling House, where a reception was held for General George Washington when he visited Hurley on 1782.
The side view of the house.
The “Stone Road” pieces outside the museum.
There are two sets of street tracks to see at the museum.
The “Blue Stone Road” pieces outside the museum.
We finished the tour outside the museum with a talk about the museum. I highly recommend going to the museum on the fourth Sunday of the month from May to October (must be nice when the leave change colors) while the tours are still running and take this very interesting historical tour of this small town. it is packed with information and interesting sites to see.
Frankenstein and his bride from the recent Scarecrow Festival at the museum.
Christmas time in Hurley and at the society are really charming. I stopped by the society (it is closed for the season) to see how they decorated the building and the whole town was decorated for the Christmas holidays with garland, wreaths and decorated trees. The local church was decked out in wreaths and lights and the whole town looked like a wood carving from Currier & Ives.
The outside of the Hurley Historical Society at Christmas time.
The Society at Christmas time all decked out with decorations.
I decided to take the same walking tour as above on my own to see the town of Hurley during Christmas time.
I started at the sign at the Historical Society sign.
The Old Guard House at Christmas time.
The Reformed Church at Christmas time.
Downtown Hurley at Christmas time.
The Gazebo decorated for the holidays.
I doubled back and walked to the other side of the downtown towards the cemetery. The historic homes in the downtown were decked out with garland and wreaths and the downtown looked very picturesque.
One of the historic homes in Downtown Hurley.
Another one of the historic homes in the downtown area.
Another home on the tour route.
Before I left Downtown Hurley, the Hurley Fire Department added to the festive environment by having their fire truck drive by for their “Santa Around Town” event. It was kind of sad considering there was only myself and another person walking around, and their first stop was a grocery store down the road with two cars in the driveway. Maybe more people were planning on showing up later that afternoon.
The Hurley Fire Department at “Santa Around Town” in Downtown Hurley.
It was a relaxing afternoon in Hurley before I moved on to other parts of the Hudson River Valley for the afternoon.
The 2025 Tootsie Exhibition (in conjunction with the Hurley Public Library):
The Official Trailer to the film
When I visited the museum in August of 2025, the museum in conjunction with the Hurley Public Library was honoring the filming of the movie ‘Tootsie’, which had been filmed at an historic farmhouse just down the road from the museum along with the Hurley Mountain House sports bar just down the road from the museum. Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange and Charles Durning were in Hurley for three weeks filming the Upstate New York scene.
The ‘Tootsie’ exhibition
The display
The pictures and articles from the filming
The articles from the filming
Pictures from the day of the film shooting from locals Cindy Gill Lapp, who was a teenager when she visited the set (pictures above with Mr. Hoffman) and Viola Opdahl, who owned the historic house.
After the tour of the museum, there was a special screening of the movie ‘Tootsie’ at the Hurley Public Library with local resident, Cindy Gill Lapp who talked about her times visiting the set with her friends from high school.
Cindy Gill Lapp talking about visiting the set of ‘Tootsie’ in 1981
Ms. Gill Lapp with Dustin Hoffman on the set
Then a group of twenty of us stayed to watch the movie at the back room of the library. It was a really nice special event.
After the movie was over, I stopped down at Stewart’s Shops at 6 Main Street, down the street from the museum for a snack. It is one of only three places near the museum to eat.
The Fredrick J. Johnson Museum and Friends Gallery is packed with a lot of information on the Kingston NY area and the surrounding communities. There is a lot to do and see.
The Fredrick J. Johnson Museum and Friends Gallery
The beautiful furnishings of the Fredrick J. Johnson Museum
The Fredrick J. Johnson Museum and the Friends of Kingston
About Friends of Historic Kingston
We are a not-for-profit organization founded in 1965 whose members share a common mission: preserving and promoting the local history and landmarks of Kingston, New York.
Our Mission
The Friends of Historic Kingston champions our unique architectural, historical and cultural legacy and shares it with residents of all ages of the Kingston community and with visitors to the Hudson Valley.
What We Do
The exhibition at the Fredrick J. Johnson Museum and at the Friends of Kingston Gallery was “Still Standing”. How the Friends have saved many historical buildings in Kingston, NY from destruction. This contribution from the members of…
Wing Shui Chinese Restaurant at 53 North Street in Kingston, NY
I have been eating at Wing Shui Chinese Restaurant for several years since I dined there back in 2018 and fell in love with their egg rolls which are some of the best I have ever had. They are one of the few restaurants in Kingston, NY that is still reasonable as the area around the “Stockade Section” section of the city has gentrified. It sits as an old guard to the more expensive upscale restaurants that have opened in recent years.
The egg rolls at Wing Shui are some of the best I have eaten.
The egg rolls are loaded with chopped roast pork.
I have tried a few of the restaurant’s dishes and…
I really enjoy my trips to the Hudson River Valley to attend weekend events. When I read about the series of County Fairs that will be held during August upstate, I wanted to start visiting them. I have been to the Dutchess County Fair for many years, but I never ventured outside that fair. I have never really explored Ulster County, so I decided to head upstate and visit the Ulster County Fair for the afternoon. It was an eye opener.
