Wilklow Orchards

 

As you can see from the above photos, we found ourselves visiting Wilklow Orchards to pick apples yesterday.  Located in the Town of Lloyd, Hamlet of Highland in Ulster County New York the day is guaranteed fun for the whole family.  

Due to COVID-19, reservations are required and allow you to deduct the $5 fee from your entrance price.  Children under 5 are free.  Dogs are welcome and the orchard is very pet friendly.  Face masks are also a requirement for anyone entering.  

Parking is free and plentiful across the street at Highland high school.  The set up is very nice with many tables outside, live music, a bakery selling apple pie and cider donuts and even a cart which sells beer and hard cider.  The orchard itself is on a hill, and can be steep at some points but the trees are plentiful offering many different kinds of apples.  Paper maps were handed out when we paid showing where they’re located.  Arriving at the top of the orchard you have a very pretty view of the surrounding foliage as you look down on what you just walked up.  

I highly recommend it for Apple picking lovers and anyone looking to have some fall out door fun. 

Elmira, New York

 Elmira

Pictured above is the Mark Twain study, which is where the famous author Mark Twain wrote stories like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.  

A road trip this week took me to a part of New York I had never visited.  I traveled to The City of Elmira (Chemung County) and visited the nearby Town and Village of Horseheads.  

I was pleasantly surprised at the size of Elmira, having only read about it online and in books.  The city boasts its Mark Twain heritage, and signs around the area are found nick naming it Mark Twain Country.  In fact, the author himself, whose real name was Samuel Clemens is buried in his family plot in Woodlawn Cemetery also located in Elmira.  

The city is made up of classic quaint houses that scream upstate New York.  Elmira College is located within the confines of the city and has a decent sized student population as well.  

On the corner of Roe and College Avenue was a great eatery known as Central Hots serving among other things the famous Garbage Plate.  Which while we know originated in Rochester, was still pretty enjoyable.  A very clean establishment with friendly service.  

I then ventured over to the nearby Town and village of Horseheads.  Named for the bleached horse skulls left behind after the revolutionary war that the native Americans then lined up calling the area the Valley of the Horseheads.  I was pleasantly surprised with how nice this town was, with very clean looking houses and a nice Main Street.  

Overall, I recommend Elmira and surrounding Chemung County for a visit.  It’s a scenic County with a lot of history behind it.  Definitely worth a visit for New York Fans.  

Shelter Island

A few days ago I had the opportunity to check out Shelter Island, New York (Suffolk County).  This place has been on my bucket list for a while but i never got around to it.  

We arrived with car to board the North Fork ferry which is out of Greenport.  The ferry is drive on and runs every 15-20 minutes.  It’s a quick ferry ride and you arrive on Shelter Island.  

Shelter Island feels very much like an older New England town.  Quaint houses and boutiques are found everywhere.  The island feels like it runs at a much slower pace and you can easily forget you’re still in Suffolk County.  Upon researching, I discovered the island has about 2,000 year long residents.  While I’ve never seen it, I imagine it must be beautiful in the snow.  

If you have kids, there’s plenty of things that you can do including many nature walks/ hikes and even an interactive farm that is fun to explore for the whole family.  Come check out and discover this hidden gem of a town and allow yourself to be transported away to Shelter Island.  

 

Never Forget

 

Never Forget.   Photo taken just now from Clifton, Staten Island, New York (Richmond County).  

Clermont State Historic Site

 

I took a trip up to Clermont State Historic Site located in Germantown, New York (Columbia County) yesterday.  The grounds are the former estate of the Livingston Family of New York and US history.  Situated nicely on the Hudson River, this multi acre park offers plenty of views of the River and the mountains beyond.  Filled with miles of hiking trails and a museum with plenty of sites located throughout the grounds there’s something here for everyone to do.  A family friendly adventure, and a great peaceful escape.  Picnic tables and BBQ’s are located near the parking lot as well as a restroom.  

As I strolled around the grounds, I tried to imagine the builders of this place arriving so far from New York City and just falling in love with the tranquility of the Hudson Valley.  It’s hard not to have the same feelings with the stunning panorama and quietness.   

The nearby Town of Germantown is also worth a visit.  Quaint shops and homes that are very characteristic of the rustic Upstate New York feeling.  Definitely worth a visit or a day trip for those coming from further away.      

