Food & Restaurants
Local 111: Excellent food at a reasonable price, great wines. Farm-to-table menu in a renovated garage space.
Panzur: If you're a foodie, you really must stop by Panzur in Tivoli. Come very hungry! Very attentive staff, eclectic foods, and great wines at reasonable prices. Impossible to have a bad meal here.
Hudson Chatham Winery : 16 minutes away by car, it is open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for wine tastings.
Antiques & Furniture
If you have specific things you are looking for, let me know. We go to Hoffman's Barn Sale in Red Hook (a big barn with great deals), Zaborski in Kingston has four floors of antiques, and The Bottleshop at Salt Point is great too: iron pieces, old bottles, curious objects, iron tubs. Brimfield is the event of events - 3-4 times a year on specific weekends you will find acres and acres of antiques
Skiing
For skiers, these mountains are 35-45 minute drive from Hudson.
Nature & Activities
Bash Bish Falls : Great in early afternoon (the light falls straight down), a really gorgeous, steep waterfall you can swim under (feels like Thailand) A 40 minute drive, there are 2 ways to get there. No swimming signs, people just go in. It's really refreshing, a personal favorite.
Directions: Take Rt. 22 north as it heads up New York along the Connecticut/Massachusetts border. Keep on Rt. 22 north and you'll eventually come to Copake, NY which is located where New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts borders meet. Proceed through the town of Copake. As you near Copake Falls, Rt. 344 east meets Rt. 22. Take a right onto Rt. 344 (east) and follow the signs for "Taconic State Park" The entrance to Taconic State Park is on your left and the entrance to Bash Bish Falls is about a mile up the road from Taconic State Park. (After you pass the entrance to Taconic State Park the road comes to a fork. Bear to your left at this fork following the signs to the entrance of Bash Bish Falls.) You can also visit
the official website for Bash Bish. There is a second way to experience the falls by descending the blue trail system to the falls (it's a steep hike though). This north entrance above the falls is about a mile from the main entrance on the right hand side. You can't miss the parking lot and cutout from the road.
Kaaterskill Falls: Very crowded hike but thins out at the top. Bring good boots! This trip is more for the hike and the scenic views than gushing water — there is a giant amphitheater hollowed out by water with a thin stream coming down in the middle of the water basin below.
Hawthorne Valley Farms : We went to Hawthorne Valley Farm, and really enjoyed photographing the pigs. They have a lot of activities, and store that sells their produce.
Diamond Hills Farm: Diamond Hills Farm is in nearby Claverack, and is another great place to meet farm animals and learn about local farming.
Paddle Headboards: paddleboards, kayaks, and bikes just across the river.
Town Tinker Tube Rental in Phoenicia.
Indian Head Canoes on RR 97 in Barryville, New York. 845.856.9686