Nestled in the backroads of a suburban neighborhood in Millbrook, New York is the Innisfree Garden. As you drive through the black wrought-iron gate, you continue your journey down a one lane dirt road. Eventually, you descend upon the parking area. A small gazebo is the welcoming center for guests and where you pay the modest admission fee to enter the garden.
The Innisfree Garden comprises 185 acres of sprawling beauty. The gardens originated as the personal gardens of William Beck and his wife Marion Burt Beck. As a fan of Asian art, the Becks designed the Innisfree Garden, using the influence of Wang Wei, an 8th Century Chinese artist and garden designer.
The garden is characterized by a “cup garden” design, dubbed by Walter Beck to describe the place-making technique that Wei used in his garden design. With the help of landscape architect Lester Collins, they collaborated on the creation of this serene garden.
Tyrrel Lake is the focal point as you descend down the hill to the gardens. A 1.3 mile loop trail surrounds the lake. However, the gardens and all of its delights are predominantly scattered along the right side of the lake. The cup garden design has smaller defined gardens within the larger landscape.
There is no “right” way to visit the garden. Go wherever something captivates the eyes. You may be drawn to one of the several waterfalls or water features. Children were having fun running through the sprays of the Water Sculpture to cool off on the day of my visit. The water used in these features is collected rainwater.
You may want to take a closer look at the various flowers growing throughout the gardens. There are also a variety of trees and plants throughout the property.
One of the standouts of the garden is the Brick Terrace. Audible expressions of surprise and awe were heard as visitors came upon this structure.
The Terrace has multiple levels with several different areas to peruse. The Asian influence is most noticeable here with images of dragons and elephants etched in the walkways and stone wall panels.
The Channel Crossing Bridge enables guests to complete a loop walk around Tyrrel Lake. Keep your eyes open for fish and turtles that inhabit the lake.
Peppered throughout the gardens you will find Innisfree Chairs. These chairs are adaptations of Gerrit Rietveld’s Red Blue Chair. Furniture maker Dan Benarcik hand builds these chairs from cedar planks. Visitors can purchase a kit or a fully assembled chair that they can enjoy using in their own backyards or gardens.
The Innisfree Garden is a picturesque outdoor oasis. It’s a perfect place for a quiet and peaceful outing in the Hudson Valley.
The Details: Innisfree Garden 362 Tyrrel Road Millbrook, NY 12545 Website
Admission: $10/adult, $5/seniors (65+) and children (ages 5-15), Free/children 4 and under
Hours: Wednesday – Sunday, 10 AM – 5 PM and select holidays
Plan approximately 90 minutes to wander the garden.
The garden consists of uneven, rocky terrain, so sneakers are highly recommended. It is not wheelchair accessible.
The only restrooms available are a few port-a-potties adjacent to the parking lot.
Pack water/beverages and snacks. There is no food or drinks available for purchase. There are picnic tables to sit and enjoy any refreshments that you bring with you.
Restaurants nearby: La Puerta Azul (2.1 miles) If you are looking for Mexican food, this is the place. The restaurant has been a Best of the Hudson Valley nominee and/or winner for multiple years.
Salt Point Market and Cafe (2.0 miles) If you are looking for a quick bite, stop here to grab a sandwich or slice of pizza.
Short Hills Restaurant & Diner (2.0 miles) Enjoy breakfast, burgers, pasta and more at this diner.
Millbrook Vineyards & Winery (7.5 miles) Spend the day in the area. After a visit to the garden, stop at Millbrook Vineyards for a wine tasting and jazz concert. Read our post about the winery.
Sri Lanka is an island nation located in South Asia. While its dishes share similarities to other Asian countries, it has its own unique flavors and recipes. Sri Lankan food includes lots of spices and herbs, curries and rice. As an island nation, fish and seafood play a significant role in the Sri Lankan diet. I love trying new cuisines and had never eaten Sri Lankan food prior to our recent visit to the Red Pepper Diner.
