Time Mission recently opened at the Palisades Center mall and you’re going to want to make a visit! Although it’s still in its soft opening phase, from what we’ve experienced we can tell you that it’s already a lot of fun!
What is Time Mission?
Time Mission calls themselves, “an indoor adventure game.” This attraction is not an escape room; you’re not locked in. There are, in fact, 32 different rooms. At the time of our visit only 16 out of the 32 total rooms were open, but they anticipate all of the rooms being open by the end of January.
One of the hallways of rooms at Time Mission.
Each room is a “portal” to a different year and has a specific mission for players to complete in the allotted time. This time ranges between 2-5 minutes, depending on the room. These challenges use a combination of brains, strength, coordination and speed.
I don’t want to give away any of the fun surprises, so I’m not posting pictures of the challenges. Outside each room there’s a sign that gives a short description of the challenge. It also shows how much of each skill (brain, strength, coordination and speed) is needed. We discovered that there is a learning curve to some of these challenges. The good thing is that, as long as no other groups are waiting to enter the room, you can replay the mission as many times as you want.
The sign outside the room will alert you if a portal is occupied, as seen in the image above. You are able to see what team is inside the room, what their current score is and how much time they have left in the room. The time countdown was useful in helping us determine if we wanted to wait to complete a room we hadn’t entered yet or move on to a different room.
Ultimately, the goal of Time Mission is to try to earn as many points as you can within your allotted time. When you sign up you can choose between 60, 90 or 120 minutes. The maximum number of points you can earn in each room is 100 points. There were some rooms that were so challenging that even after several attempts, we left with 0 points! There were other rooms that were just a lot of fun that we wanted to play them multiple times to earn more points.
Before You Enter
From our experience at the Palisades Center location, tickets needed to be purchased online. To save time, I recommend purchasing the tickets and completing all of the waivers before you arrive. There was a little bit of a wait when we arrived, as every group that arrived needed to complete their online payment and waivers.
After all of the paperwork is completed, you are ready to check in. Groups pick a team name from a prepopulated list of descriptive animals; we chose the Sporty Lobsters. You’ll each be given a coded wristband that stores all of your team info. Any of your teammates’ wristbands can open the rooms.
What age range is Time Mission good for?
According to the website, the minimum age to enter Time Mission is 6 years. Having personally experienced it, I recommend it for older children. Children 6-13 must be accompanied by an adult. Teens 14+ can enter Time Mission on their own.
How many people can participate at a time?
Time Mission is made for groups of 2-5. I thought our family of four was the perfect number. You can score more points with more people participating.
Final Thoughts
Time Mission was a LOT of fun! As seen from the scoreboard above, we, the Sporty Lobsters, ranked in 3rd place at the time of my photo! We had opted for a 60 minute session since we knew not all of the rooms were open. However, when all 32 rooms are open, I think at least 90 minutes are needed to explore all of the rooms.
Since many teams are playing at one time and rooms are continuously being occupied, we found it a bit difficult to keep track of which rooms we had completed. After our time was finished we discovered that there was at least one room that we hadn’t tried.
This is the type of place that you can visit multiple times. Although you may become familiar with the challenges, you can always work on beating your score. With larger groups, it would be fun to compete as teams against one another to see who can get the higher score.
We are looking forward to returning to Time Mission when all 32 rooms are open!
The Details:
Time Mission website Palisades Center Mall 3532 Palisades Center Drive West Nyack, NY 10994
R1 Indoor Karting 100 Higginson Avenue Lincoln, RI 02865
Other Useful Info: *Free lockers are provided to store purses, jackets, etc.
*Closed toe shoes are required and comfortable clothes are recommended. You will be bending, throwing things and jumping in the more physical challenges.
Ice skating is a fun winter family activity. Here is all the info on ice skating in Westchester County and beyond. Many of these rinks are indoors and offer year-round skating. If interested, many also offer skating lessons and have ice hockey leagues. Please double check the websites for the most up-to-date information.
