Chronogram Explore Spring/Summer 2024

Explore SPRING/SUMMER 2024

Walk the Via Ferrata through the Gunks

Summer Entertainment Guide Cozy Cabin Stays HUDSON VALLE Y / CATSKILLS / BERKSHIRES

explore Climb up and awe at the views. Reel in a big one. Score an eagle or watch one soar. Sing out loud. Or wander our charming, small towns.

We’re bursting with food, drink, and outdoor fun in any season.

Mini vacays… longer stays, or anything in between — we’re just a short trip away.

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43rd ANNUAL WOODSTOCKNEW PALTZ

ART & CRAFTS FAIR 200+ juried artists and makers ongoing craft demonstrations beer, wine, spirits gourmet specialties children's craft tent

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

5/25. 5/26. 5/27.

LABOR DAY WEEKEND

8/31. 9/1. 9/2.

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10/5. 10/6. 2024

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OUTDOOR ADVENTURES START HERE GEAR YOU NEED FROM BRANDS YOU LOVE Locally owned since 1955 and conveniently located in the heart of the Hudson Valley. Whatever your adventure, we’ll outfit you.

Visit Us In-Store or Shop Online 78 Oak Street, Walden, NY | 845-778-1400 thruwaysportinggoods.com |

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INSIDE 8

Hudson Valley Map

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Cabin Fever

Vibrant Vistas

Accommodations

Art

Escape the hustle and bustle and embrace the tranquility of the Hudson Valley with these cozy cabin stays.

A roundup of summer art exhibits.

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Culture

Food & Drink

Flavors of the Valley

Embark on a culinary journey across the region with this round-up of hot new eateries, from Indian fare in Woodstock to ramen in Newburgh.

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Craft Beverage

Pour Decisions

Take a spirited tour of the Hudson Valley with our latest craft beverage and bar roundup, from a Georgian wine bar in Margaretville to a sake brewery in Hyde Park.

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Magic, Music, and Mayhem

The season’s offerings include theater, dance, comedy, music, and juggling!

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History

The Footsteps of Patriots Trace the path of Revolutionary War history at area state parks.

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Outdoors

Exploring the Iron Path

Mohonk Mountain House’s via ferrata is the first in the Hudson Valley.

Photo by Jeffrey Jenkins

Lookout, Martin Puryear, Storm King Art Center 4

C H R O N O G R A M . C O M / E X P LO R E

DON’T JUST PLANT A GARDEN, PLANT A STATEMENT. At Adams, we’re ready to help your garden dreams bloom into reality! We have lush greenery and unique blossoms including Verbena and Cape Daisies and our ever popular Perennials. In addition to 100s of plants, imagine your home and garden adorned with the rich colors of Azalea bushes, Crabapple trees and grass seed that will become lush greenery.

At Adams, we pride ourselves on offering plants you won’t find anywhere else, just waiting to make your garden the talk of the town. Visit our Garden Centers, where extraordinary is just a seedling away!

Farm Market • Garden Center

SPRING/SUMMER 2024 P o u g h k e e p s i e | K i n g s t o n | N e w b u rg h | Wa p p i n g e r | M i d d l e t o w n | a d a m s f a r m s . c o m

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EDITORIAL Editor Brian K. Mahoney brian@explorethehudsonvalley.com Art Director Kerry Tinger kerry@explorethehudsonvalley.com Contributors Andrew Checchia, Marie Doyon, Liam Drauf, Melissa Esposito, Tristan Geary, Ryan Keegan, Ashleigh Lovelace, David McIntyre, Jaime Stathis PUBLISHING CEO Amara Projansky amara@explorethehudsonvalley.com Executive Vice President Jan Dewey jan@explorethehudsonvalley.com Sales Manager Andrea Fliakos andrea@explorethehudsonvalley.com Media Specialists Kaitlyn LeLay, Kelin Long-Gaye, Kris Schneider Ad Operations Specialist Jared Winslow

On the cover: Exloring the Shawangunk Ridge on the new via ferrata at the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, the first of its kind in the Hudson Valley.

Photo courtesy of Mohonk Mountain House

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HUDSON VALLEY MAP

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SPRING/SUMMER 2024

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ACCOMMODATIONS

Photo by Lawrence Braun

Eastwind Hotel & Bar, Windham

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Photo by Sean Davidson

CABIN FEVER

ACCOMMODATIONS

BY LIAM DRAUF

E

scape the hustle and bustle and embrace the tranquility of the Hudson Valley with these cabin stays. Nestled amidst the picturesque landscapes, each retreat offers a blend of comfort and adventure. Eastwind Hotel and Bar invites you to unwind in Scandinavian-inspired A-Frame cabins, while Callicoon Hills exudes lodgy charm with its panoramic views. Piaule offers sustainable luxury with floor-to-ceiling glass walls, and Hutton Brickyards immerses you in riverside bliss.

AutoCamp Catskills promises a boutique outdoor experience, while Wylder Windham channels laid-back summer camp vibes.

From Wildflower Farms’s natural magic to Camptown’s rustic elegance, Getaway Eastern Catskills’ minimalist charm, and Inness’s blend of Americana and Scandinavian chic, each destination beckons with its own allure.

Eastwind Hotel & Bar WINDHAM

Nestled in the northern range of the Catskill Mountains, this boutique hotel is a yearround glamping getaway that eases you into unwinding. This retreat was built to foster a distinctive Scandinavian experience—a distinctive home away from home. With a variety of options including two-person A-Frame cabins, larger suites, and studios, Eastwind offers the notion of camping without sacrificing comforts (like the sauna). From vacationing families to skiing couples or solo hikers, this is the perfect place to call your basecamp. In the main hotel building, there’s a full bar, supper tables, and a roaring fireplace.

Though if you can’t bear to leave your cabin, a tasty breakfast basket can be delivered to your door. With BBQ kits, hammocks peppering the hillside, campfire pits, and additional weekly

Piaule, Catskill

events like yoga and live music, there is no shortage of experiences but no rush to take it all in.

Piaule CATSKILL

Piaule: twenty-four cabins raised up on stilts sited in the midst of 50 acres of mostly undeveloped land in the Catskill Mountains.

Each cabin features a floor-to-ceiling glass wall, offering a full view of the surrounding woods. The property’s main building features panoramic views of the Catskill escarpment from every space on both floors. On the lower level, you’ll find a spa with yoga rooms where group classes take place on the weekends and private classes are available upon request.