Just recently I discovered a Sri Lankan restaurant in the Hudson Valley. While new to me, this family run restaurant, owned by Chef Saman Munaweera has been operating for years in Wappingers Falls. You have likely driven by the Red Pepper Diner’s location on Rt. 9 but didn’t realize, based on the restaurant’s name and appearance, that it’s a Sri Lankan restaurant. The unassuming faded, yellow building does not hint at the deliciousness that can be found inside.
My husband and I recently visited on a Sunday for lunch. It was pretty quiet, with only one larger party already seated. Although the restaurant has several tables adorned in bright and colorful tablecloths, we were seated at one of the few booths.
We started with the appetizer sampler which included 2 samosas, 2 fish cutlets and 2 vegetable spring rolls for $6.95. The “cutlets” are round fish croquettes that have a crunchy exterior and a spiced, fish mixture interior. The samosas were bite-sized and much smaller in size than the Indian samosas that we are familiar with. The vegetable spring rolls were similar in size and taste to other veggie spring rolls that we’ve eaten in other restaurants.
For our main dishes we shared a Kothu Roti: a “roadside specialty that is prepared by shredding flat breads that are stir-fried with an assortment of vegetables, spices, onion, eggs and finished with a curry sauce.” This is a popular street food in Sri Lanka.
We also ordered a vegetarian rice and curry: “Served at lunch or dinner in Sri Lanka, this dish includes a meat curry, two vegetarian dishes with pickle. Traditional curries are made with a special house blend of spices and coconut milk and served with white or Chef’s special fried rice.” Rice and curry is a Sri Lankan staple, however, there are lots of different curry varieties.
All of the main dishes can be made with chicken, beef, pork, goat or shrimp (currently priced at $16.99). Main dishes can also be made vegetarian/vegan for $13.99, which is the option that we chose for both the rice and curry and the Kothu roti.
Our server was making hoppers for another party and served us one with our Roti. The menu describes hoppers as “crispy bowl-shaped pancakes made with rice flour. These often come in different varieties and can be sweet or savory. A variation of the hopper has an egg added in the middle while cooking. A hopper meal includes 3 plain hoppers and 1 egg hopper with a choice of onion sambal and curry.” The Red Pepper Diner serves hoppers only on Fridays and Sundays. The hopper had crispy edges but a soft bottom. It was delicious and now we know it’s a must-order item.
There are only two desserts on the restaurant’s menu: Watalappan and Kiri Pani. Kiri Pani translates to curds and treacle. In Sri Lanka, traditionally the kiri is made from buffalo’s milk and the treacle (syrup) from the fishtail palm. Watalappan is another traditional Sri Lankan dessert that is a spiced custard similar in texture to a flan. Unfortunately, we were too stuffed to sample either of these. However, it just gives us another reason to go back!
Red Pepper Diner 1458 Route 9D Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 Facebook page
Beacon has always been one of my favorite Hudson Valley towns. This small city is filled with lots of restaurants, shops and hiking trails. It also boasts three breweries and a distillery. On a recent visit, my husband and I explored a new-to-us brewery: Two Way Brewing Company. Located at 18 West Main Street, it’s within walking distance of the Beacon train station. We realized that we need to venture off of Main Street more often so we don’t miss hidden gems like this.
THE BREWERY
Two Way Brewing Company was founded in 2014 by Michael O’Herron. According to the brewery’s website, O’Herron named it “after the “two way” Hudson River. The river is technically an estuary, which is a mixture of fresh water and salty seawater. There are about two high tides and two low tides throughout the day.” Their logo is a graphic depiction of this phenomenon.
The brewery has both indoor and outdoor seating. Indoor seating includes stools at the bar and high tables as well as some sofas and a couple of regular tables. The outdoor seating area has several tables and chairs with umbrellas. These tables get filled up quickly on nice days! There is a game room in the back that has a pool table, darts and foosball with plenty of additional seating. There is also a bookcase filled with all kinds of board games that will keep you occupied for hours.
