Our family is quickly falling in love with the Hudson Valley. Making the short drive to the Hudson Valley from our tiny New York City apartment has become the way our entire family decompresses from our hectic NYC routines. We’ve spent so much time exploring the Hudson Valley recently our eldest Elias now believes he is a weekend farmer. Although Elias is far from a farmer, I’m excited that he is beginning to appreciate nature and is learning where our food comes from, an important lesson in this over-processed world. On our last trip up North, we had the opportunity to stay in a gorgeously renovated carriage house. We were hosted by Billiam, known as America’s Hottest Farmer, ummm…. yep! Billiam is the proprietor of Liberty View Farms, in Clintondale NY, just steps away from the carriage house where we stayed.
On our weekend away we began our Hudson Valley adventure in New Paltz, a college town with progressive residents and business owners. Our drive to New Paltz was a quick one, well, outside of the major detour we made. My bit of advice when traveling to New Paltz, don’t miss the exit, we did, and it prolonged our trip an extra 30 mins. The next exit off the interstate is a whopping 15 minutes away. And guess who was driving?!? The drive, as usual, was beautiful, and the snow did not go unnoticed by the kids. They were bouncing out of their seats excited to see snow on the ground for the first time this season.
Once arriving in New Paltz, we had a delicious lunch at The Village Tearoom. The restaurant was a notably family- friendly establishment, unique and full of small treasures for the children to find including a chalkboard, which they entertained themselves with while the adults enjoyed kid-free conversation. The children had afternoon tea and sandwiches, specially made for little mouths and fingers. The tea tasted like fruit juice full of flavor and depth, and the finger sandwiches were the perfect portions for the kids to enjoy and fill up. I had a hearty turkey pot pie, perfect for the cold weather. It was full of organic and local yummy ingredients.
Once at the carriage house, we spent our time relaxing and enjoying every minute of much-needed tranquility. The exquisitely designed space was large & varied, more than enough to sustain my children’s abundant energy and relentless curiosity to explore. They spent their time playing together and allowed us to kick back and enjoy the electric fireplace and views.
In the morning, the kids spent time running in the yard before heading to the farm. Billiam gave us a tour of the property and allowed us to explore the beautiful land at our leisure. Billiam was such a gracious host, he shared stories about his amazing farm and had fun taking pictures with us. The apple orchard was spectacular, and the views of the ‘Gunks’ were breathtaking. The Shawangunks, also known as the ‘Gunks’ are part of the Appalachian mountain. They are a sharp ridgeline, running from New York to Alabama. In our exploration, we were excited to find the farm Yurt. After hearing about a Yurt from my co-worker I had wondered about what it was. A sight to see, a circular structure that was a cozy little living space. Aside from the vegetables, orchard we enjoyed seeing the bees and beautiful chicken coop. The kids always enjoy being around farm animals.
We ended our leisurely trip with a trip to Moxie Cup another extremely family-friendly and community oriented business. The cupcakes, carrot cake, and coffee, were some of the best I’ve ever had and the space comfortable and inspiring. The gallery of art, kids games and friendly staff made it hard to leave. Another fantastic trip to the Hudson Valley. On the drive back to the city we spent the time plotting our return!
Visit: Shawangunk Mountain Guide