Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

I want to go everywhere I haven't been, and back to everywhere I have been.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Woodstock, NY and The Catskill Mountains: A Tour

Woodstock, NY Catskill Mountains by Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

Where were you when the famed Woodstock concert took place in 1969? 

I'm guessing that a lot of you weren't even born yet. 

I was, and we'll just leave it at that.  

The concert ran from August 15-19, so I thought this would be an appropriate time to post some pictures of our vacation in the Woodstock area this past July. You may recall that we rented an amazing house with its own waterfall, in Palenville, NY, about 20 minutes outside of Woodstock.


Woodstock, NY Catskill Mountains by Ms. Toody Goo Shoes
The Waterfall House


If you're of a certain age, or you're just Woodstock-savvy, you know that the actual concert was not held in Woodstock. It was held on a farm about 68 miles away in Bethel, NY.  

So why does Woodstock get all the credit? 

Many of the organizers had homes in Woodstock.  The town of Woodstock wouldn't allow the concert to be held there, which is why the venue ended up so far away.

The little village of Woodstock is still a great place to get your inner hippie on.


Woodstock, NY Catskill Mountains by Ms. Toody Goo Shoes


Woodstock, NY Catskill Mountains by Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

You can almost get a sense of what it was like back in the 60's.

It's tempting to buy lots of tye-dyed t-shirts and souvenirs with peace signs, which seems kind of groovy in while you're in Woodstock, but when you wear them back home, you might look like you're in a time warp. Who cares? We bought them anyway.  


Woodstock, NY Catskill Mountains by Ms. Toody Goo Shoes


We also bought authentic Woodstock chimes, for the backyard. They make the most beautiful sound. Ours is called "Chimes of Mozart".  You can listen to the different Woodstock chimes here

The town is quite small. It took us less then two hours to poke our heads into most of the shops.

Hey, remember these guys? They hang out out this shop all the time.


Woodstock, NY Catskill Mountains by Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

 
As a tribute to Woodstock's musical heritage, there are guitar sculptures all over Tinker Street, the main drag. 

Woodstock, NY Catskill Mountains by Ms. Toody Goo Shoes



Just off the main street, is Woodstock Waterfall Park. It was a nice surprise when we happened upon it right in the middle of town.


Woodstock, NY Catskill Mountains by Ms. Toody Goo Shoes


 
Every Wednesday afternoon, there is a Farmer's Market in town, with fresh produce and even some flea market finds. If we were heading home the next day, we would have loaded up on the awesome fruits and veggies.


Woodstock, NY Catskill Mountains by Ms. Toody Goo Shoes


 
Most people who come to the Catskill Mountains take advantage of all the outdoorsy activities. One thing that you have to understand about Mr. Goo Shoes and me, is that we are not the adventurous types.  As Mr. Goo Shoes says, there are people who like to go hiking, kayaking, mountain climbing, etc, and then there are people like us:

That's nice, we've seen enough…let's go eat. 

Lucky for us, the Woodstock area is a weekend destination to many New Yorkers (for those who aren't into the Hamptons scene), so we had our choice of many sophisticated restaurants.

Our favorite was Cucina.  Fantasic setting in a barn with excellent food and service.

The Bear Cafe is touted as the very best in the area. It's is definitely worthy of that claim. We were lucky to have a table next to the stream when we went. 

New World Home Cooking was also outstanding. I had a cold melon soup that I am still dreaming about. 

The Red Onion is another popular place. We weren't as impressed as others seem to be. 

Only a few miles from Woodstock is Saugerties, which had an antique car show while we were there. Mr. Goo Shoes was in his glory checking out all of the old cars. 


Woodstock, NY Catskill Mountains by Ms. Toody Goo Shoes




The best coffee west of Europe can be found in Saugerties at Love Bites, a teeny place with just a few tables. The carrot bread french toast was A-mazing!


Woodstock, NY Catskill Mountains by Ms. Toody Goo Shoes


We had breakfast a few times at the Circle W in Palenville. It's a little general store that serves breakfast and lunch. We felt like we were in Mayberry, just waiting for Aunt Bea to come out of the kitchen. I loved the feel of this place, and the baked goods were delish


Woodstock, NY Catskill Mountains by Ms. Toody Goo Shoes


Tannersville was a cute little village that we rode through on the way to Hunter Mountain.