The pop-up rink at the Cross County Center is made of glice. The rink is located at the Center Court near the Christmas tree. Character skate nights will take place throughout the season. Skaters must be 5 years old or 42 inches tall.
Fees:
Admission: $10 includes skate rental and a one hour session
*Debit/credit only.
*Ebersole Ice Rink
Delfino Park
110 Lake Street
White Plains, NY
(914) 422-1390
Ebersole Ice Rink is located in Delfino Park in White Plains. Public skate sessions are 2 hours. Check the website’s public skating schedule for specific dates and times. They have an adults only skate session on Sunday mornings from 8:30 – 10:15 AM.
EJ Murray Memorial Skating Center is located in Yonkers. It’s been voted “Best Ice Skating Rink” by Westchester Magazine readers. Check the website for the public skate schedule.
*Hommocks Park Ice Rink
140 Hommocks Road
Larchmont, NY 10538
(914) 834-1069
Open for public skating October 1, 2022 – June 11, 2023
Hommocks Park Ice Rink is located in Larchmont. Check the website for the public skate schedule. They have a Skate with Santa event, a character skate and a winter festival. Season memberships available.
Playland Ice Casino is located in Rye. There are two rinks, the Main Rink and the Studio Rink. They offer public skate sessions, skating lessons and have hockey leagues. Pre-registration for public sessions is available. Check the website for the public skate schedule.
Fees: Admission: $16/adult, (includes skate rental), $9/children 10 and under (includes skate rental), $6/children under 3 and Seniors (includes skate rental)
*Ridge Hill on Ice
Ridge Hill Shopping Center
One Ridge Hill Boulevard
Yonkers, NY 10710
Open November 12 – January 29
Located in the Town Square. Pre-booking is recommended. Check the website for dates and times.
Fees: Admission: $18/adult, (plus tax, includes skate rental), $14/children (12 years old & under) (plus tax includes skate rental)
Westchester Skating Academy is located in Elmsford. There are two rinks, the USA rink and the Canada rink. They offer public skate sessions, skating lessons and have hockey leagues. Pre-registration for public sessions is available. Check the website for the public skate schedule.
Fees: Admission: $16/adult, (includes skate rental), $9/children 10 and under (includes skate rental), $6/children under 3 and Seniors (includes skate rental)
DUTCHESS COUNTY: McCann Ice Arena 14 Civic Center Plaza
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
The McCann Ice Arena facility offers ice hockey, public ice skating, learn to skate programs, birthday parties, figure skating, and private lessons for all ages. Check the website for the public skate schedule. Pre-registration required.
Fees: Admission: $15/adult (ages 13+) (includes skate rental), $10/children 12 and under (includes skate rental) Walker Rental: $3
IceTime Sports Complex has public skating times throughout the week and on weekends. Check the website for the public skate schedule. Pre-registration required. Fees: Admission: $15/adult (ages 13+) (includes skate rental), $10/children 12 and under (includes skate rental) Walker Rental: $3
Brewster Ice Arena is an indoor rink in Brewster. The facility offers ice hockey, public ice skating, learn to skate programs, birthday parties, figure skating, and private lessons for all ages. Check the website’s skating schedule for specific dates and times.
*Bear Mountain Ice Rink Bear Mountain State Park
Route 9W North
Bear Mountain, NY 10911
(845) 786-2701 x266
Open for public skating November 5, 2022 – March 5, 2023
This rink is outdoors and uncovered so dress warmly! Public skating sessions are 90 minutes in length. There are no reservations for skating, it is first come, first serve. Tickets go on sale approximately 1 hour before each session begins. There will also be additional sessions during the holiday break. Check the website’s holiday hours for additional times.
Fees: Parking: $10.00 Admission: $5.00, children 4 and under are free Skate rental: $10.00/pair
Mastercard and Visa are accepted.
*Palisades Center Ice Rink Palisades Center
2900 Palisades Center Drive
West Nyack, NY 10994
(845) 353-4855
This is an indoor ice rink located on the 4th floor of the Palisades Center mall. Check the website’s skating schedule for specific dates and times.
Thank you to The Edge VR for hosting NY Foodie Family. As always, all opinions are our own. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for additional info.
Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to travel to space and solve the mystery of the missing mining colony and maybe even save the day. This is “The Edge of Space”, a virtual reality adventure that you can embark on at The Edge VR. If you’re like me, you are not very familiar with virtual reality (VR). Virtual Reality is a simulated and sensory experience. Most people are probably somewhat familiar with the Oculus, an at-home VR system. The Edge VR takes this concept and brings it to the next level as a unique, fully-immersive, interactive experience.
BACKGROUND
Adam Anfiteatro is the Founder and CEO of The Edge VR. He worked extensively with a developer for three years to create The Edge of Space’s story line and experience. Debbie Johnson is the Director of Marketing & Communications. They, along with a small team run the venue.
THE LOCATION
The Edge VR is located at 33 North Riverside Avenue in Croton-on-Hudson. It has been open for eight months, serving as the only fully-immersive VR experience in the Hudson Valley. The space accommodates groups of 2-12. There are two platforms (rooms) that can accommodate up to three players at a time. Reservations for one hour time slots are required and a waiver for each player must be signed prior to participating.
THE EXPERIENCE
My family of four visited recently for the first time. Since each of the platforms can accommodate up to three players at a time, the girls (my daughter and I) teamed up to play together in one room and the guys (my husband and son) played together in the other.
The main room platform has a one-of-a-kind magnetized floor. This is the key element to creating a full-body immersive VR experience. Each player is suited up with ankle and leg sensors in addition to hand sleeves that connect to a spine sensor. The final piece is the headset that has a microphone and headphones, so you can talk to and hear your partner and your guide. According to The Edge VR’s website, this is the world’s first full-body magnetically-tracked VR system.
Once you are suited up and ready to go, a guide will help lead you through the suit calibration and instructions of the in-game mechanics. Before the actual experience begins though, you are directed to a virtual “mirror” to choose your avatar. Pick your favorite from eight different options.
Your guide gives you a short tutorial on how to access the player dashboard, using special hand movements, and you are given time to practice. My daughter picked it up super quickly, while it took me a few more tries to get the hang of it.
The actual virtual reality experience is approximately 25 minutes of playtime. You are led on a series of missions through several different environments. This interactive experience has you pulling levers, tapping buttons and sitting on benches in the real world for the tactile immersion. Virtually, you cross bridges, you ride in an elevator, and shoot your laser weapon to protect the generators from surprise enemies. It’s a social experience as well when you work together with your partner(s) to complete the missions. The graphics are amazing and this is truly a unique experience.
AFTER THE EXPERIENCE
Once you have finished the simulation, you will be emailed a short montage of the highlights of your experience. You are also given an avatar token. This token allows you to upload an interact your avatar image anywhere. Have fun taking pictures and videos with your avatar!
“The Edge of Space” is currently the only experience offered at The Edge VR. After experiencing it once, however, I find myself wanting to go back. Seeing as everything was new, I was more focused on listening to my guide helping me complete the individual tasks than on the actual story as whole. Plus, I want to try to beat my score!
We had a great time at The Edge VR. This is not only a fun family experience, but it makes for a unique date night as well!
The Details: The Edge VR 33 North Riverside Avenue Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520 (914) 271-3343 website
Price: $29.95/player includes the virtual reality experience and the avatar token
Ages: Recommended for ages 10+
Parking: Free street parking
*Wear comfy clothes and sneakers. *The VR headset fits over glasses! *There are lockers to store your purse, phone, valuables, etc.
Christmas Candylane is back at Hersheypark for another season of holiday festivities! Our family has never visited an amusement park during the December holidays, so I thought it would be fun for us to head to Hersheypark during Christmas Candylane.
We arrived at the park at 1 PM and headed for Hershey’s Chocolate World. You can spend an entire day here with the free chocolate tour ride, the 4D Chocolate Mystery Show, Hershey’s Unwrapped Chocolate Tasting Journey, Create Your Own Candy Bar and Hershey Trolley Works. Please note that everything but the chocolate tour ride has an additional cost. It was very crowded and we waited 45 minutes on line for the Chocolate Factory tour.
