The Garden Conservancy’s Open Days program is a great excuse to investigate gorgeous gardens in our region, both public and private. On the list for this Saturday, July 27, is Innisfree Garden in Millbrook.
Swimming is a great way to commune with the Esopus Creek, but there’s something extra satisfying about adventures that involve us in a more active way.
Every summer a Hudson Valley town or two make one of these lists. Will it lead to more crowds? Or are there so many such lists of “cool small towns” being churned out by websites that it really doesn’t matter?
“The beauty of ballooning here is the topography,” says Chris Healy, a balloonist with 33 years experience. “It’s just a beautiful place to fly. I’ve flown most places in the country, and if you’re flying in California, or Arizona, out toward the desert, you’ve really got to like brown. And if you’re going to fly down South, you’ve got to like flat. But here we’ve got the Shawangunk Ridge to the north, we’ve got the valley carved out by a glacier and the Hudson River. Rolling green hills, farmland, lakes and streams: This really is one of the best areas in the whole country to fly in.”
In the spirit of its founder, the great Hudson River School painter Frederic Church, Olana’s 2019 season of events is rich in adventurous, thoughtful and in some cases downright experimental programs – not necessarily the staid curatorial approach that one has maybe been conditioned to expect of historical sites.
You don’t need to go all the way to New Mexico to enjoy the splendor of hot-air balloons massing in the sky, or to cross experiencing a skyride in one off your bucket list. The much-loved Hudson Valley Hot-Air Balloon Festival is returning to the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck from 4 p.m. Friday to 8 p.m. Sunday, July 12 to 14, for its 28th annual visitation.
With state acquisition of a significant infill parcel, hikers are now able to walk only on state land from less than a mile off the Sawkill Road next to the Thruway westward several miles to within a stone’s throw from the Zena Road in Woodstock. A public information meeting has been scheduled for next Tuesday, May 7 at the Senate House Garage at 4 North Font Street in Kingston at 6 p.m. to discuss efforts to improve the trail network connecting the lands open to the public in the 3000-acre-plus Bluestone Wild Forest.
Considered by many to be the jewel of the Hudson River bridges, the Mid-Hudson Bridge was created by the famous bridge designer Ralph Modjeski. And the financing of the Rip Van Winkle Bridge is considered by many to be an innovative precursor of FDR’s New Deal economic systems.
During special hours on Friday-Sunday, April 26-28: Passes must be picked up in person, with the exception of minors, whose parent or guardian may pick up a pass on their behalf.
Battenfeld’s Farm, the world’s largest producer of hybrid anemones, grows primarily for the wholesale flower trade, but locals can pick up self-serve bouquets in their greenhouse.
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