Outdoors
The network of carriage roads that lace Minnewaska State Park Preserve were built in the late 1800s for scenic rides in horse-drawn sleighs and carriages. They’re wide, flat, and designed to offer plenty of panoramic vistas. In other words, they’re ideal for some 21st-century hiking or biking. Beginning in 2014, the Open Space Institute and New York State Parks teamed up to begin restoration work, reversing the damage and degradation caused by time and use over more than 100 years. To date, 11 of Minnewaska’s carriage roads have been restored and reopened. The next in line: High Point.
This isn’t just any carriage road, but a major connector in the patchwork of local parks and preserves. Once the restoration of the 2.4 mile High Point Carriage Road is completed, visitors will be able to travel between the Lake Minnewaska and Sam’s Point visitor centers without leaving the Minnewaska State Park Preserve. Local contractor Mombaccus Excavating started work on High Point at the beginning of March.
Precautions are being taken to not disrupt the fragile ecosystem of the Shawangunk Ridge. “We had to have all the trees we wanted out cut down by the end of March,” says Peter Karis, OSI’s Vice President of parks and stewardship. “There are two species of endangered bats living in Minnewaska that roost in the trees from April 1 to October 31.”
In a series of improvements costing $1.2 million, OSI will smooth out the rocky and uneven surface of the carriage road, improve the flow of storm water, and widen the path to accompany plenty of visitors. Changes will also include a 1,200 foot reroute around a very steep area.
“Originally, it was just a straight line that dropped down,” says Karis. “Whereas with the reroute, you get a curved slope with a view of the Catskills.”
While Karis expects all of the work on the trail to be completed by the end of 2022, the carriage road’s reopening will take a few months more so the crew can keep an eye on how the landscape is affected by the changing seasons.
“We’ve had problems in the past with rainfall or melting snow completely blowing out parts of the trail when we thought we were ready to open,” says Karis. “We need to wait a couple months to make sure we open once and without any problems.”
High Point Carriage Road will open in summer of 2023, and Minnewaska lovers will have a new spot to take in the sights and get in their steps.
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By Emma Cariello
May 12, 2022
Tags: Outdoors Minnewaska hiking Open Space Institute Web Only
Outdoors
Getting out on the water in a kayak is one of the most beautiful and peaceful ways to enjoy the scenery from a different perspective. If you don’t have your own boat, you can still enjoy the region's waterways from the namesake river to its many tributaries and other bodies of water at these 12 Hudson Valley kayak rental spots.
By Emma Cariello
Apr 30, 2022
Tags: Outdoors kayak kayaking canoeing stand up paddle board kayak rentle paddling
Field + Supply @ Chronogram
Show the mamas in your life some extra love with these wares from women-owned businesses
With Mother's Day right around the corner on May 8, the search is on to find a gift that tells the special mamas in your life that you're thankful they're always there for you. If you're stuck on what to gift your own mom, your kiddos' mama, or any of your other favorite motherly figures, we've rounded up seven Hudson Valley women artists and artisans whose beautiful, creative, and thoughtfully made wares will light up their day.
By Chronogram Staff
Apr 15, 2022
Tags: Field + Supply @ Chronogram Mother's Day mothers gifts gift guide clothing fashion jewelry pets dog flowers vase ceramics Web Only
Outdoors
Deyano Manco's New Adventure Outpost to Provide Gear, Supplies, and Community for Outdoor Enthusiasts
Rock climbers have flocked to the crags and cliffs of the Shawangunk Ridge for decades. Though, for Deyano Manco, a biker and businessman born and bred in New Paltz, the lack of infrastructure to support such eco tourism has always been surprising. So, in early May, he will open BaseCamp in Gardiner, an “adventure outpost” where visitors can grab supplies, plan a day on the ridge, and hang out afterwards with a glass of local ale, cider or wine.
By Margi Conklin
Apr 8, 2022
Tags: Outdoors gateway to the gunks gardiner basecamp deyano manco outdoor hub rock climbing hiking
Field + Supply @ Chronogram
From soap to perfume to face and body care and more, here are eight brands to know.
