Tag: upstate new York

Escape to Bear Mountain

The Bear Mountain Inn in Rockland County, N.Y. was intended to be "the handsomest playground in the world" when it opened in 1915. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini.

Loving the Bear Mountain Inn, But ….   A great getaway for those living in New York City and thereabouts is the Bear Mountain Inn and all it has to offer—hiking and sports for the athletically inclined, a zoo and a…

Beacon beyond DIA

A revitalized Main Street in Beacon, N.Y. is full of shops, restaurants, and artistic endeavors. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini

A Visit to Artist Jeffrey Terreson’s New Gallery For those who grew up in Upstate New York at a time when it was thriving, what’s happened in decades since is sometimes disheartening. Failure to thrive in too many places comes…

Meeting the French in Cold Spring

Peach melba at Brasserie Le Bouchon in Cold Spring, N.Y. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini

Dining at Brasserie Le Bouchon I don’t know how many times the Brawny Sherpa and I walk past Brasserie Le Bouchon in Cold Spring, N.Y. Hey, it’s French, it could be good, it could be full of butter, meh, let’s…

Interesting Signage: North Salem, N.Y.

So many rules, so little time to adhere to them all. I especially like this sign in North Salem, N.Y. limiting sleigh riding to residents. I don’t think many people have sleighs anymore—although in North Salem, you never know. All…

Cold Spring for the Holidays

Cold Spring, N.Y. on a snowy day Photo credit: M. Ciavardini

I could make myself crazy going to five different stores to get all of the ingredients for a homemade bûche de Noël along with coffee, after-dinner liqueurs, everything for a very-vegetable Christmas dinner, plus appetizers, snacks, bread for sandwiches afterward—or…

Boscobel for the Holidays

Planning to stay for a few days at the Hudson House Inn in Cold Spring, the Brawny Sherpa and I stop on a snowy Wednesday at Boscobel, an historic house in nearby Garrison. It’s the perfect time for a visit…

Steak and a Sleepover, Rochester

Chalk up on my list of belated discoveries the Inn on Broadway and its accompanying restaurant, Tournedos. The inn, the former home of the University Club of Rochester, was built in 1929 and is now a boutique-style hotel. A short…

New York Road Trip: Reasons to Love Rochester

The George Eastman House and Pizza Bagels Leaving Hamilton and being chased by a dog on the way out of town, the Brawny Sherpa and I drive past windmills that weren’t there years ago and appreciate the scenery. Ahead on…

A Quick Getaway to the Colgate Inn

Not Just for Alumni I’ve had a romance with the Colgate Inn in Hamilton, N.Y. since my freshman year at college. I loved brunch on Sundays, Bloody Mary’s on those mornings that stretched into afternoons, beers before the fire during…

Destination: Hamilton

The first stop on my memory lane tour is Colgate University, where I spent a beer-drenched year enjoying football games and fraternity parties. The Brawny Sherpa and I set off on the scenic route from Westchester to Madison County—the only…