RIP Vinny Peanuts

Yesterday, August 22, 2020, a legend of Little Italy in Manhattan (New York County), specifically of Mulberry Street was finally laid to rest.  Having passed away on April 13, 2020 from complications of COVID-19, The pandemic claimed someone I knew and admired finally.  We lost Vinny Cirelli, AKA Vinny Peanuts.   

I feel like we've been hearing about the death of Little Italy for the past 15 years.  Many people blame Chinatowns expansion, but the reality is gentrification has been the real killer.  Rents sky rocketing to astronomical levels has led to many older landlords pushing out their rent controlled tenants, in particular the Italian- Americans who resided in Little Italy.  Now only a handful remain, albeit they are still quite dedicated to the neighborhood they've called home for decades.  Stroll around Mulberry Street on the weekends and you'll still spot them running their shops or sitting outside of their buildings smoking a cigarette or sipping a coffee.  Something that screams "Old School New York City" in such a strong way.

For decades, Vinny ran a Peanut Stand on the corner of Mulberry Street and Grand Street selling Italian nuts and candy.  Famous for his Torrone, Vinny was a fixture in Little Italy.  

When I began working in the area back in 2012, I was shortly afterwards introduced to Vinny.  I was immediately taken in by Vinny's old school charm and quick wit.  Not to mention his thick New York accent.  I learned that he still resided on Mulberry Street in his Grandmothers old apartment.  Truly one of the last.  He was never married or had any children, Vinny was dedicated to his business.  I would see Vinny often at a now closed pub called Puck Faire which was on the corner of E. Houston Street and Lafayette Street until late hours of the night.  Vinny was well known around the neighborhood and many of the people who worked there or lived there have a Vinny story or 2.  

I visited the neighborhood yesterday, the day his services were held, appropriately at the Old St. Patricks Church on Mulberry Street and Prince Street.  I snapped the above photo on the corner of Mulberry Street and Grand Street as I passed by.  A really touching tribute to Vinny, showing that Vinny's influence extends well beyond the grave.  Rest well Vinny, I'm a better man for having met you.       

Long Beach (Smithtown, NY)

The Town of Smithtown (Suffolk County, New York) has many wonderful things.  One of the more underrated things are the many town parks and beaches that it features for its residents.  Above is a picture of the sunset yesterday (July 6, 2020) from on top of the bluff at Long Beach.  While technically located in the Village of Nissequogue, the beach is well maintained and features the water of the Long Island Sound.  Very rocky compared to its South Shore counterparts, the calmness of the Sound makes swimming better for younger children and parents who are watching them.  The deep history of the village and “the Long Beach” stretch back to Smithtowns founding years.  Hopefully this beach along with the others will be maintained and kept nice for years to come.  

Sleepy Hollow Cemetery

Want to beat quarantine blues?  What better way than to follow in the steps of a famous New Yorker who’s since passed on to the next life?  I refer of course to Washington Irving, famous author of Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.  Ironically, Irving made his way north out of New York City escaping another famous pandemic of his day, Yellow Fever.  Irving landed in Tarrytown, and would eventually settle here permanently, falling in love with the Hudson Valley which would become the setting of his famous stories.

I arrived at the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, located in Sleepy Hollow New York (Westchester County) Irving’s resting place, in the early afternoon and found the cemetery to be nearly empty.  I began to stroll the grounds, with the help of Find a Grave app, I located Washington Irving’s tomb and paid my respects.  I continued to explore, enjoying the sights and tranquility of the cemetery.  The old Dutch Church (pictured above) is near the South Gate and has some very old graves near it.  Some stones are written in Dutch, showing both their age and the Dutch influence that characterized New York in that period.

A safe way to spend the day in this Coronavirus ridden period.  I highly recommend checking it out for all of my local history buffs, or for someone just looking to walk around safely during this time.

Holiday Season in the Hudson Valley

Pictured above is the Gazebo in the Village of Cold Spring located in Putnam County.  Very nicely decorated for the holiday season, what you can’t see is that behind it is an amazing view of the Hudson River and some surrounding mountains.  Cold Spring is a lovely little village located in the town of Phillipstown.  Easily accessible via the Metro North Hudson Line, and by car.  The downtown area features many shops and boutiques for a variety of tastes.  For the scenery, food and shopping, Cold Spring is a must visit!

This post is a little late, but we are now in 2020.  Will I finally make good on this blog?  2019 was a far better year post wise, I’m hoping to at least match that.  I’ll be posting many things Smithtown and Nee York State related.  Stay tuned!