In the last few years, upstate New York has become a magnet for enterprising folks looking to make waves in the clean beauty space. And given the bounty of locally grown herbs and botanicals that can be sourced direct from the region's many farms for use in all manner of products, it's no wonder.
By Chronogram Staff
Apr 7, 2022
Tags: Field + Supply @ Chronogram Web Only
Shopping
With a wide array of spices, jams, syrups, and kitchenware, Warwick Valley Olive Oil Company has nearly anything a foodie needs. But the star of the show are the stainless-steel fustis—tanks of varying sizes with olive oils and vinegars that span a rainbow of flavors.
By Jane Anderson
Mar 18, 2022
Tags: Shopping Web Only
Beauty & Fashion
What started as a series of pop-up clothing sales to raise money for activist groups and organizers during the summer of 2020's social justice protests, Thrift 2 Fight has grown into a movement uses the ethos of thrifting to fund racial justice work, disability activism, and queer liberation. Founded by friends in Red Hook, the Thrift 2 Fight team traveled all over New York State in 2021 before coming back to Dutchess County, where the team opened a brick and mortar thrift store on Broadway in Tivoli in January.
By Marie Doyon
Feb 5, 2022
Tags: Beauty & Fashion Thrift 2 Fight thrift shop secondhand clothing used clothing vintage shop
Coronavirus
Hudson Valley residents share their first-hand experiences of Omicron.
By Multiple
Feb 1, 2022
Tags: Coronavirus covid omicron
Weddings
There’s something so Hudson Valley about a cozy inn, whether bursting with greenery or dusted with New Year’s Eve snow—and perfect for weddings!
By Kendyl Kearly
Feb 1, 2022
Tags: Weddings inn wedding venue
Weddings
The Colony in Woodstock is the perfect setting for a long wedding weekend—from the rehearsal dinner all the way to a day-after jazz brunch.
Presented with Colony Woodstock
Jan 1, 2022
Tags: Weddings woodstock boho Web Only Sponsored Content
Weddings
Hudson Valley Wedding Industry Prepares for the Busiest Season in Years
We talk to wedding industry insiders about how 2022 is shaping up to be the busiest year in recent memory for Hudson Valley nuptials.
Jan 1, 2022
Tags: Weddings wedding venue
Shopping
Stuck on what to get? These ideas are not your ordinary presents.
The tough part of holiday gifting is finding something that’s useful, fun, and not something they already own.
Here’s a list of out-of-the-ordinary things that can be found right here in the Hudson Valley.
By Chronogram Staff
Dec 17, 2021
Tags: Shopping holiday gifts presents hard to find gifts Hudson Valley Web Only
Design & Decor
In 2016, Laura Huron stepped away from a decades-long corporate career in visual merchandising to become a shopkeeper in Saugerties, bringing years of expertise and a finely honed aesthetic to the project. Bosco's Mercantile is a thriving bedding and home goods shop on Partition Street, stocking ethically and sustainably made products, from organic linens to indigo-dyed throw pillows and scented candles. And around the corner, the newly opened Bosco's Little Shop stocks artisan-made clothing from block-print dresses to wool sweaters.
By Marie Doyon
Dec 11, 2021
Tags: Design & Decor bosco's mercantile home goods clothing clothing shop homewares laura huron saugerties boutique Web Only
Craft Beverage Industry
7 Hudson Valley Spirits to Gift this Holiday Season
It’s the holiday season—your grandma is probably knitting the whole fam ugly sweaters while you stumble through your shopping list and Mariah Carey croons and swoons on repeat. Some people just don’t want more stuff. Why fight it? Rather than clutter up their lives with tchotchkes, how about giving them a gift that is tasty, elegant, and ephemeral—like a bottle of craft spirits. For the gourmand booze lovers in your life, we’ve rounded up a list of some of our favorite seasonal Hudson Valley craft spirits, many limited-edition, small batches that will go fast.