Healing bodywork, massages, and sound baths are also available. Other relaxing features include a steam room, a sauna, and a heated indoor pool open to the outside and framing Catskills views. Upstairs, the restaurant offers a complimentary breakfast of fruit, granola, and local pastry every morning.

Hutton Brickyards KINGSTON

Immerse yourself in the glory of the river at Hutton Brickyards, an atmospheric stretch of post-industrial Kingston riverbank studded with intuitively designed luxury cabins (dog friendly!), fire pits, and spots to chill. The Empire State Trail cuts right through the property, so there’s hiking aplenty—and just down the trail is the newly opened Sojourner Truth State Park. There’s also a plethora of pleasures like croquet, archery, biking, and S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 2 4 11

ACCOMMODATIONS Photo by Lawrence Braun

Camptown, Leeds

kayaking. And there’s wood-fired dining in the open-air River Pavilion restaurant with tables yards away from the mighty Hudson.

AutoCamp Catskills SAUGERTIES

A self-styled “outdoor boutique hotel,” AutoCamp has locations in such epic vacation destinations as Yosemite, Joshua Tree, and Cape Cod. This glampground sits between the villages of Woodstock and Saugerties for easy access to shopping, cultural events, and restaurants. There are 95 units available, including Airstreams, luxury tents, and cabins.

These accommodations include decor from local artists and provisions from Catskill farms and breweries. The centerpiece of the property is the barn-style clubhouse inspired by historic Hudson Valley farms, where there’s a lounge and indoor fire pit, along with breakfast service.

There’s also a hammock grove among the trees and a year-round pool and hot tub.

Wylder Windham WINDHAM

For nearly 140 years, the Thompson House Resort was a Windham hospitality icon, known for its fabulous views, comfy accommodations and the hospitality provided by generations of the Goettsche family. Now, as Wylder Windham, the property’s been given new life by choosy hotelier John Flannigan. What hasn’t changed is the laid-back, magical vibe: summer 12 C H R O N O G R A M . C O M / E X P LO R E

camp for grownups, complete with a heated swimming pool, hot tub, and yoga and wellness programs. Outside, you’ll find a stretch of the Batavia Kill stream and hammocks, tree swings, pickle ball, bocce, and fire pits, along with electric or traditional bicycles for exploring and sleds for snowy days. The on-site Babblers Restaurant and Bakery offers food and libations, and a vintage Land Rover will whisk you to the slopes of Windham or down into town.

Camptown LEEDS

Originally built in the 1930s, Camptown is a hotel retreat nestled at the foot of the Catskill Mountains just north of Catskill in the hamlet of Leeds. Reimagined by Ray Pirkle and Kim Bucci, owners and creators of Rivertown Lodge in Hudson, Camptown is the first hotel solely designed by the duo under their debut company, Ramshackle Studio. The property has undergone a thoughtful renovation and redesign, embracing existing original architectural details while punctuating the spaces with custom work created through partnerships with local artists and woodworkers. Situated on 22 wooded acres of land to explore, Camptown features a motor lodge consisting of 24 guest rooms and 26 log cabins (many with functioning kitchens or wood burning stoves) that are equally suited

for short-term visits and longer stays. Casa Susanna, the property’s Mexican restaurant helmed by James Beard Award-nominated chef Efren Hernandez, offers a seasonal menu focused on fresh produce. Additional property features include a sauna, fire pits, grilling area, and access to a multitude of outdoor recreational activities.

Getaway Eastern Catskills CATSKILL

Everything you need and nothing you don’t.

That is Getaway’s goal with their compact cabins in the Catskills, built with natural components—wood, metal, and glass—favoring magnificent views of the woodland setting through big picture windows. Getaway features 51 freestanding cabins spread across 85 acres, close to the picturesque North-South Lake, countless hiking trails with breathtaking lookouts, and the Thomas Cole and Olana state historic sites, as well as the 260-foot Kaaterskill Falls. Ranging from 140 to 200 square feet, each guest room contains only the essentials: a single queen bed or queen bunk, two-burner stove, mini fridge, sink, toilet, shower, heating and cooling, and kitchenware.

Simple yet functional amenities include an outdoor fire pit with grilling grate, outdoor seating, a mini-library, and a cell phone lockbox so you can get the most out of your experience.

Be warned: Because the goal of the getaway is to disconnect, there is no Wi-Fi and limited cell reception, but there’s a landline in case of emergencies.

Inness ACCORD

The former Rondout Golf Club has been reinvented as Inness. Its 220 acres, nestled between the Shawangunks and Catskills in Accord, now feature not just golf (although the reinvented nine-hole course has been called a “must-play”) but a luxe hotel, restaurant, and members’ club. Restaurateur Taavo Somer (Freemans Sporting Club) says the marriage of rustic Americana and Scandinavian chic is meant to evoke duality: untamed nature and manicured functionality. There are 28 minimalist cabins and a 12-room farmhouse, most with stunning mountain vistas, all fitted out with luxury amenities and custom furniture and lighting mixed with thoughtfully curated vintage. The onsite restaurant offers simple, rustic food, Mediterranean-inspired and locally sourced whenever possible, and a fire pit outside.

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FOOD & DRINK

FLAVORS OF THE VALLEY

BY MELISSA ESPOSITO, MARIE DOYON, AND RYAN KEEGAN

14 C H R O N O G R A M . C O M / E X P LO R E

FOOD & DRINK

Photo by David McIntyre

E

mbark on a culinary journey across the Hudson Valley with our latest restaurant roundup. Discover Nirvana’s inventive Indian flavors in Woodstock, indulge in European-inflected dishes at Eliza in Kingston, and warm up with authentic ramen at District Ramen in Newburgh.

Experience the taste of modern Spain at Bar Brava, or savor Italian gastropub delights at Spettro in Poughkeepsie. Venture to Willa in Millerton for farm-to-table New American cuisine, or unwind at Oliver’s Tavern at the Howland House in Mount Tremper for cozy British pub fare. End your gastronomic tour at Ciao Bella in New Paltz or One with Land in Pine Bush for Italian-inspired and seasonally inspired dishes.