Hersheypark opens at 2 PM. We exited our factory tour about five minutes before the park opened and there was a huge line of people waiting to get in at the main park gates. We were fairly surprised of the popularity of the park on a chilly day. You should know that not all of the rides are open during Christmas Candylane. Although the website shows 46 rides operating, not all of them were open during our visit. A majority of the rides were for younger kids. Because there are a limited number of rides open, the lines for everything were super long!
My husband and daughter rode Candymonium. This is one of the newer rides at Hersheypark and is also the tallest, longest and fastest roller coaster in the park. They got on line as soon as we entered the park and still waited almost an hour. But they both said it was a great ride.
While they were on line, my son and I rode The Howler and Wild Mouse. Then we all rode The Whip.
We waited on line for almost 90 minutes to ride Laff Trakk and almost came within sight of getting on the ride. Then the news circulated that the ride was broken and they didn’t know when it would be open again. Cutting our losses, we moved off the line to other areas of the park. By that time, it had gotten dark and every ride had over an hour wait time.
We grabbed pizza at Dispatch Pizzeria. Dining options are limited in the park, so again, there was a bit of a wait for food. If you want a sit down meal, visit the newly opened The Chocolatier restaurant.
In my opinion, one of the biggest draws of Christmas Candylane is the lights and holiday decorations. And Hersheypark goes all out! There are over 5 million lights throughout the park which is so beautiful to see once it gets dark.
Some of the rides even have themed holiday lights.
As you walk along the path connecting Pioneer Frontier to Midway America you will see the 12 Days of Christmas in lights!
A stop at TREEville at the Boardwalk is a must. There are more than a dozen decorated trees to view and several pretty photo ops. While we were walking around we noticed a cocoa and cookie crawl taking place. We learned that you could buy tickets at the park entrance for $20. There were several booths set up around the Boardwalk serving cocoa and different cookies. You could visit each booth and they’d punch your card.
Little kids will want to visit Santa at his workshop. They have a socially distant couch set up for pictures and he is there through December 24th. You can stop at Santa’s Reindeer Stables to visit his reindeer.
Due to our poor planning and a lack of time we missed the Noel light show. The show, presented by UGI, features more than 250,000 flashing lights synchronized to music. The show plays every half hour starting at 5 PM.
Hersheypark Christmas Candylane is a sight to see for the holidays! Experiences may vary based on the day you visit. However, I recommend that you be prepared for large crowds and long waits. You can make a weekend out of your visit by staying at a Hershey resort or one of the many nearby hotels.
Tickets: $47.95/person (age 3+) when purchased online
Parking: Free during our visit
Hershey Sweet Lights: $22.15/car in advance, $39.15/car at the gate
Tips:
*Download the Hershey app. This will be your guide for your visit. It has a map and shows you the open rides and wait times.
*Arrive earlier than the opening. You’ll have to wait on line but you’ll be near the front. Then head to the ride that you REALLY want to go on for the shortest wait time.
*Don’t plan on being able to do everything in one day. It’s very crowded and the lines are long for EVERYTHING!
*If you really want to try to do all the rides and attractions I recommend adding Fast Track to your ticket. Fast Track allows visitors to skip the regular line once on featured rides. With Fast Track Unlimited guests can skip the regular lines on the featured rides all day long. Prices fluctuate by day.
The Dutchess Rail Trail is a 13.4 mile paved trail that runs from East Fishkill to the Walkway Over the Hudson in Poughkeepsie. The paved trail is perfect for a bike ride and is highly trafficked by bike riders, joggers and walkers. There are eight different parking lots that provide entry to the Dutchess Rail Trail.
We recently took a family bike ride on the Dutchess Rail Trail. I am always looking for teen-friendly family activities and thought a bike ride would be fun. The only problem is that none of us own a bike. That tells you how often we go bike riding! After some quick research, I discovered that Leisure Ride Bike Rentals in Poughkeepsie rents bikes and is located right off the Dutchess Rail Trail.
