Tag Archives: Hudson River Valley Fall Events

Day One Hundred and Ninety-Eight Visiting Woodstock, NY to see the Lindsey Webster Band concert and exploring the Hudson River towns May 22nd and 23rd, 2021

With classes being over and having the Summer Break ahead of me, I thought it was time to start exploring more of the Hudson River Valley region and continue my walk around the City. Instead of heading deeper Downtown into the Flatiron District, I also decided start exploring more of the West Side and started in Midtown West/Hell’s Kitchen/Clinton (Days One Hundred and Ninety Ninety-Six and Ninety Seven).

In the middle of exploring the neighborhood, I had an opportunity to leave the City and head upstate to see the Lindsey Webster Band perform at the Bearsville Theater on Saturday, May 22nd. I have written about seeing the band perform at the Woodstock Christmas Parade years ago when I used to spend Christmas in Woodstock from 2014-2017. When I saw the band in concert in December of 2014, I had not realized how huge the second album was going to be and a number one hit would come from it. It was nice to see the band in the very beginning when it was getting well known.

The concert was at the Bearsville Theater at 291 Tinker Street in Woodstock, NY, which again I had not been to since the concert in 2014 and that was a very low key but lively concert.

The Bearsville Theater at 291 Tinker Street

https://www.facebook.com/bearsvilletheater/

Somehow I got to Hyde Park where I was spending the night, which is my headquarters in the Hudson River Valley when I am visiting the area very quickly. I checked in and dropped my bags off at the hotel before I drove to Woodstock which is about a half hour away over the bridge.

Since I had time before the concert started, I decided to stop at The Little Bear at 295 Tinker Street B, a Chinese restaurant within the complex for some dinner (see review on TripAdvisor). I have been many times when I have been up for a visit during Christmas and the food has gotten more uneven over the years since my first time.

The Little Bear Chinese Restaurant at 295 Tinker Street

The window seats at The Little Bear are the best for views of the woods and stream

I started my meal with the Fried Dumplings and they were fried. They tasted as if someone had deep fried them. They were crisp! They still tasted good but they were really well-done. The Lemon Chicken had a nice sauce but again the chicken breasts were over cooked. The Lemon Sauce was delicious and tasted really good. The Mixed Fried rice was the best part of the meal. It was loaded with all sorts of meats, seafood and vegetables and they make it so good.

The Fried Dumplings at Little Bear

The biggest problem that I have with Little Bear as a restaurant (see review on TripAdvisor) is the service. The family who runs the restaurant always seem so overwhelmed. At Christmas time, it was one of two restaurants that were open in Woodstock and the surrounding areas so it was mobbed and the phone would not stop ringing with take out orders. It was chaos! The people that run the restaurant are really nice but it gets to be too much for them when it is busy.

The Fried Rice at The Little Bear was the best part of the meal

After dinner, put the leftover fried rice in the car and headed over to the concert. This is when the State of New York needs to get their protocols together. I had to take a COVID test to go inside the building because I did not have my vaccine card on me. So I had to spend another $15.00 to be tested (negative of course) again. Thank God I have had all my vaccine shots. The concert started late because a lot of people had to take the test. Still it was worth it as the concert was excellent and the best part was that no one had to wear a mask.

The concert was of course excellent! I had not seen the band play live since 2014 and a lot of good things have happened to them since including a number one song. This is not the concert from that night but the songs you can enjoy just the same.

The Concert has not yet made it to YouTube but this concert from Daryl’s House is close:

The Lindsey Webster Band

What made the concert so special to all of us was not just the excellent vocals and music but it was the first time everyone was allowed to the Bearsville Theater without masks. It was nice to see people dancing and just enjoying themselves. It had been such a long time for everyone. It makes you appreciate life more.

The drive from Woodstock to Hyde Park was not that long and I got one of the best nights sleep in a long time. The hotel was so relaxing after a long drive. What I love about staying up in the Hudson River Valley is the quiet of it all. That and people do not seem that much of a rush (unless you get those City visitors).

The next day I started to explore the surrounding area and visit the small towns that make up the character of the Hudson River Valley. There has been much talk about the “Brooklynization” of the Hudson River Valley and I wanted to see those changes. In retrospect of the towns I visited, it depends on a couple of things: how close is the town to a train station to the City, how closed it is to Route 9, the corridor on both sides of the Hudson and how close to a college is the town.

What I like about so many of these towns is that the classic turn of the last century architecture that makes up the character of these towns. Also how carefully the new owners go to renovating these buildings back to their former glory. Town by town a lot of work has been done to refit these buildings and bring life back to downtowns that may have been forgotten by tourism.

My first stop was Rhinebeck, NY just above Hyde Park about a half hour up Route 9 depending on how fast you drive. Rhinebeck has changed a lot from I went to the Culinary Institute of America in the late 1990’s. It has transformed from a town of local stores and restaurants to a high end town of more expensive stores and restaurants. A lot of the mom & pop stores I remembered and galleries in the first wave of development are now gone. Still it is a very vibrant town with lots of activities.

Downtown Rhinebeck, NY is always fun to walk around in

I love to walk around the town and admire the stores. There is such a nice collection of businesses that cater to every taste. I still have my favorites that have been around for a long time and are staples in Downtown Rhinebeck. Many of these can be found on my websites:

Little Shop on Main Street:

https://littleshoponmainstreet.wordpress.com/

Dining On A Shoestring in NYC:

https://diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/

The stores I love to visit are Pause Dog Boutique at 6423 Montgomery Street Suite 3 in the Montgomery Row Shopping Complex. This store formerly of Red Hook carries all sorts of pet products to pamper your pooch with from collars to snacks (see my review on LittleShopOnMainStreet@Wordpress.com). There is a unique merchandising approach to their items that showcases all the things that your dog could desire.

Pause Dog Boutique at 6423 Montgomery Street Suite 3

https://www.pausedogboutique.com/

Another great store I love to visit is Samuel’s Sweet Shop at 42 East Market Street, a wonderful little candy and dessert store (see my reviews on TripAdvisor and LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com). I love the way they merchandise the store with all sorts of colors and displays. When I was walking around the store, admiring the shelves of candies and sweets, I eyed a glazed doughnut under one of the glass domes ($2.00) and had to have one. God with was soft, chewy and had a nice sugary glaze. Talk about waking you up!

Samuel’s Sweet Shop at 42 East Market Street

https://samuelssweetshop.com/

I walked the Farmer’s Market which is held in the municipal parking lot and I have to say that their wares are much more expensive than the surrounding towns. When a pastry is $5.00 or homemade soap or jelly is over $10.00 you are pricing yourself out of the local market. When I used to stop at the Farmer’s Market in Hyde Park, NY, the prices of everything were very fair. I guess post COVID people are trying to make their money back.

After finishing my walk around Rhinebeck, I drove further north to Red Hook, NY which is a quaint little downtown that I love. What I enjoy about the town of Red Hook is that it is not geared towards tourists as opposed it is a place that locals do their shopping. On a Sunday afternoon, it is really quiet as by the late afternoon a lot of things are closed.

Downtown Red Hook, NY

Check out my blog on Exploring Downtown Red Hook for more information on the town:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/14144

One store that was open and I was able to visit was Petals & Moss at 6 East Market Street. This wonderful little flower shop treats its plants and flowers with such respect and they are merchandised like a piece of art. I was talking with the owner and she said that even though she goes into the flower markets to buy things, when in season she will grow flowers in her own year for the store.

