The Mountains Summer 2024 Issue

SUMMER FROM THE CATSKILLS TO THE BERKSHIRES

GO OUTSIDE! FIRE UP THE BACKYARD GRILL, PLAY TENNIS, DISCOVER FARMERS MARKETS, HOST POOL PARTIES, EXPLORE TAG SALES AND MAKE THE BEST RAINY-DAY GLAM PLAN. IT’S AN ENDLESS SUMMER, BABY!

SUMMER U{GOOD VIBES ONLY}

IT’S CAMPING, NOT GLAMPING From City Girl To Country Woman BY ABBE ARONSON

CATCH OF THE DAY Plan The Perfect Fishkill Weekend

HUDSON CHATHAM WINERY’S MOMENT Hybrid Grapes And Busy Husbands

OUR ULTIMATE SUMMER PLAYLIST From James Taylor To Taylor Swift PHOTOGRAPHY BY

RHODE ISLAND ROADIE Watch Hill, Newport, Block Island BY JAMES LONG LIVE FROM RHINEBECK Angela Pham’s Ethereal Creations BY TODD PLUMMER

BRYAN DERBALLA

swing state

This classic spot is

in Livingston Manor, NY in the Catskills.

ELEVATE YOUR ESCAPE

The ideal location for unwinding on weekends, celebrating extraordinary milestones, creating unforgettable memories, and discovering outdoor adventure in the natural beauty of the mountains.

Can you feel it, mountaineers? The endless sunny days. The humid breezeless nights. The season to do everything outside. That’s right, it’s summer again and these hills certainly do come alive with activity. Good thing your favorite magazine is here to help you navigate this spectacular portion of our year. And remember, even in summer, it’s always cooler in THE MOUNTAINS Don’t you agree?

You are here. We are, too.

Millbrook ....................................................60, 111

Monticello .................................................96, 110

Mount Tremper................................................59

Mountainville ...................................................60

New Paltz..................................................107, 110

Newburgh .......................................................103

Norfolk ...........................................................103

North Adams........................................27, 107, 111 Oak Hill...........................................................103 Olivebridge ....................................................103 Pine Plains..................................................64, 88

Pi sfield ........................60, 90, 103, 107, 110, 111

Port Ewen.......................................................109

Poughkeepsie.........15, 27, 59, 73, 81, 103, 110, 111

Red Hook....................................................56, 60 Rhinebeck ........................53, 54, 87, 102, 110, 111

Salisbury.....................................................98, 99

Saugerties ......................22, 60, 101, 106, 110, 111

Schenectady ...................................................102 South Egremont...............................................77

Spencertown....................................................59

Staatsburg ........................................................88

Stockbridge...........................26, 96, 106, 110, 111

Stone Ridge....................................................103

Tannersville .......................................103, 109, 111

Tivoli ...........................................................62, 87

Tyringham.........................................................60

Ulster Park ......................................................110

Valatie...............................................................42

Warwick............................................................73

Washington ......................................................111

Wassaic.............................................................22

West Hurley ....................................................110

West Stockbridge ...........................................107

Williamstown......................22, 60, 100, 104, 106

Windham ..........................................................23

Woodbury..............................................21, 59, 29

Woodstock .............59, 102, 103, 109, 110, 111, 112

Boston

Art by Jan Kallwejt exclusively for The Mountains

Alan Katz FOUNDER | CEO

Richard Pérez-Feria EDITOR IN CHIEF

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kathleen Gates

MANAGING EDITOR James Long

PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Erika Phenner

SENIOR EDITOR | RESEARCH DIRECTOR Sarah Carpenter

DESIGN EDITORS Eduardo Rodríguez, Herman Vega

ASSOCIATE EDITOR | SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Isabel Hochman

DIGITAL MANAGER Isabella Joslin

DESIGNER Linda Gates

EDITORS AT LARGE Martha Frankel, Jane Larkworthy, Marco Medrano Hal Rubenstein, Kevin Sessums, Tara Solomon

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Toni Gerunda

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Robin Baron, Greg Calejo, Kate Doyle Hooper

Anthony Giglio, Rebecca Hardiman, Bill Henning

Sean McAlindin, Simon Murray, Todd Plummer

Melissa Reid, Jack Rico, Mitch Rustad

WRITERS Abbe Aronson, Jonah Bayliss, Bill Cary

Renee Jermaine, Sandy MacDonald Mira Peck, Robyn Perry Coe, Terry Rosen

PHOTOGRAPHERS | ARTISTS Fahnon Bennett, Natalie Chitwood, Bryan Derballa Jan Kallwejt, Daniella Murray, Robert Risko Mike Ruiz, Beth Schneck, Matthew Sussman

Amy Smith

EXECUTIVE SALES DIRECTOR

ACCOUNT DIRECTORS Barbara Bank, Libby Hall Abeel

ACCOUNT MANAGER Livi Perrone

FINANCE AND OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Caryn Whitman

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Betsy Low

MARKETING DIRECTOR Bill Gibbons

MARKETING STRATEGIST Randi MacColl

TEXAS SALES DIRECTORS Ellen Lewis, Michael Stafford LEWIS STAFFORD COMPANY, INC

CANADA SALES DIRECTORS Lori Dodd, Bob Dodd DODD MEDIA GROUP

PRODUCTION Digital Workflow Solutions

advertising inquiries: advertising@themountainsmedia.com editorial submissions: editorial@themountainsmedia.com

follow us on social media: @themountainsmedia The Mountains

THE TIMELESS SPIRIT OF THE HUDSON VALLEY

THE team

ISABEL HOCHMAN

The Social Media Manager for The Mountains, Isabel (“Izzy”) Hochman is a User Experience Architect working in healthcare in New York City. Splitting her time between Manhattan and Great Barrington, Hochman has previously written for Berkshire Magazine “I love writing for The Mountains because we live in such a vibrant region with amazing makers and we’re able to bring their talents to light.”

JAMES LONG

As The Mountains’ Managing Editor, James Long’s work

senior business roles for The Atlantic, U.S. News & World Report, Men’s Fitness and Esquire Previously, he was a production stage manager on Broadway, Off-Broadway and regional theaters—and an aspiring playwright.

“The Mountains mirrors my love of the theater with an all-star cast,” Long says. “And like a well-made play, everything in the magazine reveals engaging people and stories with a production quality that rivals Broadway.”

Jack Rico

covers a broad scope of editorial operations including generating story ideas, assignments and scheduling. His publishing career boasts

Jack Rico is a cultural critic, award-winning journalist and podcaster. He has contributed to NBC’s morning ratings juggernaut, TODAY as well as Telemundo and MSNBC, and has been quoted by The Washington Post, Bloomberg and NBC News. As the Webby Nominee host of the “Brown & Black” and “Highly Relevant” podcasts, Rico explores the intersection of race and pop culture while overseeing his production company, New Majority Storytelling, with his wife. “As a native New Yorker, writing for this issue gave me the chance to rediscover New York City’s summer sunsets. They’re just so romantic and timeless, even I had to just stop and stare.”

Kick Back!

the s u mmit

Tennis

i’m writing this on the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. This same June day has triggered many conflictive thoughts and tough decisions for me over the years starting way back in the summer before I entered high school as a tenth grader. As a gregarious Virgo kid (Beyoncé and I, naturally, share a September 4 birthday), I’d still be 14 years old when I stepped in to Southwest Miami Senior High School for the first time. And I knew before I took such a momentous step, I had a tough call to make. The issue? Tennis. Was I in or was I out?

At the age of ten (almost eight years too late by today’s standards), I picked up a tennis racquet and gravitated to the sport organically. What I lacked in natural athletic ability, I more than made up for with my eye-hand coordination and smarts. Simply put, I had a tennis “brain” and was constantly churning out solutions to on-court deficiencies and managed victories over otherwise more talented players. Former American tennis pro Brad Gilbert

was known for “winning ugly,” though I’d like to think my version was a bit more aesthetically appealing, but maybe not. Winning was all that mattered.

By 12, I was pretty darn good and was the leader of my junior high school team—a squad that consisted of my closest friends: André Williams (our best player) was a Roger Federer-like smooth operator on court and brothers Gene and Steve Morris (both formidable in different ways, Gene, a year older, was a human backboard, Steve boasted a powerful serve-and-volley game). I was a mix of open-faced forehands, steady two-handed backhands and the dogged mental superiority I was already known for.

Collectively we were, in a word, impressive.

Playing tennis in South Florida—unofficial global home to the sport itself, including American queen Chris Evert (her dad, Jimmy, was my sometime coach and dubbed me “Lead Foot” for my less than speedy retrieval ability)—was highly competitive with the best players scouted by

deuce Here with one of my closest friends, Prom Queen Janette Nye Suchman, on a high school journalism trip wearing my tennis team uniform; (top) the sport I love so much still lures me.

elite tennis camps and pursued by corporate sponsors. And though I felt that I was a solid player—a former vanquished opponent’s dad referred to me as “Cuban Jimmy Connors”— was I good enough to make this far-fetched dream a reality? Could I make tennis my life?

I had never heard of summer solstice that June day before high school began when I crossed the street of my home to Miller Drive Park to sit on the playground’s swings alone with my thoughts as I imagined my day-today life without tennis. I must have sat there for more than four hours (my mom sent my brother to get me for dinner) and I was sad because I knew what I had to do. I was never going to be a professional tennis player. I was too short (5’9”), too slow and, frankly, too-notrich enough to see if this was a viable option. So, I said goodbye to my truest love a few months after school started. I agreed to play in one last tournament with André, Gene and Steve and all of us were in tears as we rode the school bus home victorious. I remember smiling out the window of the bus thinking that at least I went out a winner. A nice memory to have.

Almost instantly, my life went in a million different directions at once (we all remember high school, yes?). I became the editor in chief of the award-winning newspaper, The Southwest Lancer, as well as Student Council Vice President. I was popular, respected and ambitious. Life was good. Nothing was going to stop me. Not even tennis.

Anyone who knows me understands my ongoing obsession with the sport exceeds even my unquestioned Swiftie cred. My decades of suffering, living-and-breathing hoping for Chris Evert, Rafa Nadal, Serena Williams and now Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff to win every match has been as central to my core as are my politics (the not crazy party) and my Cuban heritage. Tennis, alas, is in my soul.

I currently live about two minutes equidistant from both Vassar College’s pristine hardcourts as well as the beautiful Poughkeepsie Tennis Club of which I recently became a member. Of course I did.

It’s summer—the season where love means nothing (in tennis) and everything (in life).

—Richard Pérez-Feria EDITOR IN CHIEF

baby boom Play Pop, a don’t call-it-a-daycare center, has become a formidable staple of Hudson’s postpartum community, from newborns to pre-K.

life, a little bit at a time

black tie optional

“I craved space and a slower pace of life and decided to take the plunge,” Plummer says of his momentous decision to leave NYC for the Berkshires.

Mountains Couture

How leaving New York City changed our fashion writer’s wardrobe—and style outlook. | By Todd Plummer

it’s a tale as old as time: City slicker decamps from Manhattan in search of tranquility, space and trees. He assumes he’s moving to the land of hay bales and country bumpkins and then is pleasantly surprised to discover a region filled with style of a different sort. I started my career as a fashion scribe in Manhattan, reporting on society and style for style.com, Vogue and a few others—covering every movie premiere, every fashion week, every gala on the charity circuit. There was a time when I kept six tuxedos on rotation in my closet and when getting dressed for formal events

was as routine as some people going to the gym. I owned more ties than I owned pairs of socks and more cufflinks than any one person has any business possessing. My closet overflowed with jackets, shirts and trousers that I wore perhaps once or twice. But, as they say, not all that glimmers is gold. After years of schmoozing with socialites and rubbing elbows with designers, the closet filled with party attire started to feel gluttonous and vapid, and I started to crave a world beyond the confines of New York’s hectic avenues. I felt like my closet was no longer an

the wear

expression of who I was, but of all the ways I was trying to fit in.

My mind started to drift back to Massachusetts. I grew up in the eastern part of the state, which feels like a totally different universe from the Berkshires. To be honest, aside from the odd family trip to Tanglewood, the region was never really on my radar—until about ten years ago, when I was speaking with Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough, founders of the brand Proenza Schouler. They were telling me about their countryside retreat, a historic home set on 100 bucolic acres abutting a nature preserve in the southern Berkshires. It’s where they went to escape from city life and find inspiration. For me, they became the first in a long line of fashionable New Yorkers who have brought renewed interest to the region over the last decade.

And when the pandemic hit, all those stylish influences that had been percolating came to a full boil. I craved space and a slower pace of life and decided to take the plunge. But what would happen to my wardrobe? Moving home to Massachusetts would be a significant lifestyle change, and I rearranged my closet accordingly. I brought four of my tuxedos to Goodwill (and kept two—you never know), rid myself of all the dry-clean-only pieces that had accumulated dust in my closet for years, and traded my Stubbs & Wootton slippers for practical Salomon trail runners.

Now, looking back on the last few years, rediscovering New England style has been nothing short of eye-opening. If New York City was all about dressing for an occasion, up here is about finding style in the everyday. There is an authenticity to the way people dress up here—and a loving commitment to the pieces in their wardrobe. The right pair of boots or the right Barbour jacket will be worn time and time again, until they are a seamless extension of the person wearing it. These aren’t clothes designed for some vacuous red carpet; these are clothes you can hike in, take a nap in, paint a room in, go to brunch in.

So while I may no longer have six tuxedos in my closet, I’ve embarked on the slower, much more intentional process of curating only those pieces that carry so much more authenticity. Pieces I plan on having for a long time. And if I ever do move back to the city, I’ll do so knowing that the closet I’ve built is a reflection of who I am—not who I’m pretending to be.

Photo: John Gruen

Not Just A Girl’s Best Friend

Diamonds are forever, which includes right now. | By

Roberto Coin Necklace

The exquisite designs by the celebrated luxury Italian jewelry designer are favored by celebrities and fashion icons alike, but even if you’re not walking a red carpet anytime soon, you’ll feel fabulous in this stunning Roberto Coin Diamante small 18k Gold and Diamond Necklace (Rose Gold). The exquisite design features a delicate chain crafted from luxurious 18k gold adorned with a sparkling diamond pendant that catches the light beautifully. A true masterpiece.

$4,750 at Frank Adams 144 Wolf Road, Albany frankadams.com robertocoin.com

Aquamarine

Cabochon Ring

“My jewelry isn’t for the faint of heart,” says Joane Cornell, owner of Joane Cornell Fine Jewelry, which features handmade and eco-conscious jewelry in the heart of Chatham, NY. She describes the exquisite Aquamarine Cabochon Ring as “bodacious”— it’s also gender fluid—because of its unusually cut, sugarloaf style, which features a natural, no-heat Nigerian origin stone. “Most stones are heated, when you find them at no heat, it makes them so much more desirable and rarer. It’s quite the statement ring.”

$5,965 at Joane Cornell Fine Jewelry 9 Main Street Chatham, NY joanecornellfinejewelry.com

Mitch Rustad

Confetti Huggie earrings

Finding just the right piece of jewelry can transform your look, mood and even outlook on life. That’s the philosophy of Onyx Jewelers, a jewelry store in Woodbury that specializes in custom jewelry design with more than half a century of experience in helping make their customers look sparkly and fabulous. A real statement piece is the Confetti Huggie earrings, made with 14k yellow gold, a satin finish and a .66cttw diamond.

$2,600 at Onyx Jewelers 740 Main Street South, Woodbury, CT onyxjewelers.com

Swim Lessons

Nothing says cool like a backyard pool. So we built one.

By Bill Cary

before the pandemic, backyard pools were considered a maybe-maybe-not add to the value of your home. But when lockdown hit, everybody wanted a pool and houses with pools shot up in price and desirability. Desperate buyers with cranky kids were even snapping them up over the phone, sight unseen.

After years of debate, and then some more hemming and hawing, and a little more debate, my husband and I took the plunge and built a 60-foot pool about ten years ago. Best thing we ever did.

As we all head outdoors for the summer, let’s look at a few houses on the market (at press time) up here north of the city with dreamy backyard pools.

Modern Retreat

Along with a lap pool with built-in seating, this mid-century modern gem on 18 private acres on Spaulding Lane just outside of the village of Saugerties offers nearly a half-mile of Hudson River frontage and drop-dead views across the river. It

just got a total update and reimagining by New York City-based owner and architectural designer Thomas Warnke. I love the cozy sunken living room that he created by utilizing the former crawl space under the house. Other amenities include a yoga studio and gym, a home office with a Zen garden, a fireplace, multiple outdoor seating areas, a separate glass room overlooking the river, a long private driveway and a river’s-edge area to launch a boat or a kayak. Listed for $1.975 million with Megan Brenn-White and Leigh Bokser, of the Upstate Curious Team at Compass.

infinity and beyond (top) A private infinity pool with vast sunset views of the Berkshires; (below) an 18-acre midcentury modern gem outside Saguerties, NY boasts a half-mile of Hudson River frontage and an inviting backyard pool.

Hillside Infinity

Nothing says privacy and luxury like a sleek new contemporary set on 134 deadquiet acres in eastern Dutchess County, in the hamlet of Wassaic, with some of the best views in the Hudson Valley. Did we mention the regulation-size polo field? The infinity pool blends right into the landscape, with an adjacent covered dining area and a pool house with a lounge and a kitchen. Other amenities include barns with 48 horse stalls and multiple paddocks, a croquet court and gardens and meadows restored with native plants. Listed for $25 million with Marie-Laure Collins and Byron Anderson, Compass.

Country Contemporary

Set on 34 rolling acres that border 8,000 acres of protected land, the backyard pool at this hillside contemporary in Williamstown, MA, offers sunset views of the Berkshires and complete privacy. The beautifully landscaped pool features an expansive sunny deck, and a nearby covered area offers plenty of shade and lots of space for lounging and dining. The 7,289-squarefoot country contemporary on Chestnut Street was first published in Architectural Digest in 2008. Listed for $2.75 million with Jeff Loholdt of William Pitt/Julia B Fee Sotheby’s International Realty.

Hidden Gem

Don’t feel like going outside for a swim? This compound in the Ulster County hamlet of Accord has an indoor pool that’s practically in the living room of the main house. Plus the 24-acre spread offers an outdoor pool with a pool house (with a kitchenette, a full bathroom and a threeseason screened porch), an old-fashioned cedar hot tub, spring-fed ponds, four wood stoves, a two-bedroom guesthouse and a studio/office in a separate little outbuilding. Listed for $1.85 million with Katy Porte and Jason Nadeau, of the Upstate Curious Team at Compass.

ESCROW

Modern Mansions

Two contemporaries and a historic home get listed.

Peak View House | $1,950,000

12 Jacob Strasse Road

Windham, NY

6BR | 6BT | 5,500 SF | 3.1 Acres

“As Zillow notes, Peak View House is a stunning contemporary modern mansion with grand open views of Windham High Peak and the surrounding mountains. And it was built with love for the whole family.”

RUDY HUSTON

BROKER / OWNER, TRI-HUDSON REALTY

Round Hill Road

$1,875,000

9 Round Hill Road

Great Barrington, MA

4BR | 3.5 BA

4,156 SF | 4.71 Acres

“This one-of-akind contemporary oasis in a unique private Great Barrington setting offers designer details, wraparound porch and floor-to-ceiling windows with breathtaking sunrises and sunsets. A beautiful sanctuary with nature in every season.”