We arrived at Leisure Ride Bike Rentals at close to 3:30 PM on a Saturday afternoon. There are a variety of different bikes that are available for rent including cruisers, mountain bikes, comfort and tandem bikes. We had no idea what type of bikes we should choose and owner, James Taylor, was super helpful! He recommended bikes for each of us based on our height and experience. He had us sit on the bikes and made sure we were comfortable with our choices. He then gave us quick tutorials on how to change the gears, brake, etc.
Once we were situated we headed out to the trail. Dutchess Rail Trail access is within several feet of the parking lot. It took me a few minutes to get confident riding the bike. The last time I was on a bike was probably when I was my son’s age! As they say, though, you don’t forget how to ride a bike. Soon we were all on our way. I didn’t realize that helmets are required on the Dutchess Rail Trail, until we were on the trail and saw the sign. I promise we will wear them next time!
We opted to take the trail south towards Hopewell Junction. The trail is paved, which makes for smooth bike riding. There are benches and picnic tables throughout the trail, perfect for snack and water breaks.
The trail is very scenic. We ended up riding 1 1/2 hours for a 7 mile round-trip bike ride. While this isn’t a super long bike ride, it was the perfect length for some of us who haven’t ridden a bike in years!
The trail has markers so you know how far you’ve traveled.
Fall has officially begun and that means Halloween will be here before we know it. Even with COVID, there is still a lot of Halloween fun in the Hudson Valley to be had. Here are some of the Halloween events taking place to help you plan your October Halloween fun. Please note, I did not add Trunk or Treat events, as there are so many taking place throughout Westchester County.
Barley on the Hudson Haunting on the Hudson season finale party – Although currently closed for the season, Barley on the Hudson is reopening on October 30th only for the season finale Hudson Haunting party. Wear you costume for the competition, dance to the live DJ, participate in the Cornhole Tournament and more. Open bar 7-8 PM, free appetizers. 21+
Location: 236 Green Street Tarrytown, NY 10591
Date: October 30, 7 PM – 12 AM
Tickets: $25/person
Boo & Brew – Enjoy food trucks, live music, a haunted hay ride, arts & crafts, face painting, bouncy houses and more.
Location: Jefferson Valley Mall (in front of PB Pizza & Beer) 650 Lee Boulevard Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
Date: October 29, 5 PM – 10 PM
Tickets: Free admission, food and activities have costs
Photo Credit: Bronx Zoo
Boo at the Zoo – The Bronx Zoo is continuing its annual Halloween celebration. Children can come in costume and enjoy pumpkin carving demonstrations, the candy trail, the pumpkin trail, a scavenger hunt and more.
Location: Bronx Zoo 2300 Southern Boulevard Bronx, NY 10460
Dates: Saturdays & Sundays October 2 – October 31, and October 11 10 AM – 5:30 PM (weekends and holidays)
Broadway Fright Night (White Plains) October 30: The White Plains Performing Arts Center will showcase a celebration of songs from Broadway and off-Broadway musicals with supernatural, horror and sci-fi themes.
Location: White Plains Performing Arts Center 11 City Place, 3rd Floor White Plains, NY 10601
Dates: October 30 at 8 PM
Tickets: $35-$55
Claude’s Halloween – This is a free, small neighborhood Halloween display at a house in Newburgh. You can park your car and take pictures of your children with the decorations. Or, you can just drive by in your car to admire the festive display.
Location: 206 Coldenhill Road Newburgh, NY
Dates: Fridays, Saturdays in October: 5:30 PM – 10 PM Sundays in October: 5:30 PM – 9:30 PM
The Dark House – This is an immersive sensory experience. “As the story goes, you and a team of your “friends” aim to disprove emphatically that there is no such thing as ghosts by spending the night in a long rumoured haunted house. The story is told to you through your audio headset as you navigate the space by following the “umbillicals.” You will hear, taste, smell and touch the world around you as your “guides” activate tactile elements at key inflection points in the audio to make it all come to horrifying life.” Ages 14+ For technical reasons, this experience is completed as a group of 4.