Nirvana WOODSTOCK

Nirvana, Woodstock

The second restaurant opened by Shiwanti and Chaminda Widyarathna, co-owners of the beloved Cinnamon restaurant in Rhinebeck, Nirvana features an inventive and highly curated menu that doesn’t sacrifice the centuries of wisdom gathered in the flavors and techniques of Indian cuisine in a sleek, modern dining room. Currently on the starter menu are six dishes ($10 to $15), and a sharable dish, “Chaat for the Table” ($25), an assortment of beloved street-food dishes that includes pani puri—fried, hollow, crispy pockets stuffed with chickpeas, potatoes, and spices—that comes in three flavors: traditional, with tamarind mint-water; dahi-style with sweet and tart yogurt; and with black caviar, the restaurant’s own version, as well as samosa chaat, adapted for fine dining. There are five vegetable dishes, including baingan bharta and malai kofta, each $18. There are four poultry dishes ($22), including tandoori chicken, a biryani, and additionally a duck vindaloo ($30); Laal maas is lamb stew standout ($22), as well as the tandoori jumbo prawns ($28).

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FOOD & DRINK Photo by Meghan Spiro

own-adventure affair, with the main proteins served a la carte and diners adding on as they like from the sides. The wine program, with a list over 50 bottles strong, is by Katie Morton, an Eleven Madison Park vet and manager of Kingston Wine Co.

District Ramen NEWBURGH

District Ramen joins Downstate on Lander Street, hinting at an emergent and unlikely culinary corridor on a residential street off Broadway. A rad, red-and-yellow sun mural lights up the brick wall behind the bar at the new shoebox Japanese spot, which peddles all your favorites from Ichimi cucumber salad and gyoza (both $6) to steamed buns ($9). If you don’t know takoyaki— octopus-stuffed fried dough balls drizzled with sauce, mayo, and bonito flakes—this is your chance ($9). But it’s still winter folks, and we’re all really here for the ramen. There are four options ($16$19), each with a different broth base, including one veggie option.

Spice lovers, make a beeline for the Edison bowl with tan tan broth and wavy noodles, topped with bean sprouts, bok choy, scallions, chili oil, ground pork, chili paste, and ground sesame ($17). District Ramen also offers sake by the cup ($6 to $9) and rotating craft beer on tap.

Bar Brava NEWBURGH

Under owner Philippe Pierre and chef Mike McCree, the spot at the corner of Liberty and Broadway Bar Brava, Newburgh in Newburgh once occupied by Mama Roux, is now Bar Brava.

With tapas, curated wine, cocktails, Eliza KINGSTON and live music, the new restaurant seeks to Eliza is the latest endeavor of the culinary bring a taste of modern Spain to Newburgh crew behind Ollie’s Pizza, who teamed up with a small-plates approach that allows with chef Chris Bradley, an alum of Cafe you to pick your own price point. There’s no Boulud and Gramercy Tavern, for this project. mold-breaking here: Expect classic tapas It’s part of the three storefronts on Broadway like albondigas (meatballs, $12), camarones that also house Fletcher & Lu and Ollie’s Slice al ajillo (garlic shrimp), croquetas de jamon Shop, all above a massive commissary prep ( jam croquettes, $14), and pulpo a la parilla space spanning the entire footprint of the (grilled octopus, $16). Filling entrees include building in the basement. The bistro’s woodpaella ($32/$38) and pan-roasted branzino burning grill is the central conceit that holds ($33). Wash it all down with a sherry, Bradley’s European-inflected, world-traveling vermouth, or a glass of Spanish wine. menu together. The menu is a choose-your16 C H R O N O G R A M . C O M / E X P LO R E

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Spettro POUGHKEEPSIE

With a gleaming, tiled interior (including the impressive pizza oven), Spettro brings the concept of Italian gastropub to Poughkeepsie with Sunday brunch, lunch, and dinner. Mid-day options range from sandwiches like the PLT (p for pancetta, $17) to panzanella salad, pizzas, and, for starters, tasty morsels like shrimp in white wine sauce ($18) and grape and ricotta crostinis ($16). Dinner is a hefty affair with mains ranging from scallops to pork chop and steak frites ($35-$37). The oven pumps out panouzzos (i.e. pizza sandwich) and mouthwatering pies like the Santa Rosalia with tomato cream, Calabrian chili oil, Sicilian oregano, stracciatella, basil, and EVOO ($19). A few pizzas, like the Florina, topped with hot Italian sausage, roasted fennel, fior di latte, San Marzano tomatoes, and parmesan, come with sesame seed crust ($20).

Photo by Julie Ilard, Shine Bright Photography

FOOD & DRINK

Willa MILLERTON

Ciao Bella NEW PALTZ

After years of running a successful Northern Italian restaurant in Monticello—the original Ciao Bella—the Gashi family was looking for a second location. They found what they wanted in a former railroad station beside the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail in New Paltz. Previously La Stazione restaurant, the train depot is once again serving Italian fare, now as Ciao Bella New Paltz. Aside from the lofty and luminous dining room there is also a wine cellar and a patio for additional dining options. Customer favorites include the pollo martini—chicken with a parmigiana breadcrumb crust and lemonwhite wine sauce ($25), and the gnocchi Bolognese ($24).

Spettro, Poughkeepsie

Photo by Colin Bazzano Photography

With a combined 18 years’ experience working at 52 Main in Millerton, coworkers and couple Alanna Broesler and Jim Buhs took over the restaurant in September. After a five-week renovation they reopened in October as the farm-to-table New American spot Willa. Under the direction of chef Daniel Meissner, Willa offers a small menu that refuses to sacrifice range for size, from winter squash croquettes ($8) and black emmer pappardelle ($30) to a smash burger and fries ($22), all the while adhering to micro-seasonal cycles.

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FOOD & DRINK

One with Land, Pine Bush

One with Land PINE BUSH

In the former spot of the Hoot Owl in Pine Bush, the newly opened One with Land is owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Jared and Tara Braithwaite. A CIA alum, Jared brings over two decades of fine dining experience around the country. Highlights of the seasonally inspired and regularly changing menu include duck fried dates ($12), the mushroom pate and spicy anchovy crostini ($12 and $13 each), and a spiced crusted lamb rib appetizer ($16) to start. Possible mains include Atlantic salmon, a bone-in pork rib ($29), pastas ($20-$24), and a chicken milanesa ($25). Don’t fall in love just yet, though: Menus change regularly.

MOUNT TREMPER Steps away from the Esopus Creek and world-class fishing in the Beaverkill and five minutes to Phoenicia, the Howland House in Mount Tremper has been a Catskills destination in various incarnations since it was built in the 1860s. (Some may remember it as the location of the auberge and restaurant La Duchesse Anne.) Following a painstaking three-year renovation under new owners William and Eva Brooks, the historic inn reopened in October 2022. A year later, the onsite restaurant, British-style gastropub Oliver’s Tavern, came online in mid-December. Think cozy dishes like savory pies and pressed paninis along with craft draft beer.

