NPRCC Fall/Winter Sojourn

FALL 2010 / WINTER 2011

A SEASONAL GUIDE TO THE MID-HUDSON VALLEY

WINTER SPORTS The slopes, trails, and rinks of the area await you

PRESIDENTS AND THE HUDSON VALLEY Regional connections, from Washington to Obama

PICK-YOUR-OWN FARM GUIDE

COMMUNITY

BUS I NES S

Grab the best of the harvest this fall

EDUCATION

NEW PALTZ

REGIONAL

CHAMBER OF

COMMERCE

TOURISM

NEW PALTZ REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE www.newpaltzchamber.org

YOUR PARTNERS IN HEALTH

Providing the Hudson Valley with Exceptional Healthcare!

HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley® is Kingston, Benedictine, Margaretville Hospitals, Mountainside Residential Care Center and Woodland Pond at New Paltz combined.

Our mission is to provide the highest quality healthcare services to all people in our communities WKURXJK WKH GLVWLQFW PLVVLRQV RI LWV DIÀOLDWHG PHPEHUV Visit us at www.hahv.org to learn the happenings of HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley®Your Partners In Health.

Benedictine Hospital (845) 338-2500 Kingston Hospital (845) 331-3131 Margaretville Hospital (845) 586-2631 Mountainside Residential Care Center (845) 586-1800 Woodland Pond at New Paltz (845) 883-9800

®

Benedictine Hospital Kingston Hospital Margaretville Hospital Mountainside Residential Care Center Woodland Pond at New Paltz

www.hahv.org

COME HERE

ALL YEAR! FROST VALLEY YMCA

Frost Valley YMCA has a rich history of bringing people together for extraordinary experiences. “Camp” here means cozy bunks and lodges ranging from tents and cabins to a historic stone castle and hotel-style Inn. With natural beauty plentiful and incorporating “green practices,” we are your premier Catskill Mountain destination. Contact us to reserve your weekend.

JOIN US FOR • maple sugaring • apple cidering • arts & crafts • boating • hiking • canoeing • meditation & relaxation • climbing • zip line • archery • skiing • snowshoeing • star gazing • horseback riding • year-round camps and so much more!

Just 2½ hours from metro NYC/NJ! 2

TEL: 845-985-2291

EMAIL: info@frostvalley.org WEB: frostvalley.org

WWW.NEWPALTZCHAMBER.ORG THE NEW PALTZ REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Locust Grove The Samuel Morse Historic Site

A Grand Country Estate in the Heart of the Hudson Valley!

Tour the mansion and art collection, hike on 180 acres of landscaped gardens, or enjoy concerts and special events year-round.

O P E N DA I LY May-November 10AM – 5PM and Weekends in April & December

An Unforgettable Place for your Unforgettable Day! Elegant Italianate Villa Romantic Gardens Hudson River Vistas Landmark Estate conveniently located in the heart of the Hudson Valley Receptions for up to 150 people in our Arts & Crafts style Museum Pavilion

2683 South Road (Route 9), Poughkeepsie, NY 845-454-4500 www.lgny.org SOJOURN FALL 2010 / WINTER 2011 3

Michael Gold / The Corporate Image

Letter from

Joyce Minard

T

he Hudson Valley region is charming in every season, but many would argue that autumn and winter are its most beautiful. In autumn, our vibrant fall colors are everywhere, surrounding you in dazzling reds and golds. The scenic beauty of the Hudson River, the Catskill Mountains, the Hudson Highlands, and the Shawangunk Ridge gorgeously unfolds as the region transitions to snow-blanketed winter.

Fall is also a time to celebrate the harvest.

Our farms, orchards, vineyards, and wineries are must-see destinations during this time of year. From pick-your-own apples and pumpkins to fresh pies and cider, fall in the Valley has something for everyone. Our crisp autumn weather is ideal for hiking and other outdoor recreation, antiquing, bird watching, river cruises, historical tours, or just about anything that strikes your fancy.

Winter in the Valley has plenty to offer, as well. Our exciting and eclectic mix of shopping and dining options make the region an ideal destination for holiday shopping. We’re an excellent jumping off point for Hunter and Belleayre mountains and the Catskill ski region, and offer some of the area’s best cross-country skiing right on the Shawangunk Ridge. Long winter nights are perfect for spending beside the fire in one of our many romantic lodges or bed and

breakfasts, followed by a quiet winter’s morning walk through the quaint towns and trails of the Hudson Valley.

This is just some of the good stuff Hudson Valley residents enjoy every day throughout the autumn and winter. Sojourn can help you find the good stuff, too. Our Chamber is proud to serve as a resource to visitors to our region, providing literature, tips, and advice year-round in our Visitor Center and through our popular website, www.newpaltzchamber.org. We hope you stop in to see us at 257 Main Street in New Paltz, or drop us a line through the Contact Us section of our website.

Best,

Joyce M. Minard

Front Cover Ice skaters at the Adventure Park at Windham Mountain.

Photo courtesy Windham Mountain.

Sojourn is published twice yearly by the New Paltz Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Publishing services provided by Luminary Publishing, publishers of Chronogram.

Luminary Publishing: (845) 334-8600; www.info.chronogram.com Information in this publication was carefully compiled to ensure maximum accuracy.

However, the New Paltz Regional Chamber cannot guarantee the correctness of all information provided herein. Readers noting inaccurate information should contact the Chamber with corrections and updates. © 2010 New Paltz Regional Chamber of Commerce. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part without the written permission of the New Paltz Regional Chamber of Commerce is strictly prohibited.

The New Paltz Regional Chamber of Commerce is located at 257 Main Street, New Paltz, NY, 12561. 845-255-0243. Fax: 845-255-5189.

4

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FALL 2010 / WINTER 2011

8

HARVESTING THE SEASON A guide to the region’s pick-your-own farms, where you can reap what others have sown. Don’t forget the agritourism flourishes: hayrides, apple cider, barbecues, corn mazes, tractor pulls, barn sales, and petting zoos.

10 A Frosty Frolic

The Hudson Valley is a winter sports Mecca, from downhill skiing and snowboarding to ice skating, snowshoeing, and other cold weather pursuits.

Festivals: Fall/Winter 14

From harvest fairs to film festivals—and the one only International Pickle Festival!—the region never lacks for arts and culture.

18 Presidents of the Hudson Valley

From George Washington to Barack Obama, the occupants of the White House have a long and storied history in the region.

22 The Harvest Table

Local chefs explain how their preparing the local bounty in restaurants around the region.

24 The Great Indoors

Where to go for fun when it’s cold outside!

26 All-Access Pass

A guide to lodging for the mobility impaired.

30 A Lingering Taste

The Taste of New Paltz turns 20 this year.

32 Event Listings

The lowdown on Hudson Valley doings.

39 Information

Resources you might need during your visit.

40 Regional Map

Who says you can’t get there from here?

SOJOURN FALL 2010 / WINTER 2011 5

20th Annual Taste of New Paltz Sunday, September 12, 11 am–5 pm Ulster County Fairgrounds, 249 Libertyville Rd., New Paltz www.tasteofnewpaltz.com A delicious Hudson Valley tradition celebrates a historic anniversary this September. The 20th Annual Taste of New Paltz puts the Hudson Valley’s renowned wine and cuisine on display, and is a flavorful annual opportunity to sample generously portioned samples of the best mouth-watering fare from the region’s finest restaurants, caterers, farm markets, and wineries, all in a single day. The adventurous gourmet will find bold and appealing delicacies; the more traditional diner will be glad to hear there’s still pizza, hot dogs, beer, and cheesecake. Local wineries will serve their own awardwinning regional specialties.

While food is the primary focus of the event, Taste of New Paltz also offers a variety of fun activities for the whole family, including Kids’ Expo ( face painting, free balloons, and giveaways), Antiques Expo ( fine collectibles and antiques, along with exciting demonstrations), Artistic Taste (paintings, drawings, and photography by local artists), Craft Expo (handcrafted jewelry, ceramics, and other handmade items), Business Expo (area businesses and services, plus “The Great Giveaway” raffles), the Country Store (packaged edibles for sampling and for purchase), and Wellness and Recreation Expo (health, fitness, and recreation information and demonstrations). Live music will be performed throughout the day. All gate proceeds benefit the New Paltz Regional Chamber of Commerce, its members, and its community programs.

For more information about this or other Chamber events, including Visitor Center hours of operation, call 845-255-0243 or e-mail info@newpaltzchamber.org.

6

WWW.NEWPALTZCHAMBER.ORG THE NEW PALTZ REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Offerings from Neko Sushi, New Paltz. Photo by Teresa Horgan

Connect.

Communicate.

Collaborate.

BOARD OFFICERS Chair Ernie VanDeMark Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp.