MAGGIE MERELLE

LICENSED REAL ESTATE SALESPERSON

WILLIAM PITT SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

Oliver Wiswall

Hudson River House c1835

$4,500,000

127 Mount Merino Drive

Hudson, NY

4BR | 3.5BA

4,903 SF | 39 Acres

“Oliver Wiswall was once mayor of Hudson, a public man, very active and full of energy. Overlooking the Hudson River— boasting magical, mesmerizing river views and west to the majesty of the Catskill Mountains— the Oliver Wiswall Hudson River House is on the National Register of Historic Places. In the Greek Revival style, the house, just a mile from Hudson’s center, was built for comfort with all rooms bathed in light through countless windows with high ceilings in every gracious room.”

NANCY FELCETTO

LICENSED REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATE BROKER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SALES

BROWN HARRIS STEVENS

Hot In NYC!

another summer has arrived and with it, a chance to try some new and different destinations worth texting your friends about. Think hidden trails with river views, dining on historic schooners or watching your favorite movie in a rooftop setting. Summer in the city is pure magic. It’s about soaking in long, sun-drenched days and enjoying those warm, cool-ish nights. So, make your plans and make this your most epic summer yet.

jog EAST MIDTOWN GREENWAY

Framed by the Manhattan skyline and Queensboro Bridge, the East Midtown Greenway is Midtown East’s newest urban escape. This elevated trail, stretching from East 53rd to East 62nd

Everything from dining on the Hudson to movies under the stars. | By Jack Rico

outside new york (above, clockwise) Seafood emporium Grand Banks Restaurant at Pier 25; CityPickle in Central Park is the largest pickleball facility in the Northeast; Rooftop Cinema Club has taken Gotham by storm. (opposite) East Midtown Gateway is an urban escape.

Street, is a city gazer’s delight. Whether you’re out for a morning jog or just taking in the sunset, it’s a side of NYC few get to experience.

play CITYPICKLE

Grab a friend and work up a sweat at CityPickle, right in the heart of Central Park’s Wollman Rink. Founded by women, this

seasonal pickleball paradise is the largest pickleball facility in the Northeast, boasting 14 professional courts and 6 cabanas for those needed breathers. Whether you’re serious or just curious, go for the fun and stay for the good vibes.

something out of a Hemingway novel. Sit on the shaded deck with a toasted lobster roll and a Tropicalia cocktail (vodka, watermelon, lime) and let the waves do the rest.

arts ROOFTOP CINEMA CLUB

eat GRAND BANKS RESTAURANT

For serious seafood, Grand Banks restaurant in Tribeca is a must. Anchored in a historic wooden schooner at Pier 25, this Hudson River hideaway is

Swap the outdoors drive-in theater for a movie under the stars at Rooftop Cinema Club, easily one of the coolest places to watch a movie in the city. Sit in a cozy chair, drink in hand and enjoy your favorite flick where the only thing better than the movie is the view.

must-see

It’s Your Move!

By Abbe Aronson

|

Dose up on serotonin at this sure-to-inspire interactive art gallery in Kingston.

players welcome Don’t miss “Game On: A Fusion Of Art And Interactivity Unveiled,” at ArtPort in Kingston, NY.

redefi nes conventional art experiences inviting attendees to play, opens July 18 and runs through August 25. ArtPort welcomes new and veteran collectors alike. I never leave a show uninspired and always long to purchase a piece to add to my own walls. Co-founded by directors Laurie De Chiara and Stefan Saff er, (she’s an int ernational curator; he’s a working artist and faculty member at The School of Visual Arts in New York City) ArtPort is one of the most exciting things to happen to the Kingston waterfront district. Make your plans now.

he fi rst time I stopped by ArtPort in Kingston, NY my mouth dropped open. It was late winter; the latest installation stood in bold, colorful contrast to the enormous windows that faced the stark Rondout creekscape and an errant pigeon or two that fl ew around the eno rmous warehouse space. This space, I thought, was the stuff of an art addict’s dream. Housed in the historic Cornell Steamboat Building, ArtPort is a contemporary gallery and curatorial project space, as well as a certifi ed 501(c)(3) nonprofi t arts organization. “Game On: A Fusion Of Art And Interactivity Unveiled,” an exhibit that

Tplay date

On The Block

Kids

Tzu! ( Gesundheit )

Are New Yorkers barking up the right tree?

If you live in the Empire State and own a Shih Tzu breed of dog that’s named Bella then, according to no less an authority than US News & World Report , you’ve hit the trifecta.

New York is the top ranked state for dog ownership and Shih Tzus and the name Bella are the most popular breed and name. As a cat dad myself, I raise half an eyebrow to feign mild interest in this development. (American Short Hair is once again the most popular feline breed in NYS).

—RICHARD PÉREZ-FERIA

Play Pop , the most innovative center for infants through pre-k age, makes Hudson a cool kids zone.

By Richard Pérez-Feria

From the moment you step in to Play Pop, the innovative epicenter of Hudson, NY’s postpartum community, you sense that co-founders (and moms) Kris Mae Weiss and Elina Tunyan were on to something. And something tells me all the infants and pre-k boys and girls at the core of the experience also sense they’re in a happy, thrilling space. From their programs for kids to their inventive adults welcome off erings, this is the daycare center we all wished we had when we were kids. It’s always playtime at Play Pop. As it should be.

A Sculpture Adventure

The 46th Annual Contemporary Sculpture Show At Chesterwood in Stockbridge, MA in the Berkshires should disavow anyone of the notion that sculptures are static because the featured majestic works of art here are vibrant, irreverent and, simply, unforgettable. Take the art lover in your life and convert them into a contemporary sculpture afi cio nado. Go!

river watch

Big Fish Alert! Massive Atlantic Sturgeon Caught

You’re gonna need a bigger boat.

In late June, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Hudson River Estuary Program fi sheries staff ers caught an Atlantic sturgeon near Hyde Park, NY that weighed some 220 lbs. and measured more than 6 feet long. Though the Atlantic sturgeon spend most of the year in the ocean, the endangered species does travel up the Hudson River in the summer months to spawn. The fi sh was returned to the Hudson aft er being tagged for research.

—RICHARD PÉREZ-FERIA

And now we can add photographs of the musicians themselves testifying to our historical and cultural evolution with Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art’s exhibition, “Musicians On Musicians: Curated by Wilco” in North Adams, MA. In celebration of MASS MoCA’s 25th Anniversary, the year-long exhibition opened on June 22 with an iteration of photos curated by indie-rock and Grammy Award-winning band Wilco, who have chosen 35 images featuring performers including icons Johnny Cash, The Clash, James Taylor and Carole King, Patti Smith and Tom Verlaine, Leonard Bernstein, Kurt Cobain, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, The Band and more. This show is the fourth in a series of rotating exhibitions. You may even fi nd yourself downloading a few songs when you get home. I know I did.

“If you start putting your worth in your results, and you don’t do it for the love of the game, you’re not going to get far.”

ictoria Isaacson, a 26-year-old Poughkeepsie native and twotime member of the Wheelchair Fencing World Championship teams, has secured a spot on the USA Fencing Team to compete in the upcoming 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris (held two weeks aft er the Summer Games). A hand therapist at Ivy Rehab and fencing instructor at The Phoenix Center in Poughkeepsie, Isaacson has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a group of inherited disorders that makes connective tissue weaker. When asked about her impressive fencing career and upcoming competition, Isaacson keeps it in perspective. “If you start putting your worth in your results, and you don’t do it for the love of the game, you’re not going to get far,” she said. And how far she’ll go is still an open question. En garde!

exhibit Harmony in pho tos prevail

Musicians On Musicians: Curated by Wilco at MASS MoCA is an exhibition as symphonic as art gets. | By James Long

our favorite music can act as a time machine, unlocking memories and emotions of pivotal experiences in your life. Music also captures zeitgeist, echoing societal shift s and struggles through melodies and lyrics—summon in your memory “Oil wasted on the ocean and upon our seas, fi sh full of mercury” from Marvin Gaye’s 1971 “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)”—still commanding our public attention.

YPoughkeepsieChampion Fencer HeadsTo Paris

USA Fencing Team’s Victoria Isaacson keeps adding to her impressive accomplishments.

By Richard Pérez-Feria

Glam Bake

One of the coolest things about living in these parts is the opportunity to legit go glamping to round out your amazing experience attending a concert at Bethel Woods. The options—from Basic to Three Bedroom Luxury—all combine the best of camping with the amenities of a luxe hotel. It’s a win-win and a great story to share forever. –RICHARD PÉREZ-FERIA

THE MOUNTAINS Summer 2024 Ultimate Playlist

“Doin’ Time” by Lana Del Rey A sublime masterwork under the aura of America’s emo queen.

“Good Luck, Babe” by Chappell Roan This synthy, steamy, gender-bending earworm is easily the song of the year.

“Conga” by Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine It’s impossible to not love this jam, no matter who you are or how old you are.

“Take Me Home, Country Roads” by Toots & The Maytals An island retread of a timeless paradigm.

“Mexico” by James Taylor

This gem by a local songwriter always puts me in a chill mood.

“Something Like That” by Tim McGraw 1999 was a good year, including for country music.

“Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)” by Bruce Springsteen I’m 16 again and it’s the summer I fell in love.

By Sean McAlindin

Let’s make sure this season is an absolute banger.

summer is a season with a soundtrack all its own. Is there really anything better than cruising up the Taconic, windows down and the stereo on blast or getting centered on North-South Lake with just the right musical vibrations?

Whether you’re running around town, barbecuing poolside or napping in a campground hammock, you need melodies to fit the mood. So, without further ado, here are our picks for THE MOUNTAINS’ Summer 2024 Ultimate Playlist.

“Tshwala Bam” by TitoM and Yuppe Bouncy bass lines and Nigerian Afro-fusion star Burna Boy seal the deal.

“BAPPI” by The Deep The underground South Korean pop chanteuse is everything.

“Home in the Country” by Mikaela Davis A heart-stealing Catskill singer finds her place in the world.

“Volcano” by Jimmy Buffet

An irreverent tropical anthem by the forever king of good times.

“Weekend” by Upstate

Get into vacation mode with these laid-back regional crooners.

“Me Porto Bonito” by Bad Bunny (ft Chencho Corleone)

The Puerto Rican reggaeton rogue knows how it’s done.

we got the heat Summer soundtrack featuring (clockwise from top) Bad Bunny; Chappell Roan; Taylor Swift; Connor Kennedy; Caitlin Jemma; and James Taylor.

“A

“A Roller-Skating Jam Named ‘Saturdays’” by De La Soul This 1991 clapper with Q-Tip and Vinia Mojica will always be the vibe.

“Wild Honey and Wide Roads” by Connor Kennedy A romantic, rural take by Woodstock’s boy wonder.

“Lemonade” by Gucci Mane The G.O.A.T. of summer drinks comes with its own tangy beat.

“Water” by Tyla The South African Popiano princess’ Grammy-winning smooth jam.

“Summer” by Marshmello This EDM confection captures the season’s openended energy.

“Summertime” by DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince Jazzy’s on tour and “Bad Boys” is back in theaters. So why not?

“Chasing the Light” by Caitlin Jemma (ft. Rainbow Girls) California’s cosmic cowgirl captures the essence of it all.

“Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift I mean…you don’t think we’d leave all our Swifties out, did you? Epic tune.

the

weekend

Fishkill, Unwrapped

An insider takes us by the hand—and the nose—to the charming Dutchess County town. | By Alexandria Gilleo

welcome to the fabulous town of Fishkill, NY. As a local and celebrity makeup artist, let me guide you through a journey of fun-filled activities and delicious dining experiences in my beautiful hometown.

Saturday

8 a.m. BREAKFAST

Rise and shine, Fishkill! Let’s kick off the weekend with a delicious breakfast at The Bagel Shoppe, where they serve up fresh authentic water bagels along with a fully fleshed out breakfast (and lunch) menu. Pair that with an iced or hot cup of coffee or tea and you’re set for a fabulous day ahead.

9 a.m. EXPLORE

Time to take a stroll through the stunning Fishkill scenery. Head to Fishkill Farms for a relaxing walk through the orchards and fields, where you can enjoy the

fresh air and beautiful views.

It’s a great spot to pick your own fruit or veggies just like a true farm-to-table enthusiast and bask in the beauty of 270 acres of nature.

12 p.m. DISCOVER

Dip into some of

go fish(kill) Celebrity makeup artist Alexandria Gilleo (here with boyfriend Emmanuel Jimenez) reveals her favorite spots in her beloved Fishkill, NY.

which maintains a large collection of historical information about Fishkill and the surrounding area. It’s where you can immerse yourself in a good book surrounded by Fishkill’s legendary elegance.

12:30 p.m. LEGACY

Next up, swing by the Van Wyck Homestead

Museum for a tour of this 1732 colonial home which was a main location during the Revolutionary War. Take a leisurely stroll through the scenic grounds, where history meets beauty in Fishkill. The grounds are open for guided and self-guided tours.

1:30 p.m. LUNCH

For a quick and tasty lunch, head over to Maya Cafe for some mouth-watering Mexican cuisine. The tacos, burritos and margaritas are

Fishkill’s fascinating history at the Blodgett Memorial Library,

fine dining Italian spot known for their flavorful dishes, mouthwatering steaks, seafood and delicious pasta; Golden Buddha Thai for classic food a la Bangkok that’ll have you wanting to come back for more; and Gymkhana for a lovely Indian cuisine experience that’ll leave you feeling vibrant and satisfied. genuinely delicious. If you’re in the mood for a burger, check out the charming Dutchess Biercafe for a delightful experience with great options of unique burgers that include gluten free and veggie options as well. Be sure to try their roasted Brussels sprouts too. And of course, don’t miss a visit to Fishkill Creamery for a sweet treat that will satisfy your cravings. Their ice cream and bubble teas are fabulous.

5 p.m. HAPPY HOUR

It’s time to unwind and enjoy a refreshing cocktail at Sotano Sit outside, relax and soak up the cozy atmosphere with a fresh glass of wine or cocktail. If you’re looking for a more laid-back vibe, make your way to Beast for a selection of wine, spirits and small bites that will hit the spot.

6 p.m. DINNER

Fishkill is bursting with incredible dining options, but a few favorites include a delectable meal at Il Figlio Enoteca, a

9 p.m.

ENTERTAINMENT

Wrap up the evening with some live music at The White House, a beloved local spot that’s known for being the oldest bar in Dutchess County. Play a game of pool, grab a drink and end your day on a high note.

Sunday 10 a.m. OUTDOOR

ADVENTURE

Check out Fishkill Golf Course and Driving Range where you can admire breathtaking views of the Hudson Valley and challenge yourself with a 12hole, par 41 course. If you have little ones, maybe a family trip to SplashDown Beach Water Park is worth a visit later. Either way, head to Red Line Diner for a delicious breakfast and perhaps even a round of mimosas to toast to a weekend well spent in Fishkill. See you on the weekend.

WE’RE YOUR SOURCE FOR SUMMER FUN

PRESENTS

The Great Outdoors— Your Way

When the weather gets warm, we burst out to the backyard to get a year’s worth of fun in three months. Here comes the sun, the long days, and the time to enjoy the outdoors with friends and family. Williams Lumber & Home Centers, offers a variety of decks, pergolas, pavers, natural stone, furniture, grills and garden supplies to help you create your own serenity retreat, family recreation area, or entertaining space. Or all three!

OUTDOOR LIVING

Transform your ordinary outdoor space into an extraordinary sanctuary with a Trex or Culpeper treated lumber deck as the foundation. Elevate the ambiance with Delgado stone accents, Unilock pavers, and vibrant greenery that breathe life into your surroundings.

PAVERS

Quality stone and pavers are a great long-term investment. Cambridge with ArmorTec®, Unilock pavers or natural Delgado Stone products are safe and beautiful options for patios and pools.

GRILLS

For summer chefs, and year-round grillers, the finest from Traeger, Weber, Kamado Joe, Blackstone, and pizza ovens from Gozney and Ooni, will provide tasty meals for years to come.

Robin Baron Your Mountains Retreat Interior Designer

“With today’s wide style and material options, we’re

grandma’s patio spaces are an extension of a con materials, finishes and colors

that create consistency and

LAWN & GARDEN

Keep your lawn and garden healthy and thriving with products from Scotts, Ortho, Husqvarna, Stihl, Ego, DeWalt, Terro, Fiskars and Botanical Interests And we’ll keep the birds singing with a wide supply of bird seed.

POOLS

Get the most from your summer water fun with HTH Keep your pool and spa clean and sparkling all season long.

YOUR GUIDE TO OUTDOOR LIVING

Deck of Your Dreams

Trex will change your mind about composites. Resistant to warping, splintering, fading or rotting, it’s a true long-term and beautiful deck investment. Trex’s endless options allow you to customize your design to fit your style. Whether its modern, classic, functional, or ornate design, Trex delivers on style and substance.

From Patio to Pool

Whether your style calls for pavers or natural stone, Williams provides you options for a safe and stylish platform to build out your perfect outdoor space.

Bring

the Heat

Grills—whether gas, charcoal, wood burning (including smokers), or electric— have truly evolved. No matter your cooking style, design preferences, and flavor profiles, there’s a grill for every home and every cook. The sophistication of today’s options will turn your deck, patio, or pool area into an al fresco bistro.

La Piéce de Résistance

Fire pits, pergolas, terraces, and outdoor furniture can turn your backyard into a multifunction destination for friends and family. Add any one of these special pieces to bring it all together.

Whether you are working with a professional or you are a DIY enthusiast, you’ll find our stores and associates give everyone the personal attention they deserve. Visit us in Rhinebeck, Hudson, Hopewell Junction, Tannersville, Red Hook, Pleasant Valley or High Falls and see for yourself. Or on the web at williamslumber.com.

pham i am Angela Pham, co-founder of in-demand agency Deitch + Pham, is a Rhinebeck-based photographer, branding expert and ethereal creative.

makers

genius, in human form

Photography by Angela Pham

OUTSIDE THE INSIDERS

MAKING PEACE WITH THE BEAUTY MOTHER NATURE STILL PROVIDES.

getout! out!

Growing up playing tennis in the suburbs of Miami, one could logically assume I’d be an outdoorsy kind of guy. But a er the be er part of four decades living in the center of some of this country’s largest megalopolises (New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, New Orleans), my comfort level being inside a given edifice’s walls hit cruising altitude. Yeah, inside’s where it’s at for this dyed-in-the-wool city kid. D Then, nearly a decade ago, I bought a home in the Hudson Valley that was perched on a lovely corner lot, on a lovely cul-de-sac, and I was, again, confronted with the dilemma: It’s sure pre y outside; why am I always inside? D The easy answer is of course my job As editor in chief of magazines, the amount of desk time I accrue is truly staggering. Not sure if many people realize how much time it takes for even a single page of this publication to be completed. Quality magazine publishing is the enemy of the casual or uncommi ed. But the harder truth is this: I’m just used to not making going outside and enjoying all its wondrous bounty a priority. I’m stuck in a rut.

—RICHARD PÉREZ-FERIA

D By focusing this edition of THE MOUNTAINS to a celebration of the Vitamin D-rrifficness our region has to offer, we tasked our writers—Hal Rubenstein, Mitch Rustad, Isabel Hochman, Jack Rico, Terry Rosen, James Long, Isabella Joslin—to briefly share what they love to do out of doors. There’s grilling, cocktailing, pool parties, farmers markets, tag sales, tennis and more. It’s a fun read. D So, where does that leave me? I’ll say this: I’m in a much be er place than I’ve ever been. I now see the value— and necessity—to lead both an interior and exterior full life. Like I said, it’s sure pre y out there, ain’t it?

write on We tasked our writers to celebrate all our region has to offer out of doors this summer—from grilling to pool parties. Let’s do this!