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Photo by Phil Mansfield

Oliver’s Tavern at the Howland House

Oliver’s Tavern at the Howland House, Mount Tremper

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CRAFT BEVERAGE

POUR DECISIONS

BY MELISSA ESPOSITO, MARIE DOYON, AND ASHLEIGH LOVELACE

C. Cassis Tasting Room, Rhinebeck

T

ake a spirited tour of the Hudson Valley with our latest craft beverage and bar roundup. From Rhinebeck’s whimsical C. Cassis Tasting Room to Woodstock’s cozy Small Talk, discover distinctive libations and atmospheric locales.

Join us as we explore the region’s vibrant drinking scene, one sip at a time.

C. Cassis Tasting Room RHINEBECK

With writeups in Bon Appetit and the New York Times to name a few, Rachael Petach’s take on the classic French elixir creme de cassis was a well-timed addition to the local liquor cabinet. Petach debuted the whimsical tasting room for C. Cassis in a rural barn in Rhinebeck last fall. Made with botanicals like cardamom pods, bay leaf, citrus rind, and lemon verbena, the resulting cordial is less syrupy and more herbaceous than its classic counterpart. At the tasting room, visitors will be able to try C. Cassis in various bespoke cocktails designed by mixologist and author Natasha David. Limited22 C H R O N O G R A M . C O M / E X P LO R E

edition products like barrel-aged cassis and the canned CC Spritz will also be on offer, as well as a selection of New York State wine, beer, spirits, NA drinks, and shareable snacks.

The Hereafter HUDSON

The Hereafter bills itself as a “cocktail bar for the curious.” To that end they boast over six pages of cocktail offerings, which are broken down into the following categories: fun, classy, eccentric, and deep. The Good Denim typifies the deep category with mezcal, fernet, vermouth, and pear brandy ($18). The eccentric Tiger pairs tequila blanco with roasted pineapple brandy, mango and kaffir lime cordial, lime, and a cilantro salt rim ($15). Beyond the local cheese and charcuterie plates ($20-$22), there are five “small dinner” choices. With guajillo chile, fresh herbs, and the requisite egg yolk, the steak tartare is a standout ($17). There’s also a pork shoulder steak ($22) and a trout in escabeche ($20) as well as a couple of veggie dishes.

Tuthilltown Spirits Distillery Home of Hudson Whiskey Come for a tour, stay for a cocktail!

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CRAFT BEVERAGE Photo by Phillip Van Nostrand

room with crisp white walls, birch-hued wood chairs and barstools, and a thick wood slab bar. Soviet-era posters and advertisements for Georgia adorn one wall. Out front, the pea gravel patio seats 20 or more. The menu focuses on the rich culinary and winemaking heritage of countries in the Balkans and Caucasus regions. The 14 wines offered by the glass ($11 to $17) during our visit ranged from stony whites from Spain and Greece to a peppy rosé from Catalonia, a tannic, bone-dry Georgian amber, and complex, lesser-known reds from Croatia, Slovenia, and Georgia, with a few more familiar French options thrown in for good measure.

Flying Goose KERHONKSON

Dassai Sake Brewery, Hyde Park

Small Talk WOODSTOCK

Former co-owner of Station Bar in Woodstock Mark Landsman has worked everywhere from the Waverly Inn to seasonal restaurants out on Montauk and as the cocktail manager at Silvia. Taking what he had learned over years in the service industry, in 2021 he transformed Hunter Village Wine & Liquors into Elevated Wine & Spirits. Now he returns to the hospitality scene as the owner of the bar Small Talk. The shoebox location (formerly Que Lo Que) overlooks the village green in the heart of Woodstock and serves classic cocktails; a mix of low-intervention, classic, and uncommon wines; cheese boards; mezze platters; and chicken pot pies. The vibe is cozy and evocative of the natural surroundings with rustic wood grain and dark tones.

Oda Wine Bar MARGARET VILLE

In the Delaware County village of Margaretville, the tiny interior of a former barbershop has been transformed into an intimate wine bar by a pair of New York City hospitality veterans. Oda is a 18-seat dining 24 C H R O N O G R A M . C O M / E X P LO R E

Kerhonkson might still be among the sleepy hamlets of the Hudson Valley, but it now boasts a cozy neighborhood bar, Flying Goose, next door to the recently opened restaurant Mill & Main on its historic Main Street with a focus on curated selections of beer, wine, and spirits that are equally pleasing to palates and wallets. Wines are available by the bottle and glass but also on tap. “When tap wines first started, you’d get these iffy brands—now a lot of good vineyards are bringing better products on tap,” says co-owner Roger Jaghoo. “We have this great Italian Barbera, a French sauvignon blanc, a French orange for all seasons, and we’ll rotate.” Wines go for $10 per glass on tap or $10 to $15 per glass from the bottle.

Cooper’s BEACON

After Beacon’s beloved watering hole Dogwood abruptly closed last summer, months of speculation followed. In mid-January, the spot reopened with a bang as Cooper’s under new owners Brendan McAlpine and Marjorie Tarter. The couple are no strangers to the region’s hospitality scene, other current projects include the Beacon Movie Theater and the Wonderbar Cocktail Lounge contained within, and the Bird & Bottle Inn in Garrison.

The squat brick building touts more than a century of history as a bar, and in its latest incarnation things haven’t changed that much from Dogwood—some seating upgrades, a kitchen remodel, and uncluttered walls that await time’s natural accumulation. The menu offers the classic American bar fare mashup, with selections ranging from fish & chips to a kimchi rice bowl to tuna nachos and a wedge salad. The drink options are many, with PBR holding down the affordable end of the spectrum at a sunny $5. Cocktails are in

the $12 to $16 range and the dozen wine options come by the glass or bottle.

Dassai Sake Brewery HYDE PARK

Last fall, high-end Japanese sake brand Asahi Shuzo, opened its first sake brewery in the US in Hyde Park, just down the road from the Culinary Institute of America.

The $85 million brewery, Dassai Blue, is capable of producing 140,000 cases a year for an expanding domestic market.

(According to Japanese Sake and Shochu Makers Association, exports of sake to the US more than doubled in little over a decade, going from four million liters in 2011 to over 10 million liters in 2022.)

Open for tastings and tours Friday, Saturday, and Sunday by reservation.