Location: Philipstown Depot Theatre 10 Garrisons Landing Garrison, NY 10524
Dates: Wednesday – Sunday, October 7- 31 October 7 – 21, and October 24, 27, 28: 6 PM – 9 PM – $30/ticket October 22-23, 29-31: 5 PM – 9 PM – $35/ticket *Advanced tickets only
Photo Credit: Teatown
Enchanted Forest at Teatown – Enjoy a guided adventure walk, “featuring a cast of whimsical characters and familiar forest friends.” Tickets include a 30-minute guided walk, parking, a treat for children and a visit with the Teatown animal ambassadors. For families. Costumes encouraged, but optional.
Location: Teatown 1600 Spring Valley Road Ossining, NY 10562
Ghost Tours of the Music Hall – Enjoy a special 45 minute “balcony to backstage” guided ghost tour to learn more about the secrets of the Tarrytown Music Hall theater, it’s intriguing history and the ghostly guests. Flashlights will be provided for all attendees compliments of sponsor Key Bank.
Location: Tarrytown Music Hall 13 Main Street Tarrytown, NY 10591
Tickets: $25/ticket Please arrive 15 before scheduled tour time – No late entry will be permitted.
The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze – This is the Hudson Valley’s most famous fall event. Enjoy seeing thousands of hand-carved, illuminated jack o’lanterns in amazing displays of artistry. Tickets are very limited for this attraction and are almost sold out!
Location: Van Cortlandt Manor 525 South Riverside Croton on Hudson, NY 10520
Dates: Select Dates September 17-November 21
Tickets: $48/adults $40/children 3-17 *Advance reservations required, no tickets are sold onsite
Location: 778 Broadway, Route 9W Ulster Park, NY 12487
Dates: Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in October, 7 PM – 9 PM timed entry, every 15 minutes
Tickets: $47.95/person plus service charge and tax) in advance: General Admission on October 1-2, 9, 15, 17, 24, 28 $57.95/person + tax onsite
$57.95/person plus service charge and tax) in advance: High Demand Nights on October 8,9,10, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30, 31 $67.95/person + tax onsite
*This event is not recommended for children under the age of 13 *Children 8 or younger will not be admitted *Children 15 or younger must be accompanied by an adult *No refunds
Special Children’s Days: Younger guests get to experience a daytime I Spy Drive Thru game experience and then get to walk through the Magic Moon Maze Haunted Gardens, Witch Hazel’s Halloween House and more. Saturday October 9th and Saturday October 23rd 11:30 AM – 3:30 PM $14.95/person plus service charge and tax in advance $19.95/person + tax onsite
Irving’s Legend (Irvington) Performed under the stars at Washington Irving’s Sunnyside, enjoy seeing the classical tale performed by master storyteller Jonathan Kruk. Tickets:
Kevin McCurdy’s Haunted Mansion – This is the 45th year of the Haunted Mansion. This year, they are presenting a double feature: “The Procedure” and “The Wicked Woods.” Guests will walk an almost one mile trail of Halloween horrors.
Location: 38 Sheafe Road Wappingers Falls, NY 12590
Tickets: Fridays and Sundays $25/person Saturdays: $28/person Plus online ticketing fee and sales tax *reservations are required *No refunds
*Free parking *This event is not recommended for young children
Photo Credit: Legoland Discovery Center (Westchester)
LEGOLAND Discovery Center Brick-or-TreatOctober 1 – November 7: Get into the Halloween spirt with fun activities including brick-or-treating around the attraction, a MINILAND scavenger hunt, character meet and greets, monster training and more.
Location: LEGOLAND Discovery Center Westchester Ridge Hill Shopping Center 39 Fitzgerald Street Yonkers, NY 10710
Dates: October 1 – November 7 Weekdays: 12 PM – 5:30 PM Weekends: 10 AM – 5:30 PM
Tickets: $19.99/one day, $23.99/admission plus collectible
Location: Auntie Liana’s at the Jefferson Valley Mall 650 Lee Boulevard Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
Date: October 30 – 3 sessions starting at 1 PM
Tickets: $10/child
Nightmare Circus-Nightmare Circus is a family operated haunted house.
