The Drive » Rte 9G north is a
better choice than Rte 9 north
for this 25-mile drive; it’s more
rural and every once in a while
opens up to views of the Catskill
Mountains on the other side of
the river in the distance. Also
across the river is Saugerties
(p45), worth a visit – cross
the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge
and take Rte 9W north – if you
have time.
9 Hudson
Hudson is an attractive
town with a hip, gay-
friendly community
of artists, writers and
performers who fled
the city in the hope of
creating more ‘sustainable’
lives. Warren St, the main
roadway through town, is
lined with antique shops,
high-end furniture stores,
galleries, restaurants
and several cafes. Most
of these urban refugees
are happy to share their
stories and chat – there’s
a welcoming vibe despite
the high sticker price
for some of the goods.
Be warned: overnight
street parking rules
are extremely poorly
signposted.
Just a few miles
south of town is Olana,
(%518-828-0135; http://www.
olana.org; Rte 9G, Hudson;
tour adult/child $12/free;
hgrounds 8am-sunset daily,
tours 10am-5pm Tue-Sun) the
fish-out-of-water lookingMoorish-style home of
Frederic Church, one of
the primary artists of the
Hudson River School of
Painting. Church actually
designed the 250-acre
property, creating a lake,
planting trees, orchards,
etc with his idealized
version of a landscape in
mind so that the grounds
became a complementary
part of the natural views
across the valley with
the eastern escarpment
of the Catskills looming
overhead. On a house
tour you can appreciate
the totality of Church’s
aesthetic vision, as well
as view paintings from
his own collection.54 p45
TRIP HIGHLIGHT
Start: 9 Hudson
Head east to the Berkshire Mountains in Massachusetts, another region of bucolic
scenery, quaint towns and vibrant arts scenes. Choose one of the following ways to
access the area depending on two recommended stops on your way out of New York.
If you head east out of Hudson on Rte 23, you eventually come to Hillsdale and
the Catamount Aerial Adventure Park (%518-325-3200; catamounttrees.com; 2962 Hwy
23, Hillsdale; h9am-5:30pm daily Jun 17-Sep 2, Sat & Sun May 11-Jun 16 & Sep 7-Oct 27). This is
no ordinary zip line or ropes course but easily the most exciting and challenging one
we’ve tried. No matter your strength or your capacity for tolerating heights, there’s
a route earmarked for you (plus there’s skiing in the winter). From Catamount, it’s
only an 8-mile drive along MA-23 to Great Barrington in the Berkshires.
Taking NY-66 north for 14 miles from Hudson, you come to the small town of
Chatham, where in the summer months, Golden Age Broadway musicals are
performed by professional actors at the theatre-in-the-round Mac-Haydn Theatre
(%518-392-9292; http://www.machaydntheatre.org; 1925 Rte 203, Chatham, NY; adult/child $30/12;
hMay 23 – Sep 15). While productions like Brigadoon tend to border on cheesy, the
cast is usually energized and the generally older, pastel-clad crowd appreciative.
Definitely stick around for the solo acts in the old-fashioned cafe-cum-cabaret room
where you can enjoy show tunes while chowing down on a slice of pie. From here,
you can carry on to Stockbridge or Great Barrington.THE BERKSHIRES
DETOUR:
NEW.YORK.TRIPS.1
.HUDSON VALLEY