Lone Wolf KINGSTON

The boxy building on Foxhall Avenue that housed glam cocktail and Polish tapas bar Lis sat dormant for a year and a half until reopening in early November. Lone Wolf, the brainchild of Anton Kinloch and Lisa Dy, owners of the now-defunct Fuchsia Tiki Bar in New Paltz, brings craft cocktails and Asian-inspired eats to Midtown Kingston. Think spicy tuna crispy rice ($12) and pork belly ($15) for small plates and for cocktails a mix of historic (Penicillin, Paper Plane) and modern classics (Sasha Petraske’s Sherpa). A daiquiri and Mexican Mai Tai Tia Mia scratch the tiki itch, plus Fuschia lives on as a pop-up on Sundays.

All for One One for All Distillery

GOSHEN On April 5, nonprofit farm All for One One for All (AOOA) will reopen its seasonal farm stand as well as debut its new farm distillery. AOOA is a regenerative silvopasture farm, a model that combines grazing animals with edible trees and shrubs to create a multifunctional landscape that improves the soil and ecosystem. Stepping away from the region’s profusion of whiskeys, AOOA’s line of liquors goes in a different direction with spirits and French-inspired liqueurs, like walnut, cherry, and blackberry, made with nuts, herbs, fruits, and vegetables from the property. Their take on Chartreuse packs more than 17 herbs picked fresh on the farm and macerated for months.

Wednesday - Monday / 11am - 5pm 201 Ann Street, Newburgh 845-245-4291 hvhouseparts.com

S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 2 4 25

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Chr onogr ammi eWi nner ofBes tMus eum i n t heHuds onVal l ey SAMUELDORSKYMUSEUM OFART

S T A T EU N I V E R S I T YO F N E WY O R KA T N E WP A L T Z www. newpal t z . edu/ mus eum

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What, Me Worry?

The Art & Humor of MAD Magazine June 8 – October 27

NRM.org Stockbridge, MA 413.298.4100 Kids & Teens FREE Richard Williams, Alfred E. Neuman and Norman Rockwell, 2002. Cover illustration for Mad Art: A Visual Celebration of MADMagazine and the Idiots Who Create It (Watson Guptill, 2002).

James Halperin Collection, Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, HA.com. © & ™ MAD. All rights reserved. Used with Permission.

26 C H R O N O G R A M . C O M / E X P LO R E

Dia Beacon Riggio Galleries 3 Beekman Street Beacon, New York

diaart.org

ART

VIBRANT VISTAS Courtesy of the artist and Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College

BY LIAM DRAUF

One or Several Tigers, 2017 (still), Ho Tzu Nyen. Two-channel video; ten-channel sound, smoke machine, automated screen, show control system, 14 wayang kulit puppets in aluminum frames

E

mbark on a captivating journey through the vibrant art scene of the Hudson Valley with this curated roundup of summer art exhibits.

From immersive multimedia installations to thought-provoking explorations of photography as data, the region’s galleries offer a diverse array of experiences for art enthusiasts. Delve into the cultural tapestry of Southeast Asia with “Time and the Tiger” at the Hessel Museum of Art, or uncover the intersections of art and humor at the Norman Rockwell Museum’s showcase of MAD magazine’s iconic satire. Dive into medieval numerology at the Williams College Museum of Art or contemplate the power of language in contemporary art at the Dorsky Museum. Plus, don’t miss the opportunity to engage with nature and sculpture at Storm King Art Center’s permanent display of Martin Puryear’s Lookout. Whether you’re a seasoned art aficionado or a curious newcomer, the Hudson Valley’s summer exhibits promise to inspire, provoke, and delight.

“Time and the Tiger”

HESSEL MUSEUM OF ART AT BARD COLLEGE June 22–December 1 The exhibition—the first in-depth examination of Ho Tzu Nyen in the United States— features five immersive film and multimedia installations spanning two decades that draw from historical events, documentary footage, art history, music videos, and mythical stories to investigate the construction of history, the narrative of myths, and the plurality of identities. Widely considered one of the most innovative artists to emerge internationally in the past 20 years, Ho works across a variety of media. Through vibrant narratives and visually stunning animations, Ho creates complex and compelling video/sound installations that probe reality, history, and fiction rooted in the culture of Southeast Asia.

S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 2 4 27

ART

“What Me Worry?

The Art and Humor of MAD”

NORMAN ROCK WELL MUSEUM June 8–October 27 This exhibition at the Norman Rockwell Museum on Stockbridge, Massachussetts, explores the unforgettable art and satire of MAD, from its beginnings in 1952 as a popular humor comic book to its emergence as a beloved magazine that spoke truth to power and attracted generations of devoted readers through the decades. MAD’s influence and cultural impact will be explored in this landmark installation, which features iconic original illustrations and cartoons created by the magazine’s “Usual Gang of Idiots”—the many artists and writers who have been the publication’s mainstays for decades.

Alfred E. Neuman and Norman Rockwell, Richard Williams, oil on canvas, 2002, cover illustration for Mad Art: A Visual Celebration of MAD Magazine and the Idiots Who Create It (Watson Guptill, 2002), James Halperin Collection, Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, HA.com.

MAD and all related elements ™ & © E.C. Publications. Courtesy of DC. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.

“Photography as Data”

LEHMAN LOEB ART CENTER AT VASSAR COLLEGE Through September 15 While digital photography employs the building blocks of data—zeroes and ones—to form its images, the fields of data and photography share a long history that goes back to the dawn of the photographic medium. According to Jessica D. Brier and Anna Mayer, curators of “Photography as Data: Augmentation, Extraction, and Objectification,” photography has always served as a technology for the augmentation of reality, allowing the human eye to overcome the limitations of vision, and for the extraction of information about people, places, and cultures that are rendered objects of study and consumption. Using images drawn from the extensive photography collection at the Lehman Loeb Art Center, including early collotypes by Eadweard Muybridge, the exhibition explores the ideological agendas embedded as data in photography.

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“Cracking the Cosmic Code: Numerology in Medieval Art”

WILLIAMS COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART Though December 24 “Cracking the Cosmic Code: Numerology in Medieval Art” explores medieval relationships among numbers, events, and works of art. The medieval and Renaissance art on display in this exhibition from the 5th to 17th centuries— including a 15th-century birth platter by Lippo d’Andrea from Florence; a 14th-century panel fragment with courtly scenes from Palace Curiel de los Ajos, Valladolid, Spain; and a 12th-century wall capital from the Monastery at MoutiersSaint-Jean—reveal numerical patterns as they relate to architecture, literature, gender, and timekeeping. These artworks tease out numerical patterns and their multiple possible meanings, in relation to gender, literature, and the celestial sphere.

