Items tagged with 'Washington County'
Exploring Washington County
The rural, rolling hills of Washington County are just about an hour northeast of Albany on a scenic ride along Route 40.
The county is bordered by the eastern shore of Lake George, Saratoga County, and the state of Vermont.
Some may overlook this area with larger attractions close by -- let them, and you can continue to enjoy the peace and quiet and beauty of the region.
Here are a few ideas for things to do while you're there...
Tour of the Battenkill 2018
The annual Tour of the Battenkill cycling event returns to Washington County April 28. "It's a back-road journey through open farmland, narrow canopies of trees, and a covered bridge -- the kind of naturally car-free, rural roads you wish you could ride everyday."
This year's ride includes two options: a 75-mile gran fondo and a new 40-mile medio fondo. Blurbage for that abbreviated ride:
Like the Gran Fondo, the Medio Fondo course offers a challenging yet scenic ride through the rolling hills of upstate New York, but with 2,500 feet of elevation change instead of 4,800, less sections on dirt roads (but including the infamous Meeting House Road and the epic Stage Road), and nearly half the distance. It's the perfect race for those who want a less rigorous ride through the pastoral beauty of Battenkill Valley.
Awards will be given to top finishers of both the gran and medio fondo. The rides also includes course marshals, service vehicles, pickup for cyclists not able to complete the course, and a post-ride party.
Registration is currently $99 for the gran fondo, $79 for the medio fondo. Those price increase in March and April.
Sculpture parks to explore
You want the arts and the culture that come with a museum, but it's finally getting nice out. Who wants to be cooped up inside in the springtime?
The solution: sculpture parks. You get your arts and culture, you get your fresh air, and hey -- you might just get some exercise while you're at it, too.
Here are a bunch of sculpture parks within a day trip of the Capital Region...
Washington County Cheese Tour 2015
The annual Washington County Cheese Tour returns September 12 and 13. It is pretty much what it says on the label -- a tour of farms in Washington County that produce cheese. Blurbage:
At each farm, guests will sample specially selected cheeses while experiencing first hand the region's long-standing cheese making traditions reaching back to the nineteenth century. All are active farms, raising cows, sheep and goats that supply the milk for the cheese-making process.
A few years back Tim wrote a recap of the tour, which can you give a sense of how it goes. If you like cheese + farms (and farm animals), it's a pretty good bet you'll like the tour.
The participating farms will be open for touring from 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday, September 12 and Sunday, September 13. The tour is free.
Tour preview
On Sunday, August 23 the Honest Weight Food Co-op is hosting a "Meet Your Maker" event to preview the cheese tour. Cheese makers from farms on the tour will be there from from noon-2 pm offering samples and talking about their farms.
Tour of the Battenkill 2015
The Tour of the Battenkill returns to Greenwich in Washington County April 18-19. Blurbage:
America's largest one-day Pro/Am cycling race. Racers compete over 65+ miles of rolling terrain on both dirt and paved roads as they travel through the world famous Battenkill Valley. Set in early spring, the race courses includes covered bridges, family farms, and rural villages along the many challenging backcountry roads that traverse Southern Washington County, New York.
The 2014 edition played host to nearly 3,000 amateur and professional cyclists from throughout North America and 15 countries.
The weekend includes an open gran fondo on Sunday for "racers, non-racers, and cycling enthusiasts" in lengths of 23 and 68 miles. Registration is currently open for that race -- it's $45 for the 23-mile version and $110 for the 68-mile version (free for active and retired military members).
photo: A Mengel
Hudson Crossing Park
This summer I'm visiting local parks to bring the scoop on each one to you. Today I'm headed north to Hudson Crossing Park. I've also already visited Cherry Plain, Moreau Lake, Grafton Lakes, and Peebles Island.
Hudson Crossing Park is a little bit different from the other destinations I've visited this summer. First off, it's not a State Park and subsequently has no admission fee. Also, it's specifically focused around environmental responsibility, and you can see evidence of that all around the park.
It may not have as many amenities as other locations, but the beautiful setting and unique eco touches make it worth a stop.
Washington County Cheese Tour 2014
The annual Washington County Cheese Tour is coming up in less than a month -- it's September 6 and 7 this year. It is pretty much what it sounds like: a self-guided tour to a handful of cheese-making farms in Washington County (and one in Vermont).
It is, by the accounts we've seen, an interesting and (literally) cheesy time. As Tim recapped the tour a few years back:
Crowds from around the area came to taste locally made cheeses and other dairy products right where they're made. Right. Where. They're. Made. I mean the animals whose milk helped to create the delectable products being sampled actually look on while you toothpick your way through lines of delicious, tangy, cheesy goodness. ...
I sampled some of the best, most complex cheese I have tasted in a long time. It's amazing to me how many different flavors artisan cheese makers can pull out of milk. The cheeses ran the gamut from hard, soft, pungent, and mild, raw, pasteurized, aged, and young. One thing united them, though. They were all delicious. And while the cheese event is only once a year, you can get the cheeses year round.