All of the beers served at Two Way Brewing are brewed onsite next to the tap room. They serve a rotating menu of craft beverages, one of which is a cider. They are all made on-site. My husband ordered a beer flight, which includes four, 4.7 oz. Tasters for $11, to be able to sample a variety. He sampled the Climb High P.A.(IPA), Confusion (Saison), Highlands Haze (IPA) and Tooth of The Lion (German Hefeweisen). Although they don’t label each glass in the flight, you can identify them based on their location on the horizontal menu board (left to right).
For those ordering Crowlers (32 oz. cans for $9) to go, the brewery has a very cool canning system, which they use only as needed, for the freshest possible beer. The cans are labeled, filled and sealed in their special machine, all within minutes.
THE FOOD
Since I’m not a big beer drinker, I like to visit breweries for the food. Popcorn is provided to patrons free of charge. It’s freshly popped and perfectly salted. The food for Two Way Brewing Company is provided by The Flying Jib and made onsite. Ordering can easily be done via a QR code. They have a small but interesting menu with a couple of vegetarian options. We enjoyed Korean Fried Broccoli, Patatas Bravas and The Classic sandwich (arugula, sun-dried tomato pesto and fresh mozzarella) that was served with waffle fries. Everything was delicious.
THE ENTERTAINMENT
Two Way Brewing Company has live music on most Friday and Saturday evenings. They also have trivia on Thursday evenings from 7 PM – 9 PM. Check their website to get all the details on their upcoming events.
Enjoy a hot summer day with a pint or a flight from Two Way Brewing Company!
The Details:
Two Way Brewing Company 18 West Main Street Beacon, NY 12508 website
The Academy is the newest culinary addition to the city of Poughkeepsie. Is it a food hall, a restaurant, or a market? It will feature all of these things and more when it opens to the public in a couple of weeks. It starts off as a food and beverage establishment including event space and, later this year, there will be 28 adjacent apartments and coworking space, completing the developers intentions of creating a mixed-use destination.
This past weekend, I attended the grand opening celebration and got an early first-hand glimpse of all The Academy has to offer.
The building at 33 Academy Street was, most recently, a nightclub. Baxter, a Hudson Valley real estate development and property management firm, has spearheaded the transformation of the space into what is now The Academy.
The first thing to note about The Academy is that it’s highly Instagrammable! Everything from the indoor and outdoor murals and the neon signs in the bathrooms (yes, you need to check them out!) scream, “take my picture!”.
The bottom floor of the building houses the food hall, The Academy Market, and The Academy Kitchen. These operations are led by Rachel Potts, the Culinary Director and Executive Chef, and David Lombardo, the Food & Beverage Director. Food hall vendors include: Smoke 33 (BBQ), Valley Greens (salads)and East-West (Asian).
Hudson Hopworks serves a rotating collection of mostly locally-brewed beer on tap, in cans and bottles. There’s even a signature The Academy craft brew coming soon.
Cafe + Grill serves hot and cold prepared foods and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They sell a variety of mains and sides by the pound, which is a great option for busy nights when you don’t feel like cooking but don’t want to go out to eat.
The Newburgh Flour Shop will round out the food vendors and will be selling their homemade breads and baked goods. You can also order one of their custom cakes for any celebration.
Although it wasn’t open the day of the grand opening celebration, The Academy Market will sell locally-sourced produce, meat, and seafood. The Market will have a café serving coffee, kombucha on tap, nitro cold brew and more. The Grill + Deli will have made-to-order sandwiches and prepared foods.
Every food vendor has vegetarian food options, with many offering vegan options as well. While we expect Valley Greens to have plenty of vegetarian options, it was nice to see vegetarian-friendly items on the other menus. East-West makes edamame dumplings, Impossible Buns and mushroom broth ramen. Smoke 33 has a Smoked Cauliflower Steak and Loaded Chili Smoked Sweet Potato as vegetarian main options, as well as many sides. I can’t wait until The Academy officially opens to be able to sample all these offerings!