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRYAN DERBALLA

OUTSIDE THE INSIDERS

THE BACKYARD COOK

grill sergeant

results. Ready? BY HAL RUBENSTEIN

Ever seen a Lexus ad with a fifth grader behind the wheel? A Real Housewife photographed shopping at Job Lots? Fox News’ Jeannine Pirro when she didn’t sound as if she’s just knocked back two sidecars?

A single TV ad for a backyard barbecue featuring a woman manning the grill?

It’s weird how many men who feel burdened just sliding two Eggos in a toaster somehow vie to become the local pitmaster of the universe once the sundown goes past 8pm. Perhaps grilling’s macho branding stems from its initial popularity in the 1950s, when one was forced to handle a heavy bag of gets-on-everything charcoal, but that image’s now as cemented in our consciousness as drinking rosé like water in August.

However, grilling isn’t as carefree as it appears, especially for people who haltingly make their way around the kitchen. There’s more to its mastery than simply sear-it-flipit-serve-it. So, before offering you recipes for al fresco cheffing, it’s essential to know and apply the following steps before you don that apron boasting, “My meat is going in your mouth today” (available on Etsy).

You char what you eat. So shop smart. Buy better. Grilling is usually less complicated than braising, sautéing and roasting, so the

new york minutes Our grilling expert says to always take the protein to be cooked out of the refrigerator at least 40 minutes before putting it on the hot grill for the very best results.

quality of what you put on your cooking grates is key. A chuck steak makes a great pot roast, but it sure won’t taste like a porterhouse, no matter how you marinate it. Cellophane wrapped corn from Sam’s Club tastes mainly like the butter you put on it. Saving money while sacrificing taste is a bad bargain. One of the great advantages of where we live is easy access to fresh, superior quality meats, fish, fruits and vegetables thanks to local farms and purveyors. Take advantage of them. Take whatever is going to get cooked out of the fridge at least 40 mins before putting it on the grill. Cold meat and fish will stick like it’s been Gorilla-glued to the grates. Do not put anything on the grill until it has reached the desired temperature. Leave at least one grill off, or heated at a much lower temp for items that grill faster than others. Do not put anything on the grates if they haven’t been cleaned. The best time to do this would be after the previous grilling when they’re still hot. But you must do this before cooking time.

HAVE THE RIGHT TOOLS

• A grill brush (Recommended: Grill Rescue is a brush that uses steam. grillrescue.com)

• Long tongs so you don’t sear your hands over the burners

• A large sturdy spatula, for flipping fish and soft vegetables

• A meat thermometer. Unless you’re Steven Raichlen, don’t trust poking at the chops with your fingers

• A perforated pan for cooking vegetables. Less likely to fall through the grates

• A long brush for applying marinade and extra olive oil

• Cooking spray. Optional if the chemical components bug you. But it does make things easier

• Don’t use bare fingers or a dish towel. Get a thermal cooking glove

• Keep them all clean. Keep them all handy in your grill’s storage area

• Use a baking sheet with a grate over it for when you take meat and fish off the burners and need them to rest before slicing.

• A dull or cheap blade can easily destroy your grillmanship. Invest in a good, non-serrated slicing knife

Regardless of whether you used a prior wet marinade, a dry rub or nothing, season your meats and fish once they are room temperature with salt and pepper right before placing on the grill, using double the amount of salt. Promise you won’t be oversalting it. Much of it burns off.

Once you put the meat or fish on the grill, do not move it. Leave it be until it’s time to flip it over. A good sear is not only essential, your protein is less likely to stick to the grates. Cook your protein 2/3 on one side, 1/3 on the other.

All you need for perfect grilled veggies is a brush with olive oil, salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon once they are slightly charred. That’s it. If you want to add pesto or chimichurri, fine, but it’s not necessary. Grilling veggies and fruits brings out their natural sweetness.

When your meat or fish is done, move it to the baking tray with the grate over it, put tin foil on top if you wish, and let it set for ten minutes to bring the juices out. Vegetables can be eaten right off the grill, so put them on toward the end of the protein’s grilling time. While the meat is resting, clean your grill. Before you serve your deliciousness, make sure you turn off all the burners. Enjoy your meal. Let someone else do the dishes. Inside.

THE POOL PARTY

adult swim

Drinks. Trunks. Shrimp. This is how you summer, people! BY

ISABELLA JOSLIN

Who doesn’t love an adult pool party? Let’s discuss how we can get this unforgettable day in the sun off to a great start. Send out chic invites first to set the mood. To make everything look cohesive, from the décor to the drinks, choose a theme or color palette. Use themed décor to set the vibe. To create a cozy and welcoming ambiance as the sun sets, think about using torches or solar string lights so you don’t have to worry about reaching an outlet. Transform your pool area with floats like swans, flamingos and giant inflatables that make for both great photo ops and lounging.

To keep everyone entertained, plan a couple of engaging activities. The perfect atmosphere can be created by a poolside DJ blasting summer tunes. Arrange a classic friendly water volleyball match, or for something more unique, maybe a floating poker game or a mixology contest.

Gourmet snacks are a great way to elevate your pool day. Think luscious charcuterie trays with fresh fruit platters and jumbo shrimp cocktails. And of course stock plenty of mocktails, cocktails and sodas at a poolside bar.

Set up comfortable areas with lots of towels, umbrellas and extra chairs. Make sure there are plenty of cool, shaded spots to provide some respite from the sunshine for your guests. And truly consider providing a sunscreen station for those who come unprepared.

Pool’s open all day—and night—long. Now, that’s a party!

the pool kids Time to elevate the classic pool party with gourmet snacks, a DJ blasting the hits poolside and even a floating poker game is in the cards. Think big.

OUTSIDE THE INSIDERS

THE YARD SALE

it’s a tag, tag, world

New trends in the tag sale arena— the splintering of the universe from on-land to online, and the movement to town-wide tags and flea markets.

BY TERRY ROSEN

The roads of these mountain towns were encrusted with homemade, hand-painted signs, many in Day-Glo paints for tag sales, garage sales, yard sales… that was only five years ago. The listings for these sales expanded to more than a twopage spread in the local Shoppers’ Guide

Then came the pandemic, which increased the use of online marketplaces such as Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and eBay local pickup.

On weekends these days, the roads are dotted with signs for tag sales and towns including the Empire State’s Hillsdale, Germantown and Valatie have organized townwide tag sale days and flea markets. Forty-five booths were parked on the Hillsdale Hamlet Park to take advantage of the beautiful weather and weekend tourists’ Memorial Day weekend in the town-sanctioned annual flea market. Germantown, NY had its annual town-wide yard sale on May 15 with maps of all the participating homes. Coming up in Valatie, NY’s Village-Wide Tag Sale is Saturday, August 3, where maps of the tag sale locations will be downloadable.

What can be had at these sales? Partially done needlepoint kits, commemorative plates, saws, ornamental planters, bikes, dollhouses, Halloween decorations, Victorian day dresses, pop-music T-shirts, loads of tools, Mason jars, cameras, skis (snow and water), fly-fishing gear, books, records, CDs, posters, paintings, busts of Beethoven, decorative succulent plants in tea cups, chairs and other furniture… Everything from the practical to the hilarious. And who doesn’t love being practical and hilarious? Win-win.

talk of the town On these summer weekends, small town roads all around us are dotted with signs touting tag sales.

THE FARMERS MARKET

sunny delight

These stellar Great Barrington and Copake farmers market vendors never miss. Lucky us.

BY ISABEL HOCHMAN

Farmers market season means the chance to meet your favorite farmers and makers, catch up with old friends with a coffee or sausage sandwich in hand and the chance to find new products that’ll become staples in your house. Here are my family’s go-to favorites from the Great Barrington, MA and Copake, NY farmers markets.

Great Barrington

Farmers Market

• Chocolate chip ciabatta and croissant from Berkshire Mountain Bakery

• Sheepskins from Mayflower Farm

• Fresh flower bouquets from Markristo Farm

• Grilled homemade sausage sandwiches from Stanton Farm

• Gluten-free brioche buns from The Gluten-Free Bakery

• Squash, tomatoes and cucumbers from Indian Line Farm

Copake Hillsdale

Farmers Market

• Apricot jam from White Oak Farm

• Mei’s Homemade Dumplings

• Lavender soap from Asia Luna

perfect arrangement After picking up fresh tomatoes and chocolate croissants, don’t leave Great Barrington Farmers Market without Markristo Farm’s fresh flower bouquets.

THE RACQUET

game, set, magic

Tennis outdoors is always an adventure, but there’s always that summer day where it’s simply perfect.

BY MITCH RUSTAD

When you live in any part of the country that gets cold and/or snowy for much of the year, time spent outside, especially in the heat of summer, is always precious. And one of my all-time favorite outdoor delights is playing tennis (I haven’t embraced pickleball just yet), especially on the courts at public parks, when you get a real feel for the vibe of your community.

What I’ve always loved (and at times, loathed) about playing tennis outdoors is the incredible variety of potential conditions you

Photo: Wil Stewart ®NYSDED

and tribulations

might contend with. Certain times of day, the sun might be in your eyes as you toss the ball to serve. Adjust. Or on windy days, the whole match becomes one of battling not just your opponent, but the wind at your back (take pace off the ball) or blowing directly in your face (add pace) or even across the court— which adds completely impossible-to-predict elements to an already challenging sport that forces you to adapt, adjust and think fast. Granted, I’ve played a lot of tennis indoors, through sheer climaterelated necessity. In comparison, it’s perfect, of course, but, truthfully, rather joyless.

Battling the elements is what makes tennis outdoors so unique, so joyful and special. There’s something about the big sky above (cloudy or sunny) when you’re looking up to try to smash a high lob that’s wildly unique. I’ve played tennis in the rain, even amidst snow flurries on occasion. I had to stop a match once while a hail storm hurried by, which left the court temporarily buried in pea-sized white pellets! But one of life’s great joys for me remains that perfect, sunny day, maybe 80 degrees, no wind, a great opponent across the net, and nothing but time to hit balls, take a break and start up all over again. Heaven.

court recess Tennis outside comes with joys

including dealing with the harsh sun in your eyes on the court during certain times of the day. Alas, the perils of summer.

plan ‘b’ activated

Take a

Despite what you may have heard from your local meteorologist, rain can be a boon in summer and having your own backup rain date plan can ensure that, however disrupted by the weather, you can still have a great day.

BY JAMES LONG

grooms men When the weather turns wet, it’s time for some pampering, perhaps at Drop Dead Barbershop in Catskill or Hudson. A shave and a haircut are more than grooming routines, they’re a ritual.

My favorite rain date activity is indulging in personal pampering at my local barber. This experience not only refreshes and revitalizes me but also carries a sentimental value—the memory of my first Manhattan haircut with a hot towel shave from Kyriacos Demetriou, whose barbershop was just around the corner and whom The New York Times, in his glorious 1999 obituary, called “a master barber” and said his old-fashioned barbershop on Manhattan’s Upper West Side “was such an authentic butterfly in amber that it went into the Museum of the City of New York.”

A haircut and shave are more than just grooming routines, they’re rituals. The barbershop, with its classic chairs, the hum of clippers and the scent of aftershave are timeless, a vestige of my father’s days. My shorter summer haircut is tailored to beat the heat, my barber’s skilled hands ensuring that every, er, remaining hair is perfect, to be followed by his careful, unhurried hot towel shave, the lather a luxurious and soothing treatment, the razor leaving my skin smooth and rejuvenated. These moments of pampering not only make me rise from my chair, look in the mirror and feel like a new man, they’re also a break from the stress of daily life, a chance to relax, reflect and emerge physically and mentally renewed. Embracing this ritual on a rainy summer day—elevated by the overcast sky and the sound of rain through your barbershop’s windows—only adds an extra layer of relaxation and soul’s enrichment that’s sure to transform you.

“One of America’s best historic homes” —Architectural Digest

OUTSIDE THE INSIDERS

THE CITY HAPPY HOUR in nyc, make it al fresco, please

If there’s no outside seating, I’m needed elsewhere.

BY JACK RICO

It used to be that happy hour was synonymous with squeezing into a packed bar for cheap drinks and marathon postwork venting sessions. That classic scene isn’t going anywhere, but this summer, it’s all about embracing happy hour in the outdoors. Think retractable rooftop bars, lush biergartens and sunny waterfront piers—spaces that offer more than just an after-work release.

What’s become clear is that the postpandemic trend of imbibing al fresco is sticking around. For a new generation of young professionals, happy hour get-togethers are no longer just about bargain-priced drinks. There’s a shift toward more meaningful connections— deeper conversations, genuine eye contact and (dare I say it?) being more present. Tequila shots are being swapped for ginger lemon kombuchas, gourmet sodas and cheese pairings while a live DJ spins and the sun sets over the city skyline.

If you want to experience this summer’s great outdoor happy hours, one of my personal favorites is Tacocina at Domino Park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The view and setting are bar-none, day or night. Located right on the waterfront, it feels like an amusement park, with outdoor vintage lights, a great mix of music and the lively chatter of people enjoying themselves. Happy hour runs from 3-6pm daily and expands to a generous 1-6pm on Fridays, with $9 cocktails that you absolutely must have with their fresh, yummy tacos.

If you want more of an uptown vibe with a Latin twist, try Santiago’s Beer Garden in the heart of Spanish Harlem. This former abandoned alley turned tropical garden party where you can enjoy $7 wines and $9 cocktails all day every Monday or 12-8pm Tuesday to Thursday. The chic vibe and the friendly diverse crowd make it a great spot to socialize solo or with a group.

splendor in the grass “I find the landscapes of the Hudson Valley to be so jaw-droppingly beautiful, and they’re the perfect inspiration for many of my shoots,” Pham says, here and opposite at her home.

five questions

Meet Angela PhAm, Chronicler Of DreaMs

The co-founder of Deitch + Pham finds inspiration for global brands from her home in Rhinebeck.

By Todd Plummer PhoTograPhy By Angela PhAm

Angela Pham lives in a magical world. As a photographer and content creator, we see her floating across fields in diaphanous vintage dresses, renovating her Victorian home in Rhinebeck and drawing a coterie of interesting creative types into her orbit. In addition to her personal Instagram, however, she’s also the co-founder of creative agency Deitch + Pham, where she helps shape the way we see certain global brands including Burberry, Alice + Olivia and Dom Pérignon.

And when she isn’t busy capturing the Hudson Valley’s natural beauty with her camera, she also happens to be one of the region’s most dedicated pickleball players. We pinned down the creative to learn more about her love for this region and where she finds her inspiration.

When did you first start spending time in Rhinebeck?

Ever since I moved to New York City as an 18-year-old, I started to seek nature and escape, so I fell in love with day trips to the Catskills.

verdant of proof “Having spent my childhood in arid Southern California, this region’s sort of verdant landscape genuinely feels like a sanctuary and respite,” Pham says.

I’d rent a car and just drive aimlessly around with the windows down until I felt rejuvenated from the air, and then head back to Williamsburg (Brooklyn). Throughout my 20s, I explored many towns in the Hudson Valley and Catskills regions. In 2017, at 28, after having a good understanding of the geography, I pulled the trigger and bought my first lake cottage in Rhinebeck.

Tell me about your creative agency Deitch + Pham. My business partner Sam Deitch and I founded Deitch + Pham in 2017. At the time, with the ubiquity of social media, we recognized a real need for brands to work with trustworthy creatives who could deliver high-quality product quickly and reliably. Beyond photography, we also offer other creative services such as video, production and styling. We’re really generalists in the commercial realm and we shoot everything: hotel interiors, food and cocktails, celebrity portraits, fashion editorials. Today our clients range from Prada to Shake Shack to The Ritz-Carlton.

Aside from taking pictures for work, do you ever take time just to be creative for yourself?

The last few years, I’ve been enjoying making social media video content for brands as a content creator, rather than as a professional photographer. While it’s still a commercial endeavor, it feels like a really fun hobby. I think having this other side hustle as content creator has allowed me to flex other creative muscles. I’ve become more interested in storytelling and have become a more adept video and audio editor. I also love creating content just for myself. I have a strong interest in fashion, so I enjoy shooting myself in clothes that really speak to me.

What about this region do you find creatively stimulating? Despite my extroverted facade and career choice, I really enjoy solitude

photo op “Deitch + Pham is a generalist agency in the commercial realm and we photograph everything: hotel interiors, food and cocktails, celebrity portraits, fashion editorials,” Pham says. “Our clients range from Prada to Shake Shack to The Ritz-Carlton.”

and quiet, so the beauty and expansiveness of the Hudson Valley has always appealed to me. I find the landscapes of the Hudson Valley to be so jaw-droppingly beautiful, and they’re the perfect inspiration for many of my shoots. Having spent my childhood in arid Southern California, this sort of verdant landscape feels like a sanctuary and respite.

We live in an area known to be a great source for vintage. Do you have any favorite things you look for?

I like to take risks with my outfits, and I do collect a lot of impractical dresses from all over the world. And Hoffman’s Barn in Red Hook definitely has the best antique home finds.

Wiswall Hudson River House c1835 127 Mount Merino Drive, Hudson. 4BR. 3.5 Bath. 39 Acres. $4,500,000. Web# 22935950.

Oliver

Oliver

wheels

KEEP THE MOUNTAiNS WEiRD

Who’s ready for roadside a ractions? Bring your disposable camera—it’s that kind of trip.

BY SARAH CARPENTER

Humans are weird. Tell us we have to drive for a couple hours in a cramped car and for many of us, it’s a death sentence commute. But give us snacks, the right people and some quirky stops along the way and suddenly, it’s “Road trip—Yay!” Remember when roadside attractions were strictly word of mouth, and maps were tangible accessories associated with the passenger seat and its navigational duties? Me neither.

Thanks to the stalwart efforts of three “road trip know-it-alls” Doug Kirby, Ken Smith and Mike Wilkins, Roadside America has been the road tripper’s quirky companion since 1992. First published as a book, the project of mapping the country’s weird, creepy, cute and hilarious roadside creations has evolved into an interactive website (roadsideamerica.com) and app where oddity enthusiasts anywhere can submit entries, tips and updates.

And you better believe we’ve got more than our fair share of odd in the mountains.

CONNECTICUT GOSHEN Action Wildlife Taxidermy Exhibit

KENT Sculpturedale

This four-acre yard up Highway 7 hosts more than 100 free-range steel sculptures by artist Denis Curtiss. The studio and garden gallery are open on weekends or by appointment year-round.

WOODBURY

Leslie Murray’s Junk People

This is what happens when an artist marries a mechanic: She takes his scrap metal and not only makes the quirkiest, sweetest sculptures in town, but she becomes a skilled welder in the process. Look for Murray Brothers Garage, and if you’re walking around town, see if you can spot some other pieces of hers in various places.

things

This outdoor wildlife park is the only place I know of that lets you pet a zebra. Live animals roam outside or in the petting zoo, and inside, some of the highest quality taxidermy of African animals you’ll ever see (if that’s your bag).

NEW YORK

HILLSDALE NY

Giant Chair

This extremely well-constructed eight-ft.-tall chair (which would make for a very cute photo op) was donated for the opening of the Roeliff Jansen Community Library by artist Leon Smith in 2010. I guess it didn’t fit inside.

SPENCERTOWN Giant Head Sculpture

Ah, a peaceful drive down the Taconic, where there’s scenic hillsides, lovely trees—and a giant white head. This head of Gaea (Mother Earth) is 20 feet tall and just the beginning of a treasure trove of Roy Kanwit’s Taconic Sculptures. The sculpture park just reopened earlier this year, so take this chance to stretch your legs and

Steve Heller knows all; (opposite) Sculpturedale in Kent, CT features many free-range steel sculptures.

check these out up close. You’ll be glad you did.

