Daytripping: Ah How Nice... A Chance To Be The Real Me

So great to be with Leonard for our weekend day trip along the Hudson, where we could really be ourselves.

Daytripping: Cold Spring, N.Y. Quintessential Hudson River View

At the bottom of Main Street in Cold Spring, N.Y., is its renowned bandstand gazebo, which has been in place since the 1920s. Surrounding are a tranquil dock and marina, the Parrott Gun cannon, brick-laid walking paths and a quintessential view of the Hudson River's east bank as it bends at the foot Storm King Mountain. This was a fitting grand finale of my Saturday daytrip to the Hudson Valley with Leo. So very lovely.Strangely, while there is a historic bed & breakfast on one side of Main Street (top), on the other are modern, fairly generic residential duplexes (bottom). What a waste of land that could have been shared by all. So curious... And now... to the waterfront... Below, in the background, is the longest train I have seen in my life. It must have been a mile long...Amen!

Daytripping: Main Street America In Cold Spring, N.Y.

And then, the ultimate destination of my warm, sunny, relaxing utopian Saturday daytrip from New York to the Hudson Valley with Leonard: the village of Cold Spring, N.Y., population 1,983, only 50 or so miles from the city.



The central area of the town is Main Street, a straight hill that leads from the entry of Cold Spring to a beautiful Hudson riverfront view. In total, the core of the locale is all of 0.6 miles.



It was incorporated in 1846 to accommodate workers of nearby West Point, and thanks to its listing on the National Register of Historic Places, maintains the innate charm of full-blown 19th Century architecture along its central drag, known as the Cold Spring Historic District.Fascinating: Instead of simply crossing the train tracks at the bottom of Main Street, there is an underpass. I suppose the intent is to keep oncoming trains from having to slow their pace as they pass Cold Spring. On the other side: the Hudson, with the renowned bandstand, the Parrot Gun cannon and brick walks for viewing and taking in the natural beauty. Stand by!

Daytripping: Cold Spring, N.Y. Antiques & Collectibles For Days

Ambling down Nyack, N.Y.'s charming Main Street, there are restaurants, bed & breakfasts, clothing boutiques and the like—but more often than not, the sign on the door hearkens an antiques dealer. The grab-bag shops here are a far cry from the haughty high-end nose-in-the-air establishments commonly found in New York; you'll find as many collectibles & kitsch as high-end items like antique furniture.

Salt & pepper shaker collections, troll dolls, thousands of buttons in a bin, pottery & dishware (including no shortage of my beloved Blue Willow), dolls, vintage bottles, tins & kitchen products from wobegone days...



Many of the stores are like emporiums, with booth after booth lining deep warehouse spaces. It's a browser's paradise with gregarious shopkeepers that again, separate it from so many snooty "ring the bell for entry" antique shops in Manhattan. Let's browse...