A centrally-located bar on the bottom floor separates the food hall from The Academy Kitchen. The bar will be overseen by head mixologist Ben Friedman and will serve signature, as well as classic, cocktails.
The Academy Kitchen seats 75 and serves dinner daily and brunch on the weekends. The modern American menu includes a variety of appetizers, salads and entrees. You’ll find steaks, seafood, burgers and more, with plenty of vegetarian options.
Keepsake occupies the upstairs space of the building. It’s an 8700 square foot event space designed to host weddings and special celebrations.
It is inspiring to see the revitalization of Poughkeepsie and The Academy is a great addition to the city’s food and restaurant space. It is open from morning until night and offers all kinds of food options. Make a stop in Poughkeepsie soon and check out The Academy!
The Academy 33 Academy Street Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 website
Parking: Plenty of paid parking is available in the municipal lot across the street. Street parking is also available.
I first discovered MoMo Valley at their food kiosk in the Hudson Valley Food Hall in Beacon a few years ago. However, the family-owned restaurant first started in 2018 as a NYC pop-up where they sold their homemade momo dumplings. MoMo Valley was one of the original food stands in the Hudson Valley Food Hall when it opened in early 2019. Fast forward two and a half years and they have launched their own restaurant space.
Situated on the opposite end of Main Street from the Hudson Valley Food Hall, the MoMo Valley restaurant has now been open for 3 months.
The Atmosphere
The restaurant has a clean and minimalistic vibe. The space is bright with white painted textured walls and a tin ceiling and the front windows are filled with lots of green plants. As we dined, we listened to sounds of world music playing from the speakers.
The Food
MoMo Valley’s specialty is their spiced momo. For those not familiar, momo are dumplings from the countries of Nepal and Tibet. However, the restaurant also serve other Himalayan dishes. One of their popular main dishes is Dal-Bhat- Everest Platter. According to the menu, this is Nepal’s national dish and a meal that sherpas often enjoy en route to Mt. Everest. It’s a small sampling of several dishes including curried chicken, sauteed greens, lentil soup, the vegetable of the day, rice and a side of relish.
My husband and I visited MoMo Valley mid-afternoon on a Sunday. We weren’t super hungry since we had a late breakfast before we headed up to Beacon. We opted to share an order of Spinach and Cheese Momo and the Vegan Platter. It is similar to the Everest Platter, described above, minus the curried chicken.
Everything we had was so delicious! The momo are large and served with a tomato-based dipping sauce. The okra in the vegan platter was our surprise favorite. The carrot relish was a nice tangy complement to the spice of the other dishes. When our food was served, they also brought us extra plates, since they knew we were sharing the platter.
It is important to note that the restaurant is vegan friendly. An entire side of the menu is filled with vegan options including several main dishes. They also make vegan momo, which they were out of the day of our visit.
There are not many restaurants in the Hudson Valley serving Himalayan cuisine, so a trip to Beacon to dine here is worth the trip!
The Details: MoMo Valley 455 Main Street Beacon, NY 12508 (845) 536-4934 website
The lights, the music and of course Santa Claus! While we are still not quite back to “normal”, more holiday events are taking place this year throughout the Hudson Valley. Check out our Hudson Valley Holiday Events Guide for all the info! Tickets are going fast for some of these events so reserve yours now! As always, please check directly with the venue for the most up-to-date information.