1st Vice Chair Chris Drouin Beyond Wealth Management 2nd Vice Chair Craig Shankles PDQ Business Printers Treasurer Mindi Haynes Vanacore, DeBenedictus, DiGovanni & Weddell, LLP, CPAs Financial Advisor Jerry Luke Fox Hill B&B Legal Counsel James Yastion Blustein, Shapiro, Rich & Barone, LLP BOARD OF DIRECTORS Frank Curcio Bank of America Tom Edwards Fox & Hound Wine and Spirits Helen Gutfruend Bodymind Massage Therapy Connie Harkin Ulster Savings Richard Heyl de Ortiz Historic Huguenot Street Kay Hoiby Freefall Express, Inc. Walter Marquez Water Street Market Dr. David Ness Performance Sports and Wellness Kathleen Packard KathodeRay Media, Inc. Shelley Turk Rocking Horse Ranch Patrick Turner Little Pond Consulting Susan VanDeBogart St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital Center for Rehabilitation Helise Winters SUNY New Paltz Office of Regional Education Emeritus Members Robert Leduc Mohonk Mountain House Rick Lewis Riverside Bank Off. Scott Shaffrick New Paltz Police Department Susan VanVoorhis M&T Bank Regional Chamber of Commerce Foundation at New Paltz Board of Directors Chair Kathy Ferrusi Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union Secretary Joyce Minard New Paltz Regional Chamber of Commerce Treasurer Sue VanVoorhis M&T Bank Board Member Sally Cross SUNY New Paltz Foundation Board Member Teresa Thompson Main Street Bistro Board Member Joanne Fredenberg Board Member Cathy Sifre Chamber Staff President Joyce Minard Director of Marketing and Communications Christine Crawfis Communications and Programs Administrator Janet Nurre Assistant Director of Finance & Membership Lucy Paradies

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www.huguenotstreet.org SOJOURN FALL 2010 / WINTER 2011 7

harvest

HARVESTING the SEASON A Pick-Your-Own Tour

By Kaitlin Pitsker

A

s colorful leaves cap surrounding mountaintops and crisp autumn air replaces humid summer heat, Hudson Valley farms offer a new seasonal array of crops and the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors before the first frost of the year. These nearby farms offer visitors the chance to wander the fields or orchards to select choice produce and bring their fresh-from-thefield selections home. Pluck apples of numerous varieties from the branches in preparation for a homemade pie or choose a pumpkin from the patch to paint, carve, or cook. Complete the trip with other on-the-farm activities including hayrides, petting zoos, and shopping in the farm store, or spend the rest of your visit getting lost in the corn maze.

Apple Hill Farm* 124 Route 32 South, New Paltz 845-255-1605 Apples, pumpkins; hayrides, fire truck rides Country Charm Farm 201 DuBois Road, New Paltz 845-255-4321; www.countrycharmfarm.com Pumpkins; corn maze, scarecrows, barn sale, hayrides Dressel Farms* 271 Route 208, New Paltz 845-255-0693; www.dresselfarms.com Apples; hayrides, corn maze, ice cream DuBois Farms 209 Perkinsville Road, Highland 845-795-4037; www.duboisfarms.com Apples, gourds, pears, plums, pumpkins; café, bakery, barbecues, corn maze, hayrides, children’s activities 8

Hurd’s Family Farm* Route 32, Modena 845-883-8825; www.hurdsfamilyfarm.com Apples, pumpkins; hayrides, corn maze, apple catapult Jenkins and Leuken Orchards* Route 299 West, New Paltz 845-255-0999; www.jlorchards.com Apples; corn maze, country store, bakery Kelder’s Farm 5755 Route 209, Kerhonkson 845-626-7137; www.kelderfarm.com Assorted vegetables, blackberries, blueberries, pumpkins, red raspberries, sweet corn; corn maze, petting zoo, mini golf Locust Grove Fruit Farm 159 North Road, Milton 845-795-5194 Apples, pumpkins

WWW.NEWPALTZCHAMBER.ORG THE NEW PALTZ REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Maynard Farms 326 River Road, Ulster Park 845-331-6908; www.maynardfarms.com Apples, pears, and pumpkins

over 40 antiq ps & e, art & oh... ue deale o h that s ffe vie rs, 20 od, co w! o f

Minard Farm* 317 Hurd Road, Clintondale 845-632-7753; www.minardfarms.com Apples, pumpkins; farm store, wagon rides Mr. Apples Low Spray Orchard 25 Orchard Street, High Falls 845-687-0005; www.mrapples.com Apples Prospect Hill Orchards 40 Clarkes Lane, Milton 845-795-2383; www.prospecthillorchards.com Apples, pears, pumpkins, squash; hayrides Saunderskill Farm* 5100 Route 209, Accord 845-626-2676; www.saunderskill.com Pumpkins; bakery, tractor pull, hayrides, maze, face painting

Special Events Live Music Every Weekend Live Music Plenty of Free Parking

Special Events Every Weekend

Stone Ridge Orchard Route 213, Stone Ridge 845-687-2587; www.stoneridgeorchard.us Apples 0000927639

Tantilloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Farm* 730 Route 208, Gardiner 845-256-9109; www.tantillosfarm.com Apples, pears, squash; gift shop, bakery Wallkill View Farm* 15 Route 299W, New Paltz 845-255-8050; www.wallkillviewfarmmarket.com Pumpkins; hayrides, corn maze, bakery

(845) 255-1403 WaterStreetMarket.com

Weed Orchard 43 Mount Zion Road, Marlboro 845-236-2684; weedorchards.com Apples, cabbage, cantaloupe, eggplant, peaches, pears, peppers, tomatoes, watermelon, zucchini; bakery, hayrides, petting zoo, face painting, crafts, hay maze, corn maze, music Wilklow Orchards* 341 Pancake Hollow Road, Highland 845-691-2339; www.wilkloworchards.com Apples, pumpkins; petting zoo, hayrides Wright Farms* 699 Route 208, Gardiner 845-255-5300; www.eatapples.com Apples, pumpkins; bakery * Indicates Chamber member.

Exit 18, NYS Thruway, take Route 299 West (Main Street) to Water Street. At the foot of the bridge go left onto Water Street. Just look for the Tower

SOJOURN FALL 2010 / WINTER 2011 9

Matt Petricone

sports

A Frosty Frolic WINTER SPORTS IN THE HUDSON VALLEY

By Anne Pyburn Craig

R

obert Frost said that you can’t get too much winter in the winter, and he probably had a point. There’s something very primal and clean about playing in the snow, from the bundling on of layers beforehand to the hot chocolate (or hot toddy) afterwards. As the wise mamas of olden times knew, nothing puts roses in your cheeks like a good frosty frolic.

So where do you go to play in the snow? If you’re one of those whose idea of a good time involves steep slopes and serious velocity, you’ve got a slew of possibilities in the area. Five good-sized centers offer downhill skiing, snowboarding, and/or snow tubing, and each has its own unique character and charms. Decades of experience combined with the latest in upgrades and innovations and exceptional hospitality combine to create skiing memories that will keep you cool all summer long.

If you’re looking for pizzazz and après-ski nightlife, Hunter Mountain might be a good choice. Hunter’s got the steepest slopes, stateof-the-art equipment, a terrain park for snowboarders, tubing, frequent competitive events, snowshoeing trails, and its own inn with spa, fine dining, and two year-round heated outdoor pools.

Should you choose to wander off-campus, Hunter and neighboring Tannersville are two of the area’s premier clubbing towns, especially in winter.

Windham Mountain, just 15 minutes from Hunter, is a bit more laid-back but no slouch in the thrills department. The 50-yearold resort changed hands in 2005, and the new management has invested about $12 million on improvements like new trails, new lifts, a tavern/grill, and improvements to the base lodge.

Windham offers a terrain park, tubing, ice

Create skiing memories that will keep you cool all summer long.

10

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Matt Petricone

Opposite: A skier enjoying fresh corduroy on the NASTAR race course at Hunter Mountain. Above: A snowboard lesson in progress behind the state-of-the-art Learning Center facility at Hunter Mountain.

rink, and adventure park with trampoline bungee jumping. It has a top-rated adaptive ski program. And Windham boasts the Big Air Bag, a feature that might in itself be worth the trip. It’s a variation on the fall cushions used by stuntmen.

The air bag lets skiers and boarders practice big jumps with a soft, cushy landing.

Farther west, Belleayre Mountain Ski Center is a publicly operated ski center that offers great value in a family-oriented, down-to-earth sort of way. People head to Belleayre to learn skiing or to avoid the crowds, and return because the skiing is lovely, albeit a bit tamer than Hunter. “This is a place where you can let your kids go off on their own and you know they should come back all in one piece, just because of the way the lifts and runs are set up,” remarks a satisfied customer on TripAdviser.com. Belleayre hosts ski clinics and races and winter carnivals.

It has a terrain park for boarders, adaptive skiing, guided snowshoeing trips, and a ski camp for the younguns.

Half an hour north, in Roxbury, Plattekill Mountain offers its own spin on all things downhill. It has got 35 trails, a terrain park, and tubing. Plattekill promises “big mountain terrain and small mountain charm,” blending family ambience with some fast and furious fun—40 percent of its trails are rated either “most difficult’ or “experts only.” Their double diamond “Blockbuster” trail “offers 1,100 feet of “continuous vertical” from top to bottom and is known

as one of the steepest in the region.”

If you fancy the Berkshires rather than the Catskills at the moment, Catamount—located in Hillsdale on the Massachusetts border—offers a great family-oriented skiing or snowboarding experience. Its terrain park hosts a lot of events and competitions, and has a junior area specially set up for the very youngest boarders.

Catamount excels at teaching. Adaptive skiing and boarding instruction, racing instruction, nontraditional lessons tailored to specific interests—if you can breathe, it sounds as though the good folk of Catamount will find a way to teach you to ski.

Perhaps you’d rather take in winter’s wonders at a slower pace. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing opportunities are numerous and nearby. For starters, don’t forget the rail trails— they’re scenic, handy, and level, and the odds are strong that you can find one that leads to the perfect refreshment. Many state parks offer cross country ski opportunities as well.

Mountain Trails Cross Country Ski Center, in Tannersville, offers 35 kilometers of groomed trails on 300 gorgeous North Catskills acres—a short hop from the Hunter and Windham playgrounds.

The Shawangunks offer their own unique winterscape, and plenty of places to get out and enjoy it. Minnewaska State Park has loads of spectacular trails, as does Mohonk Preserve; both offer snowshoeing opportunities, too. The SOJOURN FALL 2010 / WINTER 2011 11

Preserve boasts over 100 miles of trails and carriage roads, with linkages to both the state park and Mohonk Mountain House trail systems— in other words, thanks to a bunch of hard working, clever people, most of the ridge can be your playground on a crisp winter’s day for a nominal fee.

Mohonk Mountain House has a new and lovely 9,375-square-foot refrigerated ice rink which is open to day visitors. The open-air pavilion features wooden roof beams, stacked stone columns, and a 40-foot-tall stone fireplace. The scenic background is quite simply breathtaking, the cocoa excellent.