Petals & Moss at 6 East Market Street

https://www.petalsandmossflorals.com/

Another store I love to visit and it is such a whimsical and well decorated place is Little Pickles at 7505 North Broadway. This delightful little toy and clothing store has everything a child could desire from jars of candy and balloons to wooden toy and experiments to clothing and shoes all in a playhouse environment. It is what you would expect a toy store catering to the Lilliputian set to look like.

Little Pickles at 7505 North Broadway

Shop

https://www.facebook.com/littlepicklesgeneralstore/

Some of my other favorites such as Equis Gallery and Village Pizza III were closed that day but I was able to have another snack at Annabelle’s Village Bake Shop at 7501 North Broadway (right next door to Little Pickles) and I had a jelly doughnut that said to me “buy me”! They know how to make a good doughnut. The jelly was so tangy and the doughnut was soft and fresh. The store has that classic bakery look almost like you are visiting an old General Store.

Annabelle’s Village Bake Shop at 7501 North Broadway

Welcome to our Site

Since a lot of the stores and restaurants were closed that Sunday morning, I headed up Route 9 to Tivoli, NY. Tivoli has a very small but quaint downtown in the middle of an area with large farms. Since visiting a few years ago, more restaurants and shops have opened and there is a good arts representation with the Tivoli Artists Gallery at 60 Broadway.

Downtown Tivoli

In the last three years, I have seen a change in the quality of the restaurants and again they have gotten pricey. Creative but pricey. I ate lunch at a local restaurant, Tivoli Broadway Pizza at 49 Broadway. The pizza and the service were really good and it was nice to sit back and relax and read the local paper.

Tivoli Broadway Pizza at 49 Broadway

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Restaurant/Broadway-Pizza-of-Tivoli-217714098248176/

What I love about Tivoli is the charm of the village. It is such a nice little town to walk around and just admire the farms and the woods. You can walk the downtown quickly but it is fun to take your time and let it all soak in.

Tivoli Artists Gallery at 60 Broadway

https://www.tivoliartistsgallery.com/

After leaving Tivoli, it was time to cross the river at the Kingston Bridge and explore the other side of the river. I have written about Kingston , NY many times over the years so it was time to explore other towns. I headed up Route 9 for my next destination, Catskill, NY.

Catskill, NY on the other side of the Hudson River. I had only driven through Catskill about seven years ago when I explored the towns surrounding Rhinebeck and it was the other side of the river that I visited. Downtown Catskill is pretty amazing when it comes to architecture and I can tell that other people think so as well as all the buildings seemed to being snatched up and renovated.

Downtown Catskill, NY

Most of the businesses in Downtown Catskills were closed on a sunday with the exception of a few gift stores and a couple of restaurants. Even walking around the downtown after crossing the bridge there were maybe a handful of people.

The downtown is absolutely beautiful and it was interesting that the urban renewal that hit so many of these towns in the late 60’s and early 70’s did not come to Catskill so all the 19th and early 20th century architecture still dominates the main street.

Weaving in and out of a lot of the stores and provision shops I was most impressed by Cat on the Corner, a tiny store dedicated to everything cats at 362 Main Street. I was impressed by the variety of merchandise starting with items for everyone’s favorite feline to gifts and decorative items for the home.

Cat on the Corner at 362 Main Street

https://www.catonthecorner.com/

Among all the objects I found was a magnetic with a lot of dirty words on it that I had to get for my mom (who loves cats) and to spend the $10.00 credit card minimum, I also got her a cat cookie by a local baker from the area, which I thought was really cleaver. She ended up loving both. What I also like about the business is that the owner was helping a lot of small women owned cottage businesses with their wares and I found that good business.

These clever cookies are baked locally

Another business that stood out to me was a Left Bank Ciders at 150 Water Street. What made me walk into the Tap Room was the sign and location. It was down a alleyway and then tucked into an above ground basement area. The inside of the Tap Room was exposed walls and ceilings. The selection of ciders looked terrific as well.

Left Bank Ciders at 150 Water Street’s Tap Room here is so unique

http://www.leftbankciders.com/

After walking the entire downtown both sides and the local park plus the entire other side of the creek area, I just relaxed by the car. I can tell they are starting to renovate the other side of the creek as well as some of the homes. It will take time to bring life back to this part of the neighborhood.

My last stop was Saugerties, NY, a quirky little downtown right by the Hudson River and again another downtown with a lot of charm and interesting architecture. It had not changed much since I visited and had lunch here seven years ago. The prices of everything have gone up significantly though over the years.

Downtown Saugerties has a interesting vibe

I drove through the downtown last when I went up to Cooperstown, NY back in October for my birthday and saw that there had been changes in several of the buildings. After my trip to Catskill, I made this my final stop of the day.

Before I stopped in downtown to walk around, I made a detour to see the Saugerties Lighthouse at 168 Lighthouse Drive, which I had always seen signs for but never stopped to see. It is nice when you have the time on your hands to detour to all these special places.

The Saugerties Lighthouse at 168 Lighthouse Drive

https://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=678

I have to say it was a drive off the main road of Route 9 down several hills and winding roads. When you come to the small parking lot, there is not a lot of space to park on a busy day but it was the late afternoon when I got here so it was quiet.

The pathway to the lighthouse is surrounded by woods and flowers and a few streams so in the Spring and Summer months, it is very beautiful to walk down the path. Many flowers were in bloom and it was very colorful. You have to stay on the path though as there is water everywhere.

The lighthouse sits on the end of the path with a small dock on one side and a small beach at low tide. I did not realize that it is being used as a B & B and you should check out the Friends website for details if you want to stay there. The lighthouse was built in 1869 and was decommissioned in 1954. It is an elegant old building with the Hudson River in the backdrop which makes it very impressive. (There are tours available by appointment). After my tour around the lighthouse and park, it was back to downtown.

A slice of pizza at Slices at 71 Partition Street went up to almost $4.00 and an ice cream cone at several places will set you back over $5.00. I know these things are gourmet but not when they are more than New York City prices. The rents must have really gone up over the years. Even my favorite restaurant, Miss Lucy’s Kitchen at 90 Partition Street was more than I remember. Their food was mind-blowing the last time I ate there years ago.

Miss Lucy’s Kitchen at 91 Partition Street was a favorite of mine years ago

https://www.misslucyskitchen.com/

I was able to walk the entire downtown and it was also slowly changing as well as buildings were being renovated all over the downtown and homes were getting a facelift. I had never seen so many potted plants and wreaths on doors. A younger crowd was moving downtown with many bars opening and an increase in nightlife that I did not remember on my last few visits.

Before I left that evening, I took a walk down by the river to the Saugerties Village Beach Park at 47 South Partition Street and watched all the kids running around the park and some people actually taking a dip in the water (I thought it was too early). It was so nice to watch the sun shine and sit back under a tree and just watch the world go by. It is such a relaxing park.

Saugerties Village Beach Park at 47 South Partition Street is a the bottom the downtown area

https://villagesaugerties.digitaltowpath.org:10064/content/Tourism/Home/:field=sections;/content/TourismSections/View/2:field=sites;/content/TourismSites/View/16

On another trip to the Hudson River Valley, I visited both Downtown Pine Plains and Downtown Millerton to check out their downtown districts. Pine Plains is quaint but has a lot of businesses that are currently closed due to the pandemic. I can see this rebounding in the future with its interesting architecture and picturesque look.

