One for the Road: Hudson Valley Voyage

by Kelly Amabile on

I’m a little late getting this one up, since there is an event just a few hours away that I wanted to tell ya about. But first, the book: Hudson Valley Voyage: Through the Seasons, Through the Years, is a new photographic look at the region by Ted Spiegel.

Along with text by Reed Sparling, the photos take readers on a journey that explores the last 400 years of Hudson Valley history, capturing the region at every season. And besides just the pretty pictures and informative background, the book features a four-page map highlighting 90 historic and cultural sights — museums, battlefields, gardens and galleries that you can use to embark on your own tour of the region. Some of the photos are online, and this one of a Catskill swimming hole is calling my name — a perfect way to cool off on a hot summer day.

Ted will be at Oblong Book’s Rhinebeck store today at noon to sign copies of his new book.

Rhinebeck: Terrapin Bistro and Oblong Bookstore

by Kelly Amabile on

I was in Rhinebeck, NY last week, a trendy Hudson Valley outpost in Dutchess County. I could do without the Manhattan-size prices I noticed while window shopping, but it’s still a charming spot to visit for a weekend or Sunday drive. If you’ve only got a few hours to spare (which was the case with me and the friend I was visiting) here’s my one-two punch suggestion for a pair of places to visit:

Dine on duck quesadillas at Terrapin, a New American “Best of the Hudson Valley” restaurant housed in a renovated First Baptist Church, originally built in 1825. The building is fantastic, but we chose to eat outside — despite the close proximity to the street, the veranda seating can be quite nice. Our waiter was uber-attentive but not overly annoying, possibly a chef-in-training at the Culinary Institute in nearby Hyde Park. The place is pricey, but the level of service and quality of food make it a deserving choice for a treat. Save money by eating at the bistro instead of in the main dining room.

When you’re stuffed to the gills on nachos and tapas, take a walk along Montgomery Row and pop inside indy bookshop Oblong Books and Music for some post-lunch browsing. Oblong has that lived-in feeling that makes bookstores so comfortable–the shelves are organized but there is still a sense that you’re roaming through an extra large and overstocked living room. Find one of the few comfy chairs you can collapse in, but be sure to do so with book in hand.