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Activities Estate Hiking New York Rural Sightseeing United States

The Perfect Fall Day at Olana State Historic Site, upstate New York

We visited Olana State Historic Site, the estate of artist Frederic Edwin Church, on the most perfect fall day. It was the exact moment of the fall season where the colors were the brightest, and we had such beautiful weather.  We hiked along the Lake Road up to the top of Crown Hill, then from the farm to the main house via the Farm Road and North Road.  Olana and Clermont have always been personal favorites of mine.  Our family has visited these sites so many times over the past several decades. And in the fall, it is the best place for leaf peeping in Upstate New York.

The Perfect Fall Day at Olana State Historic Site
Olana State Historic Site in upstate New York
The Perfect Fall Day at Olana State Historic Site
The view from Lake Road at Olana.
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Activities Children New York Rural Sightseeing United States

Art Omi, Oh My! The Fields Sculpture Park

I love art and because of that, I’m trying to get my son exposed to art from an early age.  We have been to several museums, but it gets tricky with a one year old.  This is especially true because we don’t want to inadvertently ruin the museum experience for anybody else.  This is where Art Omi comes in to save the day.  There is art and it is outside. Win and win!  My son can run around all he likes, scream, and be fascinated with the giant sculptures scattered throughout the grounds, and it won’t ruin anybody else’s own personal art experience.

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Activities Hiking New York Rural United States

The Hike to North Point in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York

The journey up to North Point is a beautiful one.  We decided to hike to this overlook with our one year old son and had a wonderful time! With multiple views along the way, the trail gently slopes up, giving you a lot of level areas and allowing you to catch your breath as you make your way to the top.  This was our first real hike since our son was born, and it was the best way to get ourselves back into hiking shape!

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Activities Estate Historic New York Rural Sightseeing United States

Clermont in June; The Beauty along the Hudson River in New York State

Two places very near and dear to my heart are Clermont and Olana; two historic homes and estates located in the Hudson River Valley in upstate New York that are now protected State parks.  Both places have contributed greatly to local and national history, and in very different ways.  We recently visited and hiked around Clermont and I must say that in June, it may be one of my favorite settings in the world.