CAIRO Unicorn Statue

If you’re traveling with a kiddo who’s fascinated by magical beasts, this absolutely random unicorn statue at the corner of South Road and Mountain Avenue may pique their interest.

EAST DURHAM Giant Steampunk Robot

Built by Thomas Willeford for the 2014 Steampunk World’s Fair, this 17-ft.-tall robot at Blackthorne Resort is worth a detour. The artist someday wants to build an even bigger one that he can sit inside to operate the controls. Can you imagine?

WOODSTOCK Drip Candle Mountain

OK, so it’s basically a candle, but, hear me out: It’s been dripforming for more than half a century. Started in 1969, this

eight-ft.-tall wax mountain is a beautifully trippy link to the Woodstock of yesteryear.

BOICEVILLE Steve Heller’s Spaceships And Robots

Hey, we know that guy! Doesn’t his wife (Martha Frankel) write for us? Well, we found this stop on our own, and nepotism or no nepotism, we’d definitely take the detour to check out these otherworldly crafts.

MOUNT TREMPER World’s Largest Kaleidoscope

Sometimes, when you love something, there’s only one thing you can do: make a really, really big one.

HIGHLAND/POUGHKEEPSIE Walkway Over The Hudson

The world’s highest and longest pedestrian bridge deserves a visit if this isn’t your neck of the woods. Walk more than a mile at 212 feet above the Hudson River with gorgeously unobstructed views of the scenery. Defies description for its beauty.

stranger

(above) Aliens in Boiceville?

RED HOOK

Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome

This campy airshow isn’t just a detour—make this a destination on your itinerary. Started in 1960 by James Henry “Cole” Palen Jr., the show is a World War I melodrama designed to show off the old timey airplanes that Cole loved so much.

RED HOOK

Fork In The Road

OK, Stephen Schreiber, we get the fork in the road joke, and once you have a giant fork you might as well add a spoon…but why is there also a giant Prozac capsule?! This is unhinged, and we love it. So much.

MOUNTAINVILLE

Giant Three-Legged Thing On Big Human Head

While it does have a great name, this 28-foot copper and steel sculpture by Chinese artist Zhang Huan is officially titled “ThreeLegged Buddha.”

KERHONKSON

World’s (Third) Largest Garden Gnome

Gnome Chomsky (as he is known) was created in 2007. Since then, two other garden gnomes have apparently surpassed his size

no plane, no gain The Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome has been going strong since 1960 performing shows featuring classic airplanes.

(jealous, much?). But to us, he’ll always be the original World’s Largest Garden Gnome.

BETHEL Hippie Muffler Man

OK asking for a friend: is he single? He’s got the facial hair and build of a lumberjack, the beanie of a third-tier barista and the wardrobe of an indie lead singer who did just as well in 1969 as he would do today on TikTok. Wait, are these red flags? If your road trip leads you cross-country, you might make a go at catching ’em all—you can find a map of all the muffler men on the Roadside America website.

SAUGERTIES

Giant Steel Dinosaur Skeleton

If you like camping and dinosaurs (or your little one does), reserve a campsite at Rip Van Winkle Campgrounds so you can gawk at this giant steel Apatosaurus/T. Rex skeleton mash-up.

MILLBROOK Wing’s Castle

Thanks to artists Peter and Toni Wing, this storybook fantasy castle not only exists, but it also exists right here in the mountains. You can even stay in the cottage on site overnight. Swoon.

MASSACHUSETTS PITTSFIELD Wally The Stegosaurus

AMHERST

Hope The Cow

This charming life-sized piggy bank (cow bank?) built out of propane and oil tanks by local artist Kamil Peters in 2013 invites passersby to deposit cash donations that help fund Craig’s Place, a local homeless shelter. Bless you, Hope.

LEE Big Beaver

It’s like I always say, “Nothing sells self-storage quite like a giant goofy beaver on a wagon.” Visible on the side of the road as you drive by the north side of Highway 20, this 20-ft.-tall relic from a family-owned auction and antique business that pivoted to selfstorage was built with a chicken wire frame and stuffed with hay.

TYRINGHAM Santarella: Gingerbread House

Once a passion project for English sculptor Henry Hudson Kitson, this fairy-tale inspired home is now under the care of two new and dedicated owners who are trying to figure out how to repair its one-ofa-kind roof. Stay on the property in the renovated tower structure on Airbnb or drive by and gawk. They’re used to it.

Well, thanks to his signage, we know how Wally came to be: “Wally was the second Stegosaurus from the mold made by the Louis Paul Jonas Studios of Hudson, NY (The first went to the New York World’s Fair in 1963 for the 1964 opening).” Now if someone could just tell us why.

WILLIAMSTOWN Eyes On The Campus Lawn

It’s art celebrating art...with a whole bunch of eyes. Iconic artist Louise Bourgeois created these sculptures which have found home on Williams College’s grounds since 2001. Best to visit these massive heavy-lidded eyeballs at night, when their irises glow blue.

GREENFIELD Gravity Hill

Get in, Scully, we’re going to defy gravity. The horizontal yellow mark on this road marks the spot to stop your car. Put your car in neutral, and your car will supposedly roll uphill backwards, all the way up the hill. I want to believe!

MIDDLEFIELD “It” Gravestone

Ready for something a bit creepy? Behind the town hall in Middlefield (once the site of an elementary school), along the north tree line, there’s a cryptic gravestone that just says “IT” carved into it by hand. There are several theories about who (or what) is buried there, but consensus also tells us that if this gravestone isn’t haunted, a mansion across the road from it almost certainly is.

For over 150 years, has stood as a beacon of real estate excellence, representing some of the world’s most prestigious properties.

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field of dreams The stunning landscape at Heermance Farm in Tivoli, NY photographed by Pieter Estersohn.

big book

HUDSON VALLEY EXPLORERS

Pieter Estersohn captures sustainable serenity in the allure of Back To The Land.

BY JAMES LONG

uring the pandemic, masses of urban dwellers around the country transplanted themselves to more pastoral, if not more affordable, settings. Even now, post-pandemic, New York City inhabitants—more accustomed to concrete than conifers—are among those still moving to New York’s Hudson Valley region, seeking a respite from the city’s hustle for the serene advantages of rural life. Attracted by farming, brewing, baking and other “return to nature” endeavors, the Hudson Valley’s newly-rooted are revitalizing the area with their diverse skills and (literally) groundbreaking spirit.

Arriving to both document and demonstrate this passage is Back To The Land: A New Way Of Life In The Country (Rizzoli) by Dutchess County resident and acclaimed photographer of architecture and interiors, Pieter Estersohn. With his written historical accounts of the region’s agriculture together with his stunning photographs of its places, people and produce, Estersohn’s book illustrates how individuals of all backgrounds are finding joy in cultivating organic crops including cannabis, crafting artisanal beers and honey, foraging mushrooms and baking rustic breads, integrating modern techniques with traditional methods. His wide-angled lens captures picturesque farms with their rolling hills, lush forests and meandering rivers together with portraits of the farmers in the midst of their chores. His cameras focus on historic barns, charming villages and vibrant farmers markets adding to the Hudson Valley’s allure, presenting an idyllic backdrop to their new lives and fostering a tight-knit community.

“One of the reasons I wanted to write Back To The Land is to showcase so many of the amazing people who are finding pride, honor and nobility in their work,” Estersohn says.

Mission accomplished. And how.

reap what you sow (above) Copake’s Claudine Farm founders King Aswad and Jasmine Burems holding up their bountiful harvest; (opposite) Pine Plains’ Miriam Goler steadily holding the reins.

night light The Watch Hill Lighthouse has been a nautical beacon in Rhode Island since 1745 during the French and Indian War and Revolutionary War. The lighthouse remains an iconic structure to this day.

on the road Rhode Island trippin’

Next stop: Watch Hill, Newport and Block Island.

BY

JAMES LOnG

Every story needs a beginning and I’m convinced that Rhode Island has a way of turning every visit into a story worth telling.

In 1997, my then boyfriend surprised me on my birthday with a road trip and a long weekend in Newport. On that early Friday morning, with a coffee mug and a hastily packed duffle bag in my hands, after rescuing the car from Manhattan’s alternate side parking within seconds before the ticketing agent took out her pen, I began my first visit to The Ocean State.

Our first stop, according to my partner’s secretively-researched itinerary, would be for breakfast in Watch Hill. From Manhattan’s Upper West Side, the roughly three-hour drive—about the same from, say, Hudson—skirting along I-95 even with light traffic wasn’t exactly the ideal mood-setting corridor to an iconic Gilded Age summer outpost. Still, the anticipation of Watch Hill’s picturesque coastal landscapes, curving beaches and lush green rolling hills coupled

with the chill sound of my George Shearing CD playing jazz standards made it feel like a road trip straight out of that Great American Novel.

Indeed, like Jay Gatsby’s West Egg, Watch Hill is known for its newer money—and even newer Taylor Swift—“cottages” a.k.a. mansions, more modest (if that’s possible) than nearby old money Newport. Upon reaching the town of Westerly and heading south into Watch Hill, it soon became evident the rich—and richer—are not like you and me.

Driving around, it took only a few minutes to find a place to have breakfast— smartphones and Google weren’t things yet—with a quaint restaurant on Watch Hill Road at last satisfying my addiction to coffee and French toast. Afterwards, we took a leisurely walk down to the water, passing the famous Ocean House, demolished in 2005 with a new hotel, modeled after the 1868 Victorian original, using many of its original artifacts and completed in 2010. Farther down the road we sighted another

landmark, the Watch Hill Lighthouse, walking along its jetty-like outcrop with panoramic views of the Atlantic, craggy coastlines and lengths of sandy beach. Retracing our steps and turning a corner, we caught sight of The Flying Horse Carousel, purportedly the oldest continuously operating carousel and, I checked, still open for kids younger than 12 (darn it). Anyway, it was time to head back to the car. As enjoyable as Watch Hill was, we didn’t want to stay too long as Newport beckoned. More urgently, so did a television.

Sadly, my birthday weekend occurred only days after the tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales. Her funeral was scheduled to be televised live in the early morning hours the next day and it wasn’t to be missed. Back in the car, during the 50-minute drive along US-1 to Newport, we turned on the car radio for the latest news, hearing about the multitudes of mourners and descriptions of the growing retaining wall of flowers outside Buckingham Palace, the commentators underpinning our own melancholy. We drove into Newport and made our way to our hotel, and after checking in and enjoying an exquisite birthday dinner in its restaurant, the remainder of the evening and into Saturday’s early hours were in our room in front of a TV.

Newport, with its opulent Gilded Age mansions, has always been identified as having been robbed—sorry—transported from a slice of European grandeur to New England. Contrast the poignant funeral of the People’s Princess with the surreal juxtaposition of 19th-century opulence as we toured Gilded Age mansions on bellies full of superior French toast from the morning. Two goliaths, in particular, dearly cost me in Fujifilm disposable cameras: The Breakers,

the stunning 70-room Renaissance Revival designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt for the Vanderbilts (seeing my photos of its central Great Hall now conjures LaraCroft-bungee-jumping while two massive Baccarat chandeliers in the grand dining room would humiliate any Phantom Of The Opera pretender); and Marble House, a 20-minute walk from The Breakers, also built by Hunt for a Vanderbilt though in a Beaux Arts style, where, upon entering, one instantly comprehends why the cottage’s keyword is “marble”—it’s pervasive, from ceiling to stairs to floor.

Mansions’ indoors aside, not to be overshadowed was Newport’s open spaces. The Cliff Walk’s 3.5-mile public access walkway definitely got our daily steps in (again, not a thing back then) while challenging me to put down my disposable camera (trending again!) and simply take in the spectacular views—the mansions’ meticulously manicured back lawns, catamarans racing past yachts in the Atlantic epitomizing Newport as a sailing Mecca—

all against a brilliant horizon. The life of unimaginable luxury for the very rich that we can’t even imagine today. Wait…never mind.

My first adventures in Rhode Island wouldn’t be complete, however, without mentioning a more recent first visit to Block Island to be a groomsman at a summer wedding. Nine miles south of Rhode Island’s mainland, this small island, just under ten square miles, its rolling hills formed by glaciers millennia ago, is accessible by Point Judith Ferry, in Narragansett. Carpooling from Manhattan with four friends, it didn’t feel like three hours had gone by when we arrived at the ferry terminal, parked the car in the adjacent long-term parking (ferry vehicle reservations are accepted, however) and boarded the ferry for the not quite hour-long crossing. Upon arriving on Block Island, the energy from tourists and locals alike was palpable, the gentle summer breeze encouraging relaxed shopping and al fresco dining along the Old Harbor Historic District’s charming streets.

The wedding was to be held at the island’s iconic and elegant Spring House Hotel, built in 1852, where I stayed along with the immediate wedding party. My carpooling friends had rented a house nearby and we disbanded to our separate accommodations to check in, relax for a bit and dress for the rehearsal dinner—an evening that would make my Block Island visit indelible.

Let me set that evening’s scene: an upscale tavern’s dinner and open bar, a lively group of wedding guests, a DJ’s even livelier playlist and a beautiful summer night. What could possibly go wrong? As it turns out, quite a lot. After wine with dinner, several rounds of toasts and my inhibitions and tie loosened after more drinking and much dancing, I found myself in a drunken quest to return to Spring House and respectably pass out in my suite before the impending sunrise.

Fueled by my liquid courage, in my untucked shirt and disheveled suit, I set out on foot from what I thought would be an easy Manhattan-like bar crawl home but soon got completely lost. Wandering along, aided by a depressing hint of sunrise, at last I saw Spring House in the distance and took the most immediate shortcut through a field. Climbing over a fence, I promptly

circuit breaker (top) The stunning vista featuring The Breakers and Cliff Walk in Newport; (above) The Music Room inside the grandest of Newport’s summer “cottages,” The Breakers.

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hump day Block Island’s 1661 Inn’s Exotic Farms and Gardens, home to a menagerie of animals including camels, llamas, a zebu, lemurs, red kangaroos and more.

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landed face-to-face with (Pinter pause) a camel. A two-humped Bactrian camel, to be precise. After a brief stare down, thinking I might have overestimated my ability to handle mixing endless flutes of champagne and scotch on the rocks, I thought I might be hallucinating. That is, until I saw the zebra, which settled the matter. Mere steps away from both, I admit that I attempted–and failed–to talk to the camel and zebra, but with no reciprocity from either, figuring I’d sleep off whatever Daliesque thing was going on in my brain, I journeyed onward, climbing over yet another fence and the short walk to the hotel.

Block Island isn’t just about weddings and revelry, though. The Mohegan Bluffs, with their steep cliffs and striking views, offered a perfect hangover hike on the morning of the wedding. Each step to the beach down wooden stairs (since repaired and reinforced) was a reminder of my last night’s escapades, lack of sleep and throbbing head. A stop for coffee in Old Harbor provided a much-needed jolt before returning to Spring House and joining the other groomsmen in the groom’s suite to dress for the late-afternoon wedding. [A footnote: Upon recounting my camel and zebra story to the guys, it appears there is an “exotic farm” on Block Island, now part of The 1661 Inn, a short walk from Spring House and, according to its website, “open year-round during day light hours for kids and kids at heart to enjoy.” No allowances, however, for drunken, night-wandering groomsmen.]

A road trip has the promise of adventure around every bend and mine to these gems was certainly a pleasure, as much about the destinations as it was about my experiences along the way. Whether a planned vacation or day trip, from the quiet charm of Watch Hill to the grandeur of Newport and, ahem, Block Island’s remote beauty, each place is guaranteed to leave its mark with unforgettable moments. To date, I’ve been to two weddings now and (watched) a funeral in Rhode Island. With any luck—and, say, two more weddings?—it could make a good movie starring Hugh Grant as me. Wait...never mind.

Watch Hill

SLEEP Ocean House

1 Bluff Avenue

Watch Hill, RI 02891

401.584.7000

oceanhouseri.com

Watch Hill Inn

38 Bay Street

Watch Hill, RI 02891

855.677.7686

watchhillinn.com

EAT Verandah Raw Bar

1 Bluff Avenue

Watch Hill, RI 02891

401.584.7000

oceanhouseri.com

St. Clair Annex

141 Bay Street

Watch Hill, RI 02891

401.348.8407

stclairannexrestaurant.com

Newport

SLEEP Hammetts Hotel

4 Commercial Wharf Newport, RI 02840

401.324.7500 hammettshotel.com

Castle Hill Inn

590 Ocean Drive Newport, RI 02840

888.466.1355

castlehillinn.com

EAT Matunuck Oyster Bar 629 Succotash Road Wakefield, RI 02879

401.783.4202

rhodyoysters.com

Giusto

4 Commercial Wharf Newport, RI 02840

401.324.7400 giustonewport.com

Block Island

SLEEP Spring House Hotel

51 Spring Street Block Island, RI 02807

401.466.5844

springhousehotel.com

Block Island Beach House

32 Dodge Street Block Island, RI 02807

401.466.5500 larkhotels.com/hotels/bibh

EAT The Surf

32 Dodge Street Block Island, RI 02807

401.466.5505 thesurfblockisland.com

Rebecca’s

435 Water Street

Block Island, RI 02807

401.466.5411 rebeccasseafood.com

—ISABEL HOCHMAN

Is The hyde Park drive-In really Coming BaCk?

Nostalgia—and a new ownership group—all point to a hopeful positive outcome.

By James Long

hen I read about last year’s closing of the Hyde Park Drive-In, a beloved Hudson Valley outdoor movie theater, I had a sudden bout of nostalgia. As a high school junior, with my first driver’s license and a Ford Mustang Ghia to go with it, a chance to get behind the steering wheel was not to be missed. No errand was too tedious. On weekends, when my mother needed something from the drugstore, I’d eagerly abandon the TV and get whatever she needed (not above embarrassment, I’d even fetch her champagne blonde hair color—“No, it’s for my mom,” I’d answer the the spot

cashier’s query, “mine’s natural”). Inevitably, those short errands would turn into an hour-long drive around rural Tennessee roads much to my mom’s vexation.

On weekend nights three of my buddies and I would acquire an 8-pack of Miller High Life Ponies from an I.D.-not-required local bootlegger (in hindsight, not a wise driving accessory) and head to my town’s only movie theater, a drive-in called The Moonglo. Pulling into the grounds, we’d affix the speaker to the driver side window, raid the concession stand for popcorn and settle in for the movie. The Moonglo is where I first saw such film classics as The Exorcist, American Graffiti and Young Frankenstein

hyde park, the sequel The National Park Service, which owns the Hyde Park DriveIn Theatre, is negotiating a new lease with an organization interested in running the drive-in. Fingers crossed, everybody!

The Moonglo, which opened in 1950, has long since cratered. Around for more than 70 years, Dutchess County’s Hyde Park Drive-In, where families and friends also created lasting memories watching movies under starry skies, dimmed its projector in 2023. Actually, all drive-ins have seen the winds of change blow steadily against them, from a peak of 4,000 in the 1950s, to less than 400 today, with 22 in New York State, the highest number in the country. Whether from television’s mid-century rampant growth, to HBO-like premium channels, Blockbuster Video rentals, Netflix and the rise of streaming services, driveins eventually succumbed to sleek home theaters and the click of a remote.

Here’s the good news: Innovations like inflatable screens (!) and renewed popularity during the pandemic has produced a growth market in drive-in theaters. And now it seems the Hyde Park Drive-In may soon reopen. The National Park Service, which owns the property, is negotiating a new lease with an organization intent on running the drive-in. As we go on press, the timeline is pending. Still, there’s hope that, despite the downsides of canoodling in a Mustang’s bucket seats, more than a few romantic interludes will continue to hold a special place for drive-in movie lovers. And nostalgic souls like me.