The participating farms will be open September 6 and 7 from 10 am-4 pm. The tour is free.
Cheese tour preview: The Cheese Traveler in Albany is hosting a tour preview at its shop on Delaware Ave this Thursday (August 14) from 5-7 pm. Blurbage: "Come meet the cheesemakers and enjoy cheeses from five Washington County creameries, paired with beer from Rare Form Brewery and accompaniments by The Cheese Traveler." It's $25 per person.
The Cheese Traveler advertises on AOA.
photo: Tim Dawkins
Nuns of New Skete key lime cheesecake
At first glance, it may seem like a novelty: cheesecake made by nuns. But to stop there, to nod and smile but not try the cheesecake, would be a mistake.
When it comes to the cheesecake made by the Nuns of New Skete, a group of five nuns living in a monastery in Cambridge, about an hour northeast of Albany, it would be foolish to not take their endeavors seriously. While the neighboring Monks of New Skete support themselves through dog breeding and training programs, the nuns have supported themselves for more than 30 years through baking.
I don't doubt the delectability of all their goods -- but it's the nuns' key lime cheesecake that stands out as a perfect summer treat.
Wanted: bigfoot researcher
Via Jessica R comes this Craigslist job posting for a research assistant, which she describes as the "post of the year":
Not for profit organization, located in Whitehall, NY is a high-energy, team-oriented research entity that is involved in the tracking, documenting, and study of cryptozoological creatures, with a deep interest in the study and search of bipedal primitive apes.
We seek an experienced researcher with a deep understanding of crypto zoology, primatology, with a good background with scientific research and interest in great apes. The ideal candidate must be able to work both autonomously and as part of a large team. The individual must also be able to solve problems creatively, communicate effectively, and collaborate well with project leaders and team members.
Duties and Functions:
• Develop actionable tracking program in designated geographic area.
• Investigate, document and interview individuals with reported Bigfoot sitings.
• Occasional travel to remote areas of Adirondacks including spending several nights in the wilderness, checking motion cameras, collecting hair and dung samples for laboratory analysis amongst other related activites.
• Must have own transportation, four-wheel drive a plus.
** Serious Inquiries only **
Compensation: based on experience, this is a grant funded position and is expected to last 6 months with the possibility of renewal.
What? Didn't you know that Washington County is a hotbed of bigfoot activity? Wake up and hear the tree thumping.
Iron Pour at Salem Art Works
Hot.
We when saw the email about this event -- the "Annual Intercollegiate Iron Pour" at Salem Art Works -- we figured it was referring to something metaphorical/philosophical/post-modern. But, no, it's really about pouring molten metal.
From the blurbage:
This annual event provides a platform for college students across the Northeast and Midwest to come together and cast iron in the context of an intensely focused weekend. Spectators may observe thousands of pounds of molten iron poured into artists' prepared molds. Visitors can even choose to participate in the iron pour by creating a scratch block: your very own piece of artwork in iron!
The event is September 22. It includes a keynote by cast iron artist Matt Wicker on "current trends in cast iron and his thoughts on the future of the medium." SAW's other workshops will also be in action, so you can get an idea of what they have going on there.
Salem Art Works is in Washington County (Salem, specifically -- you probably figured that out).
photo courtesy of Salem Art Works
The Cambridge Hotel ep of Hotel Hell
Experience the transformative powers of my British accent...
The Cambridge Hotel episode of Gordon Ramsay's Hotel Hell aired last night. If you missed it and would like to watch it, the Fox website says the full ep will be available online August 28. (You can watch it now if you have Hulu Plus, or you're a Dish or Verizon subscriber.)
You've seen this show even if you haven't seen this show. Ramsay shows up, things look bad, he scolds some people and tells them how bad they are, we witness an epiphany produced by the scolding -- and look at how much better everything is now. Here's a representative clip from last night's show in which Ramsay scolds owner John Imhof about the apple pie.*
And, hey: Steve got a few seconds -- and even one line -- which was fun. Also: here's an account of Jerry's visit post-Ramsay.
As you probably know, the hotel wasn't ultimately saved. It was foreclosed upon and sold at auction in June. [Post-Star]
Related: NYT had an interesting story about what happens after these restaurant makeover shows leave -- it appears that very few of the places end up doing well.
*Apple pie a la mode was first created at the Cambridge Hotel. Maybe.
photo: Hotel Hell/Fox
12 flavors at The Ice Cream Man
All in one sitting.
Blah, blah, blah, Bobby Flay, blah, blah.
So yeah, the Ice Cream Man was on cable. There was a "throwdown" and our Greenwich shop prevailed with a sundae made from vanilla ice cream, warm apple topping, whipped cream, gourmet nuts, and a cherry.