I found that the Ulster County Fair was about half the size of the Dutchess County Fair across the river. The fairgrounds are smaller than Dutchess County’s so you could tour the fair much quicker. There were lots to do at the fairgrounds and I explored the whole fair over the next three hours.
The entrance to the fair and the concessions
I first visited the Volunteer Fire Museum and the Police Museum that are only open when the fair is open. The two museums for such limited space they pack in a lot of information and displays.
The Deputy William G. King Law Enforcement Museum at the Ulster Fairgrounds houses the law enforcement collection of the late deputy. This houses several types of guns, armed equipment, badges and patches along with all sorts of gear.
The Deputy William G. King Law Enforcement Museum-The Ulster County Sheriffs Office
The museum was stocked with equipment that law enforcement has used over the last hundred years that includes batons, handcuffs and how a police station works. They even had a small jail with a gas chamber and electric chair display.
The Gas Chamber, Electric Chair and Jail displays
The main gallery of the museum
Equipment and artifacts in the museum
The Deputy Wives Association banner
The Ulster County Volunteer Fire Museum was stocked with equipment that volunteer fire departments had donated, pictures and patches of local departments and like The Police Museum staffed by volunteers from the departments who could describe the objects in the museum and what their position was in their departments.
The Ulster County Volunteer Fire Museum
The main gallery of the museum
Fire Fighter Scooby Doo protects the museum
It was a nice to talk to other volunteer fire fighters who face the issues we all face, changing ranks in the volunteers with a generation gap and trying to recruit new fire fighters. All of us still have the pride of being a fire fighter but the role seems to be changing. The museum reflected that with new ways of firefighting are being practiced but keeping the traditions alive. Both museums should be a bit more updated.
The fire truck collection at the Ulster County Volunteer Fire Museum
I next visited the Ulster County Fair Agricultural Museum and that was very interesting. The Agricultural museum displays farming over the last two hundred years from the hand and horse drawn plows and hoes to the progression of the modern tractor.
The Ulster County Fair Agricultural Museum on the Fairgrounds
The front of the museum
There are also displays on the farm kitchen and the life of a woman on the farm. There were rolls for everyone to play to make a farm work
The farm kitchen where ongoing work for the house was never finished
There was extensive collection of tractors, carriages and farm equipment through the last 100 years.
The antique tractor collection
The collection of antique carriages
The
The transition from horse drawn carriages and gas powered engines
What I liked about the museum is the group of farmers and landowners who manned the exhibits and showed how the engines worked and how the saw worked. There were demonstrations all day on the progress of their development and discussions on how they were used on the farm. The unfortunate part was there were not a lot of listener to the demonstrations.
The powered engines on display
The guys were demonstrating the engines that power everything around the farm
On the inside of the museum, there were all sorts of displays on early farming. The use of hoes both horse drawn to power and the changes in both the egg and dairy industry. Changes on the farm keep developing and are still changing.
The early hoes both by hand and by horse
The display on milking a cow
The old Egg Hatchery with weights and sorting
I found all three museums packed with information and were interesting to visit to get a perspective on Ulster County past and present. It is too bad that the three of the museums are only open during fairground events. The different organizations do a nice job manning them and displaying their artifacts in them.
The 4 H display on the egg hatcheries that are part of farm live here
After I left the museums, I toured the 4H displays. There were barn pens filled with cows, horses, rabbits, pigs and chickens. The 4H members were taking care of their animals, washing them and feeding them and the animals seemed to know that they were on display. Some of them looked like they were showing off by the way they moved around in their pens. The kids showed their pride by the way they cared for them. The way they cleaned and brushed them and cared for their pens.
The 4 H Pens in the back of the fair
The back pens had everything from lambs, sheep, rabbits, ducks, turkeys and calves. What impressed me the most was the care and love these animals got from their owners. No one looked thin or unhappy. The pens were perfectly clean, the animals were well-fed and washed and were very friendly to all the patrons. I did not see one aggressive animal.
The little calves in their pen
The ducks were really shy that day
The Chickens eating their lunch in their pen
The turkeys preparing for Thanksgiving
The baby goats staring at me
Some of the animals were trying to be charming
What I liked about the 4H stand was their food station. They had the most reasonable food at the fair. Their hot dogs were $2.00, their sodas were $1.00, and their milkshakes were $5.00 as opposed to the higher prices of the food vendors. I had a vanilla shake that the kids made, and I will tell you that there is nothing better than a fresh vanilla shake made with fresh milk and fresh ice cream made from their cows. I really enjoyed it.
I looked around at the food vendors and I could not believe the prices. Everything was so expensive. The hamburgers pulled pork sandwiches and cheesesteaks were between $12.00 to $15.00 and I thought that was too high. The zeppole and fried dough not only were $8.00 for six small zeppole but all the fried foods were sitting under heat lamps. If there were seventy or eighty people at the fair that afternoon, it was a lot. There was no reason for them to cook so much food in advance. I stopped at one pizza stand and had a slice of pizza for $6.00 and a Coke for $3.00 and it was a lot for a slice of pizza with no flavor.