Location: 24 Sycamore Road Mahopac, NY 10541
Dates: October 30th 7 PM – 10 PM October 31st, 7 PM – 9 PM
Admission: Free
*Recommended for teens and adults only.
Pure Terror Scream Park – Pure Terror Scream Park is the Guinness World Record holder for “longest haunted house scream park in the world.” Guests walk through 10 different themed haunted houses filled with characters and special effects.
Spooky Sweets and Succulents – Auntie Liana’s Kitchen and Vintage & Vine are hosting a Witchy Tea Party. Plant a succulent, enjoy a tea party. Costumes are encouraged. 4 sessions starting at 12 PM.
Location: Jefferson Valley Mall 650 Lee Boulevard Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
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.
Snow tubing is a fun, family-friendly winter activity. There are a limited number of places in the Hudson Valley where you can enjoy this activity (check out my post for a listing of them all). Over the recent holiday break, our family traveled to Windham Adventure Park in Windham, NY to go snow tubing.
Travel
Windham Adventure Park is located in Windham, NY. This is part of the Catskill Park in Greene County. The Adventure Park is .25 miles west of the Windham Mountain skiing resort. Living in northern Westchester County, Windham Adventure Park is a two hour drive. It is one of the farther snow tubing locations in the Hudson Valley, but is a doable day trip.
Tickets
When you arrive at the park you go to the lodge to purchase your tickets. Tickets for snow tubing cost $25 per person for a 3 hour tubing session. Windham Adventure Park is the only snow tubing park that does not take reservations or allow you to pre-purchase tickets. Their website states that they, “will not sell out of tickets….purchasing tickets is based on a rolling basis so your 3-hour time block starts upon your arrival time.”
You are given a printed ticket that must be affixed to your jacket, which has the date and time of your ticket purchase. Your tubing session ends three hours after the time printed.
The Experience
Windham Adventure Park has 5, 650-foot long snow tubing lanes. However, during our visit, they were only using 3 of the lanes due to social distancing. There were also only 2 employees at a time launching the tube riders on the 3 lanes, which slowed down the process. More staff were posted at the bottom of the run, the conveyor belt, and stacking tubes at the top. When you arrive at the parking lot, you’re already right near the lodge and ticket window. You are also at the top of the hill and can start snow tubing right away.
There are no height restrictions as long as a rider can sit in the tube by himself/herself. Windham Adventure Park only has single tubes. However, the employee will attach the tube straps together so you can ride with two, three and even four connected.
Before the employees give you a push down the hill, you will be asked if you want to go straight or spin. Depending on the employee, your spin may be more energetic than others.
After you tube down the hill, there is a conveyor belt “magic carpet” that brings you back up the mountain.
We recommend arriving for the 11 AM opening. We noticed that as the day went it got more crowded and the lines got longer. At 1:40 PM, the lines were the longest of our visit (pictured above). On average, it was almost a 30 minute wait per run.
We stayed for almost the entire three hours. We had a snack break (in our car) to warm up and a bathroom break. Our visit started at 11:20 AM and we got 5 runs in.
The Lodge
There are restrooms inside the Lodge. There is also food available inside at “The Drop Zone” for purchase. They sell pizza by the slice or you can order a whole pie. They also sell chicken noodle soup, beef chili, nachos chips with cheese, chicken tenders and fries and more.
At this time, they are only accepting credit cards for payment. There is also no indoor seating available, so be prepared to eat out in the cold or in your car.
Overall
We had a fun time at Windham Adventure Park. This is great option for a last-minute snow tubing excursion since they don’t pre-sell or sell out tickets. However, be prepared for crowds and long lines.
The Details: Windham Adventure Park 360 County Route 12 Windham, NY 12496
*Call (518) 734-4300 for more information
Price: $25/person for a 3 hour tubing session
Dates/Hours: Open weekends now through February 21st and holidays. Fridays: 5 PM – 8 PM Saturdays: 11 AM – 8 PM Sundays: 11 AM – 4 PM
Tips:
*Dress warmly. One of the biggest complaints the kids had was that they were cold. We packed snow pants, but didn’t end up wearing them – which we should have. The tubes were snowy and wet.