If you really want, you can buy one of those for $5.14, but then you would be missing out on what truly makes the Ice Cream Man special: they produce over 300 flavors of homemade hard ice cream. It's an audacious claim, but they make it proudly.
Now granted, they only keep about 30 of the flavors on hand at any given time. Twelve are set in stone. They are the same week in and week out. Up to six flavors can be dedicated to fat-free, sugar-free, soft-serve, yogurt, or sorbet, which might be fine if you are into those kinds of things.
That means every day hundreds of potential flavors are vying for a mere twelve spots on the menu board. After the Tour de Hard Ice Cream it became clearly evident that the Ice Cream Man sets the high bar for homemade ice cream in the region. But the question remained, what hidden delights are lurking on the menu.
To find out, I decided to eat an unreasonable amount of ice cream. Again.
Tour of the Battenkill 2012
The peloton in 2010's pro race.
The annual Tour of the Battenkill cycling event is coming up April 13-15 in Washington County. Three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond will be there for the weekend -- he'll be at Battenkill Books in Cambridge on Friday signing a book about cycling jerseys. He'll also be in riding a non-competitive "bike marathon" that's open to recreational riders on Sunday (you have to register online).
This year's pro/am race starts Saturday morning in Cambridge at 8:30 am -- the last racers are expected to finish around 6:30 pm.
The pro race -- with more than 150 pro cyclists, riding for 29 teams -- is Sunday. It starts at noon in Cambridge. The riders expected to pass through Cambridge again around 2 pm on the first lap of the 124 mile race, and finish around 4:30.
Here are the race maps, and the full schedule. A press release with more info is also embedded after the jump.
photo: A Mengel
Touring Washington County's cheeses
Washington County -- cheesy... in the good way.
Back in the 90's there was this DuckTales cartoon where Uncle Scrooge goes swimming in his vault full of money. My childhood dream was doing the backstroke through that vault-- except it was completely filled with cheese -- though it probably would've been generic American.
These days my tastes are much more refined. Oh, I still would bathe myself in cheese if I could, but it would probably be aged in a cave somewhere off the coast of Spain instead of being manufactured in a plant in Boise.
And last weekend I found my cheesy bliss on a trip through Washington County.
Finding a connection to local farms at the fair
Prize-winning pumpkins from last week's Washington County Fair
I had plans this week to write about a time honored summer tradition -- the county fair. Then Hurricane Irene decided to set its sights on much of the East Coast. Now, that rivers and creeks have invaded our living spaces, our roadways, and our farmland, the topic becomes so much more poignant.
As we wave goodbye to summer through the haze of what nature's fury leaves behind, I'm thinking a lot about the people who make their living off of the land, and in turn provide so much for us. Their daily lives are a sacrifice, and things just became so much more complicated for them.
Iced coffee, when it's "crazy cold"
Check it out: this video is from Flying Pigs Farm in Washington County, where they say it was -22 this morning, or as they tweeted, "crazy cold here."
Flying Pigs is in Shushan, which is about as far north at Saratoga (but, you know, east in Washington County). Farther north, in Glens Falls, the temperature hit -27 at 7 am this morning. And the NWS station in Saranac Lake recorded -36 at 6 am. The temperature in Albany bottomed out at -12 last night.
Earlier: Flying Pigs Farm was featured in NY Mag, as a writer followed a pig from farm to plate.
On the origins of apple pie a la mode
It seems obvious. But someone had to do it first.
While skimming through some info for the post earlier this week about the Philly's Apple Pie ice cream at Stewart's, we came across a story about the origin of pie a la mode -- which has a local connection.
The story goes that it was invented (if that's the word) in Washington County in the 1890s (the exact date is unclear) at the Cambridge Hotel by a regular diner there named Charles W. Townsend, who liked to eat his apple pie with vanilla ice cream.
Photo roundup from Tour of the Battenkill
The peloton coming up Joe Bean Hill for the second lap.
At one point during this weekend's Tour of the Battenkill pro cycling race in Washington County, eventual winner Caleb Fairly told Velo News he was thinking: "I hope someone is taking pictures."
And, of course, they were! A whole of bunch of photos from the race are up on Flickr.
Fairly finished first (he won some chocolate milk), followed by (momentary Tour de France winner) Floyd Landis and Jay Robert Thomson (full results). Danny Goodwin (grifwin) has a photo of the winners on the podium (and from the start). Fairly and Landis dueled toward the end before Fairly pulled away solo.
The Battenkill course was 25 percent dirt road -- muddy conditions captured by Daniel Sharp (d_sharp) and Flickr user ffron. And from this picture by Meghan Eddy, it looks like there was plenty of spatter.
Even more photos: Ian Creitz (IanC83) has posted a huge photo set from the race -- almost 700 photos.
And here's a set from Amy and Aaron Mengel (that's their pic at the top). A trio of video clips they shot are embedded after the jump.
... said KGB about Drawing: What's something that brought you joy this year?