The Midway at the fair with some of the concession stands
I walked around all the booths that were selling local wares and there were people selling arts and crafts and food items. There were some interesting food stuffs like local honey, jellies, syrups and baked items but again they priced them so high that it was cheaper to buy them in a grocery store. Maple syrup should not be $14.00 for a small jar. I think these vendors priced out the customers that were coming to the fair.
The 4 H display
I walked around the amusement area of the fair and that got busier by the end of the afternoon as families started to arrive during the early evening. As I walked around the rides, more and more kids were on the rides. Most of the rides were geared towards small children and I could see the teenagers watching their younger siblings enjoying themselves. They would go off with their friends as soon as the parents returned.
The Ulster County Fair Amusement area
The Amusement area at the fair
The Amusement area was busy that day
After I had visited all the attractions, amusement areas and walked around the fair about four times, I ventured out of the fair to get dinner. The options were just too expensive, and the selection was not very good. I decided to head into downtown New Platz for dinner.
As I was leaving at 6:00pm, the crowds really started to come in as the entertainment was going to start at 8:00pm. Singer Allie Colleen was headlining that night and it looked like she was going to have a big crowd. What I did not realize until later is that she is Garth Brook’s daughter and a noted Country music singer.
Trying to leave the fair was an experience as the traffic started to increase and you had to leave the way you came in. I could not believe that the entrance was the exit as well.
The funny part of the Ulster County Fair Grounds is that it is in the middle of farmland as opposed to the Dutchess County Fairgrounds that are on the edge of Rhinebeck. Two different fairs with two different vibes. I really felt that I was among the locals at this fair whereas the Dutchess County Fair gets people from the City and from New Jersey as well. I really did feel like a visitor.
Downtown New Paltz, NY
I parked up in Downtown New Platz and have to admit that it has not changed much since my first visit during Christmas of 2014. Parts of the downtown have attracted more expensive restaurants and there are some newer stores but the downtown still has that college vibe to it with a ‘New Age’ feel. It’s like a bigger version of Woodstock.
I walked all around the downtown area to see all the new places to eat and shop. I got into the downtown just before things started to close. Like many other towns, New Paltz has taken a hit in their businesses when the SUNY Campus closed but it looks like new businesses are starting to open in their place. What surprised me was the prices for meals. These restaurants were not catering to the artists or the college students but more to out-of-town visitors. I have this thing about $34.00 entrees in a college town.
Downtown New Paltz in bloom in the Summer of 2024
I went to McGillicuddy’s restaurant at 84 Main Street for dinner that night. I had been there many times before when visiting New Paltz and I love the college vibe of the place. Plus, you can watch the games on the big screen TVs.
I ordered one of their Original Hamburgers with a side of Waffle fries and I have to tell you it was one of the best burgers that I had had in a long time. Their burgers are large and juicy and have a wonderful beefy taste (order it medium well to get a well-done burger) and it was accompanied by a large portion of waffle fries ($12.95). Everything was delicious and the service was great.
The burger and fries were delicious
What is nice about New Paltz is that it is on the opposite side of the river from all the places I normally visit like Rhinebeck and Red Hook and once out of town, you immediately get to the New York Thruway, and I was home in just over an hour.
When I revisited the fair in 2024, I refused to pay the prices for the food at the fair ($23.00 for a Gryo with a small fries and a Coke? No Way!). I headed back to Downtown New Paltz, NY. I had passed a Vietnamese restaurant on the way into town.
IPho Vietnamese Restaurant at 154 Main Street
The beautiful outside seating of the restaurant in the middle of the Summer of 2024
What a wonderful restaurant with excellent food and service and the prices were lower than those at the fair. Besides I was not interested in anything fried so it was a nice change. I ordered a Grilled Chicken Bahn MI sandwich and it was delicious.
The Grilled Chicken Bahn MI
Yum!
The restaurant was a nice way to end the day. It was a nice experience and fun visiting the fair. Now off to visit the Dutchess County Fair in two weeks!
My day at the Dutchess County Fair:
Day One Hundred and Nineteen-Visiting the Dutchess County Fair:
Even in the age of COVID I wanted to do something special for my birthday. I had not travelled since last Christmas and the idea of staying in a hotel did not appeal to me with everything going on. Watching enough webinars through my Alma Mater, Cornell University, I found out that everyone was taking all sorts of precautions to make everything safe for guests.
Getting tired of not going anywhere but locally I got an invitation to go back to Staatsburgh, NY for another walking tour at the Mills Mansion on the day before my birthday. It was for the “Discovering the Estates Tour” where we walked the grounds of the park to see the abandoned Hoyt and Lee estates that abut the Mills Mansion estate grounds.
In the Fall of 2025, it was turning out to be a long and draining semester and I just needed a break. Plus this particular blog was the last one that really needed a good updating. With the reasonable rates at the Otesaga Hotel for the pre-Thanksgiving festivities, I really wanted to stay at the hotel again for some R&R. I booked the hotel for two nights and off I went.