Overnight guests can also partake of tubing, curling, and broom hockey. There are full service ski and skate shops on the premises. A lowerkey ice skating experience can be had at various state and municipal parks around the region.

Yet another winter wonderland not to be missed is the aptly named Frost Valley YMCA in Claryville. Located on 6,000 acres of Catskills backcountry, Frost Valley offers equipment rentals and group lessons on weekends, and miles of trails for skiers and snowshoers all the time.

If the idea of ice climbing or Alpine climbing in the Gunks or the Cats speeds your pulse, but you (wisely) would like a little help getting started, a Rosendale operation offers everything you need. Alpine Endeavors offers basic mountaineering instruction through advanced whiteout conditions navigation techniques. Alpine Endeavors also offers guided snowshoe expeditions, equipment provided, in a range of wonderful locations that are tailor-made to various skill and experience levels.

Many of the aforementioned ski facilities have full-service equipment retail and rentals on premises, but if you’re independent-minded or 12

looking for something they haven’t got, try Rock and Snow on Main Street in New Paltz. The gear is dandy, the local knowledge priceless.

So have yourself a blissful series of Catskills and Hudson Valley snow adventures, and then go out for dinner and a movie with the money and time you’ll save in comparison to traveling to farther-flung, prestigious-but-crowded places. Our woodlands and hillsides and mountains await, in glistening robes of white.

RESOURCES in this article Alpine Endeavors www.alpineendeavors.com Belleayre Mountain Ski Center www.belleayre.com Catamount Ski www.catamountski.com Frost Valley YMCA www.frostvalley.org Hunter Mountain www.huntermtn.com Minnewaska State Park www.lakeminnewaska.org Mohonk Mountain House www.mohonk.com Mohonk Preserve www.mohonkpreserve.org Mountain Trails Cross Country Ski Center www.mtntrails.com Plattekill Mountain www.plattekill.com Rock and Snow www.rockandsnow.com Windham Mountain www.windhammountain.com For more info on where to hit the slopes, visit www.newpaltzchamber.org.

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Photo courtesy Hudson River Valley Greenway

Photo courtesy Windham Mountain

Snow tubing at Windham Mountain.

SOJOURN FALL 2010 / WINTER 2011 13

Photo courtesy Bethel Woods

FESTIVALS

fall / winter

FESTIVALS

By Kaitlin Pitsker

Festival of Books September 4-6 Celebrate the written word in a rural 1847 schoolhouse and browse the more than 10,000 gently used volumes for sale. Spencertown’s 5th annual Festival of Books will feature two gallery exhibitions, a Cookbook Cafe, and appearances by favorite children’s storybook characters. The Books & Blues BBQ will take place on Sunday evening.

Dozens of authors and poets, including Emily Arnold McCully, Madhur Jaffrey, Ann Hood, Alice Eve Cohen, and William Alexander will be in attendance. 1pm-5pm in Spencertown. Free.

518-392-3693; www.spencertownacademy.org.

Woodstock-New Paltz Arts & Crafts Fair* September 4-6 Enjoy live entertainment and the work of more than 300 juried artists and crafts people. Windsor chair making, spinning, weaving, and rug making demonstrations will also be available. Music includes the earthy pop of the Sweet Clementines, The Trapps playing folk rock, and All She Wrote’s folk songs. Saturday afternoon includes 14

Wildman Jack DiMuccio’s wildlife show. Speciality foods and health care products will be on sale.

Saturday and Sunday 10am-6pm and Monday 10am-4m at the Ulster County Fairgrounds in New Paltz. $8/$7 seniors, Children 12 and under free. 845-246-3414; www.quailhollow.com.

Harvest Festival at Bethel Woods September 4-October 10 Browse the farmers market and craft village while enjoying live music. Pony rides, corn and hay mazes, and other activities will entertain children. The festival includes the classics of barbecue, Italian ice and kettle corn, as well as vegetarian fare. The festival takes place rain or shine every Sunday through Columbus Day weekend.

Theme weekends include the Alpaca Festival (September 4), Mountain Music Festival (September 12), Earth Day in Autumn (September 19), Explore the Arts (September 26), Chili Day in October (October 3), and Rustic Home Craft Festival (October 10). Parking costs $2 and admission is free. Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel.

845-295-2448; www.bethelwoodscenter.org.

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Opposite: Pony rides at the Harvest Festival at Bethel Woods. Above: The New York State Sheep and Wool Festival at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck. Left: Poster for the 2010 Woodstock Film Festival, designed

by Portia Munson.

Hudson Valley Wine & Food Fest September 11-12 Hundreds of wines and food from numerous local restaurants will be available to sample as part of the Hudson Valley Wine & Food Fest.

The weekend also includes wine seminars, live music, a gourmet food showcase, and cooking demonstrations by Chef Vincent Tropepe and Chef Maria Liberati. Wine tasting tickets, including admission and unlimited wine tasting cost $30 for the day, or $50 for the weekend. Regular admission, including free nonalcoholic beverages costs $15 for the day, or $25 for the weekend. Saturday from 11am-6pm and Sunday from 11am-5pm at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck. 845-658-7181; www.hudsonvalleywinfest.com.

Hudson Valley Garlic Festival September 25-26 Sample different types of garlic and learn about the varieties and uses of it at Cantine Field in Saugerties during the 22nd annual Hudson Valley Garlic Festival. Plenty of garlic will be on hand for tasting and cooking, as well as more creative uses such as arts and crafts. Chefs and garlic connoisseurs will offer lectures and demonstrations.

Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities include pumpkin decorating, rock climbing, and face painting. Saturday 10am6pm and Sunday 10am-5pm. Tickets $10 at the gate, $7 online until September 20th, children 12 and under free. 845-246-3090; www.hvgf.org.

Woodstock Film Festival September 29-October 3 Enjoy any of the approximately 125 films featured in the Woodstock Film Festival. Films include features and shorts, as well as narratives, documentaries, and animation. Screenings take place a various venues in Woodstock, Rhinebeck, and Rosendale. A schedule of events will be available online in early September. Times and ticket prices vary. 845-679-4265; www.woodstockfilmfestival.com.

New York State Sheep and Wool Festival October 16-17 Sheep, alpacas, llamas, and other farm animals will be shown throughout the weekend, and goods made from the wool of these creatures SOJOURN FALL 2010 / WINTER 2011 15

will be on sale. Visitors can watch dogs compete in sheepdog trials, witness llamas compete for the highest leap, and see how far a pumpkin can fly. A magic show, petting zoo, and other children’s activities will also be available. Spinning, weaving, knitting, and dyeing workshops will be offered throughout the weekend. Saturday 9am6pm and Sunday 10am-5pm at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck. Single-day tickets cost $12 and tickets for the weekend cost $17. www.sheepandwool.com.

Eisteddfod Festival of Traditional Music November 5-7 Eisteddfod returns to the Hudson Valley to present a weekend of traditional folk music.

The weekend features a concert each day and 22 workshops. Bring your instrument to participate in hands-on workshops or listen in on panel discussions. Live musical entertainment includes Jerry Epstein, Caroline Paton, Paul Brown, and many more traditional and folk performers. The first concert begins at 8pm on November 5 at the Hudson Valley Report and Spa in Kerhonkson. Times and ticket prices vary.

718-672-6399; www.eisteddfod-ny.org.

International Pickle Festival November 21 Enjoy pickles from around the world, live music, and other activities as part of the 13th annual International Pickle Festival. Traditional Japanese dance, featuring Matushima Fuji & Sakura Thai, as well as German dances, including the Shupplattler, will honor cultural pickling traditions. Those who can devour pickles the fastest, drink pickle brine as quickly as possible, or accurately toss pickle chips into a partner’s mouth can win prizes in festival contests. 10am-5pm at the Community Center in Rosendale. 845-658-9649; www.picklefest.com Sinterklaas in Rhinebeck November 27-December 4 Be part of a Dutch tradition that dates back to the 4th century by welcoming Sinterklass (St. Nicholas) to town. Sinterklaas will arrive by boat to the Rhinecliff dock on November 27. A parade and celebration of his arrival will follow. In the weeks that follow numerous workshops will take place and Sinterklaas will ride through town accompanied by the Grumpuses and his dragon. The festival culminates December 4 with a starlight parade, holiday food, and performances. www.sinterklaasrhinebeck.com. * Indicates Chamber member.

Chronogram’s mission is to nourish and support the creative and cultural life of the Hudson Valley.

Join us. www.chronogram.com

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ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ALL RIGHT HERE ON YOUR DOORSTEP!

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Photo courtesy National Park Service

HISTORY

PRESIDENTS

of the HUDSON VALLEY

A HISTORICAL TOUR

BY Anne Pyburn Craig

A

casual observer might assume, given the bustling fervor that accompanied Chelsea Clinton’s wedding in Rhinebeck this summer, that presidential doings were perhaps something new in these parts. But as any schoolchild around here could tell you, that’s hardly the case.

The Hudson Valley has been the scene of presidential goings-on since before there were presidents to host. George Washington (President #1, 1789-97), of course, spent large amounts of time here during the Revolution, residing in Newburgh—at what is now the Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site, although the story of his refusal of an offered crown there seems to have grown in the telling over the past couple of centuries. (Lewis Nicola, the guy doing the “offering,” had no crown to give.) Washington did, however, manage to neatly thwart a plot called the Newburgh Conspiracy, which would have led to the establishment of a military dictatorship. It could be said, then, that the very nature of the presidency itself—as distinct from a monarchy or dictatorship—has Hudson Valley roots.