Downtown Millerton’s businesses were closing for the evening the afternoon that I arrived but encouraged me to stop by again on the next trip Upstate. Each of these little towns offer so much charm and interesting shopping and eating establishments.

Downtown Pine Plains, NY

Homepage

I also visited Downtown Millerton, NY:

Downtown Millerton, NY

http://www.villageofmillerton.net/home.html

https://millertonnewyork.com/shopping/

Don’t miss taking a trip to any of these small towns lining the Hudson River. COVID has driven people out of the City and it has brought a new vibe and built on improvements made to these once small manufacturing and shipping towns. New restaurants, art galleries and stores have brought not just new customers but new ideas on ways to reach customers. It is so nice the times of good service and a friendly local atmosphere have not given way in the Amazon era.

There is still a relaxed and creative buzz to these towns that was always there but now being added to with new members of the community. COVID did not kill this spirit in the Hudson River Valley.

Visit soon!

*Bloggers Note: In fairness to stores, restaurants and parks I visited on my journey are mentioned below. The others I have added their links so that you all can choose the places you want to go. I will keep adding to this blog with more small towns.

Places to Eat:

The Little Bear

295 Tinker Street B

Woodstock, NY 12498

(845) 679-8899

https://the-little-bear.business.site/

Open: Sunday -Tuesday 3:00pm-9:00pm/Wednesday Closed/Thursday-Saturday 3:00pm-9:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g47293-d3216488-Reviews-The_Little_Bear-Bearsville_Woodstock_Catskill_Region_New_York.html?m=19905

Annabelle’s Village Bake Shop

7501 North Broadway

Red Hook, NY 12571

(845) 835-6071

Welcome to our Site

https://www.facebook.com/AnnabellesVillageBakeShop/

Open: Sunday 7:00am-3:00pm/Monday & Tuesday Closed/Wednesday-Saturday 7:00am-3:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g48473-d14051169-Reviews-Annabelle_s_Village_Bake_Shop-Red_Hook_New_York.html?m=19905

Tivoli Broadway Pizza

49 Broadway

Tivoli, NY 12583

(845) 757-2000

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Restaurant/Broadway-Pizza-of-Tivoli-217714098248176/

Open: Sunday 12:00pm-11:00pm/Monday-Thursday 11:00am-11:00pm/Friday & Saturday 11:00am-12:00am

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g48732-d4630813-Reviews-Broadway_Pizza_of_Tivoli-Tivoli_New_York.html?m=19905

Places to Visit :

The Bearsville Theater

291 Tinker Street

Woodstock, NY 12498

(845) 684-7133

https://bearsvilletheater.com/

https://www.facebook.com/bearsvilletheater/

Open: Please visit their website for concert dates

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g48915-d7218237-Reviews-Bearsville_Theater-Woodstock_Catskill_Region_New_York.html

Tivoli Artists Gallery

60 Broadway

Tivoli, NY 12583

(845) 757-2667

https://www.tivoliartistsgallery.com/

https://www.facebook.com/tivoliartistsgallery/

Open: Sunday 10:00am-5:00pm/Tuesday-Thursday Closed/Friday 5:00pm-8:30pm/Saturday 10:30am-8:30pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g48732-d11863589-Reviews-Tivoli_Artists_Gallery-Tivoli_New_York.html

Saugerties Lighthouse

168 Lighthouse Drive

Saugerties, NY 12477

(845) 247-0656

https://www.facebook.com/SaugertiesLighthouse/

Open: Please check the website for hours/Seasonal

Admission: Free for the Grounds/Check the website for the B & B availability

Intro

https://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=678

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g48564-d4214114-Reviews-Lighthouse-Saugerties_Catskill_Region_New_York.html

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/visitingamuseum.com/5740

Saugerties Village Beach Park

47 South Partition Street

Saugerties, NY 12477

(845) 246-2919

https://villagesaugerties.digitaltowpath.org:10064/content/Parks/View/3

Open: July-September Sunday-Saturday 10:00am-6:00pm-Check the town website

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g48564-d5617527-Reviews-Saugerties_Village_Beach_Playground-Saugerties_Catskill_Region_New_York.html

Places to Shop:

Pause Dog Boutique

6423 Montgomery Street Suite 3

Rhinebeck, NY 12572

(845) 532-0676

https://www.pausedogboutique.com/

https://touch.facebook.com/PauseDogBoutique/?tn=CH-R

Open: Sunday-Monday 11:00am-5:00pm/Tuesday 11:00am-6:00pm/Wednesday Closed/Thursday 12:00pm-6:00pm/Friday 11:00am-5:00pm/Saturday 11:00am-6:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

My review on LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/littleshoponmainstreet.wordpress.com/598

Samuel’s Sweet Shop

42 East Market Street

Rhinebeck, NY 12572

(845) 876-5312

https://samuelssweetshop.com/

Open: Sunday-Thursday 7:30am-8:00pm/Friday & Saturday 7:30am-10:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g48486-d3641613-Reviews-Samuel_s-Rhinebeck_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on LittleShopOnMainStreet@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/littleshoponmainstreet.wordpress.com/187

Petals & Moss

6 East Market Street

Red Hook, NY 12571

(845) 758-9964

https://www.petalsandmossflorals.com/

https://www.facebook.com/petalsandmoss/

Open: Sunday 12:00am-4:00pm/Monday-Wednesday Closed/Thursday-Saturday 11:00am-5:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g48473-d20029389-Reviews-Petals_and_Moss_Floral_Design-Red_Hook_New_York.html

My review on LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/littleshoponmainstreet.wordpress.com/1074

Little Pickles-The Children’s General Store

7505 North Broadway

Red Hook, NY 12571

(845) 835-8086

http://www.littlepickles.shop/

Open: Monday-Saturday 10:30am-5:30pm/Sunday 11:00am-4:00pm

My Review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g48473-d7954016-Reviews-Little_Pickles-Red_Hook_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/littleshoponmainstreet.wordpress.com/169

Cat on the Corner

362 Main Street

Catskill, NY 12414

(518) 719-9080

https://www.catonthecorner.com/

https://www.facebook.com/catonthecorner/

Open: Sunday 11:00am-4:00pm/Monday-Wednesday Closed/Thursday-Saturday 11:00am-5:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g47427-d23417533-r789888290-Cat_On_The_Corner-Catskill_Catskill_Region_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/littleshoponmainstreet.wordpress.com/1091

Philipsburg Manor House 381 North Broadway Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591

June 14, 2021"A Local Journey: Exploring the outskirts of New York City, Exploring Sleepy Hollow NY, Exploring Tarrytown NY, Exploring the Historic Hudson River Valley in New York State, Historic New York State neighborhoods, My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), MywalkinManhattan at the Christmas Holidays, MywalkinManhattan at the Halloween Holidays, MywalkinManhattan Experiences, Uncategorized, Visiting a Museum in New York StateAuthor Justin Watral, Author Justin Watrel, BergenCountyCaregiver.com, DiningonaShoeString@Wordpress.com, Exploring Sleepy Hollow NY, Exploring Tarrytown at Halloween, Exploring Tarrytown NY, Exploring the Hudson River Valley, Exploring the Hudson River Valley at Chiristmas, Exploring the Hudson River Valley at Halloween, Hudson River Valley, Hudson River Valley Fall Events, Justin Watral, Justin Watrel, LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com, MywalkinManhattan.com, Philipsburg Manor House, Philipse Family, Professor Justin Watral, Professor Justin Watrel, Professor Warren Watrel, VisitingaMuseum.com, Warren George Watrel, Warren Watreljwatrel

Don’t miss the Halloween and Christmas Activities in the Hudson River Valley towns of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow, NY.