Woodstock, NY Catskill Mountains by Ms. Toody Goo Shoes



 
It was all decked out for July 4th celebrations. 


Woodstock, NY Catskill Mountains by Ms. Toody Goo Shoes


 

Hunter Mountain is a popular ski resort in winter.  


Woodstock, NY Catskill Mountains by Ms. Toody Goo Shoes


Woodstock, NY Catskill Mountains by Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

 
In summer, the big draw is the Skyrider. 


Woodstock, NY Catskill Mountains by Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

 
Riding the Skyrider 3200 feet to the summit of Hunter Mountain was the extent of our physical activity. Our white knuckles got a workout. Somehow, it seems a lot steeper without the snow.

The payoff was the incredible view. 


Woodstock, NY Catskill Mountains by Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

 
Everyone told us we had to drive to Sweet Sue's in Phoenecia, well-known in the Catskills for the best pancakes this side of the Hudson River.  Did either Mr. Goo Shoes or I order pancakes? 

Uh, no.  We both had the french toast. 


Woodstock, NY Catskill Mountains by Ms. Toody Goo Shoes


 
It was good, but we were crabby, because we waited a LONG time for a table and our food, and we were literally afraid we were going to miss the boat...

...the boat that was taking us for a cruise down the Hudson River. We made it just in time.

We saw some nice estates, like the Vanderbilt Mansion, from the the river...and some cute lighthouses. 


Woodstock, NY Catskill Mountains by Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

 
It was a nice day for a boat ride, but after one hour, I was ready to jump in the river and swim back.

Spending a week in the Woodstock area of the Catskill Mountains was like stepping back in time. It was very different from our vacation in Montauk, but it was fun to experience something other than a beach vacation. We had a great time, and will probably do it again.


Woodstock, NY Catskill Mountains by Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

 
This was definitely a summer for road trips. We just came back from another one (man, I love not working!) We went to two places we've never been before, and I'll tell you about that in a few weeks from now. 

Here's are some hints… 


A body of water connects both places. 


One is south of the border; one is north of the border.

Any guesses?
Linking with:




Till next time........


Ms. Toody

43 comments:

  1. Looks like a great trip...I was born but too young to remember the big concert!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Ann, I was just young enough to remember, but way too young to attend!

      Delete
  2. I've never been there, but it looks like a great place to visit. I was only 4 yrs old during the Woodstock concert, so I'm probably too young to appreciate all of that nostalgic stuff. LOL! The food you ate looked yummy and it looked like there was a lot to do there. You take some fun trips!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We did a few good road trips this summer…taking advantage of my new non-working status! It was a fun week. And, I guess I have to admit I was a bit older than 4 during the Woodstock concert…but way too young to go to it!

      Delete
  3. Always enjoy your travel pictures! Gives me a real sense of what it is like to be there and looking at everything up close! Believe it or not, I am aware that Woodstock was held at a farm! haha! I saw the movie! ;)

    Was your next trip to Niagra Falls/ Canada?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The movie is the extent of my experience, too! I will let you know soon about the answer re: our trip! Good guess!

      Delete
  4. I remember it well.......was supposed to attend with a gang of friends, but that's the weekend I got married!!! The 60's were the best of times, a lot of change happened, we were so brave!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, I guess getting married trumps the concert! That's great! I was too young in the 60's to really appreciate what was going on, but Mr. Goo Shoes agrees with exactly what you said!

      Delete
  5. I've been all over the country but not that particular area. Thanks for sharing at My Favorite Posts Show Off Weekend Party.

    Michelle @ On A Wing And A Prayer

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wow! Thank you for the nostalgic "trip!" Yes, I was at the concert, in Bethel, NY and spent a lot of time and money in the beautiful, town of Woodstock. The Bear Cafe/ the Little Bear was actually my favorite that overlooked the beautiful, Woodstock waterfall.
    I am now living in N.C. but, will never forget my "blast from the past!"
    JP

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How awesome that you were there! That had to have been amazing! Thank you for stopping by!

      Delete
  7. What a beautiful area! I've added it to my list of places to visit when I'm up North.

    Karen

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The natural beauty is gorgeous, and the little towns are very quaint. Hope you do get there! Thanks for following my blog!