As do several subsequent presidents. In 1782, Martin Van Buren (#8, 1837-41) was born to a pair of innkeepers in Kinderhook, in present-day Columbia County. Bright and ambi-

tious, Van Buren would apprentice himself to a lawyer at the age of 14. He would go on to help found the Democratic Party and become a senator, governor, secretary of state, and ultimately the eighth president, following Andrew Jackson into office. The first president to have been born an American citizen, he was nicknamed “the Little Magician” for his small stature and outstanding manipulative savvy. His cleverness in helping propel Jackson into office has led some historians into proclaiming him the father of modern, folksy, grassroots campaigning. It was his misfortune, however, to preside during an economic downturn; his opponents rechristened him “Martin Van Ruin.”

In 1839, while still in office, Van Buren purchased what would become Lindenwald from a wealthy Kinderhook family he’d never much liked. A widower with four kids, Van Buren focused much of his energy on two more unsuccessful runs for president, but retained his influence over the “Albany Regency,” Upstate’s answer to Tammany Hall. He and his cohorts are credited, if that’s the correct word, with originating the “spoils system” that ensured loyal supporters cushy jobs.

President number 18, Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877), was known to favor the esteemed Catskill Mountain House (the former resort overlooking North-South Lake) on vacation—as did another president with strong Hudson Val-

The very nature of the presidency itself—as distinct from a monarchy or dictatorship—has Hudson Valley roots.

18

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Photo courtesy of PIPC Archives Opposite: Martin Van Buren National Historic Site in Kinderhook. Above: George Washington re-enactor in Washington’s Hasbrouck House office, Newburgh.

ley ties, Chester A. Arthur (#21, 1881-85). Though born in Vermont, Arthur was raised and educated in New York. A widower like Van Buren, he could hardly have been more different in most ways. Van Buren owned slaves; Arthur, early in his career, fought and won a case that desegregated New York City’s public transit system. He was an avid fly fisherman, and is remembered for instituting the Civil Service system, intended to put an end once and for all to the “spoils system” Van Buren had helped install. Rather than become a gentleman farmer, Arthur attempted to return to his law practice, but lived only a few more years. He’s buried in Albany Rural Cemetery in Menands.

Besides the Catskill Mountain House, the Mohonk Mountain House was a favorite haunt of Arthur’s. After West Point, Mohonk may hold the local title for most presidential visitors—Arthur, Rutherford B. Hayes (#19, 1877-91), Theodore Roosevelt (#26, 1901-09), and William Howard Taft (#27, 1909-13) all stayed there, as have the Clintons (Bill Clinton, #42, 1992-2001).

It was in the fourth decade of the 20th century the mid-Hudson really came into its own, president-wise. That, of course, was the era of Hyde Park. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (#32, 1933-45) was born Hudson Valley landed gentry, and he and Eleanor made Dutchess County the center of world affairs. “For the second time President Roosevelt has moved the nerve centre of the government to his mother’s rambling house on bluffs high above the Hudson River at Hyde Park, in Dutchess County, NY.,” reported C.B. Hurd to the New York Times in 1934. An enormous amount of the work of crafting the

New Deal—and defending it—took place here.

Hyde Park was all over the headlines—the Roosevelts hosting royalty, archbishops, fellow politicians, and delegations of Danish schoolchildren with equal aplomb. It was news when the president arrived and news when he left, news if he went sleighing, and news if he slept in on a summer morning. In 1936, he was reportedly well received on a last-minute campaign tour of Ulster, Orange, and Dutchess counties.

Through it all, he remained the quintessential old-guard landowner in ways that no modern president could get away with. He served as senior warden of his church and regularly drove himself to town hall to vote, listing his occupation as “tree grower” and kidding around with— and occasionally telling off—local officials. His correspondence with John and Henry Hackett, the family’s Poughkeepsie lawyers, has been preserved by the FDR library; the letters reveal a homier, more microcosmic side to the governor and eventual president: a Hudson Valley guy who tried to be a decent landlord, kept a sharp eye on adjoining pieces of property he might be able to get, had local legal snarls when the new chauffeur got into a head-on collision in the 1929 Cabriolet, and felt that Central Hudson was charging entirely too much to install a utility pole.

Eleanor was also a Hudson Valley gal with the formidable resume and steel-trap mind, who had served hotdogs to the Queen of England and once arrived in Hyde Park for a sixweek stay with 20 truckloads of belongings, she was often out promoting world peace, racial harmony, and economic justice—but at Hyde SOJOURN FALL 2010 / WINTER 2011 19

Photo courtesy National Park Service

Photo courtesy Hudson River Valley Greenway

Interior room of the Martin Van Buren House. Numerous meetings were held around the table during Van Buren’s 1844 and 1848 presidential campaigns.

Park continued to host streams of pilgrims paying homage to the homeboy, including Nikita Khrushchev, Jawaharlal Nehru, and the king and queen of Greece. Eleanor had Queen Mother Elizabeth over for a traditional Thanksgiving in the early 1950s with, one presumes, all the trimmings and nary a hot dog in sight. And in 1962, her funeral brought three presidents— Truman (#33, 1945-53), Eisenhower (#34, 1953-61), and Kennedy (#35, 1961-63)—together in Hyde Park, along with an unprecedented stream of tributes for the woman. UN Secretary General U Thant described as “truly the first lady of the world.”

Not bad for a Valley girl.

Indeed, Eleanor has famously been invoked as a role model and inspiration for another first lady who’s now Secretary of State, and—perhaps not coincidentally—the Clintons, aside from the obligatory West Point graduation speeches and the odd campaign stop, have been the next First Folks to devote significant amounts of time to the Hudson Valley, touring playfully about like Chester Arthur on a fly fishing jaunt, though perhaps occasioning a bit more fuss.

In the weeks leading up to “America’s Royal Wedding,” as young Chelsea’s nuptials were dubbed, speculation was rife over whether President Barack Obama would be showing up—and if he did, or did not, what that might really mean. Had he attended, it would not have been his first Hudson Valley sojourn, not even counting a stop at West Point which, as aforementioned, attracts presidents like iron filings to a giant magnet of patriotic symbolism. Obama was here in 2009, choosing Hudson Valley Community College in Troy as a venue to discuss green jobs, clean technology, and the economy. An advance team came through first, scouting locations and making 20

sure 500 parking spots could be arranged. One can imagine that Franklin and Eleanor would have approved the substance of the occasion, but it’s hard to imagine that they would have recognized the style; the days of a president driving himself to vote at Town Hall and stopping by the church to chat up the deacon are long gone. The Obamas reportedly stay away from their old Chicago neighborhood, so as not to be an inconvenience; for all the challenges he faced, that was one the tree farmer of Hyde Park never had to consider.

It would seem, perhaps, to run in cycles— every few decades, the magnetic force field lines up just so, and the Hudson Valley takes another turn in the glare of the spotlights that follow the doings of the nation’s leaders. And why not? The scenery’s gorgeous, the fields are fertile, and the river was an expressway of sorts long before the concept ever existed. Treachery and heroism, gallantry and corruption—the drama didn’t end with Washington’s whacking of the Newburgh Conspiracy, and it’s probably not over yet. Who knows what might happen next? Meanwhile, why not take in a few presidential hot spots while you’re here?

RESOURCES in this article Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site www.nps.gov/elro/index.htm FDR Estate, Hyde Park www.nps.gov/archive/hofr/home.htm Martin Van Buren National Historic Site, Kinderhook www.nps.gov/mava/index.htm

Washington’s Headquarters, Newburgh www.nysparks.com/historic-sites/17/details.aspx For more info on other historical sites, visit www.newpaltzchamber.org.

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dine

The Harvest Table

LOCAL CHEFS PREPARE THE LOCAL BOUNTY

By Emily Nelson photo by teresa horgan

A

utumn in the Hudson Valley is all about luminous foliage, crisp nights, and a bounty of root vegetables, wild game, and apples. The region has been celebrated for its wines since the French Huguenots brought winemaking to the Hudson Valley over three centuries ago. This is a great haven for the locavore—(someone who tries to eat primarily locally harvested food)—and wine connoisseur.

“Things are changing and they’re changing for the better. There are a lot of wineries, a lot of farms,” says chef Mark Suszczynski as one of his reasons for opening Harvest Café in New Paltz 10 years ago. He regularly incorporates local produce into the menu, including produce 22

and poultry from his two-acre farm in Accord.

He uses organic products nearly exclusively.

John Novi, chef/owner of the storied Depuy Canal House, which celebrated its 40th anniversary last fall, has long been a proponent of the farm-to-table concept, “My energy is around buying products locally, especially this time of year.”

Novi speaks highly of the artisanal cheese production that’s blooming in the Catskills, including Harpersfield Cheese, from whom Novi has ordered a cheese sprinkled with edible gold leaf.

At present, Mark Suszczynski prepares chanterelle mushrooms from the Catskills, foraged over the week, with fresh pappardelle pasta, prepared with basil in aromatic brown butter and luscious Swiss chard.

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Opposite: Gourmet Cheese Board made with local cheeses, herb-roasted nuts, fresh fruit, and homemade crostini, Harvest Café, New Paltz

And this fall, Harvest Café will feature its famous pumpkin ravioli. It’s made from a fresh pasta sheet, topped with roasted pumpkin and served with brown sage butter. This year, Novi is interested in Lola ducks, a small new breed of duck distributed by the Hudson Valley Foie Gras Company in Sullivan County. The medallion of duck will be served on top of a crisp-finished quinoa tart with creamed spinach and rhubarbcurrant chutney.

From the bones of the smoked duck, the staff at Depuy Canal House makes a duck stock, with which Novi is thinking of preparing an Oriental vegetable, such as Claudia mushrooms, rutabaga, or the red peppers that arrived in mid-August.

For the last 30 years, the Depuy’s fall menus have featured a pumpkin soup prepared in a pumpkin. (You can scoop the wall of the pumpkin with your spoon!)

It’s made with heavy cream, top quality gruyere cheese and white croutons.