Staatsburgh, The Mills Mansion, at 1 Mills Mansion Drive
Add to that wanting to go on the “Cemetery Walk” at the Dutch Church in Downtown Kingston Stockade District that is offered every Halloween, I planned the perfect early birthday present for myself. I thought I would go on the tours and treat myself to a early birthday lunch in Rhinebeck, NY.
The Old Dutch Church cemetery and grounds in Kingston, NY at night
Knowing I would be updating my blogs on my sister site to this one, “VisitingaMuseum.com” with these events, I decided to make this a working vacation/birthday weekend.
I checked the weather in Upstate New York and it was going to be a sunny warm weekend with a chance of rain on Monday because of the hurricane travelling up the East Coast from Florida. Being that the foliage was starting to turn in the Hudson River Valley I wondered how it would be further up into the state.
I took a look at my schedule and classes did not resume until that next Tuesday and I made a phone call to the Otesaga Resort Hotel, a hotel that I had always wanted to stay out and visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame while I was there. I don’t know if it was just fate or that I was destined to go there but the hotel was fully booked that week.
The Otesaga Resort Hotel in Cooperstown, NY
The woman from Reservations told me because of the Columbus Day holiday and that being a vacation week for everyone that the hotel was fully booked for the first time since March (remember hotels can only be at 25% capacity at this time). She then said she would put me on the wait list but just as she said this she said to hold on. She came back to me and said that they just had a cancellation for a room for the night I wanted and would I like the room?
I was able to book the room with a King sized bed and a partial view of the lake. It was fate and I jumped on it. That and the rooms were half the price they normally are so it gave me a chance to see Cooperstown, NY while keeping within budget.
In November of 2025, I had been wanting to come back up to Cooperstown to update this blog for five years and the stars aligned again. I had off from work the week of Thanksgiving and the rooms were priced at $155.00 for the room I wanted the days before Thanksgiving, so off I went again.
So off I went to another weekend in the Hudson River Valley and further Upstate to Cooperstown, NY. It was near Halloween and I was going to search for ghosts. The first stop the morning I left for Staatsburgh-The Mills Mansion was the Hyde Park Farmers Market. I was in search of the baker I had met a few weeks earlier who had that terrific peach and blueberry cream cheese pocket. I wanted to get another if he had it.
Don’t miss the Hyde Park, NY Farmers Market on Saturdays in Hyde Park, NY
Luckily enough I found him. I met Tom Greene from Tom’s Heritage Baked Goods & Jams again and told him how much I loved the fruit pocket from my last trip. He said unfortunately the blueberry and peach season was over but he had apple pockets this time. It was delicious. Loaded with a sweet apple mixture and cinnamon in a flaky pastry made every bite melt in your mouth. It is well worth the $5.00 price.
Tom Greene of Tom’s Heritage Baked Goods & Jams
After I walked around the market again seeing all the produce, wines and crafts, I drove up the to Mills Mansion for my next walking tour, “Estates of Staatsburgh”, a tour of the abandoned Lee and Hoyt estates on the park property. A perfect tour as we get closer to the Halloween holidays and search for a ghost.
The tour of the old homes started at the Mills Mansion with a little story about Ruth and Ogden Mills, the owner of Staatsburgh. Their home had only been used for about four months out of the year, usually when they left Newport after the summer was over and before Christmas when they would leave for New York City for the Winter Social season. They were records though that the family did spend some holiday seasons there.
We also toured the grounds where greenhouses, boat houses and ice storage houses once stood and there was a conversation about the role of the staff especially the gardeners and farm staff while the Mill’s were away. Estate was still a working ‘gentlemen’s farm’, where they raised sheep, pigs, chickens and cows for show and for food for the estate.
Then we travelled along the river and through the woods to the Hoyt estate which stood abandoned on a buff overlooking the Hudson River. The Hoyt’s were distant relatives of Ruth Livingston Mills on the Livingston side of her family. They had lived in the home for generations until the State of the New York bought their home and estate through eminent domain back in the early 1960’s. The house and the outer buildings now sit abandoned until renovations can begin for them as Educational Centers and storage.
The Hoyt Mansion does look a little like a haunted house
The Hoyt Estate in its heyday
After a visit to the Hoyt’s home we visited the estate of the Lee Family which was further down the path. The home had burned down in the 1950’s so all that was left was traces of the driveway and the ice house for the estate. It still looked ominous sitting in the middle of the woods.
The Lee Mansion in its heyday before it burned down.
After our tour through the woods, the tour guide told us of the improvements both families had done to their homes before they were either abandoned or burned down. There are still traces of old buildings on the grounds and paths and gardens. We also got to see traces of the old garden shed and cow barn that are now in ruin. Now all of it has let Mother Nature take over.
The Hoyt Estate grounds
At the end of the tour they finally opened the bathrooms for us (none of the men were too thrilled by this) and then we were left to tour the Mills estate or relax on the lawn and talk with other guests (socially distanced of course). I just relaxed and admired the beautiful views of the river on a warm sunny day.