More Drive-Ins, More Fun

FAIR OAKS

DRIVE-IN THEATER

365 Bloomingburg Road

Middletown, NY 10940 fairoaksdriveintheatre.com

FOUR BROTHERS DRIVE-IN

4957 NY-22

Amenia, NY 12501 playeatdrink.com

GREENVILLE DRIVE-IN 10700 NY-32 Greenville, NY 12083 drivein32.com

HI-WAY DRIVE-IN 10699 State Route 9W Coxsackie, NY 12051 hiwaydrivein.com

OVERLOOK DRIVE-IN 126 Degarmo Road Poughkeepsie, NY 12603 overlookdrivein.com

WARWICK DRIVE-IN 5 Warwick Turnpike Warwick, NY 10990 warwickdrivein.com

Context

DESIGN

FIELDHOUSE:

Folk singer Caitlin Canty, a graduate of Williams College in the Berkshires, has a singular style whose songs have been described as “casually devastating” and “dreamy and daring.”

“I love to explore the mystery of songs that deeply affect me,” Canty says. So she does.

mode

activate, with style

Photography by David McClister

c+c music factory

Fresh Air Makes Me Hungry

Beyond al fresco:

Hilltown Hot Pies, Kitty’s

Market & Restaurant and Shadows On The Hudson.

By Hal Rubenstein

As Cabaret’s ultimate striver, Sally Bowles belts in “Maybe This Time,” “everybody loves a winner,” which explains the numbing parade of televised award shows every two weeks, and why The Food Network has practically abandoned cooking for pleasure and satisfaction in favor of turning all culinary endeavors—from baking bread to smoking BBQ—into fierce national competitions. Evidently, it’s no longer enough to be great on the grill. Nah. You want to rate? Then you’ve got to Beat Bobby Flay In addition, the informative and relentless foodie website The Infatuation posts “best” lists as often as Jimmy Fallon gushes over guests, grading everything from Sunday brunches to the most surefire place to take your mother-in-law. I guess that certain Melania was right after all. Life has no higher calling than to “Be Best.”

ciao, bello Proprietor and Pizzaiolo of Hilltown Hot Pies Rafi Bildner has finally found a permanent home for his famous pizzas in Egremont, NY. Can’t hardly wait.

But the food fight that gourmands on air and online seem most obsessed with bestowing crown, scepter and sash to is who makes the Best Pizza. After all, who doesn’t love pizza? (Do you even dare befriend anyone who doesn’t?) The problem with this ultimate accolade is that it’s as subjective as it is bogus. As of 2019, there were more than 5,700 slice emporiums in New York City alone, and as of 2023, there were 73,333 pizza “parlors” in the US. No matter how many places Eater, Grub Street, The Infatuation or Dave Portnoy sample, none has either the resources or the stomach to issue a truly valid blue ribbon.

I certainly don’t. However, what I can happily, enthusiastically, justifiably and hungrily rave about is who creates and serves my favorite pizza. The pies here are so sumptuously superb. It’s not even a close contest, and perhaps even more surprising, unlike almost every other food writer, my pick isn’t home-based in Brooklyn.

Hilltown Hot Pies

This pizza novelty has been vagabonding around the Hudson Valley for five years now doing al fresco pop-ups and amassing a fan base of near Swifties-level devotion, which is why the news that proprietor and pizzaiolo, Rafi Bildner, has finally found himself and his glorious pies a home is cause for Grucci-fireworks-worthy celebration. However, the musty former John Andrews space in Egremont needed more than a kiss and a fresh coat of paint (Bildner has taken the interior down to the studs), so for one more summer he’s improvising down the road a bit. Not a problem. I’d still make a pilgrimage to Hilltown’s pizza oven if it were in the back of the Greenport Transfer Station.

Hilltown’s pies are fresher than an entitled brat’s backtalk, the combinations are unexpected but often inspired, the ingredients superior, the flavors bright and bracing and the sourdough crust is so delicious you’d devour it with nothing on it. When was the last time you had a

pizza with spicy kale, hot pepper and burrata? How about grassfed lamb, feta, pickled onions, herbed yogurt and za’atar? Garlic pesto, spring peas, asparagus, ricotta and hot honey? Or with peaches, nectarines and goat cheese? I’m guessing never. Though there are more traditional options such as Margarita and Marinara, as well as Caesar salad, fried Mozzarella sticks and yummy wood fired meatballs, what makes his pies so irresistibly addictive is Bildner’s commitment to inspirational originality rendering them startling, disarming and Jesus, is this delicious!

There’s one drawback. Hilltown’s tireless team can turn out 80 made-from-scratch pies an hour, but as you’ll see by the seemingly endless lines that form daily, it’s not fast enough to immediately satisfy the collective hunger around you and can best be explained by a classic waiter’s comeback for impatient diners, “I only have two speeds, and you won’t like the other one.” If you think you’re coming by for a quick bite, forget it. The wait is going to be two cocktails long. If you’re the restless type, bring a board game, catch up on Words With Friends or watch the finale of Bridgerton season three on your smartphone. Is it really worth it? Could I possibly gush any more? My only regret is that by telling you, I’m guaranteeing the line is going to get even longer. As Sally Bowles said, everybody loves a winner, and there’s Rafi Bildner standing atop my pizza podium.

HILLTOWN HOT PIES

at The Egremont Barn 17 Main Street

Egremont, MA

hours: Thursday & Friday 5-9pm

Saturday & Sunday 4-9pm

Outdoor seating

future home: 224 Hillsdale Road South Egremont, MA rafi@hilltownhotpies.com

Kitty’s Market & Restaurant

The food available around train stations notoriously sucks. Overly sweet, pasty muffins, tasteless fall apart wraps, Cobb salads with chicken breast slices so dry they could double as coasters. So, I was surprised the first time I walked into Kitty’s Market across the street from the Hudson Amtrak Station and didn’t see much of that stuff in the cases. But dealing with half a chicken with sumac yogurt or pulled pork with passion fruit BBQ sauce on a baguette was too daunting to deal with on a crowded train, so I just bought a soda and stuck my head into the

Please Consume Responsibly. For use only by adults 21 years of age or older. Keep out of the reach of children. This

has not been analyzed or approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). There

effects of Edibles may be delayed by two hours or more. In case

adjacent restaurant space. The room had a retro diner feel to it, not quite followed through, but the wall art, red banquettes and bar stools were fun, though I wanted to toss the faux vintage Home Depot chandelier hanging over the bar onto the train tracks. But for some reason, I wasn’t intrigued.

Less than a week later, I tap on Instagram to see Matthew, a charming friend of mine posting a pic of him and his friends sitting in a booth at Kitty’s kvelling over an indulgent platter of oysters. I immediately texted Matt and asked him whether he had eaten a full meal there. He immediately wrote back, “Oh yeah, you got to come. Nice people. Real casual. And the cocktails are great. You’re going to like it here.”

So, I did come, and the staff is really nice, and the cocktails are great, and you betcha, I sure do like it here. Except Matthew left out the best part. Owner Ben Fain’s Kitty’s is one heck of a find mainly because the food is so beguilingly good it’s worth missing your train and taking the next one. Though it’s a limited menu, and except for a very impressive rotisserie chicken with

plate-scraping onion relish, most of the options are not what you’d expect from the deliberately unsophisticated décor. In fact, the choices boast the quirkiness of very-tough-to-get-into Café Mutton on the other side of town.

But I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face as I went from one unexpected pleasure

to the next, devouring a plate of clams and beans on toast sparked by Meyer lemon and sassy watercress purée, then insisting on a second order of pork belly toast with quince aioli for the table because I didn’t get enough sharing the first one.

Skate’s one of my favorite fish, a fairly common item on menus during my decade as a waiter, but now you can hardly find it, so I couldn’t be more tickled that Chef Nicole Lobue’s version is exactly what I

new, pussycat? The unexpected pleasures abound at Kitty’s Market & Restaurant in Hudson, NY.

crave, perfectly pan fried in saffron brown butter. Equally impressive is her lamb sugo with its heady perfume of garlic (Chanel No. 5 to me) on twisted treccione noodles. A simple, and simply inhalable petit filet gets a kick from a bay leaf butter and mustard sauce, but I wish you could get a separate order of the onion rings, because they’re the scene stealer. No one may ever make a blackout cake as magnificent as Ebinger’s Bakery in Brooklyn since the recipe was never revealed, but Kitty’s gives it a solid shot, with four layers of devil’s food and salted chocolate icing.

The staff is relaxed, engaging and smart, sociable but not in your face. There’s also a lively bar crowd here, probably because the Brendan Clark’s cocktails are clever and potent, particularly the mezcal based Division Bell, his mid-century Old Fashioned, the pisco laced El Capitán and a brunch enhancing Bloody Mary.

However, I have a bone to pick with Mr. Fain. Well, two really. First, how could you get rid of the smashing fried chicken sandwich at brunch? I’m sure its replacement, pulled

pork on baguette, is delicious and I promise to give it a shot, but I weep at the loss. Second, please 86 that unharmonious light fixture over the bar. I’ll go with you to the Antique Warehouse down the road and help you pick out a new one if you like. Your bar deserves a sleek mid-century inspired chandelier. Now, wouldn’t that be nice, and then nothing would distract me from savoring that wonderful skate. Forgive me, Mr. Fain, I don’t mean to be pushy, but as Matthew said, I really do like it here.

KITTY’S MARKET & RESTAURANT

60 South Front Street Hudson, NY

market hours: Daily, 8am-9pm

restaurant hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 5-9pm

Friday & Saturday, 5-10pm

Outdoor seating meow@kittyshudson.com

Shadows On The Hudson

Folks drool over New York City apartments with a view. When looking to buy land in the Hudson Valley, one of the first things people ask the real estate agent for is a

view. When sightseeing, so much focus is on peaks, canyons, skylines, observation decks, lakes at sunrise, rivers at sunset, oceans ’neath a full moon. I get it. But I’m not that guy. I don’t stare out the window when the plane takes off. We built a house in the middle of a forest of hemlocks. And when dining out, fine if the draperies and café curtains are drawn. I enjoy a restaurant being a self-contained domain, a gastronomic principality, safely removed from the harsh reality outside.

However, two of the world’s most celebrated and perpetually popular restaurants are named The River Café (one in NYC, the other in London), with thousands coming for the vista as well as the fare. So, if supping riverside instigates that much pleasure for so many, let’s search for a room with a view. And I found one:

Shadows On The Hudson

Except I wasn’t swooning at first glance. Hey, after years of shlepping back and forth to Manhattan via Amtrak, the mighty Hudson River no longer inspires wanderlust and awe, plus there’s rarely a lot happening on that water.

Shadows—known locally for their immensely popular Sunday brunch—is massive, a sleek, corporate looking festival of right angles with multiple decks framed by two massive walls of windows that look out onto an undramatic stretch of the river, a structure-free Palisades, and the barely lit Kingston-Rhinecliff bridge. It doesn’t exactly take your breath away. And though Shadows’ bar is warmer, livelier and more convivial, the angularity of the main dining room and the sprawling menu had me fearing that dinner would have too much in common with The Grandview, the catering and event space run by Shadows next door.

Well, sometimes it feels so good to be completely wrong. Shadows serves classic American cuisine, which can be tricky, because the menu isn’t about innovation and offers little intrigue or daring. But Shadows’ new chef, John Malone, knows how to elevate the familiar into a hearty feast. Calamari boasts the pleasing crunch of freshly made taco chips while keeping the squid rings tender. Meaty crab cakes, golden on the outside, devoid of filler on

the inside enjoy a zingy citrus remoulade. Mussels are easy to prepare, yet tough to make notable, but the balance of garlic, shallots and white wine had us diving in and asking for more garlic bread. We ordered an extra portion of grilled beef kabobs in a zippy Kung Pao sauce to-go so we could revisit this treat tomorrow. Caesar salad is another traditional dish that gets tragically overworked, but this one is just as it should be, light on the cheesy dressing, with lettuce that snaps and just enough zap from anchovies to prompt a blink and a grin.

Two dishes that read ‘oh-yeah-those’ on the menu provoke giddy cries of ‘Oh, yeah! Those!” at the table: burrata glazed in a bracing shower of pistachio pesto sweetened by white balsamic and peppercorns. And though it hardly sounds glamourous, if you order Shadows’ clam pot, prepare to temporarily suspend all conversation. This formidable pile of Kumamoto oyster-sized Littlenecks deserves undivided attention, puddled in a refreshing Chardonnay based sauce

beyond a shadow of a doubt

and served on a mound of terrific garlic mashed potatoes. Though listed as an appetizer, it makes a dandy main course.

Not that there aren’t swell choices in that category. An ample-for-two Fra Diavolo provides a bounty of shrimp, mussels, clams and calamari in a lively house made Marinara (ask for hot pepper flakes). Roasted chicken would be a simple but solid choice on its own, but there’s a bonus: a hearty circle of roasted Brussels sprouts, smashed potatoes, cranberry, shallots and sliced almonds. The steaks, which you would expect in a space like this are a sure bet. The bourbon burger is a rare menu novelty, except the two-fisted exercise has a little too much going on between those buns. The how’d-that-gethere inclusion of Mexican street corn may give one pause. Get over it. They got it right.

Poughkeepsie favorite Shadows On The Hudson and Chef John Malone know how to elevate the familiar into a hearty feast—with stunning river views.

The only disappointment was short rib gnocchi, a new dish that Chef Malone had recently added to the menu. It’s not the ragout, which is sweet and pungent, the essence of comfort food, but the stewed meat’s weight, intensity and density clobber the weightlessness one tries to achieve with gnocchi. Atop a bowl of pappardelle would be a much better fit. However, the supersized red snapper for two, simply

roasted in citrus and herbs, is gorgeous, glorious, worthy of inspiring envy at neighboring tables and worth every boneextracting moment. The best desserts are a skillet made bourbon pecan cookie that’s bigger than your face, and incredibly tall, ice cream packed profiteroles.

A space this large has to attract a varied and diverse clientele to survive. Shadows succeeds for three reasons:

First: though it presents a fairly grab bag menu, the kitchen allows each option to retain its own individuality. Second: it benefits from a seasoned staff who know how to cheerfully engage customers without getting in their faces, know the menu as well as their way home, and how to seamlessly shift gears when dealing simultaneously with a table of six boisterous ties-askew coworkers, a multigenerational family of eight, five women nursing a bottle of white as if this was an oasis in the Gobi desert and a deuce who wish they were all on the other side of the river. Third is…well, the view, I guess. In fact, our server was kind enough to point out when a boat came cruising up the river. I only had eyes for my profiteroles.

SHADOWS ON THE HUDSON 176 Rinaldi Boulevard Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 hours: Monday – Thursday 11:30-8pm Friday & Saturday 11:30 – 9pm Sunday 10:30 – 8pm 845.486.9500

Outdoor seating shadowsonthehudson.com

87CLERMONTA E. GERMANTOWN,NY

IHudson Chatham Winery Is Reborn

Steven Rosario and Justen Nickell, husbands and Busy business partners, make life work. |

f the story of Hudson Chatham Winery were written as a novel, the inside-cover blurb would read something like: “An inspiring story of love, happenstance, struggle and rebirth. Steven Rosario and Justen Nickell are writing a new chapter at Hudson Chatham Winery, one vine at a time.” Their journey together begins back in the fall of 2011, at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY where Steven, a culinary arts student from the Bronx, meets Justen, a Northern Californian leading the overnight baking class there as a sous chef. Their shared passion for the culinary arts soon blossoms into a partnership both in life and business. Fast forward to 2020, amid the throes of a global pandemic, they took a leap of faith, purchasing Columbia County’s first winery, the Hudson Chatham Winery.

By Anthony Giglio

In the decade preceding their purchase of the winery, they lived in California, and then in Boston, always working together. Oh, and they got married, too. “We did a quaint justice of the peace in New York City in the Spring of 2016,” says Steven, “and celebrated with a fabulous dinner at Buvette in the West Village, one of our favorite restaurants.” (One of mine, too.) Their decision to move from Boston to the Hudson Valley was serendipitous. After years of Airbnb stays, a friend introduced them to the winery, sparking the idea of transforming it from a weekend passion project into a full-fledged career shift Around Christmastime 2019, they were in contract, excited to move forward. And then… the pandemic. “I thought we had fucked up,” says Steven, reminding me he had quit his job. “But in hindsight it was great, because we

wine & dine Hudson Chatham Winery owners

Steven Rosario and Justen Nickell have thus far planted 4,500 new vines committing to biodynamic and sustainable farming practices—no easy task in this region.

were able to provide our customers with a sense of escape and freedom in the country. I like to think that we provided an emotional release for people who needed it.”

As a couple and as business partners, their personalities are, putting it nicely, complementary. Or, as Steven describes their dynamic: “Our personalities are so polarized! Honestly, there’s a dynamism between us that’s amazing. I may be the super over-the-top extrovert; he’s the reserved introvert.” Justen, a fermentation whiz, dives deep into the cellar work, managing the vineyards and winemaking. Steven leads the hospitality, with the goal of making every visitor feel at home.

Their approach to winemaking is decidedly unorthodox. “What we were most attracted to,” Steven says, “was that there were hybrid varieties.” Hybrid grapes are made by crossing European Vitis vinifera vines (think of all the wines you know and love, like Pinot Noirs and Sauvignon Blancs) with American Vitis labrusca or Vitis riparia grapes (think Concord, as in jelly!). They were developed by grape growers back in the 1800s to create insect- and disease-resistant grapes that could withstand pesky issues like rot, mildew or cold temperatures. You could easily go down a rabbit hole by googling the very loadedand-dreaded word ‘phylloxera,’ but suffice to say the development of hybrids gained momentum because of that notorious grape vine root louse.

So far, they’ve planted 4,500 new vines since taking over, committing to biodynamic and sustainable farming practices that are, realistically, not easy in this part of the country. They seem undaunted, crafting a dozen styles, including their ‘Co-Ferment Pet Nat,’ an estate field blend co-fermented with Hudson Valley peaches; a juicy Baco Noir, reminiscent of Syrah; and a vibrant, zippy Chambourcin.

In the summer, they host intimate dinners outside on their lawn, inspired, Steven says, by Outstanding in the Field, with a goal to always elevate a profound sense of place. “At the core of our values lies a profound sense of community, and we’re unyielding in our commitment to cultivating a space where meaningful connections are formed and enduring friendships blossom at the winery.”

Where Nature and Wellness Align

Open Daily 8am–7pm 71 Main Street Egremont, MA

Cannabis Dispensary

Scan for our menu to preorder or to learn more

Closest dispensary to Hudson, NY

These Towns Are Made for Walkin’

Everyone’s idea of “a place Upstate” varies. Before we’d found ours, I pictured it on a remote dirt road, nary a neighbor for miles. Instead, we’re smack dab in the heart of a village (albeit a sleepy one) with houses visible from every window, each showing signs of life thanks to the rumblings of a lawn mower or leaf blower. The nice thing about being a quarter mile from one’s post office is the incentive to walk instead of driving over to grab the mail. A walk slows everything down and you notice what’s going on around you more—Ah, I see the Smiths are restructuring their back porch, and wait…are the Joneses putting in a pool? Getting out of the car and walking the side streets of a town you think

Neighborhood Watch

Get your 10k steps in by exploring the hidden gems of our historic towns. | By Jane

Larkworthy

vanderpoel rules (left and opposite)

Vanderpoel House, an 1820 federal brick building in Kinderhook, NY, houses a 225-square-foot gift shop which Melissa Davis took upon herself to update.

you know is an interesting, if not healthy, exercise. It almost turns the town into a college campus, but instead of a student union, everyone gathers at the local coffee shops. Hudson, NY is full of back streets to explore and strolling from one end of Stockbridge to the other allows one to stop and truly admire its many stately homes. I thought I knew Great Barrington inside-out until a friend walked me through its many hidden cow paths and shortcuts that add to the town’s charm, not to mention its hillside locale (which my glutes appreciate).