At 36 Main Restaurant and Wine Bar, chef Adam Sternberg is considering takes on old classics for autumn, such as chicken and baked apples with dumplings in a miso butterscotch sauce or duck and waffles with a quinoa and oatmeal waffle and a blueberry relish. Currently, the menu features several duck items, including sweet and sour duck wings and a reuben made with a pastrami duck breast.

Classic family fare takes the day at American Glory BBQ in Hudson, where Joe Fierro is planning a chicken pot pie served in a big pot lined and topped with pastry dough and filled with chicken and vegetables. He will braze beef short ribs in local cabernet Sauvignon and a beef and root stew will be prepared with locally brewed stout beer and served on top of egg noodles. Thick centercut pork chops will be simply grilled and topped in a red wine reduction with onion, sliced cherry peppers, and herbs. Vegetables are sourced from Klein Kill Farms in Germantown.

“Currently, every single item on the menu is local. We reprint our menus a few times a week because little things that come into season will pass,” says Tammy Ogletree of Beso, who owns the restaurant with chef Chad Greer.

The husband-and-wife team opened the restaurant six years ago after moving from San Francisco to New York, where they worked with some of the most famous chefs in Manhattan, including Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Mario Batali.

“We prepare everything in house—the pasta, the mozzarella, the ice creams—during the harvest season,” says Ogletree.

Among the fall dishes will be roasted butternut squash soup with croutons, kabocha squash-stuffed ravioli with brown butter and sage, toasted pine nuts, and parmesan. Double-cut pork chops will be served over local red sweet potatoes with haricots verts, spiced local apples, and a caramelized onion jus.

Hudson Valley menus will also be filled with local wines and beers this fall. The recently opened Birdsall House tavern in Peekskill boasts 20 small-production draught beers from New York State and around the region, with seasonal harvest ales that change every two weeks. The menu is driven by local products and the restaurant purchases its grain, polenta, bread, and crackers from Wild Hive Farm in Clinton Corners and beef from Hemlock Hill Farm in Cortlandt Manor.

Whitecliff Vineyard and Winery is mentioned often by local restaurateurs. Both Harvest Café and 36 Main feature their creative yet classic wines. Owner Michael Migliore has lived on the property since graduating from SUNY New Paltz with a degree in organic chemistry.

The winery is located in Gardiner, past a local farm stand and a field of sunflowers. “This [the Hudson Valley] is a wonderful region. It produces wines with more character than you’d find in other parts of the state,” says Migliore. “It’s a great place to grow fruit, has good soil, a long growing season, and the climate is right.”

“My energy is around buying products locally, especially this time of year.”

—John Novi

RESOURCES in this article 36 Main Restaurant and Wine Bar www.36main.com American Glory BBQ www.americanglory.com Beso www.beso-restaurant.com Birdsall House www.birdsallhouse.net Depuy Canal House www.depuycanalhouse.net Harvest Café www.harvestcafenp.com Whitecliff Vineyard and Winery www.whitecliffwine.com Wild Hive Farm www.wildhivefarm.com For more info on where to find local food, visit www.newpaltzchamber.org.

SOJOURN FALL 2010 / WINTER 2011 23

Left: Photo courtesy Upstate Films. Right: Photo by Melissa Surprise.

THINGS TO DO

The GREAT

INDOORS COME IN FROM THE COLD

By Caylena Cahill

O

utside the window, the sun shines onto glittering snow, while a whooshing sound causes the white powder to poof into the air.

The picturesque vision and bright sun are misleading, but once you are outside and feel the gusts of whipping winter wind scraping at your cheeks, you remember today’s sub-zero temperatures.

Instead of succumbing to dreams of re-entering the house to cuddle by the fireplace with hot cocoa, you scurry to the car, blasting the heat. You know you will survive the frigid air with your fluffy coat, soft scarf, and warm hat and mittens. But what’s really comforting is the realization that everything you are doing today is indoors. The Mid-Hudson Valley is of full of fun and unique indoor activities, many of which are great for the kids, too!

For example, there is the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum in Poughkeepsie, which has hands-on exhibits that include a black and white cow merry-go-round, a spinning ball on a looping, spiraling, miniature roller coaster track, and a bubble machine! Let the kids have fun trying to climb the sideways rockwall and then learn about regional history, science, technology, and medicine.

24

If you prefer astronomy, check out the John R. Kirk Planetarium at SUNY New Paltz. Images of the night’s sky project onto a domed ceiling during interactive shows where you can ask your own questions and see the images that interest you. The prices and show times vary—usually they are during the day and more frequent when school is in session—so call in advance.

If it is too cold outside, but you do not mind a chill, then get up and glide around the McCann Ice Arena at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie. The arena offers fun, affordable free-skate sessions almost every afternoon and has skates available for rent—just in case. And as if slipping, sliding, falling, and laughing were not entertaining enough, the McCann hosts DJ skate nights on Fridays.

If art is more your thing, the Hudson Valley is definitely not lacking. The Dia:Beacon not only holds a permanent collection of major artworks from the 1960s onward as well as longterm galleries for individual artists, but it also happens to be in a nearly 300,000-square-foot 1929 Nabisco box printing facility—now considered to be an example of early industrial architecture. The more than 34,000-square-feet of skylights provide a phenomenal overhead natu-

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Photo by Betty Ann Robbins Greenwald

Opposite: Upstate Films in Rhinebeck; A child interacts with the“Gravity Roll” exhibit at the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum. Above: Patrons gather outside the Rosendale Theatre.

ral light-source for art viewing, a rare element in many art museums. Dia:Beacon has three ongoing exhibitions curently: a drawing series by Sol LeWitt, a series of shaped paintings by Imi Knoebel, and a look at vintage Niagara Falls post cards compiled by Zoe Leonard.

If you prefer more local creations, check out the Samuel Dorsky Museum on the SUNY New Paltz campus, where an exhibit titled, Binary Visions: 19th-Century Woven Coverlets from the Collection of Historic Huguenot Street, will be on view from October to March.

This show features 30 wool and cotton coverlets from the textile collection of New Paltz’s Historic Huguenot Street. These articles were spun on water-powered looms during the first half of the 1900s here in the Mid-Hudson Valley.

After a long day of art, ice-skating, and more, what better way to finish out the day than relaxing at a play or musical, or even a film in one of the Valley’s independent art house cinemas?

One option, the Mohonk Mountain Stage Company, formed in 1994 to perform works of strong literary merit, is staging the Hudson Valley permiere of “The Laramie Project, 10 years Later...An Epilogue” at Unison Art and Learning Center in New Paltz on November 5 and 6.

The play tracks the return to Wyoming of members of the Tectonic Theater Project to explore how the town had changed in the 10 years since Matthew Shepard’s murder.

For those who prefer film, Upstate Films presents noteworthy non-mainstream options for theatergoers as well as special events with directors, historical films and more. Since opening its doors in May 1972 Upstate Films has been showing everything from independent, to foreign, documentary, animation, experimental, silent, and artistic films; currently it shows more than 700 films each year in its Rhinebeck and

Woodstock locations. This fall, both locations of Upstate will screen films as part of the Woodstock Film Festival, September 29 through October 3. See page 15 for details.

In a similar vein, the Rosendale Theatre, recently under new ownership, shows independent films of similar genres as well as local projects. Additionally, the theatre offers special event screenings including discussion sessions with local and independent writers, producers, directors, and actors. (The John Lennon biopic Nowhere Man screens on September 24, followed by a performance by The Quarrymen, Lennon’s first band.)

With the Valley’s plethora of indoor fun, in which you have now taken part, the frozen outdoors seem less unbearable. So, after your choice of shows, you drive back; and upon your entrance into the house you remove the bulky winter clothing, head to the kitchen, and fix your hot cocoa—not because you succumbed to the winter weather, but because you braved it.

RESOURCES in this article Dia:Beacon www.diabeacon.org Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum www.mhcm.org Mohonk Mountain Stage Company www.mmstageco.com Rosendale Theatre www.rosendaletheatre.org Samuel Dorsky Museum www.newpaltz.edu/museum Unison Art and Learning Center www.unisonarts.org Upstate Films www.upstatefilms.com For more info on places to explore indoors, visit www.newpaltzchamber.org.

SOJOURN FALL 2010 / WINTER 2011 25

Photo courtesy Mohonk Mountain House

lodging

The swimming pool at Mohonk Mountain House features large hand rails at the shallow end.

All-Access Pass ACCESSIBLE ACCOMMODATIONS IN THE HUDSON VALLEY

By Anne Pyburn Craig

S

o you’d love to get away for a few days and explore some places you’ve never seen, break up your routine, let yourself be spoiled. If you’re wheelchair-bound or otherwise handicapped, the logistics can seem overwhelming. But don’t let special needs keep you or your loved ones forever staycationing. While many bed and breakfasts—especially those with historic features that limit the renovations that they can make—aren’t practicable for folks with impaired mobility, we’ve found a varied and wonderful list of places that will not only welcome you with open arms—but also have a room all set up and waiting for you to enjoy.

As with any travel, planning is key—and planning to avoid barriers may take a little extra thought. All the innkeepers we spoke with emphasized that accessibility is not onesize-fits-all. Some places, while not completely fitted out to meet ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements that apply to public spaces, can and do accommodate wheelchairs and other mobility challenges with a little ingenuity.

“We have had guests in wheelchairs, and it’s fine with a little help,” said Art Rifenbary of Moun-

tain Meadows B&B in New Paltz. That arrangement would qualify as “limited” access, neither impossible nor completely without barriers.

Varying degrees of limited access can be found at the bed and breakfast, where one room is well equipped, but the entry, in the back of the building, presents a problem in snow or deep mud. Similar constraints are found at Audrey’s Farmhouse in Wallkill. “They’d need a hand getting into the house, but we’ll set up a table in the kitchen. We’re happy to make it work,” says Audrey Leff of her historic and famously pet-friendly establishment.