The Mills Mansion back lawn facing the Hudson River
After my tour of the old estates, I travelled back to Downtown Poughkeepsie to take a better tour of the older historical sections of the City including Little Italy again, the Historic Union Street section and the older part of downtown. I never realized what a beautiful city Poughkeepsie is and the potential it has for a turnaround. The ‘Walkway Over the Hudson State Park’ is really bringing people back to the City. Plus it is one of the last towns along the Hudson River to gentrify.
Downtown Poughkeepsie is quite interesting in that none of the colleges that surround it ever opened a campus building in the downtown. Marist, Dutchess Community College, Vassar, Bard and the Culinary Institute of America are all located around the City. I can see by walking around the area closer to the Hudson River this is all beginning to change. It seemed that all the homes and businesses in area are being snatched up quickly as they are coming onto the market.
I parked in the Historic Union Street and started to walk around the neighborhood. There are a lot of old brick homes and mansions in the area. There are also a series of businesses that are being renovated in the area. People are really fixing the neighborhood and you can start to see by the beauty of the architecture.
Historic Union Street is changing fast
Union Street neighborhood
I then walked up the Main Street from the river to the historic part of the downtown and looked up at all the awnings of the buildings and you can see that many were built in the late 1880’s. These formerly boarded up buildings are being fixed up and turned into lofts and the store fronts are now art galleries and small restaurants.
The lower part of Downtown Poughkeepsie has its charms
The cast iron buildings of Downtown Poughkeepsie are being renovated
There are now three art galleries downtown, an arts building and now a fancy French restaurant and two upscale bars. Once you go about five blocks past the old Luckey Platt & Company Department Store building then it starts to get a little seedy. This is where most of the urban renewal most have happened and knocked the old area down. Still there are a lot of changes going on here too.
The Historic section of Downtown Poughkeepsie
I then walked around the old Little Italy which I had explored a few weeks earlier. There is not much left to it. There are two restaurants, a pizzeria, a bakery and a hair salon. There is an Italian Cultural Center in the neighborhood as well. Now artists and ‘hipsters’ are moving in with new arts centers flanking the area and there is a lot of renovations of homes going on here.
This lower part of Poughkeepsie is changing fast
Map of Little Italy in Poughkeepsie (not much left)
What’s left of Little Italy (but the area is being gentrified)
Little Italy from Walkway Across the Hudson bridge
Before I left Little Italy for Kingston for the Cemetery Walk, I stopped at Emiliano’s Pizza at 111 Main Street for a quick lunch (See my review on TripAdvisor). The pizza was quite good. It was really cheesy and gooey but the sauce could have used more spices. Their selection and prices are very fair and the service is really good.
Emiliano’s Pizza at 111 Main Street
The pizza is wonderful here
I arrived in the Kingston Stockade around 5:30pm and started to explore the historic Stockade and the changes that are happening there too. Kingston is going through a transformation as well. All the old what I would call ‘granola’ businesses like the all natural coffee shops and restaurants and old clothing stores have since closed. There was a lot of empty store fronts since last Halloween when I visited for the Puppet rehearsals at the Rokeby estate.
A mural in Downtown Kingston, NY really makes a statement.
What has started to replace them is an incredible amount of smaller restaurants which are really expensive and a few furniture galleries that looked like they got priced out of Hudson, NY. I can see that this part of Kingston is getting more expensive like the Roundout section.
The downtown was in bloom when I visited in the summer of 2023.
I wanted another quick snack before the Cemetery Walk, so I stopped at Wing Shui Chinese Restaurant at 53 North Front Street which is one of the last of the ‘old’ businesses left in this section of the neighborhood. I just ordered a few egg rolls and I have to tell you they were some of the best I had eaten in a long time.
Wing Shui Chinese Restaurant at 53 North Street
They were loaded with chopped roast pork and fresh vegetables and fried to perfection. I have to go back in the future. I have not had egg rolls this good since we went to Chan’s in Dunellen, NJ back in the 1980’s. They made a real impression on me when something is this good.
The egg rolls at Wing Shui Chinese Restaurant are excellent!
I wish I could have said as much for the ‘Cemetery Tour’ at the Old Dutch Church. I had been to the church in the past for Sinterklaas fundraisers so I had been inside many times and just walked around the cemetery during the day. I was hoping this would be a more spooky type of event with the actor giving an approach from the dead’s point of view.
The cemetery at night during the walk
The problem with the actors who were playing the roles of the people buried at the Old Dutch Church cemetery was that they wanted it both ways. They wanted to play the roles of people in their own era and this spread out in a three hundred year period and then they wanted to bring modern politics into it which I did not want to hear their opinions and would not what someone would have thought in their time frame.
The famous cemetery during the daytime
The actors who played the roles of Emily Chadbourne, Father Divine and slave Jenny started to equate their characters to modern times which took the twist out of it. It made it less spooky and more political. The only actor who stayed in character was the one playing Calvert Vaux, the landscape designer of Central Park and a architect of many buildings.