Enter Through the Gift Shop

Melissa Davis has also embraced village living, and not just her own. The Chatham denizen, a San Francisco publicist who moved back east during the pandemic, hit the ground running by repping local businesses such as Bimi’s Canteen and Bar and Hudson’s Nine Cakes Bakery. Davis also joined the Columbia County Historical Society, where she fell hard for Vanderpoel House. The 1820

Federal brick building, which resides on leafy Broad Street in Kinderhook, NY, houses a 225-square-foot gift shop which Davis took upon herself to update. She brought in local talents such as Hillsdale-based Hudson Valley Letterpress, Kinderhook’s Dough and Batter and Mary Ahern of Hudson’s Florent who created a bespoke natural perfume, the aptly if not cheekily named No.16 after the home’s Broad Street address. Every purchase directly supports the Columbia County Historical Society.

And while you’re out…

• STEP LOVELY: A burst or two of Megababe Toe Deo Foot Spray keeps unwanted odor at bay and is delightfully refreshing. $14

• PADDLE NOT REQUIRED: One need not actually play pickleball to experience the soothing relief of Pursoma Post Pickle Bath. A mile or three of walking meets the criteria, too. $22

• RAIN MAKER: Love that post thunderstorm moment? Imaginary Authors managed to bottle it in Every Storm a Serenade, a clean and cozy blend of vetiver, spruce and a highly descriptive accord called Baltic Sea Mist. $105

The Beauty Within

Inspo for your dream home + design to amplify Mother Nature’s masterpieces. | By

Herman Vega and Eduardo Rodríguez

Design Paradise

Embark on a captivating journey through the visionary world of Russel and Mary Wright at MANITOGA, nestled in the heart of New York’s Hudson Highlands in Garrison, NY. At Dragon Rock, their home and studio perched high above an abandoned quarry, one can witness the marvel of architectural integration with nature’s grandeur. Meanwhile, the exquisite Russel & Mary Wright Design Gallery chronicles their inspiring design evolution and influence on modern American living through more than 200 objects, from spun aluminum

experiments to vibrant dinnerware. It’s an ideal destination for a leisurely weekend retreat, brimming with inspiration and natural beauty. Whether you’re a design aficionado or nature enthusiast, The Russell Wright Design Center ensures an unforgettable experience. visitmanitoga.org

Sitting Pretty

Brooklyn’s architectural innovation meets home décor with a twist. Introducing the Y Stool: where classic charm meets modern flair. Crafted by ARO Principal Adam Yarinsky,

this sleek seat is more than just a place to perch—it’s a testament to innovation and sustainability. Crafted from solid oak or walnut, the stool is a modern ode to ancient design, blending tradition with contemporary flair. Inspired by timeless three-legged stools found across cultures, Yarinsky adds a touch of whimsy with beveled corners and a Y-shaped grip, making it as stylish as it is sturdy. Whether solo or stacked, the Y Stool is more than furniture; it’s functional art. It’s a must-have for design aficionados everywhere. Sold exclusively at Available Items in Tivoli, NY. availableitems.com/products/y-stool

Home Dream Makers

Step into the world of Upstate Down in Rhinebeck, NY, where Jon and Delyse Berry redefine home perfection. In the maze of real estate uncertainty, they stand as your guiding stars, offering a one-stop-shop for all things home. From dreamy décor to savvy real estate moves, they’ve got you covered. With a blend of interior finesse, brokerage brilliance, and a touch of retail magic, Upstate Down crafts your home dreams into reality. No cookiecutter solutions here—just tailor-made plans designed to fit your style and needs. Whether it’s a remodel, a new buy or simply sprucing up your space, trust the experts at Upstate Down to make every inch of your home shine. upstatedown.com

y is the answer (above) The kicky Y Stool from ARO Principal Adam Yarinsky; (opposite) At Dragon Rock, MANITOGA owners Russel and Mary Wright home and studio perched high above an abandoned quarry, one can witness the marvel of architectural integration with nature’s grandeur.

Anderson Center Turns 100

This impactful nonprofit is more inclusive and accessible for our neurodivergent neighbors. | By Isabel Hochman

This year, the Anderson Center for Autism, a nonprofit based in the Hudson Valley, is celebrating its centennial.

Since its founding in 1924 by Victor V. Anderson, the center has worked to enrich life for people with special needs through comprehensive, evidence-based educational, vocational, residential, clinical, training and consulting services. What does this mean day-to-day for the Staatsburg community? The Dutchess County site includes full-time residences set up in a “village-like” atmosphere, along with a school, recreation center, vocational center, administrative offices, conference rooms, walking trails, a pool and a park that overlooks the Hudson River.

the new norm “Local families are benefiting from being part of communities where autism acceptance is becoming the norm,” says Patrick Paul, CEO/executive director of Anderson Center for Autism in Staatsburg, NY; (top) Founder Victor V. Anderson reads a newspaper to children. Backyard Beer Garden Oasis

every Friday evening starting at 6pm Roberto’s Pop-Ups at High Lawn Farm in Lee every Thursday 11–2

TUES, WED, THURS, SUN 4–8PM FRIDAY, SATURDAY 3–9PM

LUNCH FRIDAY & SATURDAY 11–2 113 MAIN STREET, SHEFFIELD, MA (413) 248-1241

The Anderson Center has expanded programing to include Cold Spring Early Learning Center in Pine Plains, NY, Anderson Early Learning Academy and The Anderson Center Clinic in the Capital District (Latham) and several adult group homes offsite, along with day habilitation centers throughout New York. The Anderson Center Consulting and Training (ACCT) brings collective expertise out to others, instructing families/caregivers, educators, businesses/corporations large and small, community groups and others on how to best support the needs of neurodivergent and autistic individuals.

“In addition to providing Anderson Center students and residents with much-needed educational, vocational, clinical, and residential services, our consulting and training team at Anderson has taken our collective expertise and shared it with dozens of businesses, municipalities, community groups, and more in order to help build more inclusive,

accommodating environments for autistic and neurodivergent individuals,” says Patrick Paul, CEO/executive director of Anderson Center for Autism. “This has been a win for everyone, particularly the families who are benefiting from being part of communities where autism acceptance is becoming the norm.”

Looking forward, the center is aiming to make communities more accessible and inclusive. Having helped more than 150 businesses gain designation as Autism Supportive Environments, the goal is to grow as companies make commitments to DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility) initiatives. To celebrate 100 years doing this fantastic work, Anderson has been hosting several events that have attracted philanthropists, elected officials, trustees past and present and, most importantly, Anderson families and colleagues.

1. 383 MITCHELL STREET

Hillsdale, NY. 4BR. 3.5 Baths NY. 4BR. 3.5 Baths

$2.85M. Web ID 22936353. Nancy Felcetto 917-626-6755

Robin Horowitz 518-660-1302

2. 29 REED ROAD

Chatham, NY. 4BR. 5.0 Baths. NY. 4BR. 5.0 Baths.

$1.799M. Web ID 22993848.

Jean Stoler 518-660-1309

3. 1 BOG HOLLOW ROAD

Wassaic, NY. 6BR. 7.5 Baths NY. 6BR. 7.5 Baths

$8.0M Web ID 22704006. Joseph Lorino 212-452-4513

4. 127 MOUNT MERINO DRIVE

Hudson, NY. 4BR. 3.5 Baths. NY. 4BR. 3.5 Baths.

$4.5M. Web ID 22935950. Nancy Felcetto 917-626-6755

Robin Horowitz 518-660-1302

5. 165 VAUGHN HILL ROAD

Middleburgh, NY. 5BR. 3.0 Baths NY. 5BR. 3.0 Baths

$1.495M. Web ID 23009934. Richard Orenstein 212-381-4248

6. 8 BRICK ROW

Athens, NY. 3 BR. 1.0 Bath. NY. 3 BR. 1.0 Bath.

$349K. Web ID 23008316. Norah Burden 212-588-5617

Owen Davidson 917-783-2009

7. 2279 US STATE ROUTE 9 Livingston, NY. 4BR. 2.0 Baths. NY. 4BR. 2.0 Baths.

$995K. Web ID 22900427. Nancy Felcetto 917-626-6755

Robin Horowitz 518-660-1302

E-Bike Messenger

Discover the surprising perks of switching to this modern alternative. It’s electric in all ways.

By Simon Murray | Photography by Daniella Murray

There’s nothing subtle about calling the Berkshire Bike & Board shop in Pittsfield, MA. “Bicycle! Bicycle! I want to ride my bicycle; I want to ride my bike!” booms Queen in your ear canal. Callbacks to the blessedly brief popularity of ring back tones aside, I don’t totally resent the sonic intrusion. Like nearly everything in the Berkshires, this, too, is suffused with an earnest enthusiasm that has somehow managed to remain untainted by modern day America’s nigh universal cynicism. It has the welcome effect of making me feel like a kid again. Enough philosophizing: like the mercurial Freddy, I want to ride a bike. To

be a little more specific, an e-bike. The ‘e’ of course is for ‘electric,’ but you could easily swap in exhilarating, especially on your first outing, because I had never ridden one before. These road tests are instructive for new riders—a majority of which, I’m told, are immediately smitten after trying the latest generation of e-bikes that are being designed to conquer mountains and keep pace with cars. Berkshire Bike & Board’s resident e-bike expert, Jay Elling, says they start pedaling and “get the turbo giggle.” While I didn’t quite giggle with joy, the oomph provided by the cyan-colored Velotric Discover 1 as we cruised out of the shop’s wide parking lot onto East Street is

it’s like riding a bike With its $1,099 price, the Velotric Discover 1 commuter has been called the gateway e-bike. From there, the popular vehicles can hit $6,000 and beyond. Here, the author and Berkshire Bike & Board’s Jay Elling, take a couple of beauties out for a road test.

enough to elicit a few joyous expletives. In the lead astride a striking red Vado 4.0, Jay bombs down a decline as I follow him onto Elm Street’s bike lane. I quickly lose pace to the breakaway leader. My pedal assist is set to the highest setting, which is providing some much-needed torque with every rotation, but it’s still not enough to close the lead. As instructed, I press the throttle to give it a little more juice. Now I don’t have to pedal at all, and the idea of competition evaporates from my mind completely. In the past five years alone, the popularity of e-bikes has exploded. But the adoption curve, like electric vehicles, requires testing the waters first. Jay calls my $1,099 Velotric Discover 1 commuter the gateway e-bike. From there, they go up to as high as

$6,000 (and beyond) at Bike & Board alone for specialized electric trail and road bikes. Bike shops such as Bike & Board will usually charge a little more than the manufacturer’s retail price for their expert assembly plus shipping.

Between my entry-level cruiser and the topof-the-line products are plenty of hills and a realization that the Velopower H50 500W rearwheel motor attached to a beach cruiser can only get you so far.

“After they purchase the Velotric, they come back and say something like, ‘Now I see the light, and I’m ready to invest to go the full distance,’” says Jay.

On a sun-dappled side street we trade bikes so I can get a feel for what he means. Almost immediately you notice the difference. The Vado ($2,999 MSRP) sacrifices a throttle and a 3.5” LCD display on the handlebars for a mid-drive crankset, meaning there’s better integration with the 7-speed shifters and the 250W motor. Translation: when pedaling, it feels more like a traditional bike—only you’ve just become superman. The Berkshires’ abundant hills are no longer a factor—like, at all. Explore to your heart’s—and/or the battery’s 90-mile range’s—content. I see the appeal instantly.

Berkshire Bike & Board is right down the street from my sister’s place, but thanks to locations in Great Barrington, MA, Hudson, NY and Bloomfield, CT, there’s a good chance you aren’t too far away from making the switch to electric either.

SHOLD THIS!

Summer opens the door to the most playful outdoor plant trend: container gardening.

Pictures + Words by Mira Peck

ummer‘s here and it’s time to free yourself from the commitment of major landscape decisions and enter the breezy world of containers. Tap into your creativity with beautiful and refreshing combinations. No need to worry if the plants are hardy in your area—with hot summer days, you can experiment with all the annuals and tropicals you desire. Containers are a fantasy space where you get to express your personal style and create a movable dreamworld. And knowing they’re not permanent, you can keep your ideas or change it up next year.

To start, muse a bit about your space and the feeling you would like to create. Do you want it to be vibrant? Serene? Formal? Carefree and bohemian? Allow the space to inspire which vessel to choose and what plant material to work with. The space will lead you to the style of container you need: a grand space may call for a majestic urn; modern architecture may call for strong lines; a friendly patio might call for an eclectic mix of terra cotta. Size and scale

are important: a distant view might require a large vessel with lots of presence, while an intimate space might need a grouping of several smaller pots.

To choose the plants, first observe the location: is it sunny all day, part or full shade? Consider the size and structure of the plants you will need: Something tall? A moundy filler? Something that trails? A combination?

Also consider the style of the plants themselves. Bright colors and large leaves can create a bold, dynamic look; softer hues can create something that feels classic and gentle. It’s fun to create mixed containers; it’s also fun to make a statement with one outstanding specimen per pot. Don’t be afraid to use shrubs, grasses, ferns or other foliage plants. You can also move large house plants outside for the summer.

When planting, always use a highquality soilless potting mix. I always add a granular slow-release fertilizer and some compost at planting time; then I use a liquid fertilizer every two weeks. Be sure to cut off old flowers to just above the next

set of leaves—this is called ‘deadheading’ and encourages more flowering instead of more energy going to seed production.

I pull and exchange plants throughout the season to keep things looking fresh. Container gardening is all about enhancing your outdoor space and enjoying the summer season to the fullest—so get out there.

mix a lot “It’s extraordinarily fun to create mixed containers,” our expert says of the latest trend captivating green thumbers: container gardening.

How to Spend

By Robyn Perry Coe

Get MAD!

honoring the iconic humor magazine at the Norman Rockwell Museum that had no business being so punk rock.

By Alan Katz

If you, like me, grew up on MAD Magazine, you have to go now to see the amazing exhibit currently showing at the Norman Rockwell Museum.

If you never saw MAD, never experienced MAD, you really have to go. MAD is nothing less than a part of American culture while spending decades sending up said culture. This

wonderful exhibit—lasting until October 27—is at the beautiful Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA in the Berkshires, hosting some of the most iconic artwork from one of the most iconic of American artists.

As a young child who went to summer camp in the 1960s in the Catskill Mountains, specifically Monticello, one of the joys of my adolescent escapism (from home life/camp itself/the world around us) was MAD I didn’t know what irreverent meant; but I understood funny, and I knew the joy of poking a finger in the eye of authority and others’ meanness.

The Cold War, racism, antisemitism—all had a tremendous effect on me.

Recently, as the owner of The Mountains, I was fortunate enough to join the pre-opening day of the MAD exhibition. I got to meet heroes and learn about those who impacted this forever teen in ways I

didn’t even understand until now. Irreverence, great art, the Cold War, suburban malaise, city life in Brooklyn, antisemitism, gender politics, pop culture. All loving targets for MAD Room by room you get to walk through the world of MAD, as portrayed by MAD Chronologically and thematically. From the first covers to the origins of its “mascot,” Alfred E. Neuman. From the first cells of “Spy vs. Spy” and learn how a Cuban immigrant with a target on his back (from Fidel Castro), came to the US and found a home for his wordless political cartoons at MAD, then went on to poke fun at the scariest of subjects, somehow making it tolerable and funny to its readers.

There are rooms dedicated to the genius of Mort Drucker (the great artist and writer) whose social commentary set the stage for countless comedians to follow. There’s the letter from Norman Rockwell himself, where he apologizes for not being able to create the definitive Alfred E. Neuman portrait, as requested and agreed to, because his wife felt it was too off brand. Yes, really! And of course the hysterical and iconic Don Martin, and the mind bending and page folding, fold-in (IYKYK, but all can learn here), rooms dedicated to sarcastic and loving portrayals of great films, television shows, politics and the advertising we all grew up with and sometimes learned about through their hilarious and no-holds-barred satirical eye. In all, great art and spot on writing.

raving mad The amazing exhibit at the Norman Rockwell Museum in the Berkshires featuring MAD is a can’t-miss trip down memory lane that’s received rave reviews; (right) ‘Spy vs. Spy’ draft sketches.

Maybe my favorite and most iconic Norman Rockwell painting is his self-portrait of him doing his self-portrait, and that isn’t spared the MAD eye here, lovingly and maybe even reverentially (of course).  Go for the history, go for the nostalgia, go for the sheer fun. Get to be a kid again, bring a kid and learn about what you might have missed. And the best part is, you get to walk the rest of the museum to see and fully experience the life’s work of Norman Rockwell, himself. Win-win. What a MAD world indeed.

A coed boarding and day school for grades 9-12 & PG. Advanced Math/Science Research, Advanced Humanities Research, Pro Vita Winter Session, a range of arts offerings, and championship athletics on a stunning 400-acre campus in the Berkshires. Sheffield, MA | admission@berkshireschool.org www.berkshireschool.org

Berlin Revisited

Eric Schnall’s Debut Novel, I Make Envy On Your Disco, Is A Radiant Rediscovery Of Germany’s Capital—And Your Authentic Self. | By

James Long

As with the ancient Greeks, I’ve always been a believer in fate and it tends to aim directly for me.

A few weeks after graduating from college, I worked as a production assistant for a Broadway-bound play, A Meeting By The River, by the eminent British-American novelist and playwright

Christopher Isherwood and his long-time partner, acclaimed artist Don Bachardy. The play, newly adapted from Isherwood’s 1967 novel of the same name, united renowned Broadway producers, a Tony Award-winning director and a star-studded cast—but would ultimately be eviscerated by the Broadway critics and close after opening night.

Although the Palace Theatre’s lights went dark with a humiliating and financial

finality, among the memories that have never dimmed for me are the occasions when I hobnobbed with Isherwood and Bachardy. After rehearsals, I’d sometimes accompany Chris and Don—and maybe one or two other famished cast members— for a casual bite where conversation would inevitably turn to the state of rehearsals, arguments with the director and stars over rewrites (there were many) and other complications that predictably arise when producing a new play.

After dinner, however, with my youthful vigor yet unspoiled, I’d coax Chris and Don into joining other cast and crew late-night habitués at a nearby gay club, where center stage meant an illuminated dance floor under a de rigueur disco ball. Upon arriving, in no time I’d find myself dancing to Donna

urban german The world famous Berlin TV Tower, the tallest structure in Germany, is a supporting character in Litchfield County-based author Eric Schnall’s debut novel, I Make Envy On Your Disco.

Summer’s transformative “I Feel Love” with the author of The Berlin Stories, one of the 20th century’s seminal literary works. Comprising two novels, Isherwood’s second volume, Goodbye To Berlin, introduced readers to the fictional character of Sally Bowles and, in due course, inspired the hit Broadway musical and film, Cabaret

And so, upon recently receiving an advanced copy of Salisbury, CT homeowner—and Tony Award-winning producer—Eric Schnall’s debut novel, I Make Envy On Your Disco (University of Nebraska Press), with its cover blurb, “A love letter to Berlin…,” penned by none other than Cabaret Best Actor Tony Award-winner Alan Cumming, who happened to be featured on the (then) current cover of The Mountains, well, let’s just say my memory was pelted with Proustian force. Fate had landed in my inbox in full regalia.