Fox Hill B&B in Highland can accommodate folks with impaired mobility who are not completely wheelchair-bound, and the Highland Manor B&B has a firstfloor room fitted with grab handles and other accessories, which has a threshold that a chair user would need help to cross.

Still other B&Bs have rooms specifically designed for access—but even there, it’s important to have an in-depth conversation with the innkeeper about your specific needs.

Some newer B&Bs kept the requirements of handicapped folks in mind while building.

Lifts, ramps, and other improvements make the spa, pool, gardens, and grounds accessible to all.

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Photo courtesy Minnewaska Lodge The side entrance to Minnewaska Lodge features a handicapped ramp.

“Certainly!” says hostess Kathy Drew at Moondance Ridge B&B, currently Trip Advisor’s #1 B&B in New Paltz. “We have two ground floor rooms that are fully ADA accessible. The house was built in 2005; we planned for this.” Would you prefer a 70-acre estate, vintage 1680? Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa, in Milton, has remodeled two rooms to be handicapped-friendly.

A-List and Accessible While some otherwise top-notch establishments regretfully decline handicapped guests because of architectural features beyond their control, the ones that do accommodate tend to be among the cream of the hospitality crop.

Whistlewood Farm in Rhinebeck, its website bristling with accolades including a “Worldwide Best B&B” award for 2008-9 from BedandBreakfast.com, welcomes you, your wheelchair or other equipment, your service dogs and/or other pets, and your kids to its sumptuous hilltop.

Host Jack Trowell of Cromwell Manor Inn in Cornwall, another spot that consistently wins raves, told the story of one guest: “I do have one handicapped accessible room on the first floor of the Manor House, the Wellington. We have handicapped parking and a sidewalk that goes right into the back side of the Manor House and there are no stairs to negotiate. Two weeks ago, we had a young couple stay and the man was wheelchair bound. He had just purchased a new Acura three months ago and had it retrofitted with hand controls. His wife arranged for him to take the car to a track in Monticello where he would spend time taking lessons with a professional driver before being turned loose on the track. I can’t tell you how excited they both were and also how appreciative they were to have their needs met. They commented that it was very difficult to find handicapped-accessible B&Bs.” It’s getting less difficult, as new B&B own28

ers build or renovate to suit their visions of hospitality. Bernetta’s Place Inn By The Lake, in Gardiner, welcomes you to a ground-level room with access ramp and grab bars in the midst of its Wi-Fi-equipped and pet-friendly ambience.

The Minnewaska Lodge, too, can fully accommodate guests with special needs. And it’s standard operating procedure at the Pinegrove Ranch and Family Resort in Kerhonkson, which has been accommodating handicapped individuals and groups for years.

Other Special Needs Of course, not all disabilities involve wheelchairs. While her Blue Stone Cottage B&B in High Falls isn’t wheelchair-ready, owner Heidi Racioppo offers accommodations for people with severe allergies. “My rooms are completely hypo-allergenic; I can handle food allergies, too.

I like to have a long talk with people so I can tailor the room and the menu to fit their needs.”

If elegance is on your needs list, the venerable Mohonk Mountain House has a range of rooms of various grades with handicapped amenities. “Each guest is an individual and we strive to provide them with personalized service to insure a pleasant experience. For our guests with limited mobility, we seek to make sure that they feel comfortable and able to explore the Mountain House,” says marketing manager Elizabeth Bomba, going on to explain that Mohonk has installed lifts, ramps, and other improvements that make the spa, pool, gardens, and grounds accessible to all. “Rooms are available with rollin showers, built-in shower chairs, taller toilets, tilted mirrors, widened doorways, and lowered peep holes in the doors,” says Bomba. “Others have bathtubs with lowered edges and grab bars.”

The Emerson Resort and Spa in Mount Tremper, with its unique indoor shops and gigantic kaleidoscope, is completely barrier-free.

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Photo courtesy Mohonk Mountain House One of the spacious tower-style guest rooms at Mohonk Mountain House.

The Hudson Valley Resort and Spa in Kerhonkson, the Hampton Inn in Kingston, and the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel all offer fully accessible rooms, as does the Super 8 Motel in New Paltz. And the Homewood Suites, at Stewart Airport in Newburgh, offers. accessible rooms, rooms for the hearing-impaired, and a lift to help disabled guests into the pool.

Several online organizations offer a wealth of information on traveling handicapped. The Handicapped Travel Club (http://handicappedtravelclub.com/htc-info.php) is mainly oriented toward RV wanderers, but offers a resources list full of possibilities for getting a vehicle of almost any type set up for a road trip. Access-Able Travel Source, LLC, can get you ready to go almost anywhere on the globe, no matter your issues; check out its FAQ page at www.access-able.com/tips.

And the Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality (www.sath.org) has been pulling together travel and hospitality pros in the cause of barrierfree roaming since 1976.

Should equipment issues come up on the road, contact the Resource Center for Accessible Living (www.rcal.org; 845-331-0541). It maintains a loan closet that might well be able to put you right back in business.

Some local attractions that make a point of hospitality to the handicapped include the Storm King Art Center and the Ulster Performing Arts Center; undoubtedly, there are many more. As with lodging, the key is to call ahead and have a frank discussion of specific needs.

“Don’t ever trust your travel planning solely to the Internet or to someone who works the phones at a central reservation center somewhere—be sure to speak to a person who has actually been in the room you want to visit,” was echoed by experienced innkeepers over and over.

So don’t let a physical handicap stop you and your loved ones from exploring the splen-

dors of the Hudson Valley and Catskills. Do the research—but don’t doubt the warm welcome that awaits you. “No two guests are alike. Never,” says Bomba. “Communicate your needs, and we’ll do the rest.”

RESOURCES in this article Audrey’s Farmhouse www.audreysfarmhouse.com Bernetta’s Place Inn By The Lake www.bernettasplace.com Blue Stone Cottage B&B www.bluestonecottagebandb.com Cromwell Manor www.cromwellmanor.com Emerson Resort and Spa www.emersonresort.com Fox Hill B&B www.foxhillbb.com Hampton Inn, Kingston www.kingston.hamptoninn.com Homewood Suites, Stewart Airport http://homewoodsuites1.hilton.com Hudson Valley Resort and Spa www.hudsonvalleyresort.com Mountain Meadows B&B www.mountainmeadowsbnb.com Minnewaska Lodge www.minnewaskalodge.com Mohonk Mountain House www.mohonk.com Moondance Ridge B&B www.moondanceridge.com Pinegrove Ranch and Family Resort www.pinegroveranch.com Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel www.pokgrand.com Super 8 Motel www.super8newpaltz.com Whistlewood Farm B&B www.whistlewood.com For more info on local accommodations, visit www.newpaltzchamber.org.

SOJOURN FALL 2010 / WINTER 2011 29

Taste

A Lingering

The Taste of New Paltz Turns 20

Photo by Matt Petricone

TASTE

By Kelley Granger PHOTO BY TERESA HORGAN

I

t was 20 years ago this September that the first Taste of New Paltz took shape at Rivendell Winery. Organizers from the New Paltz Regional Chamber of Commerce had pulled together the event as a way to showcase the unique businesses of the area and give visitors a very literal taste of the quality of life here.

They wanted an event that would be more fun and innovative than the typical business expo, and decided on the format of Taste of New Paltz—inviting local restaurants to dish out bites of their best and regional artisans, crafters, and others to display their wares. Our Chamber anticipated a few hundred people would attend— and were blown away when more than 1,000 came to enjoy the day. (This year, the event takes place on September 12 from 11am to 5pm at the Ulster County Fairgrounds.)

For the community, it was a great time—14 restaurants were serving up signature dishes and kids enjoyed pumpkin painting and storytelling. For event volunteers, the memories are a bit different. Joyce Minard, the president of the NPRCOC and one of the founders of the event,

30

jokes that it was a “hair-raising” experience and a blur of garbage duty, spaghetti making, and running around. She recalls the volunteers who sold tickets pulling money out of their pockets, socks, and shoes, too busy to count and organize it. After a few successful years at the winery, the event moved to the Ulster County Fairgrounds on Libertyville Road, where it’s stayed ever since.

Today, the event has evolved into something very special for the community—and bigger than its founders would’ve ever imagined.

The event draws almost 10,000 people each year, and features dozens of restaurants and wineries as well as a range of other business services and products. As of press time, confirmed restaurants include Main Course, Neko Sushi, Gomen Kudasai, and Aroma Thyme Bistro, among 20 others. Local tipple-makers Adair Vineyards, Baldwin Vineyards, Robibero Family Vineyards, and Whitecliff Vineyard were also signed on for the Taste.

A multitude of activities and entertainment keeps kids and adults amused, and has included everything from lineups of live music (Peter Morrison,

WWW.NEWPALTZCHAMBER.ORG THE NEW PALTZ REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Opposite: Young Tasters with painted faces and cups of sorbet.

Sweet Clementines, and The Trapps will perform this year) and cooking showcases to appearances

by Sponge Bob and Yolanda Vega of the New York Lottery. This year, both Ignite Fitness and the New Paltz Karate Academy will offer demonstrations, as will exhibitors in the Antiques Expo, Craft Expo, and the Artistic Taste area.

Residents and visitors alike have come to count on the annual event as a day to come together with friends and family while exploring the newest vendors and tantalizing tastes from local chefs.

“It’s part of the New Paltz culture now,” says Minard. “It’s a way for the community people to come and visit with the friends and neighbors they haven’t seen all year.”

Colleen Gillette of New Paltz Travel Center helped organize the first Taste and has seen the friends-and-family aspect flourish over the years—she notes that quite a few family reunions are centered around the weekend of the event. “The one thing that it has done is establish some community,” she says. “What you’ll see when you walk around are groups of people standing and talking to each other and catching up.”

The affair has also encouraged a sense of pride among residents of the community, many of whom give back by donating their time to volunteer. Minard estimates that 70 percent of the day’s manpower relies on the help the Chamber receives from local high school students, SUNY New Paltz fraternities and sororities, and other residents who pitch in. The help is much needed (and much appreciated) to set up tents, sell tickets, and clean the grounds after the day is over.