A Charlie Brown Christmas Live On Stage (Chappaqua) Enjoy a liver performance of A Charlie Brown Christmas at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center. The show is 90 minutes including intermission. Stay for a sing-along with the cast after the show. Dates: Select dates and times December 3 – December 19 Tickets: start at $25
A Christmas Carol at the White Plains Performing Arts Center (White Plains) A holiday show the entire family will enjoy. See the musical adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic. Dates: Selected dates December 3 – 30, 2 PM and 7 PM Tickets: $39 – $61
A Frosty Fest: (Ulster Park) Attractions include a new for 2021 choreographed light show, a drive through Frosty’s Enchanted Forest, an outdoor photo with Santa, a walk through Frosty’s Adventure, “Jingle the Elf” stage show and more. Dates: Weekends only (Friday-Sunday) November 26 – December 19 Tickets/Price: $18.95/adult + service charge and tax, $14.95/child (under 12) + service charge and tax, Free/children under 12 months *advance ticket purchases are highly recommended
Boscobel Twilight Tours (Cold Spring) Enjoy a tour of the mansion, decorated for the holidays. After the tour walk the grounds that are decorated with lights. Tours are approximately 45 minutes and are limited to 10 guests Dates: Fridays and Saturdays November 26 – December 18, 4 PM – 7 PM Tickets: $25/adults, $15/children (5-18), Free/children under 5, discounted tickets for members
Grand Holiday Illuminations at Untermyer Park & Gardens: (Yonkers) This annual holiday light show will take place at Untermyer Park & Gardens. Dates: December 10 – January 2, 4:30 PM – 8:00 PM Tickets/Price: Free, no tickets required
Holiday on the Hill at Lasdon Park and Arboretum: (Katonah) Enjoy the annual Holiday on the Hill exhibit and train show at Lasdon Park and Arboretum. The show has been expanded to include an outdoor display. Santa will be in his Holiday Cottage for visits. Tickets $10/child, $20/adult Dates: November 27 – December 31, Thursday through Sunday
Photo Credit: Bronx Zoo
Holiday Lights at the Bronx Zoo: (Bronx) Enjoy five lantern safaris throughout the park, ice-carving demonstrations, costumed characters and more. Dates: Select dates November 19 – January 9 Tickets/Price: $39.95/Adult (Age 13+), $24.95/Child (Ages 3-12), $34.95/Senior (Age 65+), $17/Parking
Holiday Tea Musicale at Caramoor: Listen to live music. Then enjoy a tea service in the Music Room at Rosen House that includes tea sandwiches and holiday treats. Dates: December 16, 17, 18, 19, concert starts at 1 PM, tea service at 2:15 PM Tickets/Price: $65
NYBG Train Show
Holiday Train Show at NYBG:(Bronx) The New York Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show is back for its 30th year. Advance tickets are recommended. Dates: November 20, 2021 – January 23, 2022 Tickets: $32/adult, $30/seniors (65+), $18/children (2-12)
Hommocks Park Ice Rink Skate with Santa (Mamaroneck) Enjoy an afternoon of ice skating with Santa and his friends! Date: December 12th, 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM Admission: $10/adults (12+), $9/child, skate rentals: $5
Kevin McCurdy’s Holiday Spirit Festival: (Wappingers Falls) This year the Holiday Spirit Festival will be an all outdoor event. Enjoy the Winter Wonderland Walk through a North Pole village, train exhibit, Santa’s Reindeer Barn, holiday entertainment, characters and more. Dates: Weekends Only (Friday-Sunday) November 26 – December 19 and December 22 and 23, Fridays 6 PM – 9 PM, Saturdays 4:30 PM – 9:00 PM, Sundays 4:30 PM – 8:30 PM Tickets/Price: Adults: $16.95 plus online fees and NYS sales tax, children: $13.95 plus online fees and NYS sales tax Advanced ticket reservations required
LUMAGICA Light Show at Harvest Moon (North Salem) Enjoy a walking tour of illuminated animal structures and decorations through the apple orchards at Harvest Moon Dates: Weekends only (Friday – Sunday) November 26 – December 12, then everyday December 17 – 23 and December 26-December 30. Tickets: $31/adults, $28/child (ages 3-12) *Tickets are for timed entry
