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Outdoors
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Taconic State Park / Bash Bish Falls & the Ore Pit Five
minutes. A 200 foot waterfall, lovely hiking, great biking and all FREE.
Just park outside the gate and enjoy swimming in a spring fed ore pit...
cool and refreshing. It is a 5,000 acre park spit between New York and
Mass... Great for a hike and a bag lunch... literally,
heaven on earth. For additional hiking info,
www.berkshirehiking.com |
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Catamount
Ski Area Two minutes. Great little mountain - great for young
children and peace loving adults! Nice snow board park too. GREAT
lessons (Butternut Ski area is
only 25 minutes away...) |
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Harlem Valley Rail Trail Just five minutes. This bike trail currently
extends from Wassaic to Copake, and soon to Hillsdale & Philmont - over
30 miles of paths. Right now, you can train in from the city and then bike right
up to the motel. But if you forget a bike, that's okay. Bash Bish
Bicycle is right across the way! |
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Limerock Race Track 30 minutes. Lakeville CT, The rich men
and their toys... no funky cars here; they are vintage BMWs or thrilling
Porches. But you don't have to JUST WATCH... you can take your own car
on the track for a lesson. DRIVERS welcome!!! |
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Golfing...We
have three clubs within 15 minutes of the motel. Each has its own
flavor and it is really so inexpensive that it is hard not to enjoy.
Egremont Country Club - 413.528.4222 * Copake Country Club -
518.325.4338 and
Undermountain Golf Club - 518.329.4444 |
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Want some
other outdoor thing? How about taking a crop-duster over the
Hudson Valley? Or take a low wing aircraft over the Berkshires...
And for the hunters, Columbia still offers great turkey and deer
(helps reduce the road kill!). There is horseback riding and
apple
picking; fishing and cross country skiing too. Even snow shoeing!
Besides apple picking, there is also
maple syrup
farms, and other local farmers and
farm stands.
Really folks, there is no END to the adventure. |
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Museums
(back home) |
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American Museum of Firefighting 20 minutes. Hudson NY. An
exceptional collection of over 30 fire trucks and vintage equipment used
to fight fires in the United States. This is FREE and is a ball for
children (and for rainy days). While you can go at your leisure, it is
really nice to set up a tour before hand... this way you can have the
undivided attention of those that really know their stuff... |
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Hudson
Athens Lighthouse ~ 25 minutes. Hudson NY. YEAH, load the kids in that
boat and float out to the middle of the Hudson River for a tour of the
Light House. REALLY, it is fun, and it keeps the kids happy and the
gray hairs growing on the parents. Plan ahead... that is the only
way to insure a quality experience. |
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The Shakers! This is Shaker Land (for when they would "shake"
to the music - they did lots of shaking as they didn't believe in SEX).
Surely THIS must be interesting... the hot spots are:
Hancock Shaker Village &
Shaker Museum & Library. These attractions are really good for
a day of study and entertainment. Exceptional attractions. |
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Hit the Berkshires: Kids LOVE the
Berkshire Scenic Railway (as do the parents) & they typically have
some special exhibits for children at the
Berkshire Museum. Never a bad idea to check first to see what
is happening. If going that way,
MassMOCA & the
Botanical
Gardens are great too. |
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Olana 30 minutes. Hudson home of artist Frederic Edwin Church - a
sprawling villa on 126 acres on the cuff of the river. Extraordinary
views of the Hudson River and the Catskills. Excellent tour and perfect
for a picnic. |
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ONE stop! Two
main attractions are right next to each other.
Chesterwood &
Norman Rockwell Museum; Chesterwood was the summer home of Daniel
Chester French, sculpture of Lincoln Memorial, and the Minute Men; annual
events include Christmas @ Chesterwood, and Flower & Antique Show.
And everyone loves Norman! This stop is a journey back in time...
a celebration of mothers and fathers and sons and daughters. Best is
the "taped" tour... |
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Theatrical & Music
(back home)
The performing arts are the main attraction in
the natural setting of Hudson Valley and the Berkshires in the long,
lazy evenings of country living. It's best to do your research before you come out,
but you can always take your best shot for 1/2 off tickets available at several
different locations in the area. Remember, if you need help
planning... ASK! |
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To the WEST
of the motel is Columbia County and the home of
MacHaydn Theater &
Stageworks Theater & Co. MacHaydn is located in Chatham, an EASY distance
to the Blue Plate Restaurant (country sheeeek! not to be under-rated).
MacHaydn is a wonderful country theater in the round
and Stageworks is located in the city of Hudson; both about 25 minutes
from the property. If you go to Hudson, there is no lack of
excellent dinning!!! |
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To the EAST
of the motel, THE Berkshires... and the home of
Tanglewood,
Jacob's Pillow,
Shakespeare & Co.,Shaker
Mountain Opera,and
Berkshire Theater Group. The big draw is always Tanglewood,
about 35 minutes to the north east of the property. Tanglewood is
a 40 acre estate, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Just as wonderful is Jacob's Pillow, an intimate dance experience for
students, spectators, scholars, professionals and even the locals!?
There are 1,000s of performances every year in the Berkshires.
LOVE Berkshire Theater Festival!!! |
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Other
Attractions: There is no way we could list all the attractions on
ONE page. The Berkshires is a massive get-away for city dwellers.