The Old Dutch Church in the daytime is very interesting
The cemetery itself was very lurking after the event was over and everyone had left. The actors were gone as well as everyone else in about an hour and the church was locked up. Then it really did look gloomy with only the moon light and street lights to illuminate it. I was parked outside the church (did I luck out with parking that evening) and passed it again as I walked the downtown one more time. There are more changes coming to Kingston.
I spent the night in Hyde Park again and I highly recommend the Quality Inn. In the era of COVID I want to say that I was not too keen about staying in a hotel. The hotel does a great job in protocols and the place was as clean as a whistle and followed all the standards set by the CDC.
The room was spotless (I have stayed here many times and the hotel has excellent standards) and there was a air purifier in the room as well as the window was open and smelled very nice. I also had a nice view of the woods and the rock wall outside.
I highly recommend the Quality Inn at Hyde Park, NY
I swear though trying to find an open restaurant after 9:00pm in Red Hook, Rhinebeck or Hyde Park was next to impossible. Everyone seems to roll up the carpet at 10:00pm. I ended up at the Hyde Park McDonald’s (see review on TripAdvisor) trying the new Spicy Chicken McNuggets which I highly recommend. They were really delicious especially with the new Spicy Sauce.
Don’t miss the Spicy Chicken McNuggets; they will make you want to come back to McDonald’s.
All that running around and driving on the first day of my trip wore me out. It was just to the Rhinebeck and Kingston areas and I was pooped. I was running from one thing to another and when I got back from McDonald’s, I hit the pillow and slept soundly. This hotel is so comfortable.
I checked out early the next morning. Talk about a good night’s sleep, I was ready to go. I went back to Downtown Poughkeepsie again to try Alex’s Restaurant at 1 Market Street which has been a fixture in the City since 1911. I wanted to go someplace different for my birthday breakfast.
Alex’s Restaurant at 1 Market Street in Poughkeepsie, NY
The one complaint I had about the restaurant was that when you are a single person they give you the worst table. With COVID, we were not even allowed to eat at the bar and I was stuck at a table in the back by the bathroom. That made the meal less enjoyable.
Still the food here is really good (See review on TripAdvisor). I had a dish called a “Breakfast Sampler”, which was two slices of French Toast, a pancake, two scrambled eggs, two slices of bacon and a rather big sausage patty. Everything was delicious and the waiter, Michelle, was really nice and was able to handle the crowd that morning.
I took more walk around Downtown Poughkeepsie before I had to cross the river again to the Kingston Roundout. As part of a gift to myself, I wanted to explore sites on my bucket list. My first stop was the Trolley Museum of Kingston. I had missed it on my last trip to the Roundout. Between the cruise and the Maritime Museum, it took up the whole day.
The Trolley Museum at 89 East Strand Street
The Roundout was busy that morning. It looked like New York City had emptied out and everyone came up to Kingston for brunch. The Trolley Museum at 89 East Strand Street is a unique little museum that tells the history of the trolley car not just in Kingston but all over the country.
The inside of the Kingston Trolley Museum
The first part of my visit is the trolley ride up the Hudson River which on a beautiful clear sunny day is just amazing. We took a small trip to the center of town to pick up more people and then we took a ride through the woods and followed the river up to Kingston Point Park.
The ride up the river was fun
We were able to take a break and just walk around Kingston Point Park, looking at the foliage along the river and watching the sailboats go by. It was another cool morning but I learned my lesson and bundled up. It was just breathtaking.
The views are breathtaking
We only had about a half hour to enjoy the park and then it was back to the Roundout. I was able to explore the displays around the small museum and then walked through the subway cars and buses that were on display outside. I know that the kids seemed to loved it.
I wanted to stop back at the Dorsky Museum at SUNY New Paltz again to finish seeing the ‘Artists of the Hudson River’ exhibition so off I went again to New Paltz. When I left Kingston you literally could not find a parking spot as that’s how busy it was all getting at the Roundout.
The Dorsky Museum on the SUNY New Paltz campus
The Samuel Dorsky Museum at New Paltz is one of those terrific college museum’s that is tucked inside a campus building. The museum opened early that morning so I saw the exhibition with no one else around. The local artists had a nice showcase for their art. The college did a nice job mounting the display. There were some interesting pieces in the exhibition. This one below is made of locally made bricks from an old building.
The “A Living Collection” is a great exhibition
After a quick tour of the exhibition, it was time to take the trip of to Cooperstown, NY. I had taken instructions from Google maps and took the trip up the local highways. What should have been a two and half trip ended up taking four hours.
I went from Route 9 North past Saugerties and Catskill and then headed up Route 145 where I went through every small town in all the farming communities. I had never seen areas so depressed before. These were areas where progressed passed by.
The Dorsky Museum Main Gallery
The one thing I started to notice in all these small towns along the highway that in each of the towns I saw old Victorian homes being fixed up with rainbow flags outside of them. Either people were coming home or the reaches of people moving out of New York City reached these lengths.
The only positive thing coming out of this pandemic that I noticed was that by people leaving the City and moving into these small communities is they will progress, with new businesses and money to these small towns. These changes have been happening to small towns all over Upstate.
