Manitoga/The Russel Wright Design Center
Garrison
The moderate hikes on the magnificent grounds surrounding Dragon Rock (Russel Wright’s home) include three looped trails with lovely names: Wickopee, White Pine, and Lost Pond.
Tours of the house, studio, and landscape last 90 minutes and are conducted rain or shine, mid-May through November; cost is $25. Visitors must be at least 5 years old and be able to navigate bridge crossings with no handrails, and a flight of 40 stone steps. Pets are not permitted.
After walking or touring, enjoy refreshments in the nearby village of Cold Spring.
Trails open year-round, daily, free of charge, from dawn to dusk.
584 Route 9D, 845.424.3812, www.visitmanitoga.org
The O&W Rail Trail
Kingston-Ellenville
The D&H Canal once extended from Pennsylvania to the Hudson River before being replaced by railroads. Shadows of original tracks and former train stations accompany the birds and wildlife along the O&W trail. Nearby are boutiques, restaurants, and historic sites, including the 18th-century stone houses of Hurley. This 27-mile trail is mostly flat, so it’s an ideal bike trail, too. If you find yourself in the Stone Ridge section on Friday or Saturday evening, enjoy live music and crispy duck mac & cheese at Lydia’s Café for a relaxing end to an activity-filled day.
Trail open every day, dawn to dusk, adjacent to Route 209, www.theoandwrailtrail.org
Lydia’s Café, 7 Old US Highway 209, Stone Ridge, 845.687.6373
Lakeside Park
Pawling
This spacious park — with a clean, beautiful lake for kayaking; ballfields, and a new playground — is a wonderful spot to go with children. Unlike many town parks, this one is open to the public. Don’t forget to stop in to The Book Cove, one of the Hudson Valley’s best independent bookstores, and have a bite to eat at McKinney & Doyle, both located on Charles Colman Boulevard.
Charles Colman Blvd, open year-round, dawn to dusk, 845.855.1131, www.pawlingrec.com
Woodstock resident Joanne Michaels is the author of 10 books, including Let’s Take the Kids, published this summer in its 5th edition.