“Meg Webster: Sculptures” DIA BEACON

Long-Term Exhibition Meg Webster is a sculptor who makes minimal art with natural materials to be directly perceived by the body. Some works are to be entered, some works are planted. This expansive exhibition that opened in February features rarely displayed works which recently entered Dia’s permanent collection, including Webster’s signature concave and convex earthworks complemented by sculptures constructed in beeswax, moss, salt, and sticks. Webster’s body of work spans ambitious geometric sculptures, monochrome paintings made with organic substances which lend them their colors and scents, and hydraulic and grow-light installations that may be sited within or outside the gallery.

BRADFORD GRAVES SCULPTURE PARK Kerhonkson, NY In the middle of somewhere The Limestone Cowboy

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Lookout STORM KING ART CENTER

On Permanent Display It stands 19 feet tall, on a wooded hilltop at overlooking Storm King’s rolling meadows below and Schunnemunk Mountain in the distance. Lookout, the latest creation of acclaimed Hudson Valley sculptor Martin Puryear, is a beguilingly curved synthesis of tunnel and dome that first invites the viewer to step inside, and then to—look out. Ninety portholes in the walls and ceiling peek out from a singular focal point creating a constellation of images of sky and tree. It is constructed almost entirely of bricks. After nine years of thinking and planning, a mountain of structural engineering drawings, and two summers of labor by an elite construction crew, Puryear’s longawaited piece went on display at Storm King last fall. The sculpture, made using the ancient Nubian vault technique, consists of over 50,000 bricks.

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“Mis/Communication”

DORSK Y MUSEUMM AT SUNY NEW PALTZ Curated by Amy Kahng, “Mis/Communication: Language and Power in Contemporary Art” features video, sculpture, drawing, and interactive media artworks by 15 contemporary artists who explore the power of language in a cultural context, dissecting the ways in which language connects us and isolates us.

Concluding a five-campus SUNY tour, the closing iteration of the exhibition is presented in an expanded list of works at the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art that includes pieces by Jesse Chun, Dahn Gim, Angelina Joshua and Jake Duczynski, Dulce Soledad Ibarra, and Benjamin Lundberg Torres Sanche.

65 HILL STREET CATSKILL ny 917.992.1453 hillstreetgallery.com Photography Painting ceramics Prints S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 2 4 29

MAGIC, MUSIC, AND MAYHEM

BY TRISTAN GEARY

Elevator Repair Service’s “Ulysses” at Bard College

F

rom side-splitting comedy to watermelon-splitting juggling, summer in the Hudson Valley will expose audiences to fan favorites, international gems, and experiments in music, theater, dance, and their combinations. The enduring choreography of Mark Morris grounds us with timeless dance and music, while we are launched into outer space with the Sun Ra Arkestra’s intergalactic free jazz extravaganza. We enter the realm of wonder with the dexterous magic of trickster Michael Carbonaro as we get hooked on his endearing stage presence, and flirt with the psychedelic at a three-day Phish engagement famous for its unpredictability. In theater, Elevator Repair Service goes toe-to-toe with the epic that is Ulysses, staging the novel’s plethora of characters, scenes, and deeply thought-provoking themes with humor and versatility. Quite literally juggling circus, dance, and story, Gandini Juggling have their hands full with fruits of various sizes in “Smashed2,” a new circus work offering a pointed social commentary performed at PS21. Together, the region’s summer arts landscape is swirling with fresh material, bold experiments, and beloved classics.

Michael Carbonaro BARDAVON

June 2 Combining mind-bending magic and laughout-loud antics, Michael Carbonaro thrives in the intersection of comedy and wonder. Known 30 C H R O N O G R A M . C O M / E X P LO R E

for his original hit series “The Carbonaro Effect” as well as his frequent appearances on binge-worthy TV shows such as “30 Rock” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” Carbonaro will perform at the Bardavon as part of his “Lies on Stage” project, a tour that has boggled minds across the country since 2021. Deploying illusion, sleight of hand, and elements of slapstick and physical comedy, Carbonaro ties his act together through masterful timing, making you believe your own eyes a little less, and believe in magic a little more.

Elevator Repair Service’s “Ulysses”

BARD COLLEGE June 6–July 14 Elevator Repair Service’s experimental style has widened the horizons of audiences for over three decades, redefining the possibilities of theater. James Joyce’s Ulysses did the same thing for literature with its publication in 1922. A novel set over the course of just one day, Ulysses nonetheless packs in a plethora of literary styles, scores of vivid characters, and deeply human themes running from the profound to the profane. In the world premiere of their new staging, Elevator Repair Service traverses the novel’s many settings—the pubs, the Dublin streets, the lived-in homes, the Irish coastline—with curiosity and playfulness, taking up the overwhelming task of staging a novel that has perplexed readers for a century, and will likely continue to for many more.

Photo by Owen Hope

CULTURE

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CULTURE

Sun Ra Arkestra at Opus 40

Alan Cumming PARAMOUNT HUDSON VALLEY

June 21 After a decades-long career spanning theater, music, storytelling, fashion, writing, and their explosive intersections, the polymath performer Alan Cumming makes his Paramount Hudson Valley debut with “Uncut.” Touted as an honest and unfiltered cabaret performance, Cumming teams up with pianist and musical director Henry Koperski to deliver heartfelt songs from the scandalous to the sacred that are both tantalizing and touching. Unapologetically risque and irresistibly smutty, the Scottish star has infected American audiences with his lifeaffirming stage presence.

Sun Ra Arkestra OPUS 40

July 5–6 Endowed with a cosmic vision that permeated his life and music, pioneering composer Sun Ra left this Earth in 1993. However, his spirit lives on through the continuation of the ensemble he founded, the Sun Ra Arkestra.

Organized chaos meets infectious swing in this raucous and experimental 12-member free jazz group, which is undergirded through its taste for the interstellar. Donning otherworldly outfits, the ensemble has featured a revolving door of stellar instrumentalists and singers, and is fronted by the 99-year-old metaphysical saxophonist Marshall Allen.

Taking improvisation to its brink, the music is simultaneously futuristic in its aesthetic and

classic in its use of jazz vocabulary, offering driving grooves and unfolding improvisation.

“Smashed2” by Gandini Juggling PS21

July 12–13 In “Smashed2,” the nine performers of UK troupe Gandini Juggling co-star with 80 oranges and seven watermelons. Reimagining juggling for smashable fruits, the piece is not afraid to get sticky, with not an inch of the stage uncovered by orange and watermelon pulp by the end. At the intersection of juggling, dance, and storytelling, “Smashed2” is an example of the new circus genre that PS21 in Chatham is known for platforming, mesmerizing audiences with hypnotic juggling skills while simultaneously telling an unfolding poignant drama. In “Smashed2,” a pointed and playful critique of gender roles is put forth, ending satisfyingly and perhaps symbolically, with a carnage of fruit.