Muscoot Farm Night Tours(Katonah) See the farm decorated for the holidays and enjoy some treats. Dates: December 4, 5 and December 11, 12, 18 Price: $20/family, registration required
NYBG GLOW: (Bronx) GLOW is an evening, outdoor illuminated experience at the New York Botanical Garden. During your visit you can also enjoy ice carving displays, dancers, musicians and other outdoor fun. Dates: November 24, 26, & 27 December 2, 3, 4, 9, 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, January 1, 6, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22 5 PM – 10 PM Tickets/Price: $35/adults, $20/children (2-12), Free/children under 2 Get a discounted combined ticket with the NYBG Train Show $49/adult, $34/child
The Octagon House: Victorian Christmas Tour (Irvington) Enjoy a Victorian Christmas tour of the Armour-Stiner Octagon House. The eight-sided home will be decorated for the holidays. Tours are approximately 1 hour and recommended for ages 7+. Parking is free but limited. Masks must be worn during the tour. Dates: Fridays – Mondays, November 12 – December 30 Tours are at: 10 AM, 11:30 AM, 1:00 PM, 2:30 PM and 4 PM Tickets: $29/adults, $26 (youth ages 7-17)
Peace, Love, Lights: Drive-Thru Holiday Lights Experience at Bethel Woods: (Swan Lake) Enjoy an over one mile drive-thru holiday illuminated experience from the warmth of your car. Dates: November 19, 2021 – January 2, 2022 Sunday – Thursday 5 PM – 9 PM, Friday & Saturday 5 PM – 10 PM Tickets/Price: $28.75/car (with fees)
While you are at Bethel Woods, you can also enjoy Dinner with Santa before or after your drive-thru experience. Dates: December 3- December 18, 5 PM – 8 PM Price: $50/adult, $25/child
Pop-up Ice Skating Rink at the Cross County Center: (Yonkers) The Cross County Center has a Pop-Up Ice Skating rink. It’s located at Center Court near the Christmas tree. Admission: $10 for a one hour session and includes skates. Debit/credit only – no cash.
Santacon at The Valley (Yorktown Heights) Dress up in a Santa suit or an ugly Christmas sweater and enjoy a bar crawl around the mall. There will be activities for kids along the way, drink specials, Best Santa contest and more. Date: December 11, 2 PM – 6 PM Free to participate – food and drink sold separately
Westchester’s Winter Wonderland: (Valhalla) Enjoy Westchester’s Winter Wonderland drive-thru Holiday Light Extravaganza. Enjoy a 1.2-mile illuminated drive from the warmth of your car.
Dates: Open every night November 26, 2021 – January 2, 2022 (except December 24 and December 25) Tickets/Price: $25/car off-peak, $35/car peak, large passenger vans/limos additional fee
White Plains Holiday Market: (White Plains) This holiday market will be held on Court Street between Martine Ave. and Main Street. Over 55 vendors and artisans will be selling their wares in individual walled sheds. Dates: December 5 – December 19
The Wonderland of Lights (Rhinebeck) Taking place at the Dutchess County Fair Grounds, enjoy this drive through holiday light experience. Dates: November 25 – December 26, 2021 Tickets: $25/car
Photos with Santa:
Cross County Shopping Center: (Yonkers) Santa will be available for photos and visits in his workshop. Reservations are recommended but not required.
Jefferson Valley Mall: (Yorktown Heights) Reservations are strongly recommended. Santa and his helpers will be wearing masks and guests are required to wear masks as well. Dates: November 27 – December 24
Welcome Santa on November 27 at 9:30 AM and enjoy breakfast with him. There will be arts and crafts, “Letter’s to Santa” writing opportunities, special guest appearances from costumed characters, Holiday Bounce House and more.
The Westchester: (White Plains) Reservations are strongly recommended. Santa and his helpers will be wearing masks and guests are required to wear masks as well. Dates: November 12 – December 24
Enjoy pet photos with Santa on November 21, November 28 and December 5 from 7-8 PM
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.
