October 2021 - Page 2 of 2 - NY Foodie Family

The weather is cooler and it will soon be prime leaf-peeping time! There’s no better time to get outside for a family hike! While I do love a hike with scenic river views or waterfalls, not all of these types of hikes are kid-friendly. They can often be steep and lengthy to get to those scenic views. Below are five Hudson Valley family-friendly loop hikes. Each of these hikes is around a pond or lake and also 1.5 miles or less . You will enjoy scenic water views and colorful fall foliage! Since all of these hikes are near bodies of water, you may want to pack bug spray. Please note, these are popular family hiking destinations. If you want to avoid the crowds, arrive early!

Little Stony Point (Putnam County) Little Stony Point is part of Hudson Highlands State Park in Cold Spring. This park has over 70 miles of trails. However, Little Stony Point is an easy one-mile loop trail. While it doesn’t entirely loop around a body of water, it hugs the Hudson River for 2/3 of the trail. If up for it, hike up to the cliffs for some spectacular scenic views! Free parking.

Pelton Pond – (Putnam County) Pelton Pond is part of Fahnestock State Park. This trail is conveniently located off the Taconic Parkway in Putnam Valley. While Fahnestock State Park consists of over 14,000 acres, Pelton Pond is a short, family-friendly hike. The 1.5 mile Yellow trail loops around Pelton Pond. The pond is home to beavers, which you may see on your hike. There are picnic tables near the pavilion if you want to bring lunch or a snack. Free parking.

Rockefeller State Park – (Westchester County) Rockefeller State Park is home to over 20 hiking trails. Brothers’ Path is the 1.1 mile loop that takes you around the 22-acre Swan Lake. Stop in the Preserve Gallery to view rotating art exhibits. There is a $6 parking fee.

Teatown Lake Reservation – (Westchester County) Teatown is a 1,000-acre nature preserve located in Ossining. Teatown maintains 14 hiking trails. The 1.5 mile Lakeside Loop takes you around Teatown Lake. There is a $5 non-member parking fee.

Bear Mountain State Park – (Rockland County/Orange County) There are over 10 hiking trails at Bear Mountain State Park. Hessian Lake is a 1.4 mile paved loop. While visiting the park you can visit the Trailside Museum and Zoo and take a ride on the Merry-Go-Round. There is a $10 parking fee. Parking is free for Empire (New York State Parks) Pass holders.

Hello Friday! It’s hard to believe that it’s already October 1st! I hope everyone had a great week. It’s been a super busy week. My daughter was sick Monday with a temperature. She missed two days of school and we took her for a COVID test, which was fortunately negative. We had multiple sport games this week, including both a soccer and field hockey game taking place yesterday afternoon…..which also happened to be my daughter’s high school back-to-school night. It was a LONG day for me! I believe it’s supposed to be a nice weekend. At this point though, I have no idea what we are doing! Here are five from this week:

1. Homecoming dress shopping – My daughter’s first Homecoming dance is coming up. She missed out last year due to COVID so she’s very excited about it. This weekend was all about dress shopping. She went shopping with her friends Saturday and didn’t find a dress that she liked in her size. When she went online to buy the dress she wanted, it was sold out. So Sunday was all about finding her a dress. We lucked out at Windsor at the Palisades Center. The store has affordable special occasion dresses and I’m glad that my daughter found one that she liked in her size! It was funny seeing all of the moms and daughters shopping for Homecoming dresses! I don’t remember Homecoming being such a big deal when I was in school.

2. Reading – This week I finished Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena. I was a bit disappointed with this thriller. I’ve read almost all of her books and I’ve found most of them to just be okay. I have to move on and not keep reading her books! There are just too many other books on my want to read list!

3. Cooking – This week my two “cooking” dinners included Mediterranean Braised Chickpea Rice Bowls.

And Spicy Peanut Udon Noodle Bowls (that I served on a plate, rather than a bowl!). Plus we had Tortellini Alfredo with garlic bread and salad and “Chick’n” sandwiches with fries one night.

4. Watching – This week my husband and I started watching a new, old season of Top Chef, season 16 Kentucky. We also watched the first episode of the new season of the Great British Baking Show, the newest episode of Only Murders in the Building and another episode of Ted Lasso.

5. Eating – Can you spend a day shopping at the mall and not get a pretzel?! We got pretzel bites to share and some pretty awful peach lemonade twister the kids picked out.