Patton Oswalt THE MAHAIWE

July 21 Name a TV show, and Patton Oswalt is probably in it. With countless roles under his belt, Oswald is a comic at heart. At the Mahaiwe in Great Barrington, Oswald offers an hourlong show of new material. “Effervescent” is exemplary of Oswald’s signature style, both macabre and uplifting, political and personal.

Describing the show as a “hilarious train wreck,” Oswalt leans into his nonchalant S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 2 4 33

CULTURE irreverence, broaching trending cultural topics and hot-button issues that, despite the everyday melee, end only with one winner: laughter.

The Mark Morris Dance Group CARAMOOR

August 1 Accompanied by live violin and piano from the Mark Morris Dance Group Music Ensemble, the dancers of the MMDG nurture the wellloved work of the towering choreographer, keeping it fresh and inspired. One of the most sought-after and inspirational choreographers of the last half century, Mark Morris elevates the timeless music of Bach, Stravinsky, Barber, and Mendehlson into transfixing movement and larger-than-life immersion. This summer, the Caramoor selection spans MMDG works from 2005 to 2014, including “Italian Concerto,” “Candleflowerdance,” “Excursions,” and “Words,” making up a true summer dance gem in Caramoor’s Venetian Theater.

Phish BETHEL WOODS CENTER FOR THE ARTS

August 9–11 Traversing rock, jazz, and pop while straddling the psychedelic, a Phish concert is known primarily for one thing: improvisation. Vastly different to the band on record, Phish in concert are famous for their untethered sound, propelling their songs into new, unexpected realms, unknown even to the band. Often

34 C H R O N O G R A M . C O M / E X P LO R E

Judy Collins, Rufus Wainwright, and Indigo Girls TANGLEWOOD

August 30 A goldmine for folk enthusiasts, August 30 will see three powerhouses of the folk world rock, sway, and swoon the Koussevitzky Music Shed at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts. The veteran singer and songwriter Judy Collins, a national treasure of folk music with an undeniable `60s edge, will offer hits from her over-seven-decade career. Rufus Wainwright, known equally for his sweeping concoctions that blend elements of pop and rock, as well as his tender stripped-down folk works, will draw from his latest album of duets and collaborations, Folkocracy. Finally, the folk-rock duo Indigo Girls have only become more iconic since their beginnings in the `80s. Coming up on four decades of collaboration, the duo is a synchronized unit of folk-rock fluency. With hits peppered across their albums, the Indigo Girls are adept at keeping their old favorites fresh and developing their sound with new releases.

Photo by Jeremy Cowart

Indigo Girls at Tanglewood

labeled a “jam band,” Phish are nonetheless too exploratory to be confined by genre labels, and can be relied on for immersive and transporting concerts, where their familiar hits are fooled around with and molded into brave new creations. A no doubt rocking affair, Phish undergird their onstage experiments with a joyous dedication to their close-knit fans.

Always free and open to the public

Exhibitions and Information ccs.bard.edu

Apply Today for Fall 2024 June 28, 29 & 30

Altamont Fairgrounds, near Albany, NY

festival.oldsongs.org

PERFORMING JUNE- AUGUST

bardacademy.simons-rock.edu

New Work Local Talent Affordable Tickets

Always a new surprise!

GreatBarringtonPublicTheater.org S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 2 4 35

SState taatSburgh hiStoric Site

Photo by Pieter Estersohn

Programs & house tours by reservation: www.Bookeo.com/StaatsburghSHS 845.889.8851

Check our website for updates.

Parking at the Water Discovery Center entrance (find the bear sculpture) and look for directions to trail access on the Welcome sign.

36 C H R O N O G R A M . C O M / E X P LO R E

HISTORY

TRACING THE FOOTSTEPS OF PATRIOTS Photo courtesy of NYS Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation / J. Rozell

BY ANDREW CHECCHIA

New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site, New Windsor

T

he Hudson Valley is one of the few places in America where you can actually feel history every day.

The broader Northeast has plenty of historical sites from Colonial settlers, Revolutionary War generals, and Gilded Age estates, but the concentration and accessibility of those places in the Hudson Valley is largely due to preservation efforts made by New York State Parks. The state organization that administers parks and historic sites celebrates its centennial this year, offering a chance to explore some of the popular and lesser-known historic sites in the region. Some, like Washington’s Headquarters, capture watershed moments in the struggle for American independence.

Others mark the development of New York’s state government, as the capital bounced

between cities before landing in Albany. But they all present the opportunity to reflect on the region’s legacy as a place to live, work, make change and, sometimes, make history.

Clinton House State Historic Site

POUGHKEEPSIE Named in honor of George Clinton, the first governor of New York State and vice president under Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, the Clinton House still stands in the center of Poughkeepsie, the state’s second capital after Kingston was burned by the British in 1777. The stone, Georgian-style house was likely built around 1765 and was used by state legislators from 1777 to 1783 during Poughkeepsie’s tenure as the administrative center of the state.

Partnered with the Dutchess County Historical Society, the site is now used for research, housing archives, and as a library.

S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 2 4 37

HISTORY Photo courtesy of NYS Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation

a few periods during the war. Though it bears his name, other generals, such as Nathanael Greene and Horatio Gates, also stayed at this lower-Hudson Valley estate, which was built and owned by John Ellison. Today’s site preserves some of the Ellison family history, recreating their lives in the 1700 and 1800s as millers and traders. Just mind the artillery demonstrations while walking across the lawn.

Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site NEWBURGH

Perhaps the most famous historical site in the state, Washington’s Headquarters in Newburgh was also the first historical site in the nation. In 1850, New York State purchased the property, making it the first location anywhere in the country to be preserved for historical value. George Washington stayed at the site in the final year of the war, from 1782 to 1783. During this time, he both famously rejected murmurs that he could become an American king and put down the Newburgh Conspiracy, when a group of disgruntled, unpaid soldiers almost launched a military coup that could have ended the fledgling republic just as it began.

New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site (includes National Purple Heart Hall of Honor)

Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site, Newburgh

Fort Montgomery State Historic Site Fort

MONTGOMERY History comes with a view at this site of a Revolutionary War battle. Visitors can tour the 14-acre remains of the fort, built in 1776 near today’s Peekskill, where a battle was fought between American and British soldiers in 1777. The British won the battle and burned the fort in their wake, but efforts by historians and archaeologists have turned the site into a museum filled with artifacts and recreations.