A café where you can drink your coffee and interact with a room full of felines. Does a place like this even exist?! Yes, it does and it’s not far from home. Beans Cat Cafe opened November 14, 2020. It is owned and operated by Jessica and Justin Strika who have partnered with Hudson Valley Animal Rescue & Sanctuary. Their goal is to have 300 cats adopted their first year. As of this past Friday, they have currently found homes for 169 felines! If you are looking to adopt a cat or kitten, please think about visiting Beans Cat Cafe!
Where is Beans Cat Cafe?
Beans Cat Café is located on 325 Main Street in Beacon. As if I didn’t love Beacon already, it’s given me another reason to visit again and again! Beans Cat Café is a coffee shop and cat lounge, They serve both hot and iced coffee and tea beverages and sell baked goods from Frida’s Bakery in Milton and Newburgh Flour Shop.
I enjoyed an iced chai latte and my son had a strawberry green tea. Even the drink cups are cute! The coffee shop is a very small, narrow space, with one table that seats two. You are able to bring your drinks into the cat lounge with you.
What is a Cat Lounge?
The Beans Cat Café lounge is a large room filled with all kinds of cat trees, beds and toys. The day of our visit there were 9 cats in the lounge. This is their room, where they are free to roam, play and sleep. As a guest, you can pet, play and take photos of the adorable cats and kittens. However, you are not allowed to pick up the cats.
The Experience
At your appointed time you are brought into the cat lounge. All guests must first wash their hands and read the rules. You are introduced to all of the cats in the lounge, and there’s also a board that lists the name, age and identifying info for each cat. Then you are free to interact!
The Cats
The cats and kittens are all adoptable, so you won’t see the same ones if you visit at different times. We had a 12:30 PM reservation and during our visit, many of the cats were sleeping.
I thought the cutest was 3 month old Daisy and her sister Rosey, who slept in the window our entire visit!
My son loved Itty Bitty, this shaved tabby.
Vlad reminded us of our own black cat at home.
I mean, this cuteness!
If you are an animal lover, a visit to Beans Cat Cafe is a must! Especially, if you are interested in adopting a cat or kitten! You will fall in love with the cats and the town of Beacon!
The Details:
Beans Cat Café 325 Main Street Beacon, NY 12508 (845) 440-8243 website
Hours: Wednesday – Friday, 9 AM – 6 PM Closed Monday and Tuesday
Parking: Street parking
Cost: $7/person for 30 minutes or $12.50/person for 60 minutes. The room can be rented for $40 for 30 minutes or $70 for 60 minutes for a group of up to 8 people.
*Walk-ins are welcome, but if you have a specific time that you’d like to visit, I highly recommend reserving online in advance.
Earlier this summer I was scrolling through Instagram where I first learned about the Clover Brooke Farm Llama and Alpaca Hike. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to add it to my summer bucket list.
Summer was quickly coming to an end and I still hadn’t booked a visit. These hikes are held rain or shine so I was hesitant to book tickets too far in advance, for fear of rain. We finally had a free weekend where the weather was looking beautiful and I went online to purchase tickets. Unfortunately, the llama/ alpaca hikes I was interested in only had one ticket available. I knew that my 14 year-old daughter would love this experience, so I direct messaged Clover Brooke Farm on Instagram and asked if they had a wait list. Andrea’s message let me know that they don’t. However, she let me purchase a ticket share, which allowed me and my daughter to share an alpaca for a slightly reduced ticket price. So off to Clover Brooke Farm we went!
From northern Westchester County, Clover Brooke Farm is about an hourlong drive. People come from all over for this experience, as there were at least two groups who traveled from Long Island on the day of our visit.
Clover Brooke Farm is a family owned, 25-acre farm. Current owners Andrea and Mike purchased the farm in 2015. Their main purpose is to be an animal fiber producing farm. However, they also welcome visitors and make additional income through programs like llama/ alpaca hikes, warm & fuzzy animal visits and yoga on the farm.
Before you start your llama/ alpaca hike you get to meet some of the farm animals up close. The animal tour is approximately 30 minutes where you meet goats, sheep and some llamas and alpacas. This is an interactive experience with lots of petting and picture taking!
