HudsonValleyGoodStuff

Day trip: Victoria Pool at Saratoga Spa State Park: Tranquil, relaxing with a great bar & cafe!

This past weekend my husband and I went on a day trip to Saratoga Spa State Park. We take the kids to Saratoga Springs once a year for an overnight get away, but we always go in the winter. This was our first time going without the kids, and during the Summer season so it was a totally different experience. We decided to check out the Victoria Pool, which is inside the Saratoga Spa State Park. It was constructed in 1934 so it has a bit of that 1940's retro feel, especially in the charmingly spartan locker rooms.

It is a perfect place to sunbathe and swim though very few people were swimming because the water was ice cold. I did go for 1 minute dip though. There is also a lift chair for swimmers in wheelchairs. There is a cafe and bar right next to the pool, separated by a rope so I had a margarita and a veggie burger and sweet potato fries for lunch. Entry fee is $8 for adults, and $4 for kids. There were a few kids here, but the crowd was made up of mostly singles, couples, and groups of friends.

If you are traveling with kids then go check out the Peerless Pool Complex at Saratoga Spa State Park. I haven't been there, but Saratoga.com has a good article about it. At the Victoria Pool I felt like I had been transported to a secret pool club!  If you are staying at a the Gideon Putnam hotel in Saratoga Springs admission is free. Bring your own towels. No towels for rent here. If you are set on relaxing in a lounge chair, get here early.

10 Ideas for a fun Father's Day in the Hudson Valley: Where to take Dad for Father's Day!

 

Bring the family to Zoom Flume for Father's Day

 

Lobster Mac n Cheese lunch special at Duo Bistro in uptown Kingston

Father's Day is coming up next weekend. Here are a few ideas for spending Father's Day in the Hudson Valley.

1) Dads get free admission into the Hudson River Maritime Museum in Kingston on Sunday, June 16th.

2) You could take him to see Paul Green's Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Byrdcliffe in Woostock.

3) Take him Kayaking on the Kingston Rondout. A Day Away Kayak Rentals will be open from 9am-7pm.

4) Take Dad out to the Terrapin Restaurant in Rhinebeck and they'll give him a free draft beer with the purchase of a dinner entree.

5)  Does Dad like to barbecue? Take him out to Hickory Smokehouse BBQ on Route 28 for a huge platter of BBQ.

6) Duo Bistro will be serving brunch on Father's Day. Duo Bistro is very popular for brunch on the weekends. They are open from 10 am-3:3o for breakfast/brunch/lunch, and open for Sunday dinner from 5:30-10pm. If Dad prefers buffets, check out Deising's Restaurant on North Front Street in Kingston. They will be having a Father's Day Buffet on Sunday.

7)  Running Dad: Register for the 4th Annual New Paltz Challenge Father's Day Half-Marathon & Family 5K Run.

8) The Antique Motorcycle Club of America will be hosting their annual show on June 14th & 15th in Rhinebeck at the Dutchess County Fair Grounds/

9) Take him down a waterslide at Zoom Flume in East Durham.

10) Treat him to a massage or a Men's Hot Towel retreat facial at River Rock Health Spa. 

Hudson Valley Good Stuff's Wish List for 2013 or "25 Fun Things To Do in the Hudson Valley"

 

Wish #12: Take an Indian cooking class

One good thing about the Blogathon is that it will force me to publish all the Draft blog posts I've kept in the cooker for some reason this year. In 2012, I started off the new year with a Wish List with places and things I wanted to check out in the Hudson Valley in the year to write about for the blog and/or magazine assignments. Well, here is my list for 2013. (I'm happy to report that I can check a few of these wishes off my list as "DONE"!)  I know this is an ambitious list, and I might not have the time or budget to do it all, but I find that writing it all down keeps me accountable.(And, yes, I doubled my wish list this year. Why not?)

 

1) Peekamoose Restaurant--(This is left-over wish from 2012, but I will get here in 2013!) Done! See Mother's Day blog post.

2) Dine at Gunk Haus in Highland as my husband loves German food, and we haven't been to a German restaurant together since we lived in the city. (I miss Hallo Berlin!)

3) Kiwanis Ice Arena in Saugerties. I have been here before, but I haven't been here in over 2 years, which is ridiculous! DONE!

4) Mid-week skiing at a very easy bunny hill at one of the popular skiing places in the Hudson Valley. I was thinking of Belleayre or Hunter, but if anybody has other suggestions I'm open.

5) Woodstock Aikido. I met someone who teaches here so that is a sign that I must check this out. I wanted to try this out years ago! 

6)  Try out the Joe Beez Sandwich place in Kingston, then walk the Hurley Rail Trail.

7) Hudson Valley Pizza Festival--This will take place on April 28th from 2 pm -8pm. (DONE, see my Pizza Judge re-cap in case you missed it).

8) West Tagkanik Diner in Acram, NY--We follow each other on Facebook, and they always post such yummy looking food, and I can tell from their fans and the page that they've got Good Stuff!

9) Yoga: One month this year, I would like to get a monthly unlimited yoga pass and try to practice 5x a week and see what happens. It would have to be close to Saugerties, Woodstock or Kingston so I don't have to drive too far.  Woodstock would be the closest. (Would any yoga studio like to barter with me to make this experiment a reality?) I'd keep an online yoga diary of your studio.

10) Have breakfast at Sweet Sue's on Phoenicia again!

11) Try Soul Cycle in Scarsdale or Bridgehampton. I've been very curious about Soul Cycle for awhile now. I'm hoping my friend in Yonkers will want try this out with me one day.

12) I love Indian cuisine so much that I would like to take an Indian Cooking class so that I can cook it at home. (Right now I'm relying on the tandoori sauce in a jar). I'm thinking of trying another Culinary Institute of America class, unless somebody knows of another place I can take an Indian cooking class.

13) A spa treatment that involves maple syrup or chocolate. (Not maple syrup, but my recent Eminence Body Scrub at River Rock was very indulgent).

15) Go on a day trip to Beacon and check out the Rondhouse at Beacon Falls.

16) Interview a celebrity with ties to the Hudson Valley. 

17) Go to Lake Placid for a short family mini-vacation. (Done! See Whiteface Lodge blog post!)

18) Dust off my roller skates and go to Wooden Wheel in Port Ewen.

19) Visit Harney & Sons Tea Tasting room in Millerton.

20)  Be a media judge at a food festival (Done! I was a cupcake judge again at Gardiner Cupcake Festival).

21) Go to the new Bocuse restaurant at the Culinary Institue of America.

22) Get the nerve to hold a chicken in my arms at the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary.

23) Take the kids to Wee-zee in Chappaqua, Westchester.

24) Interview Michael Lang.

25) Host a party/mixer at a local restaurant (to be announced) to celebrate the launch of the new HVGS! 

Stay tuned!

What is your favorite wish on this list? Do you share any wishes?