      Delete
  8. It looks like you had a fab time. Your photos are beautiful :-)

    Popping over from the Lets Get Social Sunday Linky Hop
    www.adventuresofayorkshiremum.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Michaela! Glad you stopped by. I'll return the favor over at your blog.

      Delete
  9. What an awesome place to visit Amy! You took such great shots! I am a new Follower of your Blog. I learnt about your blog from the Let's Get Social Sunday Blog hop. Have a wonderful Sunday and week.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Judy! Thank you so much for following my blog. I just returned the favor on your blog!

      Delete
  10. New follower on FB!
    Beautiful pictures-TFS!!

    Pam
    @ www.pjstreasures.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Amy,

    Great Woodstock photos! I live in the Seattle area and there is a local, alternative area that looks like some of your photos. Looks like you are enjoying your summer! Road trips are the best:) I like seeing all the countryside. Great photos.

    leslie
    www.4aroundthetable.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Leslie, I'd love to see that area near Seattle! Thanks so much for stopping by my blog, and following!

      Delete
  12. Loved reading about Woodstock! Our family had a summer place in CT and were driving there that Friday from Dutchess Co. We saw all the psychedelic-painted VW vans heading west toward the Hudson River on their way to Woodstock. It's nice to see from your photos that the little village hasn't changed at all after so many years. Most people who aren't familiar with the area have no idea how beautiful New York State really is (when they hear NYS they think: NYC, concrete, gridlock, etc). The state is mostly rural, huge state parks, forests, mountains and so many waterfalls, creeks, lakes, & those quaint little towns, etc.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's so true…NY is incredibly beautiful! Thanks for reading my post!

      Delete
  13. You have a wonderful blog!! I'm your newest GFC follower from the “Let’s Get Social Sunday“ blog hop - this is my blog if you wanted to follow back: godsgrowinggarden.com
    Thanks
    Angie
    PS – I would also like to invite you to a networking blog hop that lasts 1 month long: “The Chain Linky CLIMB” currently live on my blog– Thank you! Chain Linky CLIMB

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Angelique, for following me! Yes, I will check out your blog, and Climb!

      Delete
  14. What a great place to visit. I bet my whole family would have loved it too! I'm your latest follower, visiting from Let's Get Social Sunday.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for reading! It was a really fun place to visit and I hope we go back someday. Thanks for following me!

      Delete
  15. What a cool place...it definitely looks like somewhere I'd like to visit! I loved the adirondack chair made with skis...how fun! I find that the most enjoyable places to visit are the ones that have character!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Michele, isn't that chair something? They had tons of them…so clever. Yes, agreed, places with character makes for the best trips!

      Delete
  16. What a great place to visit! You took wonderful pictures. Visiting from Let's Get Social Sunday.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Looks like a beautiful place to visit. I'm your newest GFC and Facebook fan from the Let's Get Social Sunday Hop. I look forward to following your journey. I hope you'll come visit me at Posed Perfection. Have a great week.
    Blessings,
    Nici

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Nici, Thank you for coming by, and following me. I will definitely come by and visit your blog!

      Delete
  18. Beautiful photos and fun post. We have similar blogs, travel and recipes. I would love for you to come visit me at http://www.memoriesbythemile.com/
    Thank you for stopping by our Social Sunday. I also do a link party on Tuesday's after a state trivia. Come and join us in that too.
    Have a lovely Sunday.
    Wanda Ann @ Memories by the Mile

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Wanda! Thanks for visiting my blog. I will check yours out, for sure, as well as the state trivia party!

      Delete
  19. Great post Amy! I actually got lost coming back from NYC once and ended up in Woodstock. Don't ask... It was the trip from hell. And yes, I was alive, but a real youngin in 1969.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ok, Eileen, I won't ask! I was too young to go to the concert, but not that young. I feel old!

      Delete
  20. Great! Looking forward to following along! ..just published a new post and hope you can stop by.

    xxleslie

    ReplyDelete
  21. What an interesting post! The food and the views look amazing! :)
    Susan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was all good, Susan! Really a fun trip. Thanks for visiting my blog.

      Delete
  22. Oh wow that garden looks like such a magical place - a place of dreams - my little man would love it there :)

    Laura x

    ReplyDelete

PRIVACY POLICY: I will never share your email information with others. I use your email to respond to your comments on my blog, or to interact socially with you.