The Philipsburg Manor House

Visiting a Museum: The Unique, Unusual, Obscure and Historical

Philipsburg Manor House

381 North Broadway

Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591

(914) 336-6900

Home – Default

Philipsburg Manor

Open: Please check the website for COVID updates

Fee: Please check the website for the COVID updates

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g48622-d299069-Reviews-Philipsburg_Manor-Sleepy_Hollow_New_York.html

I have visited the Philipsburg Manor House and Estate many times over the years. During the “Headless Horseman” Halloween activities, the house is open for tours. You are able to tour the rooms and see the home in a spooky environment. The house was lit by candles and the tour guides lead you through the house.

During a special event at the holidays, the house had seasonal decorations, lit by a combination candles and open hearth fires in the fireplace and tour guides explained a Colonial holiday season.

The Manor House as it was explained to me was a place where the Philipse family stayed when they were away from the…

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Day One Hundred and Seventy-Nine: Halloween returned in an era of COVID October 31st, 2020

November 6, 2020Chinese Restaurants for the budget minded, Exploring New York State, Exploring the Chelsea Neighborhood in Manhattan, Exploring the Historic Hudson River Valley in New York State, Gourmet restaurants for the budget minded, Historic New York State neighborhoods, My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), MywalkinManhattan at the Halloween Holidays, MywalkinManhattan Experiences, Uncategorized, Visiting a Museum in New York StateAuthor Justin Watral, Author Justin Watrel, Basil Twist Artist, Basil Twist Spider Puppet Halloween Night, BergenCountyCaregiver.com, DiningonaShoeString@Wordpress.com, Exploring Croton on the Hudson, Halloween in Manhattan, Halloween in New York City, Halloween in the Hudson River Valley, Halloween Night, Halloween Parade, Historic Homes in the Hudson River Valley, Historic Hudson River Valley, Hudson River Valley, Hudson River Valley Fall Events, Jeanne Fleming, Jefferson Market Library, Justin Watral, Justin Watrel, LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com, MywalkinManhattan.com, Professor Justin Watrel, The Pumpkin Blaze, Van Cortlandt Manor, VisitingaMuseum.com, Warren George Watrel, Warren Watreljwatrel

This Halloween was very subdued but not entirely canceled this year.

New Jersey still allowed Trick or Treating even though I saw very few children outside on the one nice sunny day we had seen in over two weeks. Because of the recent hurricanes hitting the Gulf Coast, we got the tail of the last two storms. It had been cloudy and gloomy for almost three weeks and Halloween day was the first nice day we had. I could see that people wanted to get out of the house.

In the era COVID, I could not see too many people going out Trick or Treating. It was an unusual Halloween for me as I was usually preparing for a long day of working at the Halloween Parade in Manhattan but because of COVID that parade was cancelled. This on top of pretty much any other Halloween related activity. Things were done on a smaller scale. I saw small children Trick or Treating in our downtown business district and some parents were weaving between businesses to talk to merchants.

Residents in our community really decorated their houses and in some cases overdid it. I felt like I was passing mini cemeteries and houses of horror. I can understand that parents wanted to bring some sense of normalcy to their families in this extremely rough time.

Halloween in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ

I started the day at a drill with the fire department. We spent the morning using the Hurst tools and practicing cutting a van. The department was practicing rescuing people from a trapped vehicle. It was a good training session as we all got chances to cut parts of the van and then get a small lecture on our work. At the end of the day, we had a wrap up session and then a pizza lunch. It was nice to just relax after a busy morning.

Our new coach, Mel Tucker, lead Michigan State University to victory

When I got home I arrived in time to watch the forth quarter of the Michigan State versus University of Michigan game. After the disaster we had the week before with Rutgers, we needed this win badly. I would like to say it was a back and forth game but we dominated them for most of the game and pulled out the win 27-24. Watching the Michigan players leave the stadium with all the arrogance gone was enjoyable. This since their coach practically forced the Big Ten to play when COVID is raging all over the country.

Beating Michigan every year is a pleasure!

Don’t miss the highlights from the game. It was something!

After the game was over, my best friend, Kris and I had a long and very excited conversation about the game which is the bragging rights of Michigan and that is a big deal between both sets of Alumni.

I looked outside on the sunny day and saw absolutely no Trick or Treaters. The Halloween Parade Committee had sent out an email earlier in the week that the Spider Puppet would be ‘crawling out of’ Jefferson Market Library on the corner of Sixth Avenue and 10th Street plus there would be a slide show in Times Square. With no other plans and a beautiful night ahead of me, off I went into Manhattan.

My first stop was Times Square which is a hop, skip and jump from Port Authority. I swear the whole area was crowded with people in costume having a wonderful time. I was surprised with the COVID going on how many people especially young families with children were not wearing masks. They were wearing costumes with no face coverings including the children.

Since the parade was cancelled, people had their own makeshift parade and were laughing, yelling and having a good time talking to one another in the closed off portion of Times Square between West 42nd to West 45th Streets along Broadway. I could see people just wanted to don a costume and forget all their troubles. I never realized how much people enjoyed the parade and how much they missed it.

Times Square on Halloween Night 2020

Try as I might, I could not find that billboard with the pictures of the Halloween Parade on it and I could not remember if they posted a side street with the information so I walked about four blocks around the square looking for the billboard and admiring the costumes.

I decided to head to the Village to see the spider puppet emerge from the library. That was another busy neighborhood. All the side street around Sixth Avenue were jammed with people in restaurants and bars. Here they were wearing masks to a point. When they were seated in extremely crowded restaurants, it was mask off. I could tell though again people were having a good time. Everyone looked fatigued and just needed to let off a little steam.

Pumpkin Men greeted people at the Stonewall Inn on Halloween Night

I watched as the puppet did emerge and dance around the outside of the library, which is a beautiful Victorian structure. The spider crawled out of the tower and I could see the puppeteers from the balcony above directing the spider.

Spider Puppet on the Jefferson Market Library

The spider emerges from the Jefferson Market Library on Sixth Avenue

The spider is the creation of artist Basil Twist, a professional puppeteer with a studio on Leroy Street in the Village who constructed the puppet in 1994. He created the puppet as an homage to one of the original puppets in the parade that was founded by Roger Lee in the 1970’s. The artist usually waits until the marchers in the Halloween Parade get to Eighth Street to release the puppet. (DNA Info Danielle Tcholakian).

Artist Basil Twist with his spider in the clock tower of the Jefferson Market Tower

https://www.basiltwist.com/

Artist Basil Twist is an American born artist originally from San Francisco and now resides in New York City. He is a third generation puppeteer and is the only American to graduate from the Ecole Superieure Nationale des Arts de la Marionette in France. He is an artist, puppet designer, director and guest lecturer at many colleges.

A video on artist Basil Twist’s work

On quiet Sixth Avenue that only a year before on a 71 degree night where throngs of people walked uptown in the Halloween Parade, I watched the spider dangle from the library and dance down the side of the building. There were very few people to watch the show but the spider did its thing amusing all of us who watched it.