Set in 2003, more than a decade after the fall of the Berlin Wall—and mercifully before the iPhone—I Make Envy On Your Disco’s reunified German capital is still in its cultural renaissance infancy. Sam Singer, an überambivalent 37-year-old New York City art advisor to the wellheeled, is on a brief business trip from his Upper West Side home—and from Daniel, his meticulous architect partner— to appraise Berlin’s flourishing art scene, in particular, the opening of “immediate/ present,” an avant-garde exhibition with the theme of Ostalgie, “a fusion of Ost (meaning east) and Nostalgie (nostalgia), the desire to remember and understand the irretrievable past.”

Potentially offering a less dismissive assist, Singer phones Jeremy, the discontented 24-year-old nephew of an art client and nine-month transplanted New Yorker, whom he agreed to connect with while in Berlin. Upon their meeting, Jeremy shepherds Singer through October’s cold and drizzly Berlin neighborhoods by day and its hotbed of nightclubs and eateries seemingly springing up overnight, where

“his perfect little butt, his endless legs” galvanizing Sam, yet another token of Berlin’s pervading sense of possibility. And yet, Sam tells Jeremy, “There’s this stillness. There is something else… And I know that I’m traveling, which makes everything feel different. But this time it is different. In New York, my entire life is on vibrate.”

cigarettes, a bit of ecstasy and corrective insights into Germany’s highly-inflected language are subsidized along the way.

Soon after Singer checks in to his Mitteborough hotel—itself, a fusion of threestar necessities and hilarity—like any first-time foreign visitor having to orient himself spatially and gastronomically to a new country (spoiler alert for Gen Z-ers, that’s without GPS or Yelp), he seeks local guidance from the hotel’s cold-blooded young manager, or as Tolstoy might describe her, the “legitimately peculiar” Magda, to little avail.

laborers and creatives. From

In truth, with Sam as Hebrew’s chapter 4 to Jeremy’s verse 13, nothing in all Berlin’s creation is hidden, everything is uncovered and laid bare—its patrons and artists, laborers and creatives. From tram-boarding “space-age ladies in ski boots and Russian fur-caps dispersing like a pack of startled birds” to “faux-hawked men zipping by on their bicycles,” nothing escapes Sam’s (and gloriously observed Schnall’s) eyes, most notably, a beautiful goth club bartender named Kaspar,

I Make Envy On Your Disco’s intimate, journal-like chronicle (recalling to mind William Boyd’s masterful Any Human Heart) is a dazzling—and often delicious—Berlin story for our time. A love letter, indeed, though permit me to extend Cumming’s truncated analogy. Schnall’s exuberant and fervent journey of rediscovery is the letter you wrote to your first love, when that initial attraction and the intense emotions fueled your desire and heightened your every sensation, the rush you felt for the newly discovered. Still, like any first love, making sense of new feelings can be scary with its inevitable twists and turns, more so for Sam Singer and his feeling that he’s getting older, that his first love with partner Daniel has become all too familiar and their lives together routine. It’s the discreet shadow cast throughout Schnall’s novel—and perhaps our own lives—much like the shadow cast by Berlin’s everpresent TV Tower, the tallest structure in Germany, always in view throughout Schnall’s story, an allegorical archangel, the judger of souls—and soulmates— forever contemplating Berlin, its uneasy history and reunification, its denizens, deceits and desires. Only for Sam Singer, as he continues on his journey, hypnotized by the illuminated disco ball in the sky, it’s his lights that are flickering.

with partner Daniel cast Berlin’s everTV Tower, structure in Germany, in view throughout Schnall’s story, an

Sounds Of Summer

By Sean McAlindin

Arts Center; (opposite) Yo La Tengo, Snail Mail and Arooj Aftab are headlining this summer.

My favorite midsummer pastime has to be listening to live music outdoors. There’s something about the sun and the wind, the music mingling with the sounds of nature, the beautiful people blissing out around me—it all blends in a dreamy vision that might as well be heaven.

Far too many live concerts exist in our short, sweet summer to cover in one story. From Williamstown to LaGrange and Catskill to Great Barrington, free performances happen each week in many hamlets, towns and cities throughout our storied region. Historical sites and scenic landmarks get in on the fun at places like Berkshire Botanical Garden, Millbrook Vineyards, Walkway over the Hudson, Catamount Mountain Resort and Vanderbilt Mansion.

As the north-of-New-York-City population swells in the summertime, so too does the performance lineup. From front porches and village squares to world-class arenas, there’s music happening wherever and whenever you go. So get out there and enjoy the summer world and the sounds that live in it.

philly stakes Angélique Kidjo performs with Philadelphia Orchestra at Saratoga Performing

Here are our picks for the best outdoor concerts in the mountains this summer.

Let’s start with the open-air amphitheaters that attract the year’s biggest tours.

Bethel Woods Performing Arts Center has put together an incredible schedule accentuated by Scottish songwriter Hozier on July 27, jam icons Phish from August 9 to 11, feminist rockers Melissa Etheridge and Indigo Girls on August 21, EDM journeyman Pretty Lights on August 23 and 24, and the downhome Tedeschi Trucks Band on August 25.

Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) brings bonafide country star Dierks Bentley on July 18, Angélique Kidjo with the Philadelphia Orchestra on August 2, pop genius John Legend on August 7, ’80s idols New Kids On The Block, Paula Abdul and DJ Jazzy Jeff on August 11, Berkshiresbased songwriter James Taylor on September 2, Connecticut groovers Goose

the Pretenders on July 16, Beck with the Boston Pops on July 23, Judy Collins, Indigo Girls and Rufus Wainwright on August 30 as well as DISPATCH on August 31.

Now, it’s time to move on to one-of-akind venues that attract both regional and nationally touring musicians.

on September 6 and 7 and the

one and only Cuban-American hip hop sensation Pitbull on September 8.

talent and nationally touring musicians. a back location aunt on 20 with Kennedy faves Heidecker

August 31 and the Woodsist Festival hosts critics’ darlings Estate, Jessica Pratt Billy on 21 and 22.

Arrowhead Farms in Accord is a laidback location featuring everyone’s aunt and uncle Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams’ “July Jam” on July 20 with Hot Tuna, Connor Kennedy and The Secret Sisters Indie faves Waxahatchee, Tim Heidecker and Snail Mail play on August 31 and the Woodsist Festival hosts critics’ darlings Yo La Tengo, Real Jessica Pratt and Bonnie “Prince” Billy on September 21 and 22.

Looking for some multicultural music inside an environmental sculpture garden? Soak up some song amid the monoliths and intricate stonework of Opus 40 in Saugerties with Pakistani-American singer Arooj Aftab on July 25, Kingston songwriter Larry Locust on July 28, on 2, pop one and Cuban-American

Fabled Tanglewood in Lenox offers weekly classical music and open rehearsals with Boston Symphony Orchestra along with one-off concerts featuring

Zimbabwean Afro-pop stars Mokoomba on August 2 and Orlando experimental metal band Beings on August 8.

Or should the mood strike, sip vino as you vibe at City Winery Hudson Valley with Vino Palooza on July 28, Soul & Funk Fest on August 11, electro-folk duo Tall Heights on August 22, and Iowa roots musician William Elliott Whitmore on September 29.

Across the river, the al fresco Spiegeltent returns to SummerScape at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson with mandolinist Sierra Hull on August 1 and art rocker Nona Hendryx on August 17.

In Woodstock, Colony has a cozy beer garden with up-close talent such as songwriting progeny Loudon Wainwright III on July 20. Amidst a jam-packed indoor lineup, Bearsville Theater will host the Festival of Awakening on August 10, Art Festival on August 17, Country Festival on September 1 and Fall Festival on September 21. The nearby Maverick Concerts hosts Palestinian oud player Simon Shaheen Trio on August 3, pianist Jenny Lin on August 30 and Puerto Rican alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón Quartet on September 7.

As for Hudson, Park Theater opens its doors to Warren Street for artists such as trans-punk glam rocker Venus de Mars on August 3, outlaw blues guitarist Emanuel Casablanca on August 16 and the darkly humorous Brian Dunne on August 17. The renovated back patio of Isaan Thai Star hosts Colorado crooners Stillhouse Junkies on July 26, Sheffield soul singer Wanda Houston on August 23 and local pianist Armen Donelian on select nights throughout the summer.

Up river in Schenectady, Frog Alley Brewing Company has a bangin’ backyard scene with G. Love & Special Sauce on July 28, Andrew Bird on August 13 and Dark Star Orchestra on August 22. Other not-to-miss music events in the capital district include the Albany Riverfront Jazz Festival on September 14 and PearlPalooza on September 21.

And don’t forget—Dutchess County Fair in Rhinebeck has invited Rick Springfield to perform on August 21. “Jessie’s Girl,” anyone?

Did somebody say festivals? Well, we’ve got options to spare.

mokoomba matata Afro-pop superstars Mokoomba performs live at Opus 40 in Saugerties on August 2.

Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival is in Oak Hill from July 17 to 21 with bluegrass phenoms Del McCoury, Molly Tuttle and Darol Anger Podunk Bluegrass Festival in Goshen, CT presents John McEuen & The Circle Band and Della Mae from August 8 to 11.

Summer Hoot at Ashokan Center in Olivebridge from August 23 to 25 provides three eclectic days of music, nature and community with The Mammals, Tuba Skinny, Steve Poltz and so many more. Meadowlark in Stone Ridge on September 14 and 15 is an indie pop paradise with Fruit Bats, Blonde Redhead, Deer Tick, Slaughter Beach, Dog and Laura Stevenson MASSMoCA puts on FreshGrass from September 20 to 22 with Shakey Graves, The Devil MakesThree and Drive-By Truckers, to name a few.

Plan Bee Farm Brewery in Poughkeepsie is planning the DIY Big Lawn Music Festival on August 3. Then take a leisurely stroll through the Southside Historic District on August 25 for Poughkeepsie PorchFest to hear local musicians perform right on the front steps of the neighborhood’s

beautiful homes. The third annual Hudson Valley Wine & Music Festival at People’s Park in Newburgh showcases R&B artists Chubb Rock and Ruff Endz on August 31.

Do you happen to love classical music?

The Arts in

The Orpheum Performing Arts Center in Tannersville hosts “ A Midsummer Night’s Dream” on August 3 and 4, Lysander Piano Trio on August 10 and Windham Festival Orchestra on August 17. Norfolk Chamber Music Festival in Norfolk, CT plays to the theme of Charles Ives and the American tradition through August 17.

Music Mountain Summer Festival in Falls Village has outdoor performances on Saturdays and Sundays through September 15. Berkshire Opera Festival performs the great Gounod’s “Faust” on August 24, 27 and 30 in Pittsfield, MA and

world-renowned Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival goes through August 25 in Becket.

the Pillow Dance Festival goes August 25 in Becket.

Litchfield Jazz Festival runs 26 to 28 with Bill Figarova. Jazz in the leads with poet

Maybe jazz is your bag, baby? Litchfield Jazz Festival runs July 26 to 28 with saxophonist Alexa Tarantino and pianists Charlap and Amina Jazz in the Valley leads with poet Nikki Giovanni and vocalist Nnenna Freelon at Victor C. Waryas Park in Poughkeepsie on August 18. Bousquet Jazz Festival in Pittsfield brings renowned Brubeck Brothers Quartet and vocalist Samirah Evans on August 17.

And don’t even get me started on the incredible lineup of indoor concerts at venues including The Falcon in Marlboro, Palace Theater in Albany, Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock and Ulster Performing Arts Center in Kingston. I’m talking Nas, Cat Power, God Street Wine, Yellowman… the list goes on. We’ll see you there.

Della Mae

live on stage

Caitlin Canty Croons

The Singer got her start at Williams College in the Berkshires. |

By Sean McAlindin

Caitlin Canty is at home in Danby, VT, her newborn son asleep on her lap, only a week old. “It’s a sweet change from Nashville,” she says, her soft voice lucid, illuminating. “I’ve always loved being here.”

Canty grew up 30 minutes down the road in Proctor where her parents (retired teachers and house painters) still live. They surprised her with an acoustic guitar at age 17 and she played ’til her fingers bled. Then, a flash of reverberant magic inside a “church-turnedcoffee-shop” for the final performance of a songwriting class at Williams College in Williamstown, MA lit a creative fire inside her.

ear canty Caitlin Canty says her heartfelt songs have been inspired by her environment. “Being surrounded by nature, I feel so much more connected to life.”

that? How can it be so simple, yet so powerful? It feels like a letter straight to the heart.”

Canty moved to Nashville in 2015 where she met her husband, banjo player Noam Pikelny. The couple relocated to Vermont after the birth of their first child.

“The moment still gives me chills,” she says. “I was nervous, but I fell in love with singing my own songs. I knew I was good, but I was a work in progress.”

Canty moved to New York City for a decade, where she worked as an environmental consultant in a gray cubicle while moonlighting as a folk singer on the Lower East Side. Eventually, she quit her job, hit the road and never looked back.

She recalls the time she drove to Arkansas and back for a 45-minute opening set.

“What a beautiful night and it was my job,” she says. “I could’ve spent it on the computer. Instead, I was driving through countryside I’ve never seen and playing for people I’ve never met... I don’t complain about the same things as other musicians. I still feel like an applecheeked kid who got the day off to do this.”

“Casually devastating,” “fraught tranquility,” “dreamy and daring”—those are the ways her music has been described since her debut album Reckless Skyline Next came Motel Bouquet in 2018 and Quiet Flame in 2023 featuring the massively talented musicians, mandolinist Sarah Jarosz and fiddler Brittany Haas.

Above all else, Canty’s songs are plaintively urgent, deeply honest and penetratingly true.

“I love to explore the mystery of songs that deeply affect me,” she says. “How do they do

“Being surrounded by nature, I feel so much more connected to life,” says Canty. “When we have a windy day, there’s a bank of maple trees at the end of our field. They look like clouds billowing in the wind… People often ask what inspires a song. I think it’s the same thing you’d take a picture of. I simply want to remember something that’s interesting or beautiful.”

From her earliest performances at classic folk dens such as Caffè Lena in Saratoga Springs, NY Canty has been known for her innate ability to mesmerize an audience with nothing more than her careworn voice and beat-up, old guitar.

“It’s all about the song,” she says. “It moved me. Does it move you? You can feel the truth of what’s working whether there’s one person or a thousand in the room.”

Canty recently recorded her fourth album in Maine at seven months pregnant. One song—“Don’t Worry About Nothing”—is sung from a mother’s point of view.

“You turn the tables on your perspective, you see the world differently. That’s where that song came from.”

A son gently stirs and a mother laughs. The music is clearly inside of her.

Canty performs on August 24 at Knoll Farm in Waitsfield, VT. She’s planning a tour after the release of her new album toward the end of the year.

CALENDAR

JULY 13 –OCTOBER 6

Edgar Degas

The Clark Art Institute Williamstown, MA To celebrate Paris’s fi rst impressionist exhibition in 1874, the Clark trots out its trove of less familiar pastels, photographs and prints. clarkart.edu

Pillow Pride Party Jacob’s Pillow Beckett, MA

Entrée to the Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève performance includes an aprèsshow outdoor mêlée. jacobspillow.org

JULY 26 –AUGUST 4

Le Prophète Fisher Center Annandale-on-Hudson, NY

Conductor Leon Botstein revives Giacomo Meyerbeer’s longneglected 1849 opera, inspired by a Voltaire essay. fi shercenter.bard.edu

2024 Gala: Samara Joy Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center Great Barrington, MA The triple-Grammy- winning jazz star graces the repurposed 1905 movie palace. mahaiwe.org

JULY 23 – AUGUST 10

Palmer

Pamela

Williamstown Theatre Festival Williamstown, MA In David Ives’ latest comedy, a privileged wife suspects that something is amiss in her suburban paradise. wtfestival.org

13

12-13

Smashed2

PS21 Pavilion Theater Chatham, NY A nonet of Pina Bauschinspired dancers juggle oranges and watermelons. ps21chatham.org

Messy White Gays Powerhouse Theater at Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY Hilarity ensues in Drew Droege’s play directed by Mike Donahue. Sunday morning. Hell’s Kitchen. Brecken and Caden have just murdered their throuple-mate and stuff ed him into a Jonathan Adler credenza. Unfortunately, the y’ve also invited friends over for brunch. Of course they did. vassar.edu/powerhouse

19-21

Lauren Groff

The Mount Lenox, MA Edith Wharton would surely applaud the heroine of Groff ’s The Vaster Wilds, who fl ees a doomed C olonial settlement to forge her own path. edithwharton.org

The Fairy Queen Tanglewood Music Festival Lenox, MA No one delivers the magic of Purcell’s 1692 opera quite like Les Arts Florissants. (The sprites leap to Caramoor in Katonah on July 20.) bso.org

18

JULY 26 –AUGUST 31

Pipe Dream

26

The Unicorn Theatre Stockbridge, MA A fresh interpretation of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s 1955 musical, based on John Steinbeck’s novels Canner y Row and Sweet Thursday. berkshiretheatregroup.org

august

27

Soil Fest White Feather Farm, Saugerties, NY Revel in all things earthy—workshops, music, grain beer—at this 66-acre preserve. whitefeatherfarm.org

1 july

Gala

Hancoc k Shaker VillageSummer

3

Hancock Shaker Village Pittsfi eld, MA

T hough not known as partying types, Shakers could eat—and dance. You can, too, while supporting the museum. hancockshakervillage.org

2-3

Justin Vivian Bond

The Spiegeltent at Bard Annandale-on-Hudson, NY

The celebrated chanteuse croons a curated assortment of hippie-era (1964-74) hits. fi shercenter.bard.edu

Bang On A Can: Loud Weekend MASS MoCA North Adams, MA The gang’s all here, kicking up a ruckus as Meredith Monk et al. make music and mayhem. massmoca.org

7-11

Parsons Dance Becket, MA If you’ve never seen the company’s 1982 hit Caught (a fl ash-spotlight pheno menon) in the fl esh, now’s your chance. jac obspillow.org

Gamelan Yowana Sari PS21 Grounds Chatham, NY At this family-oriented event, onlookers get to try out the instruments post-performance. ps21chatham.org

Dog Days of Summer

Berkshire Botanical Garden Stockbridge, MA

A rare opportunity to explore the gorgeous grounds with a canine companion. berkshirebotanical.org

1-3 4

15-16

Voloz Collective The Foundry West Stockbridge, MA

The avant-leaning, Lecoqtrained “physical theater” quartet off er their gloss on The Man Who Knew Too M uch thefoundryws.com

9-18 Berlioz And His World Fisher Center Annandale-on-Hudson, NY As the focal point of the 34th Bard Music Festival, the Romantic master inspires panels, performances and parties. fi shercenter.bard.edu

27

Bernadette Peters Barrington Stage Company Pittsfi eld, MA T he celebrated songbird reprises her faves to celebrate the BSC’s 30th season. barringtonstageco.org

18

17

Santé

Crellin Park, Chatham, NY Cirque Kikasse (you heard that right) descends from Québec City with their food truck and a side of juggling and acrobatics. ps21chatham.org

Garden Holiday Mohonk Mountain House New Paltz, NY Refresh your palette with some horticultural riffi ng (Klimt, O’Keeff e, et al.), lectures, concerts and hands-on workshops. mohonk.com

25-30

The cabaret superst ar revisits the 1960s in August at Bard Colle ge.