Weapons, models, and mannequins tell the story of what the battle could have been like—a chance to learn something before enjoying the view from the fort’s Grand Battery.

Knox’s Headquarters State Historic Site VAILS GATE Henry Knox, the Revolutionary War general known for commanding the army’s artillery, stayed at this 1754 Georgian-style home over 38 C H R O N O G R A M . C O M / E X P LO R E

NEW WINDSOR While Washington camped in Newburgh, his 8,000 troops, staff, and some of their families lived at this site, which is just 60 miles north of British-occupied New York City. At the time, some 600 log huts housed the soldiers through winter. At the site, Washington issued the first Badge of Military Merit, the forerunner to the Purple Heart, which is given to US service members killed or wounded in the line of duty. The site is also home to the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, which catalogs, preserves, and tells the stories of recipients of the award.

Senate House State Historic Site KINGSTON Kingston was the first capital of New York, and much of the early political history of the state took place here. As the oldest site on this list, built in 1676, it boasts notable moments from history that include its being the sire of the ratifying New York’s first state constitution and the first meeting of New York’s Senate. There’s a full museum that commemorates those political moments as well as housing artifacts from the city’s early days as a haven for the Dutch settlers who predated the English colonists.

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(845) 255-1660 / info@huguenotstreet.org For more information on tours and events visit: www.huguenotstreet.org S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 2 4 39

The Via Ferrata at Mohonk Mountain House is the first of its kind in the Hudson Valley.

40 C H R O N O G R A M . C O M / E X P LO R E

OUTDOORS

EXPLORING THE IRON PATH Mohonk’s Via Ferrata

BY JAIME STATHIS

E Photo courtesy of Mohonk Mountain House

ver since internationally acclaimed climber Fritz Wiessner spotted the Shawangunk Ridge while climbing in Cold Spring in 1929, the Gunks have contributed to rock climbing’s popularity in the United States. While our area offers ample opportunities for rock scrambling, accessible to most people with some hiking skills and a little moxie, traditional (trad) rock climbing has a steeper learning curve.

While it’s totally possible to hire a guide and get out on a rock face for a day, some people might want to experience the essence of rock climbing minus the investment of time and money. Enter the Via Ferrata.

Via ferrata translates loosely from Italian into “iron way” or “iron path” and dates back to World War I in the Dolomites. The military was trying to figure out how to get troops and equipment up and over the mountain, and they developed a system of permanently fixed steel cables and iron rungs to move men and materials. When the war ended, the hardware stayed, so it started to be used for recreational purposes.

Now, via ferratas are built purely for recreation, allowing people without technical climbing skills to experience mountainous areas and vistas that would otherwise be S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 2 4 41

OUTDOORS Photo courtesy of Mohonk Mountain House

Via ferrata translates loosely from Italian into “iron way” or “iron path” and dates back to World War I in the Dolomites.

inaccessible. There are over 1,000 via ferratas in Europe, but only 24 in the United States east of the Mississippi—one in West Virginia, one in Kentucky, and now at Mohonk Mountain House, currently available only to overnight guests.

The idea came about three years ago when Alex Sherwood, Mohonk Mountain House’s Director of Hotel Operations, had downtime during the COVID shutdown and sat around the campfire brainstorming with Mohonk President Eric Gullickson. “There’s always been an enormous focus on making sure that whenever we’re adding anything—whether it’s hotel rooms or activities—it all has to make sense,” Sherwood says. “It can’t follow a fad, and it has to make sense based on the history of Mohonk and the guiding principles of preserving and respecting the land.”

Gullickson and Sherwood decided it was worth pursuing, so Sherwood picked up the 42 C H R O N O G R A M . C O M / E X P LO R E

phone. His first call was to Marty Molitoris, founder and director of Alpine Endeavors, Mohonk’s official guide service. “I asked Marty to meet me for lunch, and he almost choked on his salad when I told him I was thinking about a via ferrata at Mohonk.”

Sherwood and Molitoris got on the same page but realized that before they even got into the logistics, they’d have to think about the ethos of a via ferrata in the Shawangunks, which the Nature Conservancy named one of the “last great places” on Earth. Because a via ferrata is a permanent installation, they had to get it right.

Sherwood’s next steps were to scout locations and connect with Adventure Partners, a leader in via ferrata and aerial walkway installation. Next, Sherwood wanted support and endorsement from locals. The Gunks are one of the most famous rock climbing destinations in the United States

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6006 Main St., Tannersville, NY campcatskill.co

2001 South Rd, Poughkeepsie, NY | (845) 632-6797

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OUTDOORS Photo courtesy of Mohonk Mountain House

No techincal climbing skill is necessary for the Mohonk Via Ferrata tour.

for trad climbing, where protection is set and removed for each climb, and a via ferrata is basically the opposite of that.

“One of our first, most critical calls was to Mohonk Preserve President Kevin Case,” Sherwood says. “We work in unison with them and wanted them to understand our thought process.” The next conversation was with Russ Clune, climbing legend and chair of the Mohonk Preserve. Sherwood says Clune had concerns about the location—he was glad to hear they weren’t planning the via ferrata on Sky Top—but was “resoundingly supportive.”

The progression of difficulty at Mohonk (and all over the Hudson Valley) ranges from a regular hike on carriage roads, to slightly more technical footpaths, to rock scrambling, to trad climbing. The via ferrata fits in the middle of all that and brings a rock-climbing-adjacent experience to those who might not otherwise get to experience the thrill of hanging on a rock face.

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The via ferrata takes about three hours and costs $250. Participants should be in good health and capable of walking, hiking, stepping, stooping, and gripping with their hands. For those not quite up to the via ferrata, Mohonk also offers a Pinnacle Ledge Tour, which is less intense, is suitable for beginners, takes about two hours, and costs $75.

“We can get you to parts of the cliff you’ve never been to before, and that’s the most exciting piece of this whole puzzle to me,” Sherwood says. “We can get people to places they’ve only seen from afar, and they can do it safely and at their own pace.”

The Via Ferrata and Pinnacle Ledge experiences are only offered to overnight guests. Reservations are required and can be made by calling (845) 256-2186 or emailing recreation@mohonk.com. All participants must be 13 or older and weigh between 88 and 264 pounds, adhering to safety harness specifications.

With wonderful tap rooms and tasting rooms to visit for drinks and food, you can taste the flavor of the region in every pint of cider or carefully crafted cocktail made.

Taste your next adventure at

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