Just as I started to watch the slide show across the street from the library that was being shown of clips of the Halloween Parade, I ran across Grace, our fearless leader of the Parade who checks me in every year before I work the gate. I could barely recognize her under the mask. She and the creator of the Halloween Parade, Jeanne Fleming, were watching the spider too and running the slide show of past parades on the side of a apartment building across Sixth Avenue.

Jeanne Fleming, our fearless leader & Founder of the Halloween Parade

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeanne_Fleming

Grace and I talked for a bit while watching the spider crawl down from the balcony about how different a year makes. The Village was still busy with people walking on the streets with costumes and bars and restaurants packed with people enjoying the warm October night. It was definitely strange not to see thousands of people walk up Sixth Avenue after all these years but next year brings hopeful optimism.

The full Moon was in its magnificence that evening

I said my goodbyes to her and Jeanne and took one last stroll around the Village with its outdoor dining and costumed revelers and hoped things would work out. Then I noticed the beautiful full moon overhead. I had never seen one so bright on Halloween Night. No witches crossing the moon but a brightness to light the way into better years ahead.

Still I was also able to sneak up to Croton on the Hudson for the Annual “Pumpkin Blaze” that is sponsored by the Hudson River Historical Society. It was a much toned down event than last year and at 25% capacity was much easier to get through the displays. I had never seen so few people at the event but in the era of COVID it is smarter to have a smaller crowd and have the event than to have nothing. It is the Historical Society’s biggest fundraiser and people were having a good time.

The Van Cortlandt Manor ablaze with sights and sounds in its pumpkin cemetery

The Blaze was amazing with all the music, sites and sounds. I loved the MoMA version of the museum with pumpkin portraits and the Pumpkin Bridge, Ferris Wheel and Spider Webs. There was even a Croton on the Hudson fire truck and ambulance in dedication to all the hard work during COVID. Smaller yes but no less wonderful. I am glad that ran the event.

The Pumpkin Ferris Wheel at the Pumpkin Blaze at Croton on the Hudson

One of the Pumpkin Paintings based on “The Scream”

Van Cortlandt Manor in all its ghoulish delight the night of “The Blaze”

Justin Watrel (the blogger) at “The Pumpkin Blaze” during the Halloween holidays

I had the most amazing Chinese meal at New Happy Garden at 440 South Riverside Avenue #440 in the ShopRite Mall next to the Blaze and I highly recommend the restaurant. The Orange Chicken with Pork Fried and egg rolls.

A much more toned down Halloween than in the past but between the all events it made Halloween a more special time to get my mind off everything going on in the world.

Happy Halloween!

Highlights from the Halloween Parade 2019

The First Annual Miniature Halloween Parade: The gift of the Halloween Parade Committee in 2020

My neighbor’s Scarecrow, Giggles. I think this thing is evil (Ha Ha)

If all else fails, watch the original version of the movie “Halloween” from 1978 on YouTube:

Happy Halloween!

Places to Visit:

Hasbrouck Heights Home Decorations

Drive around our Borough of Hasbrouck Heights, NJ in Bergen County for Halloween and Christmas decoration every October and December

The Halloween Parade

The Parade steps off at 7:00pm on Halloween Night starting at Canal Street in Manhattan

The Jefferson Market Library (to see the Spider Puppet)

425 Sixth Avenue

New York City, NY 10011

(212) 243-4334

https://www.nypl.org/locations/jefferson-market

Van Cortlandt Manor

525 South Riverside Avenue

Croton on the Hudson, NY 10520

(914) 366-6900

Van Cortlandt Manor

The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze

Open: Seasonal Please check their website

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g47560-d116391-Reviews-Van_Cortlandt_Manor-Croton_on_Hudson_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/visitingamuseum.com/3677

Places to Eat:

New Happy Garden Chinese Restaurant

440 South Riverside Avenue

Cronton On the Hudson, NY 10520

(914)271-7888

https://www.menupix.com/westchester/restaurants/3212099/Dong-Happy-Garden-Menu-Croton-On-Hudson-NY

Open: Sunday 12:00pm-10:00pm/Monday-Thursday 11:00am-10:30pm/Friday & Saturday 11:00am-11:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g47560-d4616434-Reviews-Dong_Happy_Garden-Croton_on_Hudson_New_York.html?m=19905

Mount Gulian Historic Site 145 Sterling Street Beacon, NY 12508

January 4, 2020Exploring the Historic Hudson River Valley in New York State, My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), Uncategorized, Visiting a Museum in New York StateAuthor Justin Watral, Author Justin Watrel, Historic Holidays, Historic Homes, Hudson River Valley, Hudson River Valley Christmas Events, Hudson River Valley Fall Events, Justin Watral, Justin Watrel, Mount Gulian Historic Sitejwatrel

Don’t miss Mount Gulian when it reopens in April. The house was beautifully decorated for the holidays and don’t miss it in 2020.

The view from Mount Gulian to the Hudson River

The inside of Mount Gulian

Visiting a Museum: The Unique, Unusual, Obscure and Historical

Mount Gulian Historic Site

145 Sterling Street

Beacon, NY 12508

(845) 831-8172

http://www.mountgulian.org/

Open: May 5th-October 27th Tours are every hour 1:00pm-5:00pm on Sundays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Special Wedding tours are by appointment.

Fee: Adults $8.00/Seniors $6.00/Children (6-18) $4.00/Members are free

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g47291-d10701912-Reviews-Mount_Gulian_Society-Beacon_New_York.html?m=19905

On my last trip to the Hudson River Valley to visit the great houses of the Hudson, I came across Mount Gulian, a Dutch manor that I never heard of in all my visits. This smaller Dutch manor house is actually a reconstruction of an 18th century home that burned to the ground by arson in 1931. The original house had been built between 1730 and 1740 and added onto over the next two centuries.

The house officially had closed for the season at the end of October and was decorated for the holidays for the weekend between December 14-16th to represent the…

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Locust Grove Estate 2683 South Road (Route 9) Poughkeepsie, NY 12601

January 1, 2020Exploring the Historic Hudson River Valley in New York State, My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), MywalkinManhattan Experiences, Uncategorized, Visiting a Museum in New York StateAuthor Justin Watral, Author Justin Watrel, BergenCountyCaregiver.com, Christmas in the Hudson River Valley, DiningonaShoeString@Wordpress.com, Exploring the Hudson River Valley, Hudson River Valley, Hudson River Valley Christmas Events, Hudson River Valley Fall Events, Justin Watral, Justin Watrel, LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com, Locust Grove, Locust Grove Estate, MywalkinManhattan.com, NY, Samuel Morse Mansion, Solar Eclipse, VisitingaMuseum.com, Warren George Watrel, Warren Watreljwatrel

Don’t miss the decorated mansions of the Hudson River Valley during the Christmas holidays.

Locust Grave at Christmas time

Visiting a Museum: The Unique, Unusual, Obscure and Historical

Locust Grove: A National Historic Landmark

2683 South Road (Route 9)

Poughkeepsie, NY 12601

(845) 454-4500

http://www.lgny.org

https://www.lgny.org/

Open: Seasonal-See Below

Visitor Information: The gardens and grounds are open year round from 8:00am to dusk, weather permitting.

House Tours: Offered May through November, daily from 10:00am-5:00pm and weekends in April & December. Groups tours by appointment.

Visitor Center: Open January through March, weekdays from 10:00am-5:00pm. April through December daily from 10:00am-5:00pm.