“I think that the people that live in New Paltz are proud of [the Taste],” says Phil Leger of Bridge Creek Catering, a former event chair and business exhibitor. “Speaking from my own experience, you have to go to the Taste of New Paltz, it’s something everybody should do and try out. People that live here and have the opportunity to go easily are proud and excited to share it with others.”

Businesses should be just as excited about the day as the rest of the community. It provides an unparalleled platform to get your name (and food, if you’re a restaurant) on the tip of 10,000 tongues. “It’s a very popular event, so it’s very well attended and you get a lot of exposure, that’s really the big benefit,” says Leger. “If you can make

two or three really tasty dishes for a couple of bucks, you should do it. There’s going to be 10,000 people there, and everyone is there to taste your food. It’s an excellent opportunity.”

At Taste, many of the back-of-house restaurant workers and owners suddenly find themselves on the front line, interacting with customers and potential patrons. “It gives someone like me a chance to be able to talk to local people that come into my restaurant, where I normally wouldn’t be able to talk to them,” explains Doug Thompson of Main Street Bistro. “There’s a good networking aspect to it.”

While the focus may be on savoring the flavor of local culinary creations, the Business Expo is a huge draw too. Companies from across the business spectrum set up shop there.

Crowds congregate and visit exhibitors to chat in-between bites This year’s expo attendees will include Ulster Savings Bank, New Paltz Animal Hospital, Cutco Cutlery, and over 25 other local businesses.

New Paltz Travel Center has exhibited in the past, and Colleen Gillette says that attending the event helped her network and visit with clients from the past. “It sort of solidified our reputation in the community,” she says. “A lot of people came over to our table to say hello and they were existing customers. We were able to cement some of our community ties and that, I think, was worth it.”

Whether a business plans on participating as an exhibitor in the Business Expo, the Wellness and Recreation Area or the Kids Expo, the day’s success all comes down to presentation. Gillette recalls memorable exhibitors from more than a decade ago—two real estate agencies who had fashioned a candy shop for a booth and another who made their stand look like a real house.

A day to come together with friends and family while exploring the newest vendors and tantalizing tastes from local chefs.

20TH ANNUAL TASTE OF NEW PALTZ Sunday, September 12 from 11am to 5pm, rain or shine, at the Ulster County Fairgrounds, Libertyville Road, New Paltz. $5 admission. Children 12 and under are admitted free. Tastes are $2 and $3. Save by purchasing advance admission passes for $3 or buying the $20 advance-ticket package, which includes one admission, 10 food tickets, and an official 20th Annual Taste of New Paltz t-shirt. Contact the Chamber office at 845-255-0243 or stop in at 257 Main St., New Paltz, or online at www.newpaltzchamber.org.

SOJOURN FALL 2010 / WINTER 2011 31

EVENTS

fall / winter

EVENTS

By Kaitlin Pitsker

Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome Air Shows September 4-October 17 Old-time planes take to the sky every Saturday and Sunday, weather providing. “History of Flight” shows on Saturdays focus on flight from 1909 through 1939 and include a World War I dogfight demonstration. WWI aircraft and 1920s and 1930s biplanes are flown during Sunday shows. Both shows include a parade of early vehicles and a vintage fashion show. Museum open daily 10am-5pm. Air show gates open at 10am. Biplane rides are available before the 2pm show. $20/$15 teens and seniors/$5 age 6-12. 845-752-3200; www.oldrhinebeck.org.

Stormville Airport Antique Show & Flea Market September 4-5, October 9-10, November 6-7 Search for treasure among the stands of more 32

than 600 vendors at the Stormville Airport Antique Show & Flea Market in Eastern Dutchess county. Celebrating its 40th year this season, the market is open from dawn to dusk and offers free parking and admission. 845-226-4766; www.stormvilleairportfleamarket.com.

Yankee Tavern September 17-October 3 Steven Dietz’s “Yankee Tavern” is the story of a man who inherits his father’s bar and the conspiracy theorist who frequents it. As the comedic thriller progresses, the theorist’s outlandish suggestions seem plausible and not even the bar owner’s impending marriage seems certain. Show begins at 8pm on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Tickets are $28. Sunday shows cost $24 and begin at 2pm. Shadowland Theatre in Ellenville. 845-647-5511; www.shadowlandtheatre.org.

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Photo by James Shelley, Bethel Woods Collection

Recent Museum Acquisitions

SPECIAL EXHIBIT THRU JANUARY 2, 2011 PLUS, PERMANENT MULTIMEDIA EXHIBIT

Tickets at BethelWoodsCenter.org Phone 1.800.745.3000 or Box Office Bethel, New York | Route 17, Exit 104

BW-MUS-CW-SOJOURN.indd 1

8/4/10 4:02:54 PM

Top: Visitors of the Rhinebeck Aerodrome pose with a 1929 New Standard D-25 biplane. Above: Participants in the Bike for Cancer Care event.

Bike for Cancer Care September 25 See the sights of Kingston and the surrounding areas while biking 5, 25, or 50 miles and supporting cancer care. Routes begin and end in Kingston. $15 registration fee to benefit the Rosemary D. Gruner Memorial Cancer Fund at Benedictine Hospital.

Registration begins at 7:45am. Five mile ride begins at 11am, 25-mile at 10am, 50-mile at 8:30am.

845-417-1865; www.bikeforcancer.org.

SOJOURN FALL 2010 / WINTER 2011 33

Articulture September 25 Agriculture and art come together to create an afternoon of family fun in Modena. Unison Art and Learning Center’s juried craft show will be accompanied by farm activities provided by Hurd’s Family Farm. Farm activities include hay rides, mazes, and a train ride. The Shoe String Band and Uncle Rock will perform rock and roll and bluegrass music. Admission is free.

Some activities at Hurd’s Family Farm, including the mazes and hay ride cost $10. 1pm-5pm at Hurd’s Family Farm in Modena. 845-255-1559; www.unisonarts.org.

Hawk Migration Workshop September 26 Learn about the migrating patterns of hawks in an indoor presentation with Tom Sarro, the Mohonk Preserve’s research associate and then venture on a two-mile hike with a short steep scramble to the “Hawk Watch.” Experts will be on hand to help with the identification of various species. 9am-12pm at the Mohonk Preserve in New Paltz. $28. Reservations required.

845-255-0919; www.mohonkpreserve.org.

Color Forms I October 2-February 27 See color and the fondness we have for certain ones in a different light during a visit to the “Color Forms I” Kidspace exhibit at the MassMoCA in 34

North Adams, Massachusetts. The exhibit, featuring the work of Portia Munson, includes an array of pink and blue items, and examines the messages about gender and mass consumption that are sent to children through their possessions. Museum open 11am-5pm Wednesday-Monday. Admission $15/$10students/$5 children 6-16. 413-662-2111; www.massmoca.org.

Hudson River Cruises Pride of the Hudson through October 31 See the sights of the Hudson Valley by boat. Sightseeing cruises on the Pride of the Hudson and the Pollepel take off from Newburgh and include a narrated tour of riverside sights including Mt. Beacon, Bannerman Island, Storm King Mountain, Breakneck Mountain, the Catskill Aqueduct, and West Point. $20/$17children/seniors.

800-979-3370; www.prideofthehudson.com.

Woodstock Invitational Lutheirs Showcase October 23-24 Browse contemporary handmade acoustic guitars and other stringed instruments exhibited by their makers. Alternative guitars will be on show and the use of these specialized instruments will be demonstrated. The event also includes instructional clinics, workshops, live performances, and mini-concerts. 10am-6pm at the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock. $15 per day or $25 for both.

845-679-4406; www.woodstockinvitational.com.

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Opposite: Liz Hickok, Palace of Fine Arts, 2006, Jell-O—Part of Color Forms I Kidspace exhibit at Mass Moca. Above: Leon Redbone will play at Bethel Woods on November 12.

Rinaldi Flea Market Sundays through November Shop for antiques, household items, collectibles, and just about anything else at Bill Rinaldi’s Flea Market in Poughkeepsie off Route 44. 8am-4pm.

Parking and admission are free. (845) 485-5252; www.rinaldiflea.webs.com.

Leon Redbone November 12 With his well-known baritone voice and traditional performance fedora, dark glasses and Groucho Marx mustache, Leon Redbone, known for his frequent appearances on “Saturday Night Live,” will take the stage at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts to perform crooner songs infused with ragtime jazz. The museum galleries and cafe will be open before the show. Doors open at 7pm. Show begins at 8pm. $38/$43. Bethel. 866-781-2922; www.bethelwoodscenter.org.

Railroad Exposition November 14 Everything related to model trains will be in one place from 10am-3pm at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie. Browse the items for sale by vendors and dealers, watch railroad movies, or partake in clinics. $5/$4 students and seniors/$2 children under 12 to benefit the Hyde Park Train Station Museum restoration.

845-454-5800; www.midhudsonciviccenter.com.

Craft Boutique of Hudson Valley Artisans November 27-28 Peruse the crafts for show and for sale at the Van Wyck Homestead Museum in Fishkill. The 1732 kitchen will be serving lunch during the event. Santa Claus will be making an appearance on Sunday and will be available for photos from 12pm-3pm. 10am-4pm. 845-896-9560; www.fishkillridge.org.

Mountain Laurel Waldorf School Early Childhood through 8th grade

Inspired Learning

16 S. Chestnut Street, New Paltz, NY 12561 845-255-0033 www.mountainlaurel.org

It’ s Here...

