You're Not Dreaming
It really is strawberry season in the Hudson Valley. So make haste and visit Lawrence Farm Orchards in Newburgh where you can pick your very own sweet little berries, pet the goats, check out the bees, meet the Daisy and Missy, the plow horses, frolic in one of the little playhouses, and shop at the stand. Depending on when you go, you might also find cherries, raspberries, or rhubarb, ripe for the stockpiling. And then of course you will have to go home and make a pie. Open 9 am to 4 pm every day, but be sure to call ahead or visit the website to check on what is available.
It's Actually Like Saving Money
Looking for a way to go out without hiring a babysitter? Trying to find a family-friendly restaurant that's adorable, delightful, delicious, and with a kid's menu for five bucks? Miss Lucy's Kitchen is your jackpot. This Saugerties treasure serves up very homey, locally sourced brunch, lunch and dinner at great prices. And even better, they welcome the youth without sacrificing style. And next door, Cue, the owners' take on a BBQ-joint-meets-clam shack is now open, serving up seasonable sloppiness with greens on the side. Oh, baby. Miss Lucy's is open Wednesday-Sunday, and Cue weekends only for now. 90 Partition Street, Saugerties.
Step Back in Time
It's a bit of a hike, but wow! The very special museum The Clark, in the Berkshires, is putting on quite a hootenanny, called Americana Family Day, and it's free! Come listen to folk-singing team of Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion, take a hay ride, enter a pickle-eating contest, meet Honest Abe, check out school in the 1800s, take one of those amazing old-fashioned photos. And, of course you can munch on the kind of festival food one would expect from such a place. Sunday, June 30, from 11 am to 4 pm.
Who Knew?
Every June, hundreds of female snapping turtles, which just happen to be the New York State official reptile, climb their way up the steep hill of Boscobel House and Garden in Garrison, and lay their many ping-pong-ball-size eggs. On Saturday June 8, you and yours can watch the festivities from a safe distance at the 19th Annual Turtle Walk. You can follow the turtles, marvel at their age and size (100 years old and 40 pounds!), listen to a talk on the subject, walk the grounds, and even take a tour of the historic home, which Nelson A. Rockefeller called, "one of the most beautiful homes ever built in America." This is a rain-or-shine event, and coffee and donuts are on the house, starting at 7:30 am.
A Good Excuse to Act Civilized
Even after a winter as long as this one was, there may be an occasional rainy day or longing to get your family's art on, right? So when you and yours are craving some culture, a cute small town experience, and a dose of Hudson Valley appreciation, check out the group exhibit, "Plowshares: Living Close to the Land" at the Catskill Gallery of the Greene County Council for the Arts. Designed to run alongside with region's growing season, this is a show that celebrates the beauty and history of our agricultural landscape, and is pretty enough to intrigue the youngest viewers. Visit the gallery for free at 398 Main Street, Catskill, every day. Hours are: Monday to Friday 10 am to 5 pm; Saturday 12 noon-5 pm. (518) 943-3400.
