Woodstock is Rebecca's hometown. We visit her family up there several times a year. It is nestled in the
Catskill Mountains which
are strikingly similar to the
Ozark Mountains in southern Missouri (interestingly,
they are both
dissected plateaus).
She loves it dearly and it is the perfect place for us to start the next chapter of our lives.
For you out-of-towners, you will be visiting
THE Woodstock. However, the famous
1969 festival didn't actually
happen in (or even very near) the town of Woodstock. At the time, Bob Dylan, The Band, and other well-known musicians
were living in Woodstock and the
promoters wanted to put together a musical event that had the same vibe as the Woodstock music scene. Thus, the event was dubbed
Woodstock Music & Art Fair: An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music. Due to its size, however, the hugely
popular festival
was held on a
dairy farm outside the
town of Bethel, New York, about an hour's drive away from its namesake.
Woodstock today is a mixture of old hippies and new artists. It is a relaxing town with numerous shops ranging from high-end
art to tie-dyed shirts as well as quaint restaurants all within an easy walk from one another. We suggest you plan on spending at least an afternoon in
town. Here are some of our favorite places:
- Art Galleries
- Fletcher Gallery - Family friend Tom Fletcher owns this fine art gallery located just east of the center of town.
- Clouds Gallery - Selling mainly glass works and jewelry, its prices make it more of a museum than a store, but as Rebecca says, "It's SO beautiful in there."
- James Cox Gallery - Family friends Jim and Mary Anna Cox own this fine art gallery located about a 10 minute drive from Woodstock.
- The Sweetheart Gallery - This is a fun store selling crafts and housewares located on the banks of the stony brook flowing through town.
- Shops
- Walkabout - This store is owned by family friend Bryn Kelsey and sells clothing and other items from cultures around the world. (And Rebecca worked there while in high school, so check it out!)
- The Gilded Carriage - This toy store for adults sells high-end kitchen and housewares (think locally-owned Williams Sonoma).
- The Grove - Located just west of the center of town, this shop sells quintessential hippie items from clothing to posters to incense.
- Jean Turmo - This is a bath / body / makeup store on one side and an extensive tea shop on the other. It has a great location in the center of town.
- Restaurants
- Cucina - Rebecca's overall favorite. Though a bit more upscale, it has fantastic food and a lovely rustic vibe.
- Oriole 9 - This place is great for brunch and their coffee will really wake you up while still being delicious. They're also super green / environmentally friendly.
- Bread Alone - Bread Alone is a great little coffee and pastry shop, especially if you just want to grab and go. Organic.
- The Bear Cafe - Just outside town, The Bear Cafe is a Woodstock institution.
There is some amazing hiking in the Catskill mountains. Overlook Mountain (pictured above) features panoramic views of the
Hudson Valley as well as the old ruins of a hotel that once stood near the top. Plus, the trail head is a 5 minute drive from
the Woodstock town square.
Check out
Catskill Mountaineer for more information.
There is some seriously great road rides in the Catskill mountains as well as great singletrack mountain biking.
Overlook Mountain Bikes is the local bike shop. Either they or Stephen
can give you some recommendations if you are looking to go for a spin while in town.
Most rock climbers have heard of the
Shawangunks and will be excited to know that New Paltz is a mere 40 minute drive from Woodstock.
Check out
RockClimbing.com for more information.
Stephen also has the guide book if you'd like to borrow it.
- Vanderbilt Mansion and
Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt - These two National Historic Sites are two miles of each other and are about 45 minutes from Woodstock.
- Bard College - This is a small libral arts college with an amazing campus along the banks of the Hudson River and is also Rebecca's alma mater. It is about a 35 minute drive from Woodstock.
- The Culinary Institute of America - The CIA's East coast campus is about 45 minute drive from Woodstock. There are 4 restaurants on campus for you to try out.
- There are several wineries in the area. Here is a list of the ones closest to Woodstock:
- Hudson Valley Mall - This is your typical small-town mall located on the north side of Kingston.
- Woodbury Common Premium Outlets - This is a huge outlet mall (bigger than Osage Beach) that is about an hour's drive south of Kingston.
The Best Western Plus and the Quality Inn are located in Kingston just off I-87. Kingston is a small city with numerous
chain restaurants and big-box stores, but little in the way of things to do.
It does have an
historic downtown district
a short drive from the hotels, though Rebecca, in keeping with her high school rivalry, insists that "Woodstock is so much better; it's not even a contest."