Hudson Whiskey | Cider Cask Rye
$55, 750mL
Formerly made under the name Tuthilltown Distillery, Hudson Whiskey’s portly little bottles of rye and bourbon are a fixture behind bars throughout the Hudson Valley and the city. The Gardiner-based distillery’s new xSeries is a line of small-batch experiments. Cider Cask Rye, the first release in this series, is a New York State rye whiskey aged in new American oak and then finished in cured cider barrels. The finishing process lends the rye a hint of apple, with inflections of cinnamon and caramel for a rich, full-bodied taste of fall in a bottle.
Taconic Distillery | Bourbon Cream
$28-36, 750mL
Winter, and especially the holidays, is a time for loading up on rich foods to stave off the season’s chill. What better indulgence than Taconic Distillery’s famous Bourbon Cream, which is crafted at their Stanfordville facility using Taconic bourbon, New York State cream, and organic maple syrup. Pour it over ice and enjoy it solo in place of, say, eggnog, or sub it for Bailey’s in anything from a White Russian to Irish Coffee and spread the holiday cheer.
Berkshire Mountain Distillers | Craft Brewers Whiskeys
$65, 750mL
As part of a six-year regional collaboration, Sheffield mainstay Berkshire Mountain Distillers has teamed up with a dozen Northeast’s craft breweries to create their line of 12 Craft Brewers Whiskeys distilled from beer. So far BMD has released six spirits through this project using Smuttynose’s Really Old Brown Dog strong ale (ROBD); Captain Lawrence’s Liquid Gold pale ale; Brewery Ommegang’s Three Philosophers (a cross between a Belgian-style quadrupel and a Belgian kriek); UFO’s white ale; Spencer Brewery’s Trappist Ale; and Big Elm Brewing’s 413 Farmhouse Ale. From the notes of wildflower honey, cedar, and spicy ginger in Smuttynose’s strong ale to the clove and citrus inflections from Captain Lawrence’s pale ale, these American whiskeys jam a lot of flavor into one package that will be a novel and intriguing treat for any beer or whiskey lover on your list.
Black Creek | Bourbon & Rye
$49-$95, 375-750mL
Located in an 19th-century Italianate villa with sweeping views of the Hudson River and the Vanderbilt Mansion beyond, the Hudson House is a new craft distillery, event venue, and future boutique hotel in Esopus. The recently opened establishment hasn’t started distilling onsite yet, but anticipating their grand opening, entrepreneurs Charles Ferri and Paul Seres created their first mash bills for rye and bourbon six years ago with Brian McKenzie, founder of Finger Lakes Distilling. The whiskeys, produced under the name Black Creek, are small-batch, hand-blended, and limited-edition with numbered bottles.
Hetta Glogg
$14.99-$22.99; 375-750mL
‘Tis the season for wood stoves and mulled wine. You can toss that Fred in a pot with a fistful of cloves and some cinnamon sticks, orrrrr you can scoot down to your local liquor store and pick up a bottle of Hetta Glogg. This local take on traditional Norwegian glogg is made using port wine gently mulled with oranges, raisins, cinnamon, and cardamom. Brandy is added at the end to fortify the wine, a centuries-old technique to increase the wine’s shelf life. When heated, the result is a rich, velvety beverage with the complex sweetness of raisins and the warming spice of cardamom.
Current Cassis
$30, 375mL
Make like the French and ring in the New Year with a kir royale, only this time sub creme de cassis with Current Cassis—a modern Hudson Valley take on that sweet, blood-red blackcurrant liqueur that is a bar cart staple in Burgundy. This locally made herbal infusion is fermented with Hudson Valley blackcurrants and blended with New York rosé and distillate, wild honey, and botanical infusions including whole green cardamom, bay leaf, citrus rind, and lemon verbena. Flavor-wise, it straddles the line between classic cassis and an Italian bitter, with a deeper, more complex palate.