The views along Route 145 on the way to Middleburgh
Even thought many of these towns were falling apart they had their charms as well. There were small downtown’s surrounded by Victorian homes telling the story that these were once prosperous farming towns with their own businesses and social lives. The town that stood out the most was Middleburgh, NY right near the end of Route 145 near the Interstate 88 turn.
The farms of Middleburgh, NY meet the Catskills right near downtown
When I arrived back in town after five years, I noticed a big change in the stores and with the homes surrounding the downtown. So many of them had been snatched up and renovated. A lot of the older buildings downtown were now becoming upscale businesses and a lot of renovated storefronts waiting to be opened.
Leaving Route 145 from Midfleburgh
Once I got off Route 145, I got on the Interstate and then went on a back road maze of streets that the directions sent me until I decided to just stay on the main road and drove up Route 7 to Route 18 to Cooperstown. I must have seen every small town in Upstate New York.
The views of the mountains in November 2025
The view of the old barns on Route 145
I finally arrived in Cooperstown at 6:00pm almost four hours later and I was exhausted from all the driving. I stopped in Downtown Cooperstown for directions and then it was off to the hotel. I got into town before it got dark so I got to see the views of the hotel. The Otesaga Resort Hotel at 60 Lake Street is right on the bend of the southern most part of Lake Otsego.
The Otesaga Resort Hotel is a grand hotel
The Otesaga Resort Hotel was taking every precaution as well. The hotel was only at a 25% occupancy and you could tell by the parking lot it was not that full. When I entered the lobby there were only a few people there and the front desk gentleman was behind a Plexiglas sheet with a mask and gloves on. Sterile but smart.
The lobby in 2025 decorated for the upcoming Christmas holidays
In 2025, the lobby was fully open with a fire place to warm yourself. Like before, the hotel was really quiet the beginning of the week of Thanksgiving, so I was able to sit in the lobby and just relax. I tried to get some work done but I still felt a buzz from the wine at dinner and then had a long conversation with a woman who was from Ithaca. I ended up back in my room and collapsed for two hours.
The hotel in November of 2025
The hallway at The Otesago looked like the ‘The Overlook’ hotel when I walked down the hall
My room was everything that I hoped for. I had a third floor partial lake view room on the third floor which I found out after I left the hotel is one of the haunted floors. The hotel’s bio said that there the voices of small girls laughing in the hallway. I heard dead silence of a floor that was not that full. I settled in before I left to find a restaurant for my birthday dinner.
My room at The Otesaga Hotel
My large bathroom
The Hawkeye Bar & Grill , one of the signature restaurants of the hotel, was the only one that was open with a very limited menu. I decided to come back later for a drink at the bar and headed into downtown a block away. There was not much open on a Sunday night at 7:00pm. It looked like the whole downtown closed up.
The Hawkeye Bar where I ate my dinner that night
In 2025, I arrived on Monday night and most of the restaurants were closed that evening. I stayed in for dinner and I had a Cheeseburger with fries at the bar. After a long trip and a glass of wine. I felt I could tackle and ghost especially with a wonderful dinner like this.
The Hawkeye Bar on my visit in 2025
Yum!
In 2020, it was a cool night and I wanted simple comfort food. I was in the mood for a hot turkey sandwich and I found it at the Doubleday Cafe at 93 Main Street. Talk about being socially distanced there were only about ten people in the restaurant and a few more walked in after I got my dinner. Like I said, there was not much open. The restaurants were either too expensive or had boring menus.
I had the same idea in 2025, plus it was one of the few restaurants outside the resort that was open at night but still closed by 8:00pm. The same comfort foods were my dinner that night and I repeated the same dinner. I would not be having a turkey dinner on Thanksgiving, so I decided to have it here.
The Doubleday Cafe at 93 Main Street in Cooperstown
The sign outside
The service here is really friendly and personable. After that long trip, I really needed this. The food was delicious (see review on TripAdvisor).
The New England Clam Chowder was perfect on a cool night
I started with a cup of New England Clam Chowder to warm me up. It was thick and rich and warmed me inside and out. Both in 2020 and 2025, I had the hot turkey sandwich really hit the spot. It was loaded with fresh turkey on white toast with a side of mashed potatoes. It was the perfect comfort food on these cool nights.
The inside of Doubleday’s Cafe
I got to watch the end of the Giants-Dallas game while I was eating (Giants lost again) and watched the last of the stragglers walking around the downtown.
The Hot Turkey Sandwiches here are delicious
After both the game and dinner were over, I took a long walk around the downtown. My family and friends had been calling me all day to wish me a happy birthday so I ended up talking to my brother while I was walking around.
There was no one around that night and I swear there must have been about ten people walking around Downtown Cooperstown. The place was so quiet.
I walked back to the hotel that evening and it was all illuminated for the evening. The hotel looked busier than it was and in the lobby people were talking by the fire, working on their computers by the couches and the fire pit bar was packed with people who were socially distanced.
