HudsonValleyGoodStuff

12 Things to do this Memorial Day Weekend 2013 in the Hudson Valley!

 

Delicious cobbler dessert special at Duo Bistro in Uptown Kingston

 

Memorial Day Weekend is almost here! If you are looking for fun stuff to do in the Hudson Valley this holiday weekend, here are 12 ideas to get you started.

1. Belleayre Beach in Pine Hill opens up May 25th-June 14th for weekends only. You can rent a paddle boat here too. The snack bar is pretty limited so if you are hungry, bring your lunch in a cooler.

2. Jump on a Jumping Pillow at Kelder's Farm and pose with the World's Second Largest Garden Gnome.

3. The Trolley Museum of NY (Kingston Trolley Museum) will have its seasonal opening this weeken. Great family fun for young train buffs.

4. The Kingston Farmers Market in Uptown Kingston begins on May 25th on Wall Street in Kingston. Afterwards you can walk over to Duo Bistro for a gourmet brunch or lunch.

5.  If you are in the Woodstock area, check out Woodstock Concert on the Green on Saturday, May 25th where great Hudson Valley bands will be performing from 1:00pm to 6:00pm on The Green. 1:00 - Students of Paul Green Rock Academy, 1:45 - Two Dollar Goat, 2:30 - Sin City, 3:15 - Passero 4:00 - Hamilton Hill Robotic Steel Band. 4:45 - Ronnie Bait Band. 5:15 - Two Dark Birds.

6.  Celebrate Bob Dylan's birthday at Bearsville Theater on Sunday, May 26th. This show may sell out quickly. "Soundout" will feature Tracy Bonham, Donald Fagan, Amy Helm, and a dozen more! This is benefit for the Woodstock Day School.

7.  Chichester Yoga is having special themed weekend on Memorial Day Weekend. Come take part in "Chakra Spark" with Megan Leigh. Do check out. Not only do they have talented yoga instructors, they have the best yoga views in the Hudson Valley!

8.  Go to an old fashioned Memorial Day parade in Rhinebeck on May 27th, starting at 9:15 am. Walk over to Gigi's Trattoria for a farm to table lunch. Skizza Bianca is my fave!

9. Hang out with very cool farm animals at the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary.  

10. Looking for really good restaurants to dine out during the holiday weekend? Check out my "Restaurants I Love" section for ideas. These are restaurants I would eat at every week if I could!

11. Rent a Harley at Woodstock Harley Davidson!

12. On Friday, May 24^th – The Forsyth Nature Center is offering Friday Night Paddles on the Rondout. Meet under the Wurts Street Bridge on the Promenade at 5:30 p.m. All paddles include equipment. Discounts are given to Kingston residents. Registration is mandatory. For more information & to register online visit: www.kingstonparksandrec.org

 

Paddle by the Rondout in Kingston

 

9 Ways to Spoil and Celebrate Mom this Mother's Day in the Hudson Valley

Oliver Kita's Mother's Day Book Gift

1. Hickory BBQ Smokehouse on Route 28 in Kingston will be serving a Mother's Day Jazz Brunch from 12 noon- 4pm. The duo Unicorn will be performing. In addition to their regular menu, Hickory BBQ will be serving eggs or French toast with house smoked ham and cheesy grits.  Fried oyster Po Boys and many other specials will be available for mom too.

2.Oliver Kita chocolates in Rhinebeck has created a special Mother's Day gift, a book full of scrumptuous chocolates. (Read about my private chocolate tasting here). The gorgeous “faux book box” holds a collection of chocolates made especially for moms; Violet Twilight, Jasmine Voile, Orange Mimosa and Living Rose are examples of exquisitely painted, luxurious confections with complete wow factor for her on Mother’s Day.

3. Crafts at Lyndhurst runs from Friday, May 4th through Sunday, May 6th at Lyndhurst the weekend before Mother's Day so if you are looking for cool local Hudson Valley crafts for her, check it out.

4.  If are looking to for sports event for women, look no further than the Inaugural Mother's Day 5K event in Uptown Kingston. After the race, I reccomend you can have brunch at Duo Bistro, Stella's Italian Restaurant, or Deising's bakery.

5. Diamond Mills Hotel and Tavern will be serving a Mother's Day Brunch fit for a queen. I have yet to go to a buffet here, but lunch and dinners have been delicious. (When you're done, you can indulge in a little retail therapy at Light House Home Essentials, DIG the Boutique, or any of other cute boutiques in Saugerties.

6. If you really want mom to relax on Mother's Day, you can't go wrong with a gift certificate from River Rock Health Spa. I've been going here for 5 years now for bi-annual spa services. I recently blogged about a classic European Facial I had there.

7. If your mom has a green thumb, or hopes to have one, get a gift card from Adam's Fairacre Farms. They are very helpful and have a huge selection of seeds, plants, fancy gardening tools, etc. (By the way, bring a cup of dirt in a coffee can or jar, and they test it for you to see what it needs).

8. Roundhouse at Beacon Falls in Beacon will be serving a special Mother's Day Brunch in their Waterfall Room, which they usually reserve for special events. 

9. And, lastly this note from the Rhinebeck Farmers Market: We have a special on Mother's Day which also happens to be Opening Day of the 2013 Outdoor Market season and the kickoff to our 20th year.We give free seedlings to all mothers.  The seedlings are donated by our vendor The River Garden, a flower farm based in Catskill, NY. The market is open from 10 am - 2pm.

Wishing you all a Happy Mother's Day weekend! 

 

 

 

Hudson Valley Restaurant Week: Prix Fixe Lunch at Gigi Trattoria in Rhinebeck!

With the Hudson Valley Restaurant Week nearing its end, I decided to go to Gigi's Trattoria in Rhinebeck since we hadn't been there since April 2012.  I love Gigi's casual chic ambiance. When we ate there last Thursday around 1pm, it was starting to get crowded. The 3-course meal was $20.95 for Hudson Valley Restaurant Week.

We both started with the minestrone soup, which was light and tasty. For my second course, I had the lasagna bolognese which was made from spinach pasta. It was delicious, and just the right portion so I had room for dessert. Tom had the beef bourguignon. For dessert, I had the tortino molten chocolate lava cake, and Tom had the riccotta cheesecake.

It was delicious from start to finish, and at $20.95 a great deal. As I was leaving Gigi's, I spotted Janet Crawshaw, publisher of The Valley Table, and founder of Hudson Valley Restaurant Week walking out. I had met her briefly at the Hudson Valley Restaurant Week Press-Launch and found it very serendipitous to bump into her at my only HVRW meal.  It was nice to see her again. This has been happening a lot this year. Anyway, Ms. Crawshaw certainly knows where to find Hudson Valley Good Stuff! Gigi Trattoria, 6422 Montgomery Street, Rhinebeck, NY 845-876-1007