Fee: Adults $12.00/Children (6-18) $6.00

TripAdvisor Review:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g48443-d263920-Reviews-Locust_Grove_Estate-Poughkeepsie_New_York.html?m=19905

Overlooking the Hudson River, the 180 acre Locust Grove Estate includes an Italianate villa designed in 1851 by architect Alexander Jackson Davis for artist and inventor Samuel F. B. Morse. The estate, with miles of carriage roads, landscaped grounds, historic gardens and Hudson River views, was preserved as a museum and nature preserve by the Young family, whose collection of art and antiques is exhibited in the mansion’s 25 rooms.

I…

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Day One Hundred and Forty-Nine Visiting the Hudson River Valley for Fall Events and to see the foliage September and October 2019 (and in October 2021 and October 2022)

November 15, 2019"A Local Journey: Exploring the outskirts of New York City, Dining on a Shoe String in New York State, Exploring Beacon, NY, Exploring Catskill, NY, Exploring Farms and Farm Stands, Exploring Kingston NY, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring New York State, Exploring Poughkeepsie, Exploring Red Hook NY, Exploring Rhinebeck NY, Exploring the Historic Hudson River Valley in New York State, Historic New York State neighborhoods, Hot Dog, Hamburger & Fries for the budget minded., Little Shop on Main Street in New York State, My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), MywalkinManhattan at the Halloween Holidays, MywalkinManhattan Experiences, Pizzeria's and Italian Restaurants for the budget-minded, Sandwich and Deli's for the budget minded, Uncategorized, Visiting a Museum in New York StateAddthistoyourgrocerylist@Wordpress.com, Author Justin Watral, Author Justin Watrel, Bannerman Castle, Beacon, BergenCountyCaregiver.com, Christmas in the Hudson River Valley, Cornell University Football, DiningonaShoeString@Wordpress.com, Dutchess County Fair, Dutchess County Fair Grounds, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring the Dutchess County Fair, Exploring the Hudson River Valley, Hessel Museum, Hudson River Valley, Hudson River Valley Fall Events, Justin Watral, Justin Watrel, Kearney House, LittleShoponMainStreet, Montgomery Place, MywalkinManhattan.com, NY, Sheep & Wool Festival, Trip to the Hudson River Valley, VisitingaMuseum.com, Warren George Watrel, Warren Watreljwatrel

I have been travelling up to the Hudson River Valley much more than usual this Fall. There has been so much going on between the events up at the Dutchess County Fair Grounds since the Fair in August and all the of the ‘Mansion Hopping’ and visiting to historical sites for my blog, “VisitingaMuseum.com”, which I have been concentrating on building over the Summer and Fall. I have been visiting on most weekends between September and the end of October.

Travelling up to the Hudson River Valley in the fall is an amazing time. Because of the lack of rain over the summer, the foliage turned much earlier than it usually does and the trees starting turning yellow and red in the end of September and beginning of October as opposed to last year and the year before where it was more the end of October and middle of November.

I started my journey up to Dutchess County right after the Dutchess County Fair at the end of August and continued through the end of October for Halloween events. I had bought a small Santa from a woodcarver for a small Mother’s Day present for my mom and she absolutely loved it so I had to seek him out again at events through the next three months. He was tough to find.

My mother loves the Santas at the fair

My first trip Upstate was for the Cornell-Marist Football game on September 21st. Because I have to teach college on Saturday mornings I left for the game later in the afternoon and I got to Marist College during the beginning of the second quarter.

The Marist College campus off Route 9 in Poughkeepsie is one of the nicest college campuses I have been to in a while. The campus sits right on the Hudson River and the nice part is that the football stadium is located right off the highway so as I was driving in I could see what was going.

Big Red Football

Long story short it was not the greatest football game I had ever been to and we won 21-7. Cornell University has not invested in its football team the way it should and it was like watching two high school teams play. The funny part was that Marist College and Cornell University have the same school colors so it was hard to see who was rooting for who in the stadium.

The one nice thing about the stadium is that on the other side of the stands of the stadium that Marist has lawn sitting and that is the best way to watch the game. It was also about 85 degrees that afternoon so it was the perfect football weather and I got tan while watching the game.

Sitting on the lawn side of the field is the best place to sit

After the game was over, I decided to explore the campus. God, the Marist College campus is gorgeous. The campus has expanded over the years since I went to school at the Culinary Institute of America and our campus was beautiful as well. Marist College has rolling hills, lush green lawns and the most amazing view of the Hudson River. People should just visit the campus to walk around. The foliage was just starting to turn so the view of the river and the hills that surround it was spectacular.

Homecoming and Reunion Weekend at Marist College

https://www.marist.edu/

The next weekend I was back Upstate again to the fairgrounds in Rhinebeck for Oktoberfest. This interesting event was the smaller of the two events that I attended at the Dutchess County Fair Grounds after the Annual Fair in August. This was a smaller craft event that took up one section of the fairgrounds mostly where the craft exhibition space had been during the fair and the rides were located. I had gotten this event and the Sheep & Wool event later in the month mixed up and the wood carver was not there (later when I did meet up with him at the Sheep & Wool Festival he said that he was not invited). Still I stayed and explored the fairgrounds on this warm sunny day.

Along the main path, there were all sorts of arts and crafts vendors and gourmet food vendors selling their wares and there were a few food vendors towards the back of the event but the lines were so long that I decided to eat outside the fairgrounds. So I took a trip up to Red Hook, NY which is located just north of the fair grounds and had lunch at Village Pizza III at 7594 North Broadway (see reviews on TripAdvisor and DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com) for some lunch.

The food at this Village Pizza is just excellent and so reasonable as well! I had the most delicious Calzone ($6.95) that was just loaded with mozzarella, Parmesan and Ricotta cheese and was a gooey delight with every bite. Their red sauce that I have mentioned in my of my Upstate New York blogs, is just excellent. Well spiced and loaded with flavor.

Village Pizza III at 7594 Broadway in Red Hook, NY is just excellent for lunch and dinner

https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=113437418688745

I came back two weeks later for the Sheep and Wool Festival which was a whole different experience in both 2019 and 2021 (the festival like everything else was cancelled in 2020 because of COVID).

The entrance to the Dutchess County Fairgrounds

The Sheep and Wool Festival which takes place the third week of October was a much bigger festival, larger than Oktoberfest but just a little smaller than the Fair. In the back by the animal pens there were displays from people in the 4 H with their sheep, alpaca and goats showing off these amazing animals. So many of the them were friendly and let you pet them. Most looked bored and tired of people taking their picture.

The sheep at the Sheep & Wool Festival

It was a lot of fun walking through the rows of yarn, specialty crocheted and knitted hats, blankets and baby items plus all the handcrafted items for the upcoming holidays. These took up most of the display pens that during the Dutchess County Fair are used for the animals. There are a lot of talented crafters and artisans that come to the Fairgrounds.

The Sheep and Wool Festival in 2019

The Sheep and Wool Festival in 2022

I did find the woodcarver, Joe Gleeson, on this trip and was able to buy to small Santa’s that he had in stock. It seemed that he had a good sell through at the Dutchess County Fair and there was not much left and he was just trying to keep up. I love Mr. Gleeson’s surrealist designed Santa’s. Another creative carver was Bill Kypreos from Bill-Lin Woodcarving, who I bought another Santa from in 2021.

kypreos8@me.com

After making that purchase, I walked all over the fairgrounds looking over the displays and all the crafts people. There were a lot of interesting vendors offering the most beautiful and interesting items.

