What I Wore: Apple Picking

And here's what I wore apple picking... I went every autumn and in my favorite boots.

Destination: Hudson River Valley, Apple Picking

When I lived in NYC, my girlfriends and I mourned the loss of summer. The loss of Sunday Fundays, and being on outdoor patios of restaurants in the streets of the City... but we would soon remember that fall came with its pleasantries too. The changing of the leaves, the reintroduction of sweaters and boots to our wardrobe, and best of all, its apple season. 

Before moving to the North {from Florida} I had no idea that there were so many varieties of apples for all of your baking, cooking, craving needs: Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Pink Lady, Granny Smith, Gala, Rome, and of course {everyone's favorite} the deliciously sweet and tart Honeycrisp.

So every year late September, early October my girlfriends and I rent a ZipCar, hop on 9W, and head into the Hudson River Valley to go apple picking. As a bunch of city girls going into the country, we learned a few lessons which I will now share with you, should you decide to venture out.

#1 There are no bodegas on every corner, or possibly at all.

#1a For some reason all the gas stations are in the sketch parts of town, so fill up before heading out.

#2 There are very few restaurants and even fewer good ones.

#3 People in the country are friendly and will try to talk to you. This should not be seen as aggressive or invasive. If you respond nicely your trip will be greatly enriched.

#4 You MUST eat at least one cider donut. This is not an option.

#5 It might seem like you don't want/need multiple pounds worth of apples, but you will regret not filling up that bucket when you get home and the apples at the grocery are crap and then you have nothing to eat.

After apple picking you will surely be hungry. Hands down the best place to go is the Raccoon Saloon. Their hamburgers and sweet potato fries are delish. And the sweeping views of the Hudson River Valley in autumn really take you to a magical place.

After lunch we usually keep driving North on 9W and pop in Tuthilltown Spirits for a whiskey tasting. You might recognize the name as I've already raved about them here. While I'm in the tasting room, I usually buy a few bottles to give as host gifts throughout the year. You can't buy this whiskey everywhere and it's a great local souvenir to bring home from your trip. I also love the vintage-y packaging.

One weekend Gman and I went up and stayed at my then boss's guest house. We wanted to bring him {and his wife} a special host gift, especially considering he was an executive at the company and was being so generous with his home.  We gave him a bottle of Manhattan Rye whiskey. Who knew he had a thing for whiskey AND the Hudson Valley! He was touched my my gesture and enjoyed drinking it later. 

If you don't want to do a lunch out and a whiskey tasting {or if you have a whole weekend}, then I highly suggest a hike through the fall foliage. People travel great distances to see the leaves changing here!

I always enjoy my time in the Hudson River Valley. It's a great excuse to get out of the city and worth it take a trip out there even if you live far away. I haven't even begun to talk about the East side of the river or the burgeoning art scene, but I'll save those for another post.

Art and Art History; A New Blog Series

detail Claude Monet, Waterlilies, at the Metropolitian Museum of Art

When was the last time you went to an art museum? Is it something you regularly do? For most people going to an art museum is a box they tick when going on vacation to a big city. They drag their partner and/or children to the MOMA and walk around for hours browsing multi-million dollar works of art and say to themselves “my child could paint that”.

When I was in undergraduate school studying art history, one of my professors said that the average person spends 5 seconds looking at a painting. It was unbelievable to me until one day I realized that I, myself, was doing it. I spent hours of walking around the Louvre, then got burned out looking at painting after painting and after a while I did not see what I was looking at, I just rushed through the galleries so I could say I was there (cardinal sin for an art historian, I know).

It’s easy to appreciate an ancient Greek sculpture, like the Venus de Milo, as even by today’s measures a significant amount of skill was required to carve it just so; not to mention its 2,000 years old. That is impressive to most people. But what about Contemporary Art? What about abstract painting? What about that mammoth piece of steel winding through the city park? What about everything in between? How can you possibly expect to understand it if you only take 5 seconds to look?

3 above, ancient Greek sculptures at the Metropolitian Museum of Art

If you want to dig deeper and really know a culture, a history, a time, a place, a person, a people, than you need to firstly look at a work of art for more than 5 seconds. The process of looking at art and then interpreting it isn’t a lofty academic activity only for the special few. It is something that everyone can understand and relate to.

I would like to introduce you to art and art history in a way that is digestible and stimulating. My worst nightmare is someone going into an art museum and saying that it is boring, then disregard it. There is a lot more to it than a 5 second glance. Wouldn’t you like to know what you are looking at? Wouldn’t it be nice to connect with the art next time you are walking through a gallery? What if it tells you something about the history of the city and its cultural identity? As a high heeled traveler with a wanderlusty soul, don’t you want to become part of the social thread of your destination? This is possible through art. It is emotionally and mentally and sometimes physically possible to connect with the historical thread of humanity through art.

I hope this series enables you to gain a bit of context and insight into the history of art in order to better understand any work of art you stand in front of. I am especially talking about Contemporary Art which is baffling sometimes to even the academics. We will take baby steps. Each post will feature a new work of art and a brief discussion on how to look at it and what to take away from the gallery. In addition, I will talk about the art market and the roles of museum, dealer, and auction house. Perhaps the next time you are on vacation and tick off that art museum box you will be able to say that you appreciate what insight it offers to humanity and it will enrich your travels.

Henri Toulouse Lautrec, Metropolitian Museum of Art

At Storm King Art Center

Day Trip: Hudson River Valley in Autumn

People travel the world to see the fall foliage of the Northeastern United States. I highly recommend taking your first day trip to the Hudson River during September. Rent a car and drive up 9W for the most scenic views. Pack a picnic and step outside your city-slicker comfort zone to do some hiking.

As a non-outdoorsy person, I am often intimidated by hiking and nature. However, hiking during this time of year is rather enjoyable - it's not too hot, few bugs, and the air is crisp and fresh. Being in the midst of the breathtaking foliage and enjoying scenic overlooks is well worth the inconvenience of dirt and sweat.

Climb to the top of Bear Mountain. Then stop to take in the fresh air and snack on your picnic. You might see some wildlife too! Squirrels and chipmunks are quite friendly when there are snacks to be had. And if you're lucky (?) you might spot a Black Bear. Hudson Highland State Park is on the adjacent side of the Hudson River. It boasts climbing Breakneck Ridge as one of the top hikes in the U.S. As I mentioned before, I'm not much of an outdoorsy person and I was able to comfortably hike many of the trails.

Black Rock Forest in the Hudson Highlands has my favorite hiking trails as they are far less crowded and equally as beautiful. Much of the time you feel as if you have the forest to yourself. How romantic!

 



all photos my own

Hudson River Valley

As a native Floridian I did not realize how centrally located NYC was until I moved here. Although the City bustles with action, only 30 minutes out of town and you find yourself in the suburbs. 30 minutes farther and you're in the country. Now considering myself a Manhattanite, I know the value of a getting away from it all. 

Reminiscent of  the Rhine River Valley in Germany, the Hudson River Valley has a sense of romantic elegance and rustic charm. Since the first Europeans settled here, the area has witnessed much of our nation's history including the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. West Point Academy calls it home and the Hudson River School of American artists developed here during the 19th c. In addition to it's rich history, the attractions change with the seasons. This makes the Hudson River a year-round destination to New Yorkers and tourists alike.