HudsonValleyGoodStuff

Hoffman's Playland in Latham, NY: Kiddie rides, budget-friendly & an old-school amusement park

It was a perfect day to take the kids to Hoffman's Playland today.  It was my first time, and there is plenty to like about the 60-year old Hoffman's Playland. Things I like: easy parking, no admission fee, they take credit cards, ride tickets are reasonable. (We got a 25 tickets for $28.50 which gave us about 90 minutes of fun: carousel, choo-choo train tour, helicopter kiddie ride, spinning booth, and a rickety kiddie roller coaster). The staff were very cheerful.  

There is a good ice cream place called Dairy Freeze adjacent to the parking lot too. After 2 hours of Hoffman's Playland, we all needed a treat. I would recommend this small amusement park if you don't need flashy heart-racing rides, and are looking for a smaller amusement park that won't overwhelm (or over-stimulate) the little ones. We didn't have the courage to go on the few major rides they have there. Sorry I can't report on those! Hoffman's Playland, Route 9, 608 Loudon Road, Latham, NY (518) 785-3842. The park is open weather-permitting 7 days a week during the Summer until September 6th, then open weekends only until October 1st.

Guptill's Coney Express Ice Cream in Latham, NY: Waffle cones, soft serve, slushies & roller skating next door!

Guptill's Coney Express in Cohoes (near Latham) is a huge ice cream stand, which right next door to Guptill's Arena, which is the largest indoor roller skating arena, according their website. (Wow!)  I really must check this out next time. It was closed when we stopped by yesterday around 12 noon.

My daughter had a doctor's appointment in Latham yesterday and Guptill's Coney Express was the perfect post-doctor's visit treat. Since it was a chilly and gloomy day we were the only customers. I'd imagine that the place gets packed during the Summer months.  Have you been there? What's good?  The rink was closed, but next time I'm in the area, I will sneak in and take a few photos. Guptill's Arena, 1085  Route 9, Latham, NY (518) 785-0660.

 

Basic Skywarn Spotter Training Course with Meteorologist Tom Wasula: Weather Junkies Unite!

I joined about 30 other weather junkies and volunteers at the Basic Skywarn Spotter Training Course taught by Metereologist Tom Wasula on April 17th at the Ulster Hose Fire Company 5 in Kingston. The slide and video presentation and brief group quiz lasted about 2 hours. I'm an official Skywarn Spotter now. I can (maybe) spot a tornado, funnel cloud, a wall cloud, a shelf cloud, and weird looking hail. Wasula showed the group a series of severe weather videos, including a video of a downburst, a derecho, and a tornado. I had never even heard of a downburst or a derecho.  (Thankfully these are rare though!)  A downburst looks like a giant ball of rain from far away. The last derecho in the upstate NY area took place on Labor Day 1998.

There is an Advanced Skywarn Training in May 7th in Albany you can sign up for if you want to get a more in depth understanding of the science behind it all. For a weather buff like me, just listening to a meteorologist Tom Wasula explain the basics of weather spotting for two hours was enough fun. (I wrote an essay for Green Door magazine about my weather obsession).  By the way, next week it is National Severe Weather Preparedness Week, are you prepared? The National Weather Service has a good guide to Severe Weather safety here. Besides Weather.com, I really on Alex Marra's HV Weather Page on Facebook, and National Weather Service Albany NY's page for Hudson Valley severe weather updates.