Carapace Farm Puppetry by Susannah White

Mr. Gleeson has the most beautiful wooden carvings of Santa’s, Elf’s and Snowman. Bonnie’s Beast’s offered the most creative felt and knit play animals from felt wool. Artist Patricia McGarth created homemade all natural doggie treats that tasted like an all natural cracker. They were not bad to eat for a human. Utopia Bath Ltd. has an interesting bath line and lotions.

Bonny’s Beasts

Artist Susannah White builds and creates puppets through her Carapace Farm Puppetry. She carries the most interesting hand and finger puppets and masks. She works with her mother, artist Amelia McIsaac who also does felt art and works on the “Star Babies” sculptures and other children’s art.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/FloweringHeart

https://www.facebook.com/CarapaceFarmPuppetry/

Artist JoAnn Clark is a fiber artist who specializes in Needle felted folk art. She created the most interesting animal art and figurines. Amelia McIsaac created flowering art through her Flowering Art Homestead company.

https://www.facebook.com/floweringhearthomestead/

Going Gnome was another artist’s work making small felt gnomes that were colorful and whimsical.

https://www.goinggnome.com/

Foodie Kristin Nelson created the most delicious caramels with her small artisan candy business Cara-Sel. These sweets have such a rich flavor.

https://www.ardenthomesteader.com/

The sheep were surprisingly friendly

For lunch, I discovered that Janek’s, the Food Truck vendor I had eaten lunch at during the Fair was at this festival as well and I made the ‘B-Line’ to have lunch there.

For $15.00, I got their special again. This was a half pound freshly ground beef patty that was juicy in the center and caramelized on the outside. Then they top it with Cheddar Cheese, Smoked Glazed Ham, Pulled Pork and homemade pickles with a side of freshly made potato-cheese perogies cooked in butter and sweet onions with a side of sour cream.

Don’t miss Janek’s Food Truck at all Dutchess County events

Okay, yes it is not for the cholesterol minded person but I eat this twice a year and do I enjoy it. I walked the Fairgrounds twice just to work it off. I had the exact same thing in 2021 and it was just as good but the price went up to $18.00.

Do not miss the Cheeseburger with pulled pork and pierogi special at Janek’s Food Truck

In 2021, I left the Fairgrounds around 2:30pm to visit the Bard Campus to visit two of the cultural sites I wanted to see on my last couple of trips to the Hudson River Valley, Montgomery Place, the home of Janet Livingston Montgomery and the Hessel Museum, Bard College’s on campus museum.

I had been to Montgomery Place at 26 Gardener Way & River Road many times before when the house was owned by the Hudson River Historical Society. They used to run tours of the house and have cocktail parties on the porch outside. The grounds were breathtaking with views down to the Hudson River and the lawns had been freshly cut. The trees were getting that yellow and orange hue to them and it was nice exercise to just walk around the grounds. The house is now closed to tours (by appointment only).

Montgomery Place at 26 Gardener Way

https://www.bard.edu/montgomeryplace/

After a tour of the grounds of the old mansion, I visited the Hessel Museum which is the museum of the Bard College. This interesting museum is specializing in modern and contemporary art.

The Hessel Museum at 33 Garden Road

https://ccs.bard.edu/museum

The Hessel Museum was featuring two different exhibitions: “With Pleasure: Pattern and Decoration in Art 1972-1985”, which was a time of growth in home decorating themed art and “Closer to Life: Drawings on Paper of the Marieluise Hessel Collection”, the founder of the Museum and Co-Founder of the College’s personal collection of works. Both exhibitions displayed the art in its own unique way. What was nice was the museum was free as well as visiting the mansion.

In 2021, I spent the night at the Courtyard by Marriott in Fishkill, NY (see TripAdvisor review below) after the Sheep & Wool Festival so that I could revisit a lot of the businesses and small towns that I had been to in the past to check out the businesses and the status of the towns during COVID. What started as a specular day with a beautiful sunrise over the Catskills from my hotel room ended in a most gloomy cold day of driving around the Hudson River Valley.

The Courtyard by Marriott at Fishkill in Fishkill, NY at 17 Westage Drive

https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/fhkny-courtyard-fishkill/

The view from my room at the Marriott Fishkill

Almost all the businesses in Red Hook, NY were closed on Monday with the exception of Little Pickles, a small toy store that I have featured many times in my blogs (see LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com), The owner and I talked for awhile about the stores being closed on Mondays and how hard that is on customers.

Little Pickles at 7505 North Broadway

https://ourlittlepickles.com/

Red Hook was pretty much closed for the day and was rather gloomy in the rain. On a nice day though, it is the most unique and quaint town to shop and visit.

Downtown Red Hook, NY on a nice day in the fall

https://www.redhook.org/

See my Blog on “Exploring Downtown Red Hook, NY:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/14144

I left Red Hook and my next stop was Downtown Wappingers Falls, NY where the Meisner Homestead was located. Everything was closed here and about six or seven stores had closed in its unique downtown. Even the Falls were dripping as there was no water coming down the river. I could not believe how much was empty since my last visit almost a year ago. This was the up and coming downtown.

Downtown Wappingers Falls, NY

Homepage

My last stop on my journey was Beacon, NY where a lot more of the stores were open for the day and the weather had gotten nicer. The foliage was a little nicer here but most of the trees were pretty much still green.

Downtown Beacon, NY

http://www.beacononhudson.com/

I walked the whole downtown twice visiting stores that had interested me in the past. Colorant at 146 Main Street is such a unique clothing store in which all the clothes are made of all natural fibers and dies (see my review on LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com).

Colorant at 146 Main Street in Beacon, NY

https://www.thisiscolorant.com/pages/contact

Another store that caught my attention was Flora Good Times, a very interesting flower and gift shop at 197 Main Street. They had all sorts of interesting handmade pottery and a nice selection of seasonal flowers beautifully displayed.

Before I left touring all of downtown, I stopped at my ‘go to’ pizzeria, Pizza & Stuff II which has the best pizza. The slices are really large and the sauce is so well spiced and gives it wonderful flavor. The service here is really nice (see my review on TripAdvisor below).

Flora Good Times at 197 Main Street in Beacon, NY

https://www.floragoodtimes.com/

After touring all the towns in search of new material, I headed home on a rather chilly night. I ended up having to turn the heat on in the house. The rain really had dropped the temperature.

In 2019, after the time at the Sheep and Wool Festival, it was next to the ‘Pie and Punch Evening” at the Kearney House in the Palisades Interstate Park. I had been to the Kearney House two weeks early on a Sunday but it was closed due to a Square Dance fundraiser they were running so I saw this on the Internet and thought it sounded fun (Please see the reviews on TripAdvisor and VisitingaMuseum.com). The house would all be lit by candles and fireplaces as there is no electricity in the house. What could be nicer?

Kearney House at the Alpine Landing is lit by candlelight

https://www.njpalisades.org/kearney.html

Well just to let all you readers know that the Palisades Interstate Park is closed after dusk and does not reopen until it is light out the next day and there are NO lights either on the roads going down the hill to the basin or in the parking lot. When I mean the park is pitch black, it is pitch black. I thought this was dangerous since the road leading to the basin is very steep, not much of a barrier along the cliff side and no lights on the signs. I had some jerk follow me at full speed racing down the hill behind me. Let’s just leave this that there was a small boulder that I did not see and it did not get out of my way. The next hour in the park was not fun!