FREE SAMPLES AVAILABLE ❖ Weddings & Special Occasions ❖ Color & Foiling ❖ Manicures & Spa Pedicures ❖ Keratin Smoothing Treatment

845.255.5505

246 Main St, New Paltz, NY www.studioonehairdesign.com authorized retailer of

SOJOURN FALL 2010 / WINTER 2011 35

Photo courtesy The Wilderstein Mansion

Historic Holiday Home Tours November 26-December 31 Visit one of the many nearby decorated oldtime homes to feel the spirit of the season and see how the holidays were celebrated in a simpler time. The Wilderstein Mansion in Rhinebeck offers tours starting at 1pm on November 26-18, Fridays and Saturdays in December (except Christmas Day) and December 27. 845-876-4818; www.wilderstein.org. Locust Grove will provide Saturday tours of Samuel F.B. Morse’s former property on December 4, 11, 18, and 26-31. 10am-5pm. $10/$6 children. A holiday scavenger hunt for children with a performance of “The Tweleve Days of Christmas,” will be held on December 5, 12, and 19. $10/$8 children. 845-454-4500; www.lgny.org. The Historical Society of Newburgh Bay & The Highlands will present candlelight tours of the Captain David Crawford House in Newburgh on December 12. 12pm-5pm. 845-561-2585; www. newburghhistoricalsociety.com. Mount Gulian, in Beacon, will offer Candlelight Tours on December 19 from 3-7pm. $8/$6seniors/$4 children. 845-831-8172; www.mountgulian.org.

A Christmas Carol December 2-5 Enjoy the Dickens holiday classic featuring Ebeneezer Scrooge’s encounters with the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future as performed by the Ulster Ballet Company. The Balllet’s 16th annual performance of “A Christmas Carol,” will take place at the Ulster Performing Arts Center in Kingston. 10am Thursday, 8pm Friday and Saturday, and 2pm Sunday. 845-339-6088; www.ulsterballet.org.

36

Wilderstein Mansion’s white and gold salon, part of the Historic Holiday Home Tours.

Winter Sun Farmer’s Market Second Saturday December—March Deyo Hall of Historic Huguenot Street will be going green for the day with indoor farm stands and homemade foods for sale. Produce selection features greenhouse greens and frozen local vegetables and berries. Vendors include Taliaferro Farms, Phillies Bridge, Pika’s Quiches, and Wild Hive Bakery. 10am-3pm in Deyo Hall in New Paltz. 845-255-1660; www.huguenotstreet.org Total Eclipse Over Mohonk December 20 Learn the science and history behind the magical lure of solar and lunar eclipses and then witness light changes of a complete lunar eclipse over the Mohonk landscape. The program will be lead by Bob Berman, the astronomy editor of The Old Farmer’s Almanac and columnist for Astronomy and Discovery. 9pm at the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz. 800-772-6646; www.mohonk.com.

Woodstock New Year’s Eve Party for Families December 31 Ring in the new year in New York City style without leaving the Hudson Valley. Uncle Rock, Whoopsy Daisy the Clown, and the Gazillion Bubbles Show lead up to the new year. 6pm9pm at the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock.

Ball drop at 8:30pm. $10/$5 kids. 845-679-4406; www.rockingnewyearseve.com.

WWW.NEWPALTZCHAMBER.ORG THE NEW PALTZ REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

American Cuisine featuring Prime Steaks, Seafood, Pasta & Local Fare in a comfortable, fine dining atmosphere

20 Grist Mill Lane Gardiner, NY 845.255.4151

www.TUTHILLHOUSE.com

Put New Paltz on your Fall Calendar THEATRE www.newpaltz.edu/theatre 845.257.3936 Twelfth Night

DORSKY MUSEUM www.newpaltz.edu/museum Exhibitions, gallery tours and talks, performances, panel discussions

by William Shakespeare

Noises Off Wakeville Stories, by Larry Carr

ART LECTURE SERIES www.newpaltz.edu/fpa

MUSIC 845.257.2700 Copland, jazz, steel band, voice, ensembles, early music, and more!

Jan Sawka, Book of Fiction, Etching S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y O F N E W Y O R K

“Excellent” Zagat Rated ★★★★★ City Search Guide ★★★★ Poughkeepsie Journal Voted “Best Sushi” 3 times by Hudson Valley Magazine

Neko Sushi & Restaurant

Neko Sushi & Hibachi

49 Main St. New Paltz, NY 845-255-0162

1817 South Rd. (Rt. 9) Wappingers Falls, NY 845-298-9869 or 845-298-9872

www.thenekosushi.com SOJOURN FALL 2010 / WINTER 2011 37

© Vassar College/ Michael Nelson

WinterFest 2011 January 15 Take a walk along the Hudson Valley Rail Trail in Highland and stop along the way to enjoy children’s activities and an ice-carving demonstration. Warm up with toasted marshmallows, roasted chestnuts, and other vendor foods. Local food vendors will be competing in a chilimaking contest. $2/children six and under free.

845-691-2066; www.hudsonvalleyrailtrail.net.

ModFest at Vassar College January 20-February 4 Explore the visual arts, dance, drama, literature, and film at the 9th annual Modfest at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie. The centerpiece of Modfest this year will be the first fully staged production of Richard Wilson’s opera “Aethelred the Unready,” which was previously performed only in concert. Free. 845-437-7000; www.vassar.edu.

Sesame Street Live “When Elmo Grows Up” February 26-28 Elmo, Abby Cadabby (the newest “Sesame Street” friend), and the ret of the characters think about what they want to be when they grow up. The characters consider their future jobs and sing familiar children’s songs. Friday 10am and 7pm, Saturday 10:30am, 2pm and 5:30pm.

Sunday 1pm and 4:30pm at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie. Call for tickets.

845-454-5800; www.midhudsonciviccenter.com 38

Top: Vassar College Orchestra conducted by Eduardo Navega, will perform at Modfest.

Above: the Bacon Brothers to appear at the Bardavon Opera House in Poughkeepsie.

The Bacon Brothers January 30 Kevin Bacon, known for his film career (Footloose, Mystic River) and the six degrees of separation theory, and his brother, Michael Bacon, will take the stage at the Bardavon Opera House in Poughkeepsie as part of a benefit for Healing the Children Northeast. Their folk-rock performance begins at 5pm. Tickets $65/$50 depending upon location. (845) 473-2072; www.bardavon.org.

All Shook Up March 26 Elvis lives again when guitar-playing, hip-swiveling Chad rides his motorcycle into a square Midwest town. A combination of “Footloose,” “Grease,” and “Happy Days,” the show features love triangles, comedy, and plenty of Elivs hits.

8pm at West Point’s Eisenhower Hall. Show begins at 8pm. 845-938-4159; www.ikehall.com.

WWW.NEWPALTZCHAMBER.ORG THE NEW PALTZ REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

INFO

Hospitals

Airports

Benedictine Hospital 105 Mary’s Avenue, Kingston 845-338-2500

Albany International Airport (ALB) Albany 518-242-2200; 518-242-2299

Ellenville Regional Hospital Route 209, Ellenville 845-647-6400

Stewart International Airport (SWF) Newburgh 845-564-2100

Kingston Hospital 396 Broadway, Kingston 845-331-3131

Radio Stations

Northern Dutchess Hospital 6511 Springbrook Avenue, Rhinebeck 845-876-3011 St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers 241 North Road, Poughkeepsie 845-483-5000 St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital 70 Dubois Street, Newburgh 845-561-4400 19 Laurel Avenue, Cornwall 845-534-7711 Vassar Brothers Medical Center 45 Reade Place, Poughkeepsie 845-454-8500

Trains Amtrak Stations: Hudson, Rhinecliff, Poughkeepsie 800-872-7245 Metro-North Railroad Stations: Poughkeepsie, New Hamburg, Beacon, Breakneck Ridge, Cold Spring, Garrison 800-METRO-INFO

Buses Adirondack Trailways 800-858-8555 Dutchess County Loop Bus System 845-485-4690

Clear Channel Radio of the Hudson Valley 92.1 Lite FM, soft adult contemporary Star 93.3, hot adult contemporary Cruisin’ 93.5, oldies 96.1 Kiss FM, contemporary hit radio 98.5 Lite FM, soft adult contemporary 107.3 / 99.3 WRWD, country 1230 AM WHUC, adult standards 1370 AM WELG, adult standards 1450 AM WKIP, news talk Cumulus Broadcasting 101.5 WPDH, classic rock Mix 97.7 WCZX, adult contemporary 92.7 / 96.9 WRRV, alternative rock 94.3 / 97.3 WKXP / WZAD The Wolf, country 1490 AM WKNY adult contemporary 1340/ 1390 AM Radio Disney, kid-friendly WAMC: Northeast Public Radio 90.3 FM Albany 103.9 FM Beacon 96.5 FM Ellenville 102.1 FM Highland 97.1 FM Hudson 90.9 FM Kingston 107.7 FM Newburgh WDST Radio Woodstock World Class Rock, contemporary alternative, reggae, acoustic 100.1 FM Woodstock 106.5 FM Beacon 102.3 FM Newburgh 106.3 FM Poughkeepsie WKZE: Musical Diversity Americana, blues, roots, world music 98.1 FM

Pine Hill Trailways 800-776-7548 Ulster County Area Transit (UCAT) New Paltz Loop; Ulster-Poughkeepsie Link

Tourism Information

845-340-3333

Columbia County Tourism 401 State Street, Hudson 800-724-1846

Taxis

Dutchess County Tourism Ste. Q-17, 3 Neptune Road, Poughkeepsie 800-445-3131

Lee’s Taxi Shuttling Service 845-255-2870 Joey’s Taxi and Transportation 845-255-8294; 845-691-5639

Greene County Tourism 700 Route 23B, Leeds 518-943-3223

New Paltz Taxi, Inc. 845-255-1550

Orange County Tourism 124 Main Street, Goshen 845-615-3860

Yellow Cab Albany 518-434-2222 Poughkeepsie 845-471-1100

Ulster County Tourism 10 Westbrook Lane, Kingston 800-342-5826 SOJOURN FALL 2010 / WINTER 2011 39

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