*Try to arrive for the opening. They don’t start selling tickets until the opening time. As it gets later, it gets more crowded.
*Bring snacks/food if you don’t want to buy food from The Drop Zone. There are very few food choices in the vicinity.
The kids snowmobile track is currently closed. When available, children 6 and older and weigh less than 120 pounds, can ride Arctic Cat snowmobiles around an oval track for an additional cost.
A giant earthworm, penguins, sheep and a peacock are just a few of the over 30 pieces of art that you can see at the Collaborative Concepts outdoor art exhibition taking place at Tilly Foster Farm. There are 31 more days left to view this outdoor sculpture exhibit in Brewster.
Collaborative Concepts was founded in 1999 and has presented over 40 exhibitions throughout the Hudson Valley. Their mission is to, “provide the community with exceptional cultural experiences.” Their current project is doing just that, offering visitors a chance to see a variety of sculptures at no cost.
Tilly Foster Farm Project 2020 opened September 5th and will close on October 31st. There is a variety of fun and interesting pieces on display.
Due to COVID this is a self-guided show. When you arrive, there is a QR code that can be scanned on your phone to access a map of the sculptures. Many of these pieces of art are even for sale. We had a fun time walking around and playing “Guess how much this one costs?!”
After you walk around and look at the art, be sure to leave some time to visit the animals!
Tilly Foster Farm is home to four alpacas, pigs, goats, chickens and two miniature horses.
Thursday through Sunday evenings, you can enjoy dinner at Tilly’s Table Restaurant after you view the art exhibit. The restaurant also serves brunch on Sunday mornings and offers both indoor and outdoor seating.
*Please note that we visited Kelder’s Farm last October. Things may look different this year due to COVID and social distancing.
If you are looking for something to do with the family this October, enjoy some fall fun at Kelder’s Farm in Kerhonkson. We visited Kelder’s Farm last October to enjoy a day of fall family fun. There is so much to see and do for families with kids of all ages.
First, you HAVE to take a picture with the World’s Largest Garden Gnome!
The main reason we visited Kelder’s Farm was to walk through the corn maze. This was a fall bucket list item for me and Kelder’s Farm has two corn mazes that guests can enjoy! The mazes were challenging enough but not impossible.
We all enjoyed shooting apples from the apple cannons!
One of our favorite parts of the farm was visiting the animals. We purchased bags of feed and some vegetables and enjoyed feeding them to the goats and alpacas.
My kids weren’t interested in jumping on the pillow, which is included with the admission.
But we all enjoyed climbing the hay bales!
We played a round of miniature golf. While picturesque with foliage, we found the course in need of some TLC.
When you visit in the fall, you can go apple picking and pumpkin picking. Some vegetables may still be available in the U-pick section. Check directly with the farm for availability and pricing. The farm is fairly large and they have a tractor-driven hay ride that you can take down to the corn maze and pumpkin fields.
Kelder’s Farm serves food at The Ice Cream Barn including pizza, burgers and of course, ice cream. While we didn’t eat at the Farm (we crossed the street and enjoyed pierogies at Helena’s Pierogies), we of course couldn’t pass up cider doughnuts! We had to wait a little bit, but it was worth it for hot, fresh doughnuts!
There is so much to do at Kelder’s Farm that you can easily enjoy a full day visiting the farm.
The Details: Kelder’s Farm 5755 US Route 209 Kerhonkson, NY 12446 (845) 626-7137
Hours: Open ever day except Wednesday: 10 AM -6 PM Closed Wednesdays
Tickets: Farm Pass: $13.99 + $1.50 online fee ($16 at the door)
Ultimate Farm Pass: $19.99 + $1.75 online fee ($22 at the door) includes everything in the Farm pass plus $3 food/drink coupon, unlimited apple cannon shots and a bag of animal feed
Tips: *Due to COVID-19 all guests must wear masks and practice social distancing.