It usually takes a few well planned visits to discover all the secrets
found in the region. But the above list is a good start. Other
entertainment might include a first class, professional (and still
country) auctions. One of the best is 2 minutes down the road at
the
Copake Auction House; - another hot spot for auctions is
Stair Gallery in Hudson; still other hideaway spots include the
Spencertown Academy; truly a marvel of intimate cultural gatherings.
Or if you are looking for something a little funky,
Club Helsinki is always a great option for blues, folk or many other
musical art forms. Invest in some time in finding the golden
treasures hidden away in the woods... you'll be surprised what you'll
find. |
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Festivals!
(back
home) |
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Grey Fox Blue Grass Festival 15 minutes. (JULY) Ancram NY. Just south
of the motel is a festival that brings in 10,000 people a year. If you
think you don't like Blue Grass, it is because you haven't been to the
festival. A memorable event that adds a new dimension to life... |
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Falcon Ridge Festival ~ 10 minutes. (JULY) Hillsdale NY. Just
north of
the motel is THE folk festival. This is easy to love... just like the
rock and roll of the 60's, but a little easier on the ears. This brings in another
10,000 people. |
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Strawberry Shortcake Festival
~ 25 minutes. (JULY) Shaker Museum and Library. GREAT for kids and
the perfect breakfast. Loaded with fun country stuff... a step
back in time. |
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Berkshire Coral Festival ~ 20 minutes. The HILLS are alive... no,
really. If we can get the music outdoors in the summer, there isn't anything
quite as beautiful. |
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FilmColumbia
~ 15 minutes. (OCT) Chatham NY. Now an annual tradition, this
festival brings in a number of excellent independent films to the area. It is kind
of a "last fling" before the winter snow and a great way to finish out
the year. If you love movies, this is a chance to chill out and
soak it in... |
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Columbia County Fair ~ 20 minutes. (SEP) On Memorial Day week end, the
farmers get together to show off their pigs... petting pens (for
ANIMALS) and food and music. Truly a marvel as ALL kinds show up for
this end-of-season shin-dig. Go ahead, leave the dentures at
home... you'll fit right in. KIDDING. It really is an
ole-time country fair. |
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Housatonic Heritage Walks
~ 20 minutes. (OCT) While not officially a "festival", it should
be. In early October, leaf-peak/peek season, there is a "festival"
of walks or hikes in the Berkshires. For the outdoor enthusiast,
this is not to be missed. There is nearly 50 different guided
hikes... absolutely spectacular. Absolutely. |
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Cool Schools...
(back
home) |
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We can't not
mention the schools. They bring in the best parents and promise
the most enjoyable guests. The range and verity of schools here
make this area unique; keep it young and vital. |
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Camp Hill Village ~ 10 minutes. There are only a few like Camp Hill
across the world. This huge plot of land provides a community of group
homes where villagers live that have developmental difficulties. It is
here where the value of every person is discovered and everyone makes a
contribution. AND they have a great bakery where we can buy
really good cookies... |
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Hawthorne Valley School ~ 15 minutes. This is the Waldorf Education
center for the Hudson Valley. It is a small school that nurtures and
rewards a handful of excelling students. Their work is phenomenal. It
is also the home of the best organic grocery store in the
County! |
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Simon's Rock ~ 20 minutes. A truly unique 4 year college. Students who
have excelled in the 1st two years of high school can opt out of the
last two years and go immediately to college. The idea is that they get
both the last years of high school and the college credits at the same
time. The kids are great. AND they have a great work-out facility for
guests of the motel! |
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Berkshire School ~ 15 minutes. Can you say "wow, that's a lot of
money!?" Besides being "a lot of $$", you'll think you stepped
back into the 50's with this first rate school filled with
almost 400 students housed a co-ed boarding facility. Proud parents
are always
welcome at Silvanus (we are a nice break on the wallet after tuition). |
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Taconic Valley High School ~ 4 minutes. This is an exceptional find out
in the woods. It is a 1-12 school that provides public education for
over 1,800 kids. This facility is well worth inspection. Plus, an
Olympic size pool is available for after hours swimming - as well as a
nicely equipped work out room. But the 1,000 seat theater rivals any
such space in NYC... and is just waiting to house the perfect event. |
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Informational Sites
(back home) |
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The HOT sites
for Information: The best site for events, calendars and
attractions would be
The Independent, which is a local paper. The website has an
"events" tab that lists all the upcoming activities by dates. The
best site for Columbia County is the
Columbia Tourism site. It has a complete list of all
attractions, lodging and restaurants. Then comes the chamber
pages; the
Southern Berkshire Visitors Center is not a bad site, however for
BEST results, just call JOY at the Visitors Center (800.269.4825).
Half-off tickets to major theatrical performances are available during
the summer... The
Columbia
County Chamber is great for a more in-depth view of business in the
area.
FREE Columbia County Travel Guide!
FREE Berkshires Travel Guide!
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The City of Hudson, NY |
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Stuyvesant Falls |
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Town and local
sites: Some of the town sites can be quite interesting if you
are looking to buy that home in the woods. The best buys are in
Columbia County. The
County website is a little hokey, but useful; well... most of the
town sites are so-so; but still interesting even if not so hot on
"presentation". Some of the town sites include
Town of Hillsdale,
Town of Copake and
City of Hudson. Actually, the Hudson site is a private site -
as is kind of obvious (VERY sharp).
For additional information,
you can always call the motel. If we don't have the answer, we'll
get it.
Email or call at 518.325.3000. |
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