The lobby in 2025
I had talked with one of the waiters earlier who said a friend of hers had seen a ghost in the hotel and said the Fifth Floor made people working at night a little uncomfortable so off I went to the Fifth Floor to search for a ghost.
All I saw was an empty hallway and people talking in rooms. Nothing going bump in the night. So I headed down to the Hawkeye Bar & Grill on the lower level of the hotel for a drink. I had a Cosmopolitan that really knocked me out. I was tired from all that driving.
I had the same thing in 2025, along with dinner and a nice glass of Chardonnay with the burger. I was so relaxed and ready for a long night’s sleep.
A glass of vino with dinner
The ‘haunted hallway’ outside my room
My walk down the ‘Haunted Hallway’ of the Third Floor
I was going to sit out at the fire pit but no one else was outside at that point and they were ready to close. They closed the bar at 10:00pm. At least I got my birthday drink in with a cheery hello from the bartender (see review on TripAdvisor).
The Fire Pit bar was very popular that night
If there was a ghost in my room, it could not have waken me with an atom bomb. I went into such a deep sleep that I awoke at 8:30am rested and refreshed.
In 2025, after a long week at work, a ton of gardening and outside work putting the garden to bed for the year and the trip upstate I went out like a light again. The beds are so soft and the hotel so quiet.
I had a 9:30am breakfast appointment in the Glitterglass Room, the hotel’s dining room for breakfast. What I loved about the package I chose was breakfast was included. In 2025, it was back to normal.
The Glimmerglass Room in 2025
I had the best waiter. He said to me that since the buffet could not be done, I could order anything from the A La Carte menu and as much as I wanted. BIG MISTAKE! I love breakfast and I was starved.
The best seat in the house
The Omelet Station
I started with a three egg omelet with ham and Cheddar with a side of bacon, potatoes, rye toast and tea and orange juice.
My breakfast that morning
The Omelet was amazing
After I ate that, I also ordered Fresh Waffles with blueberry compote.
The Waffles with the Blueberry and Strawberry Compete with Sausage
The Waffles were made right in front of me
I even saved room for pastries
I think I shocked the waiter by eating everything. In 2025, I ate the same breakfasts to show everyone the meals and then tucked in a third breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon and potatoes because I was still hungry. I had to add on more pastries too. No lunch for me!
The Apple Muffins were the best way to end the meal
The Glitterglass Room for breakfast is beautiful
The beautiful chandeliers in the room
After breakfast was over and before I checked out of the room, I walked around the grounds to admire the foliage and the lake. It cleared up outside and it was sunny with blue skies. The grounds of the hotel are just breathtaking.
The views of the mountains and the lake are so scenic and graceful. The golfers, COVID or not, were out in force and already playing rounds of golf. It would have nice to use the pool or swim in the lake but that was out of the question.
The grounds of the Otesaga Hotel in November 2025
It was gloomy and a bit cooler in 2025 on my second day at the resort but it was still nice to walk around.
The grounds of the resort in November 2025
I dropped my bags in the car and walked down to the National Baseball Hall of Fame for the morning. The downtown area was still really quiet and I had timed tickets for 12:30pm. I thought I would be there for about two hours. I was there for almost three.
National Baseball Hall of Fame at 25 Main Street
The National Baseball Hall of Fame is a true testament to the sport. There are artifacts from every era of the sport starting with early traces of bat and ball sports going back to the Egyptians and Greeks. The progress of the sport since the end of the Civil War to today is reflected in the memorabilia that has been donated over the year by teams, players and fans.
“The Captain” Derek Jeter
The museum opened in 1939 and has been growing ever since. I really liked the Hall of Fame room with all the plaques of celebrated players. Recently Derek Jeter was inducted into the Hall of Fame but because of COVID, the ceremony was cancelled.
I was looking for Reggie Jackson, “Mr. October”, who was induced in year ago. I just remember the thrill when he went in as a Yankee. I found the plaque of my childhood hero.
There has been a lot of visits to my other blog on my visit to Woodstock, NY for Christmas. I wanted to share this earlier one with everyone as well. The parade on Christmas Eve should be experienced once and you will see the magic of Woodstock, NY at the holidays. It is amazing!
The Woodstock Square at Christmas time after the parade and lights are over. A relaxing evening after everything is over. The parade ends by 6:45pm and church services at the Dutch Reformed Church end by 8:00pm. Then all is quiet outside.
The Woodstock NY right before the start of the Christmas Parade
There is always excitement in the air from the crowds that come to see the parade and how Santa will make his appearance. I look forward to this like everyone else in the crowd.
I put my walking project in Manhattan on hold to participate in other activities that I was organizing during the month of December. Trips in the city became day trips to the museums, walking tours and many holiday events that was I was invited to or helped organize for other people.
Some of the memorable events I had was organizing my holiday party at work. I work with the disabled who are a very active bunch of people. I make sure that there is always exercising, stimulating speakers and lively engaging conversation. These are not people who will ever sit on the back of the bus if I can help it. I always want them to know you can get better and make better of any situation.
We had a lively party with exercise, music and good food. As I do every year, I have the Bamboo House 28 South…
mywalkinmanhattan 