New York City’s Joe’s Pub habitué Justin Vivian Bond, who recently wowed the world alongside countertenor Anthony Roth Costanza in Only An Octave Apart , will be alighting briefl y at the Spiegeltent, a mirrored jewel box that’s a summer fi xtur e on the Bard College campus. Expanding upon V’s spring performance at the “American Songbook” concert series at Lincoln Center, “Jasmine & Cigarettes” will focus on the hippie era, when V was but a child enduring a conventional upbringing in rural Maryland. “My imagination soared when it came to the hippies,” V recalls. “Being a transgender child, I liked that the boys could have long hair.” Putting a set together “is kind of an art,” V says: “fi guring out the arc of it and fi nding songs that resonate with me. I improvise and I don’t always know what story I’m going to tell, but most of the stories are from my life—so I kind of know what happens in advance.” Bond will be accompanied by their customary backup band (an all-star quintet) and—inevitably—mosquitos, the only audience they truly don’t care for. V is so enamored of the venue, however, that aft er a couple of summers performing at the tent, they bought a house nearby, while holding onto their East Village apartment near Joe’s. “I like a short commute.” —Sandy MacDonald hot ticket

Justin Vivian Bond Takes Us Back

Camping. Outside. Oh boy…

Has this city bird really gone full country?

Pictures + Words by Abbe Aronson

My good friends have heard this story a million times, but the first time I went camping, I was 50 years old and had already lived Upstate full time for more than a decade.

I grew up in the suburbs and had zero experience with anything nature related since I never attended overnight camp, except as a counselor for hire as a way to make money when I was in college, and even then, I worked at a tony Jewish overnight camp in the Poconos where my campers (14-year-old girls, so you can see what a glutton for punishment I was—I asked for that age group!) wore designer bathing suits and their parents brought sushi on dry ice to Visiting Day. There was a lake at the camp. It sure looked nice. After college, I went right to Manhattan as planned and became an urban mover-andshaker with a lovely country house on seven acres, our back field touching state land. On

those weekends and summers that I enjoyed my Upstate house, I probably saw more pools than ponds.

That all slowly started to change after I moved north of the city in 2005. After all, not only did my own property border on forever wild land, but I was just a mile down the street from an incredible treasure of a state park, Kenneth L. Wilson Campground. My young son was at the local elementary school, which celebrated the return of spring with a ceremony by the banks of the Esopus Creek as trout were released into the water, the kids singing a little ditty called “Bye Bye Trout” to the tune of the Everly Brothers’ “Bye Bye Love,” everybody mucking about and cheering on the little fish to go and make more little fish (if nothing else, this was a sign that my country footwear needed a big upgrade; that lug-soled city shoes didn’t work on the banks of a creek). I was becoming more and more of a country bumpkin, gloriously happy with

my Upstate life and still blissfully ignorant about what happened at the local adventure/ outdoor outfitters that I passed every day on Route 28 on my way to and from Woodstock. Finally, it was time to heed the call of the wild. My at-the-time partner, who had recently moved Upstate to be with me, announced, “I’m going camping with my pals and you’re coming along.”

And here’s the part of the story that my good friends know by heart: I agreed to go camping and started telling my posse this wondrous news. I mentioned this to Maria Phillipis, owner of Boitson’s and Kovo in uptown Kingston who’s a woman after my own heart (and who’s now launching Ball & Claw Antiques, a design and garden spot in Port Ewen, where she’ll serve cocktails and coffee and host outdoor markets—she’s a regular Wonder Woman). Neither of us would consider making a move without at least two tubes of lipstick on our persons. “Camping?” she asked, wrinkling her gorgeous brow and pursing her luscious painted lips. “You mean, outside?”

The joy of camping? Yep.

We went to Acadia National Park in Maine. It was fantastic. Now, granted, my boyfriend promised (and delivered) lobster grilled over campfire, a tent that was big enough for two with elevated mattress frames for our sleeping bags and a promise to not make fun of me if I burst into tears about bugs or snakes (we saw none of the latter and only a few of the former). I loved it and I came back with a renewed zest and zeal for where I lived.

Prior to going to Acadia, I had become a bit more immersed in country life. I changed footwear, bought a good raincoat (umbrellas Upstate are just dumb), had gone not just apple picking but learned what goes on in a sugar shack during maple syrup season. I had seen bears, foxes, snakes (small ones and—gulp—a few rattlers on Overlook Mountain), rabbits, racoons, beavers, minks and fishers galore. I had learned how to spot deer on the road ahead of me at dusk and could identify bird song at dawn (as the sun rises, certain birds greet the day ahead of others). After coming home from Acadia, I wanted more of all of that.

I downloaded apps such as AllTrails so that I could traipse to local waterfalls; Seek so I could identify plants that I saw along the way, and Merlin Bird ID so I could learn more about who was singing. I started keeping hiking boots in the back of my car all year round and ditched fishnets for warm wool socks. I realized with a start one morning that not only could I identify what birds first awoke to chirp at daybreak, but that I could predict the weather by what the birds were doing at my feeder (during the colder months when snow and ice events were happening). I turned into that person who says things like, “Oh boy, the grackles are back at my feeder like mofos, so spring is literally about to pop!” or “Did you notice we had orioles this year? Migration patterns must be shifting again.”

So, this summer, if you need me, I’ll be on my porch, watching as the peonies wither and the bee balm starts to bloom, attracting pollinators and hummingbirds. I’m easy to spot. I’ll be the one in the sensible footgear and lip liner.

• The MOSISO crossbody sling backpack on Amazon is not only unisex but perfect for city and country adventures. Lightweight, available in a million colors and, ahem, check out the price tag. I carried it last week when I went antiquing outside of Hudson and someone asked if it was Miu Miu. More like Moo Moo but still, chic as hell!

• My local state park: Kenneth L. Wilson Campground is always gorgeous and will make a nature lover out of any city kid.

• Interested in a curated romp? The Outside Institute has terrific ones in Sullivan County; and further afield, Mountain Top Arboretum in Tannersville (near Hunter Mountain) has year-round programming (and gives you an opportunity to check out the inncredible Deer Mountain Inn for drinks, dinner or a memorable overnight.

1052 Kinderhook Street, Valatie, NY 518-660-0500

tent commandments “I loved it and I came back with a renewed zest and zeal for where I lived,” the author says of her succesful initial camping experience.

Total Tennis Saugerties

1811 Old Kings Highway Saugerties, NY 12477

845.247.9177 totaltennis.com

Located at the base of the Catskill Mountains, this gorgeous racquetfocused hot spot features tennis, pickleball and paddle, and features the only year-round tennis camp in the Northeast.

Poughkeepsie Tennis Club

135 South Hamilton Street

Poughkeepsie, NY 12601

845.471.1120 poktennis.com

Break Point Tennis

Locations in Kingston, Rhinebeck and Gardiner, NY

845.389.3924 breakpointny.com

Loughran Park

50 Charlotte Street Kingston, NY 12401

845.481.7330

Tennis and pickleball courts

Lenox Community Center

65 Walker Street Lenox, MA 01240

413.637.5530 townoflenox.com/community-center Courts are behind the community center.

Springside Park

Pickleball Courts

874 North Street Pittsfield, MA 01201

413.499.9371 cityofpittsfield.org

Rhinebeck Tennis Club

2 Salisbury Court Rhinebeck, NY 12572

845.876.8008 rhinebecktennis.com

Bantam Gym

Litchfield Park & Recreation Facility

80 Doyle Road Bantam, CT 06750

860.567.7569 litchfieldct.myrec.com

swimming

Ulster County Pool

241 Libertyville Road

New Paltz, NY 12561

845.255.7027 ulstercountyny.gov/public-works/ ulster-county-pool-complex

Andre a Pool

76 North Front Street Kingston, NY 12401

845.338.2115kingston-ny.gov/ swimming

The Beacon Pool

5 Camp Loop Road Beacon, NY 12508

845.765.8440 ext 121

Oakdale Lake 53-99 North 6th Street Hudson, NY 12534

Swim only when a lifeguard is on duty. Not available during summer camp hours weekdays July 8 – August 16, 9am-3pm.

Eastview Pool

Lake Mansfield Road

Great Barrington, MA 01230 413.528.4586

Li le Deep Zach’s

Waterfall & Swimming Hole 863 West Hurley-Zena Road Woodstock, NY 12498

Hudson Valley Swim Monticello

29 Golden Ridge Road Monticello, NY 12701

845.226.3456 monticello.hvswim.com

Catskill Recreation Center

651 County Highway 38 Arkville, NY 12406

845.586.6250 catskillrecreationcenter.org

Town of Rhinebeck Town Pool

Traver Lane Rhinebeck, NY 12572

845.876.6161 rhinebeckny.myrec.com

golf

Vassar Golf Course

124 Raymond Avenue Poughkeepsie, NY 12604

845.473.9838 vassargolfcourse com

Established in 1930, this scenic nine-hole golf course is situated on the lovely Vassar College campus in Dutchess County, offering a scenic 2,500-yard layout with beautiful mature trees, character and charm. All players are welcome on a first come, first serve basis.

New Paltz Golf Course

215 Huguenot Street New Paltz, NY 12561

845.255.8282 newpaltzgolf.com

Inness Golf

30 Whitfield Road Accord, NY 12404

845.377.0030 inness.co/golf

Stockbridge Golf Club

6 Main Street #6a Stockbridge, MA 01262 413.298.3310 stockbridgegc.com

Wyndhurst Golf & Club 55 Lee Road Lenox, MA 01240 413.637.1364 wyndhurstgolfandclub.com

Woodstock Golf Club 114 Mill Hill Road Woodstock, NY 12498 845.679.2914 woodstockgolf.com

Catskill Golf Resort 27 Brooks Lane Catskill, NY 12414 518.943.0302 catskillgolfclub.com

Stonybrook Golf & Clubhouse Provisions

Prospect Mountain Preserve 223 Cathole Road Litchfield, CT 06759

Fishkill Ridge Trail

32 Sunnyside Road Beacon, NY 12508

Highlights along the rugged (but well-marked) trails include a gorgeous waterfall and rock outcroppings that afford breathtaking long-range vistas, including a glimpse of the Manhattan skyline.

Esty and Hellie Stowell Trailhead 42 Bayview Avenue Cornwall-On-Hudson, NY 12520

High Banks Preserve 132 River Road Ulster Park, NY 12487 845.473.4440

Balance Rock Loop Trail

Balance Rock Road Pittsfield, MA 01201 413.442.8992 mass.gov/locations/pittsfield-stateforest

October Mountain State Forest 317 Woodland Road Lee, MA 01238 413.243.1778 mass.gov/locations/octobermountain-state-forest

Benedict Pond Loop

Beartown State Forest Great Barrington, MA 01230 mass.gov/doc/beartown-stateforest-benedict-pond-loop-trail/ download

Ashokan Rail Trail

Woodstock Dike 5 1285 NY-28 West Hurley, NY 12491 ashokanrailtrail.com

Hudson Highlands State Park 3011 NY-9D Beacon, NY 12508 845.225.7207 parks.ny.gov/parks/hudsonhighlands your road to happiness begins here

263 Milton Road Litchfield, CT 06759 860.567.9977 stonybrookgolfct.com

Racquet

Hiking

Bike paths

Hudson Valley Greenway Trail

John Street East Kingston, NY 12401 empiretrail.ny.gov/poughkeepsiealbany/city-kingston

Kingston Point Rail Trail Kingston, NY 12401

845.331.0080 kingstongreenline.org/ kingstonpointrailtrail

Dutchess Rail Trail

Poughkeepsie, NY 12603

dutchessny.gov/Departments/Parks/ Dutchess-Rail-Trail.htm

845.298.4600

This gorgeous 13.4-mile continuous paved rail trail is ideal for biking enthusiasts, running from The Walkway Over the Hudson in Poughkeepsie to the restored Hopewell Depot, in Hopewell Junction.

Ashuwillticook Rail Trail

US 7 Route 8 Connector Road

Lanesborough, MA 01237 komoot.com/smarttour/24485602

White Memorial - Ma atuck Trail

300 South Plains Road Litchfield, CT 06759

860.567.0857

ctwoodlands.org/explore-trails/ interactive-map

The Preserve at Vassar

51 Vassar Farm Lane

Poughkeepsie, NY 12604

845.437.7414 vassar.edu/preserve

Catskill Scenic Trail

Catskill Scenic Trail

Bloomville, NY 13739 catskillscenictrail.org

The Catskill Scenic Trail is moderately challenging with 26 miles of a former railroad and beautiful scenery dotted with small bridges along the way, now used for hiking, biking, crosscountry skiing and horseback riding.

The Empire State Trail Stockport 41 Loomworks Road Hudson, NY 12534 empiretrail.ny.gov

Gardens

Blithewood Garden

Located in Bard College

Annandale-On-Hudson, NY 12504 dutchesstourism.com/listingsv/ blithewood

This classic, walled Italianate garden was designed circa 1903, and is situated on a 45-acre section of the Bard College campus that was once part of a historic estate.

Berkshire Botanical Garden

5 West Stockbridge Road

Stockbridge, MA 01262 413.298.3926 berkshirebotanical.org

Vassar Farms

Community Gardens 20-72 Vassar Farm Lane Poughkeepsie, NY 12603

Mountain Top Arboretum

4 Maude Adams Road

Tannersville, NY 12485

518.589.3903 mtarboretum.org

Seamon Park 5 Malden Avenue Saugerties, NY 12477

845.246.2919

Northern Dutchess Botanical Gardens

389 Salisbury Turnpike Rhinebeck, NY 12572 845.876.2953 ndbgonline.com

Innisfree Garden 362 Tyrrel Road Millbrook, NY 12545 845.677.8000 innisfreegarden.org

Locust Grove Estate Gardens

2683 South Road Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 845.454.4500 lgny.org

Festivals (food, Beer, Music)

Hudson Valley Wine & Food Festival

SEPTEMBER 7-8, 2024

Dutchess County Fairgrounds 6636 US-9 Rhinebeck, NY 12572 hudsonvalleywinefest.com

Litchfield Jazz Festival JULY 26-28

Thomas Perakos Performing Arts Center

The Frederick Gunn School 22 Kirby Road Washington, CT 06793 litchfieldjazzfest.com

Hudson Valley Hot-Air Balloon Festival

AUGUST 30-SEPTEMBER 1, 2024

Tymor Park & Forest 2 Tymor Park Road La Grangeville, NY 12540 dcrcoc.org/balloonfesttickets

Bearsville Art Festival

AUGUST 17, 2024

Bearsville Theater 291 Tinker Street Woodstock, NY 12498 seetickets.us/event/bearsville-artfestival/593532

Berkshire Wine Festival SEPTEMBER 21, 2024

Pizzeria Boema 84 Main Street Lenox, MA 01240 berkshires.org/events/berkshirewine-festival/

Berkshire Busk FRIDAY & SATURDAY NIGHTS THROUGH AUGUST 31, 2024 Great Barrington, MA berkshirebusk.com

Bousquet Mountain Summer Concerts 101 Dan Fox Drive Pittsfield MA, 01201 bousquetmountain.com/music

FreshGrass Festival

SEPTEMBER 20-22, 2024 Mass MoCA North Adams, MA freshgrass.com

Friendly’s

841 Dalton Avenue Pittsfield, MA 01201 413.443.0282 locations.friendlysrestaurants.com/ ll/US/MA/Pittsfield/

juju’s

70 Railroad Street Great Barrington, MA 01230 917.232.8477 keepitjujus.com Instagram: @keepitjujus

225 Scoops

2231∕2 Warren Street Hudson, NY 12534

518.822.8915 225scoops.com

With a motto like “ice cream makes everything better” it’s no surprise Scoops offers a variety of hard ice cream flavors—changing weekly— including vegan ice cream made from oat milk classic hot fudge sundaes, milkshakes, birthday cake waffle cones, donut ice cream sandwich and endless toppings.

Hudson’s Ice Cream Café

250 NY-32 Suite 106 Central Valley, NY 10917 845.273.1111 hudsonsicecreamstore.com

Nancy’s Of WoodstockArtisanal Creamery

297 Tinker Street Woodstock, NY 12498 845.684.5329 nancysartisanal.com

Sawyer Ice Cream Company 190 NY-32 Saugerties, NY 12477 845.246.2000

Del’s Roadside

6780 Albany Post Road Rhinebeck, NY 12572 845.516.4800 delsdairyfarm.com

Spoons Ice Cream

46 Eastdale Avenue North Poughkeepsie, NY 12603 845.595.8277 spoonsicecreamandmore.com

ICE CREAM

I Hate The Outside

Can we please stay on the deck?

By Martha Frankel

In the spring of 2008, the great Woodstock photographer Franco Vogt asked to photograph me for his project, “60/60.” He set out to photograph 60 Woodstockers in 60 days, with no assistants, no lighting and minimal equipment. They ranged from well-known personalities to the guy who runs the local dump. First names only. No bios. Every night he would post the photos to his site.

They were stunning.

On my appointed day, I put some rollers in my hair, some blush on my face and waited for him to come over. “Let’s go to the reservoir,” he said.

cookie monster “The best part of of small-town life... you can be a known weird person and people embrace you,” Frankel says of her notorious trip to the market.

Martha Frankel’s Ultimate Summer Mocktail (or cocktail)

Here’s my own recipe for the perfect summer mocktail (or add some booze and it’s a cocktail) to share on the deck with friends:

prep: Mix a quart of tomato juice with the juice of 1 lime and 3tbsp tom yum paste (available at any Asian market)

• Rub lime on the rim of a glass and dip into salt

• Fill glass with ice

• Add unflavored seltzer

• Top with 1/4 cup tomato juice mix

“Why would we do that?” I answered in that put-everyoneat-ease manner I have perfected.

Vogt looked confused. “I want to shoot you outside,” he said.

“Why? I hate the outside,” I shot back. We stared at each other for a minute or two. “Come with me,” I finally said to break the tension.

I drove us to my local supermarket, the IGA in Boiceville. I didn’t take the rollers out. I piled my cart full of Oreos. I slapped on my Ray-Bans. A couple of my neighbors took in the scene. One asked if I could help his son find some magazine work. Another asked how my new puppy was. No one asked about the photographer, the rollers, the cookies. This is the best part of smalltown life… you can be a known weird person and people embrace you.

But the I-hate-the-outside thing stuck in my head. I repeated it over the years, like you repeat “I never ate baby food.” “My sister was the dancer in our family.” Until, years later, you come across a photo of your Aunt Tillie spoon-feeding you Gerber peaches from the jar and you can still feel that metallic taste in the back of your throat. Or a guy moves to your town, falls in love with your best friend and reminds you that decades before, you and he won a dance contest over spring break at the Barcelona Hotel in Miami Beach.

So here’s the thing: I love the outside, I just don’t want it to be work. I don’t want to double the size of the garden, as countless people have urged me to do. I don’t want to grow my own vegetables. I don’t want to walk outside and feel…guilty

This year I finally got my wish. I didn’t extend the garden— I extended the deck, literally doubling it in size. In doing so I covered two small gardens. And you know what?

I’m absolutely delighted.

GO OUTSIDE! FIRE UP THE BACKYARD GRILL, PLAY TENNIS, DISCOVER FARMERS MARKETS, HOST POOL PARTIES, EXPLORE TAG SALES AND MAKE THE BEST RAINY-DAY GLAM PLAN. IT’S AN ENDLESS SUMMER, BABY!

SUMMER {GOOD VIBES ONLY}

IT’S CAMPING, NOT GLAMPING From City Girl To Country Woman BY ABBE ARONSON

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HUDSON CHATHAM WINERY’S MOMENT Hybrid Grapes And Busy Husbands OUR ULTIMATE SUMMER PLAYLIST From James Taylor To Taylor Swift PHOTOGRAPHY BY

BRYAN DERBALLA