After I calmed down and was an hour late for the event, everyone could not have been nicer to me at the get together. Once I relaxed and had some hot spiced punch and a few pieces of pie and some cheese I calmed down. The boulder aside, it was a very nice event and I had a good time.

The Kearney House is an old Revolutionary aged home that had been used by the Kearney family as Inn and resting place for sailors and shippers using the Hudson River back when it was bustling with trade. The family ended up selling it before WWI and it was bought by the parks system. The division that runs the Kearney House and fundraisers for its upkeep run these themed events.

The house was all lit up by candlelight in both rooms and both fireplaces were roaring when I got in the room. It was the pies that calmed me down. They offered three different pies, Strawberry Rhubarb, Apple and Pumpkin that were from a bakery in Closter, NJ and were ‘out of this world’ delicious. The apple pie had the sweetest filling and tasted like pears were baked into it along with the apples. The strawberry rhubarb had a tangy-tart sweet filling to it and the pumpkin had a nicely baked creamy almost custard like filling all with this amazingly buttery crust. This is the type of pie that can make you forget all of your problems.

Kearney House story telling

On the table as well were wedges of sharp cheese and accompanying breads, roasted peanuts, ice cold water and served to you by volunteers in period costume. If I had not been so shaken when I entered the house (and of course the couple who helped me with the car told everyone at the party what happened so everyone was extra nice to me) and all the volunteers who helped with the event had not been so nice, it could have been a bad night.

The house lit by candle light and by the fireplace

Still there was a tour of the house both upstairs and into the attic, a musician playing songs and then a half hour of story telling all by the glow of candle and fire light that made the evening special. I ended up having a nice time talking to the other guests and getting to eat the endless slices of pie.

I left a little better than I arrived but I will tell you two things: I am NEVER going into this park again after dark, so matter what the event is and that was the last time I set foot in the Kearny House. It was so dark in the parking lot when I left I almost tripped on the barrier on side the of it.

My next trip up to the Hudson River in 2019 that next Sunday lead me to Beacon, NY to visit Pollepel Island/Bannerman Castle Island and to visit the mysterious castle in the middle of the Hudson River (see my reviews on TripAdvisor and VisitingaMuseum.com). I had talked about visiting Beacon, NY in my other blogs for the Third Thursday Shopping nights during the holidays and my visit to the DIA-Beacon in VisitingaMuseum.com.

Bannerman Island

When visiting Bannerman Island please remember that it is open seasonally and opens in later April and closes at the end of October so you have to plan your trip there accordingly. I got there the last Sunday it was open and please note that you do need advanced reservations to go to the island. I lucked out as there was two trips out to the island that day and there had been a cancellation that afternoon and I was able to make the boat trip.

The trip was on somewhat rough waters as it was a gloomy day with the sun peaking out only at the end of the tour. When we got to the island, we landed at the small dock and then had to walk up over 70 steps to the landing at the top of the hill. It wasn’t hard but hardly ADA compliant. We had excellent tour guide who knew the whole history of the island from when the family bought the island in 1900 to when the sons sold the island in the 1950’s.

The Bannerman Castle on Bannerman Island

https://www.facebook.com/BannermanIsland/

The Bannerman Castle was actually an armory for munitions for the Bannerman company. Francis Bannerman IV bought the island to store his inventory of his military supply business and the items were stored there awaiting shipping to all over the world.

The castle itself had partially blown up in the 1920’s when the munitions caught fire and then in turn burned in 1969 and the interiors were destroyed. Recently part of the wall to the castle collapsed so the building is now being held up by metal rods to prevent further collapse.

The tour took us up the path toward the former arsenal so we could take a better look which is pretty dramatic sitting by the water with the vegetative growth around it. Mrs. Bannerman had once had the whole area landscaped with an exotic garden. Now that part is all growth and weeds.

Travelling up the path from the ‘castle’, we walked up the path that had been landscaped by the local garden clubs who have been put in charge of landscaping the old paths and gardens leading to the family mansion at the top of the hill. The mansion is going through a renovation so there is not much to see but there is a small gift shop inside and the history in the building. The outside of the mansion is being landscaped and used for theater show, movie nights and concerts. The views of the river are spectacular.

The view from the mansion on top of the hill

We exited down the back path and saw more interesting views of the Hudson River. There are more gardens on the way down and we heard more of the history of the island in that it was closed off until recently and was only visited by kayakers and adventurers. The island is now open for all sorts of activities.

On our way back, the tour guides gave us their own take on visiting the island which was pretty funny. They run these tours and can’t believe how mesmerized people are by buildings that were falling apart.

As we took the boat ride back to the dock in Beacon, I noticed that the foliage had an unusual line to it up on the hill. It was dead towards the top of the hill and the rest of the trees were combination of yellow and green. The tour guide said that an unusual early frost hit the trees and the ones at the top of the hill had already gone dormant.

It was unusual foliage in Beacon, New York

For the rest of the afternoon, I explored downtown Beacon and all the innovative stores and trendy restaurants. I ended up though eating at a Pizza and Stuff II Pizzeria at 339 Main Street. The pizza there is delicious. Those trendy restaurants prices are ridiculous and I am not too sure how the locals afford some of these places. Still it is a beautiful and quaint downtown with nice businesses set in the distance of the Hudson River mountains. The foliage around the town sets the tone.

As Halloween approaches, there will be more to do and see. Check out my blog on Halloween Again 2019.

Places to eat:

Village Pizza III

7514 North Broadway

New York, NY 12571

(845) 758-5808

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Village-Pizza-III/113437418688745

Open: Sunday 1:00pm-9:00pm/Monday-Thursday 11:00am-11:00pm/Friday & Saturday 11:00am-12:00am

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g48473-d819096-Reviews-Village_Pizza_III-Red_Hook_New_York.html?m=19905

DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/886

Janek’s Food Truck

They are at the Fairgrounds during events. They are out of Milford, PA

Pizza and Stuff II

339 Main Street

Beacon, NY 12508

(845) 838-2222

https://www.facebook.com/beaconsbestpizza/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 10:30am-8:30pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g47291-d5510044-Reviews-Pizza_and_Stuff_II-Beacon_New_York.html?m=19905

Places to Visit:

Dutchess County Fairgrounds

6636 Route 9

Rhinebeck, NY 12572

(845) 876-4000

http://dutchessfair.com/dutchess-fair/general-info/

(Open for Seasonal Events)

Marist College Campus Football Field

3399 North Road

Poughkeepsie, NY 12601

(845) 575-3000

Open: Check the website for game days

https://www.marist.edu/

The Kearney House/Alpine Landing

Palisade Interstate Park

Alpine, NJ 07624

(201) 768-1360 ext. 108

Open: Check the website for the days it is open

https://www.njpalisades.org/kearney.html

Open: The Kearney House is open seasonally usually weekend from 1:00pm-4:00pm; closed for the season except for special events. Please visit their website.

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g29743-d19332567-Reviews-Kearny_House-Alpine_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/visitingamuseum.com/3519

Bannerman Island

Pollepel Island

Newburg, NY/Beacon, NY

(845) 237-2326

https://www.facebook.com/BannermanIsland/

Open: Check the website for days open

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g47508-d2252346-Reviews-Bannerman_Castle-Cold_Spring_New_York.html?m=19905