It’s not too late to find that last minute weekend rental upstate! Or just take a day trip. Get out of the city! Enjoy! Life is short! Live a little! You get the point?
My husband took the day off work last Tuesday to spend time with his visiting family. We had it all figured out where we would take them. Go up the west side of the Hudson and hit Catskill Animal Sanctuary, then Opus 40. Swing down the east side to Millbrook Winery and Wing’s Castle. Stop for lunch at the Culinary Institute if we lasted that long. Someone (me) made the wise decision to check operating hours first. And guess what? Most of these places were closed on Tuesdays.
We thought we’d do a Brooklyn day, but our Astroland destination didn’t have summer weekday hours yet. You can’t go to Coney Island without riding the Cyclone. Brooklyn Museum was also closed.
The sister in law started bitching about America. The brother looked as if he was starting to get comfortable in the house. The 15 year old went upstairs to play computer games. We had to think fast. I said “Kayaking and swimming holes?!” And they went for it. Whew!
I would’ve thought renting 5 kayaks last minute would be a tough task. But Peak Performance in New Paltz came through for us. We drove up unexpected before they opened their doors and within 20 minutes they had us outfitted to go. There are a few places to put in, but we decided on the Rondout Creek in High Falls because we could go for a swim there as well.
It was a nice paddle, with some shady areas under trees. We turned around after about an hour because we left the sister in law on land with her 3 year old. She didn’t want to kayak, but she was itching for a swim. Just as we were about to enter the illegal swimming hole near the power plant we saw tons of people leaving. The cops were chasing them out. Strike two.
I’ll skip over the drive to our next destination and the hissy fits that ensued over our midday meal options.
We went to Split Rock at Minnewaska. There was a $9 fee per person to get in, but I think we were the only idiots who fell for that. Nobody else was wearing the bright yellow wristbands. Hey, it’s for a good cause! It supports the preserve! At least this is what we told the in-laws who were again bitching that you don’t have to pay to swim in Ireland. I don’t know what they were complaining about since we were the ones forking over the cash. After cries of “Is this all there is?” “It’s small for $9.” “The water is too cold.” a good time was had by all. I only wish I had brought the dogs like others had. At least they know how to enjoy themselves.
And finally Wednesday evening’s festivities got the thumbs up from everyone. The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival at Boscobel is not to be missed! Worth the drive or train ride up from the city! We go every year and are never disappointed. The performances are always top notch and unique. It’s never straight Shakespeare, always modernized, off center and very informal. I should say that this season’s “Cymbeline” was fairly straight Shakespeare, although it was well done. Past translations have included a western themed “As You Like It” and a space invaders “Mid Summer Night’s Dream”. I’m looking forward to seeing “The Twelfth Night” this summer.
As if a great performance under the stars isn’t enough, the highlight of Boscobel is the grounds. Central Park ain’t got nothing on this! Pack your picnic and enjoy your front row view of the Hudson before the show. And, um, leave the in-laws at home for a romantic evening.