After the farm tour, we were then given our llamas or alpacas. Each llama and alpaca has their own distinct personality which is fun to see. The animals have fun names too, like Ringo, Biscotti, Prince Caspian, Twist and Shout. On our visit, only two llamas were available. Since we had a share ticket, my daughter and I shared the responsibility of walking Twist, a white alpaca.
The one mile hike takes about an hour, over a well worn path through fields, up hills and into the woods.
There’s a photo-op about halfway through the hike, where Andrea will take your group picture with your phone or camera.
This was such a unique and fun experience! My daughter loved it and had such a great time. If you are looking for something different to do with your family, friends or a day date with your loved one, check out Clover Brooke Farm’s Llama Alpaca Hike and Farm Experience!
The Details: Llama Alpaca Hike and Farm Experience at Clover Brooke Farm 175 Ruskey Lane Hyde Park, NY
Times: Llama Alpaca Hike and Farm experiences are offered: Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays: 10 AM and 12 PM Wednesdays: 10 AM
Tickets: $43/person but must be purchased online in advance Ticket shares: $30/person – must be purchased with a full price ticket and needs approval from Andrea
*Participants must be a minimum of 8 years old.
*There is no indoor bathroom. There is a compostable outhouse on the property.
*Bug spray and hand sanitizer are available for use prior to the hike.
*Closed toe shoes are recommended as it is a hike.
*At the end of the hike you are given a complimentary bottle of water.
Hidden in the outskirts of the city of Beacon, you will find Madam Brett Park. This 12 acre park is one of the 45 parks created by Scenic Hudson. The park may be small, but it is here that you will find the impressive Tioronda Falls.
We visited this park mid-day on a recent Saturday afternoon. There is a small parking lot that can hold about 16 cars. There is also room along the gravel entrance road to park, although I’m not sure this is sanctioned parking.
There are two hiking trails that can be accessed at Madam Brett Park. The white trail runs 0.6 miles and the red trail is a 700 feet loop that is connected to the white trail. Our main reason for this visit was to see Tioronda Falls rather than getting in a hike. I love waterfalls and am on a quest to see as many as I can in New York! From the parking lot, it is a short walk to reach the falls.
There are a couple of different viewing spots of the falls, depending on how close you want to get. The closer you get though, the more adventurous you have to be. First there’s a short iron catwalk that must be traversed. Luckily, there’s a railing to hold on to.
Then, you will have to walk across the ledge of the Tioronda Dam. There happened to be a fallen tree lying across it, possibly from the recent Hurricane that passed through.
The end of the trail and the highest viewing spot of the falls is this observation deck. However, there were already people sitting up there and they didn’t look like they were leaving any time soon. Since we were practicing social distancing, we didn’t join them.
We ventured down off the trail to get to this closer view of the falls. We didn’t stay long, as there were other groups waiting to come down. However, it was so picturesque.
There was a lot of foliage overgrowth. But don’t be deceived. Although these flowers are pretty and were attracting lots of butterflies, they are actually an invasive species.
After you view the falls, walk past the parking lot to access the boardwalk that runs adjacent to Fishkill Creek. This will lead you to the rest of the white trail.
You will walk past the remnants of the Tioronda Hat Works. In January of 2017, a massive fire broke out here. Fortunately, fire fighters were able to prevent the fire from reaching the boardwalk. We turned around shortly after crossing the boardwalk. However, the white trail continues to the marsh.
The Details: Madam Brett Park – A Scenic Hudson Park 560 South Avenue Beacon, NY 12508
Parking: Free Open: Dusk to dawn, year-round Length: White trail – 0.6 miles Red trail – 700 feet loop You can access the Dennings Point Trail via the white trail
*There are no bathroom facilities here *Dogs are allowed on a leash *Fishing, X-country skiing and snowshoeing are permitted * Be careful making the turn into the park. You must drive through a narrow, one-lane underpass. Both entering and leaving, we had close calls with other cars.