Coppersea | Cask Finished Whiskeys
$120, 750mL
Locally, Coppersea is the gold standard for New York State farm-to-glass spirits. Located on a 75-acre farm at the base of the Shawangunk Ridge, their entire line of spirits is made using heirloom grains grown onsite and by neighboring farms and floor-malted using heritage techniques. While the whole line is top-notch, this holiday season consider gifting one of Coppersea’s limited edition cask-finished ryes. The Amontillado single barrel rye is aged for three years then finished in a sherry cask from Spain, lending it bold notes of tobacco and walnut, which resolve into brown sugar, almonds, coffee, and finish with creme brulee. There is also Sauternes single barrel rye, which gives the Empire Rye notes of wildflower and candied orange peel from the sweet white wine, followed by honey and apricot with a peppery finish. The Pedro Ximénez is another sherry cask-finished rye, but this one wears its backstory on its sleeve—or rather its nose, with aromas of raisins, brown sugar, and honey that give way to flavors like date, fig, and vanilla, resolving into molasses.
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By Chronogram Staff
Dec 3, 2021
Tags: Craft Beverage Industry craft spirits craft distilling craft distillery gift picks holiday shopping Web Only
Books & Authors
9 Hudson Valley Books to Gift this Holiday Season
Wildsam Field Guide: Hudson Valley & Catskills
Edited by Hannah Hayes
Wildsam Field Guides, $20, 2021
This pocket-sized guide to the region is ideal for any traveller, no matter how light they pack. At just over 100 pages long and pocket-sized (with tiny font to match), all the essential information about the Hudson Valley is in these pages. Premier shops and art centers, as well as spotlights of Beacon, Hudson, and other towns, provide plenty of ideas for things to do. There’s even an itinerary for a five-day road trip that goes from Kingston to Stone Ridge. Interviews with local legends, including Dan Suarez of Columbia County’s Suarez Family Brewing, and Nora Lawrence, curator at Kingston’s Storm King Center, capture the area’s irresistible charm.
Skolnick Architecture + Design Partnership: Public/Private
Lee H. Skolnick
Pointed Leaf Press, $95, 2021
This massive two-sided collection of the past 40 years of Skolnick and his team’s work, split into public and residential building designs, is full of architecture designs spread out across pages that are over a foot long. A foreword by Paul Goldberger, Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic, and introductions by Skolnick explain the designs of each building. Stunning full-page photographs take readers through multiple rooms in the Congregation B’nai Yisrael in Westchester as well as Port Washington’s and East Hampton’s children’s libraries. There’s also several Long Island private residences, including the living and studio spaces of painters April Gornik and Eric Fischl. The firm has also designed several Hudson Valley buildings, including the Mohonk Preserve Visitor Center.
Slapstick Gravitas: Selected Spells, Centos, and Lists
Mikhail Horowitz
Station Hill Press, 2021, $19.95
Over the course of his 70 years, Mikhail Horowitz has been an English Romantic poet, a Chinese hermit poet of the Tang Dynasty, a neo-Beat jazz poet of the Third Millennium, a pseudo-Surrealist poet of Paris between the wars, and a postmodern spoken word performer in an increasingly medieval America. This volume offers a generous selection of his various avatars, featuring poems and prose pieces that are bracing, ludic, and often madly obsessive. The poet Anne Gorrick sums up the Horowitz gestalt quite nicely: “Party invitations went out to Emily Dickinson, Groucho Marx, Charles Olson, Billie Holiday, and Basho. In the party’s aftermath, you’ll find Mikhail’s work.”
Bohemian Magick
Veronica Varlow
Harper Design, $29.99, 2021
Varlow, founder of Woodstock’s annual Witch Camp and the last daughter in a line of Bohemian Witches, shares her secrets to budding witchcraft practitioners. Learn the basics of proper spellcasting by practicing some of Varlow’s best spells, then be initiated into the Spectaculus, the branch of witchcraft developed by Varlow and her husband, David Garfinkel-Varlow. In keeping with the theme of growing a witchcraft practice at home, the book looks like a scrapbook, complete with highlighter markings and photos that seem as if they’re taped onto the pages. Varlow’s immersive writing takes readers through her own journey with witchcraft while giving them advice on how to cultivate their own relationships with the practice. She even shares just the right candle to use to make sure the spells stick.
