The first time I went to visit Woodstock Farm Sanctuary two years ago with my family we passed through the quaint little town of New Paltz, NY. I thought it looked like a great place to hang out but we had an agenda that day and didn't stop. When I signed up to volunteer with my daughter at the farm for the first time I thought it would be fun to find a room in that area the night before so we could explore the town that I originally found so appealing.
New Paltz is the home to State University of New York (SUNY), a four-year public liberal arts college in the Hudson Valley region of New York. It is not uncommon on any given day to see college-aged people walking around with book bags or musical instruments hanging out in the coffee shops, music stores and of course the many pubs of the area. Each time my daughter and I visit we try to spend some time in a different store, restaurant, or pub. The sweatshirt she's wearing in the photo under the peace sign was a gift I bought her from Mixture Inc (48 Main St.) during our first visit to New Paltz. Since it was a weeknight and many of the shops close earlier, we decided to keep moving.
As tempting as it is for many to indulge in an old-fashioned chocolate shop, I don't eating any dairy products and also try to avoid sugar as much as possible...unless it's in a wine glass in the form of red wine! For some reason, I cannot resist going into an old bookstore though. Inquiring Minds Bookstore is open later than most of the other shops, so Tiffany and I always stop in there to browse (and sometimes purchase) at some point during our trip to New Paltz.
As we walked down Main Street we found the Water Street Village, which is like a mini European-inspired village in which all of it's little shops are independently owned and operated. We stopped in Paws of Distinction to get a snack to bring home for our dog, Willie. Apparently Friday nights are "Yappy Hour" for the furry friends, but I'm not sure exactly what goes on since my dog doesn't play nice with other dogs. Some of the other unique shops we stopped into were Eden Boutique, Himalayan Arts, and the Antiques Barn where we spent time looking at so many old collectibles, knick knacks, old furniture, jewelry, and books like the Nancy Drew Mystery collection that I remembered my cousin Lori reading when we were kids.
Many of the shops were closing by 5 pm so we stopped in Jar'd Wine Pub during Happy Hour. Something about this intimate little funky pub put me in the mood to try one of their Port wines which was very good. Although they do have some snacks to pick on, we decided to move on to the next place to see if we could find something I would eat. I have to say that New Paltz is a great place to be when you're vegan because many places have meatless and nondairy food options!
Right across the lawn from the Water Street Market is this Bohemian type of boutique called Groovy Blueberry. I thought for sure I'd end up buying an outfit there, but I didn't want to walk around carrying bags.They sell all sorts of Tie-Dyed clothing, toe rings and other jewelry, baby clothes, patches, and many other gifts you don't see in the malls.
A coworker told me about Gilded Otter Brewing Company (3 Main St.) which has a large bar, plenty of tables for eating and a friendly atmosphere. I'm not really a beer drinker so I just ordered a glass of red wine with our appetizer. They had a nice vegetarian platter of hummus with pita and Dolmadokia (grape leave wraps stuffed with rice and herbs). That held us over while we played a couple of games of pool at Snugs Tavern, also right on Main Street.
For my birthday this year, my boyfriend offered to pay for the vegan B & B I love to go to, so I planned to stay in the Hungry Ghost Guesthouse again with my daughter and volunteer the next day at the Woodstock Farm Sanctuary. This B & B is owned by a very nice couple who are hospitable and keep a very beautiful and clean home. Petra is always trying out new vegan recipes to serve her guests in the morning and accommodates for any food allergies. She was even so thoughtful as to put a birthday candle into my pancakes in the morning! The photo to the right is the back of the house, which we spend most of our time when we're there.
We didn't know the first visit time visiting that there was a hot tub but we made good use of it on a chilly spring night. This last time it was very hot even though it was September 15th so we brought our bathing suits and did some sunbathing on the deck, read magazines, and drank Sangria that I brought with us before heading out for dinner.
After baking in the sun for a while we decided to go out and grab an appetizer at one of our favorite places, Bacchus Restaurant and Bar. They have these delicious "Tofu Wings" that have a buffalo-type sauce, but if you're looking for the "vegan" version they can make a Thai sauce instead. We walked around and stopped into one of the few shops opened late called Kon-Tiki Trading Co. which sells ethnic clothing/accessories, natural herbal tobacco, sterling silver jewelry, etc...
After walking around a bit more we stopped into McGillicuddy's Restaurant and Tap House. The bartender gave us a drink menu and the first thing I saw was "The Birthday Bowl"...free drink inside the fishbowl if you can prove it's your birthday. How could I resist that on my birthday? We shared that and a plate of french fries and called it a night!
Most of our visits have been limited to about 24 hours from start to finish so we still have not seen all of what New Paltz has to offer. Nearby is the Mohonk Preserve in the majestic Shawangunk Mountains, a perfect place to enjoy nature at it best! The Mohonk Mountain House is an upscale resort for golf, dining and a variety of spa treatments available, besides all of the activities offered to their guests.
My daughter and I have been perfectly happy spending time at the B & B since it is set back in the woods surrounded by nature. Considering my own condo back home is located 15 minutes from New York City, I feel a tremendous sense of relaxation and rejuvenation during my little getaways. I love waking up and having my coffee out on the back porch and writing in my journal. It gives me time to reflect on all of the good things I have in my life, the amazing family and friends I'm surrounded by and all of the experiences the universe has to offer me...and I got to have another blessed birthday :)
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