Coping Skills
John Cuneo
Fantagraphics, $25, 2021
Curated with drawings straight from the plastic container he labels “loose sketches,” New Yorker cartoonist and Woodstock resident Cueno’s third collection of “helpful drawings” invites readers to see some of his work that is not suitable for magazine publication. Unlike his first two erotica-themed collections, nEuROTIC and Not Waving by Drawing, there’s no focus to this new book. Scenes of domesticated manatees, climate change, and sex fill the pages in full color. Like with his other works, all the images are drawn in Cueno’s signature squiggly ink and watercolor style.
Crazy in Poughkeepsie
Daniel Pinkwater
Tachyon Publications, $16.95, 2022
This middle-grade read takes audiences on a mystical adventure with main character Mick through Poughkeepsie and the rest of the Hudson Valley. Mick’s brother has just returned from Tibet with two guests in tow—Guru Lumpo Smythe-Finkel and his dog, Lhasa. Readers follow the group on a quest that also includes an unfocused spiritual guide, a graffiti artist, and other characters. Their journey includes stops at parties with ghosts, and more lessons about the afterlife than they bargained for. Pinkwater, who lives in the Hudson Valley, has written more than 100 books. The novel is available for preorder now.
Collective Wisdom: Lessons, Inspiration, and Advice from Women over 50
Grace Bonney
Workman Publishing, $35, 2021
Hudson Valley resident and Design Sponge founder Bonney curates an inspiring collection of photographs and stories from over 100 female trailblazers. Olympic athlete Gail Marquis, NASA team member Elaine Denniston, restaurateur Cecilia Chiang, and others share lessons in growing self-confidence through interviews with their family members and other young women. Bonney was inspired to create the book after one such friendship that she had with then 90-year-old Georgine, who she met while volunteering at Angel Food East in Kingston. Their stories cover deeply personal experiences, including loss, grief, and living with illness and disability. Life achievements are also celebrated, raising themes about how self-confidence and empowerment can increase with age.
Wonderland
Annie Leibovitz
Phaidon Press, $89.95, 2021
Featuring a foreword written by Anna Wintour, Leibovitz’s newest anthology chronicles her evolving relationship with fashion photography while shooting for Vogue during her five decades-strong career. It includes 350 full-page images, many of which were previously unpublished. Photos of fashion icons, including Lady Gaga, Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett, RuPaul, and even Nancy Pelosi are featured. On December 5, Oblong Books in Rhinebeck will host a book signing with the famed photographer. The book must be purchased from Oblong to attend, so it’s the perfect time to pick up a copy.
Noisy Autumn
Christy Rupp
Mandala Publishing, $45, 2021
With a title inspired by Silent Spring, Rachel Carson’s groundbreaking book that exposed the harmful environmental impacts of indiscriminate pesticide use, Noisy Autumn also encourages people to think more deeply about the relationship between themselves and their environment. Rupp is a Hudson-Valley based eco-artist who’s been creating sculptures since the 1970s. Her book covers five decades of artwork rooted in activism, beginning with depictions of Lower East Side rat installations to more recent sculptures of endangered species made with the plastic products that harmed them. Essays by Amy Lipton, Carlo McCormick, Bob Holman, and others are paired with photographs of Rupp’s work to address how geopolitics, culture, and economics impact an ecosystem’s strength. Rupp launches her book on December 11 at the J. J. Newberry Building in Saugerties, in conversation with Carrie Feder at 4pm.
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By Kerri Kolensky
Dec 1, 2021
Tags: Books & Authors holiday gift guide book gift holiday book guide
Biased: Zephyr’s Handmade, Bias-Cut Dresses Flatter for Every Size & Style
Phoenicia Soap Co.'s New Store Offers Sustainable Skincare & Workshops
The Open Space Institute and New York State Parks Restore High Point Carriage Road
7 Great Mother's Day Gifts from Women Artists and Artisans in the Hudson Valley
It’s high time Chronogram made a newsletter about marijuana. Stay in the know with the latest on dispensary openings, industry news, cultivation tips, and more as we cover the emerging cannabis scene in New York and the Northeast. Welcome to High Society.
