We were looking for a fairly inexpensive house to rent while we explored the Catskills and we found “Grandma’s Place” in Woodstock NY.
Perfect for a couple or small family, Grandma’s Place is walking distance to the center of Woodstock. The house sleeps four comfortably: one double bed and one queen bed.
The owner’s mother bought this cute house as a second home for when she comes to visit from Virginia. Her suite is a separate apartment, allowing privacy for all.
Although the listing notes it’s furnished with a “flair for the 1950s,” we were thrilled with the retro vibes when we walked into the home. It felt comfortable and cool at the same time.
Big picture windows opened up the space of the 1950s era home to the woods behind the back yard and the beautiful trees out front.
We also appreciated the paintings of Dorothea Fischer, a local Woodstock artist. “Dorothea is my mother-in-law — she was happy to have a place to hang her art,” noted Hana, the owner of Grandma’s Place.
We were pleased with the location in Woodstock — neaby there are scenic drives, historic sites, hiking, railtrails, and waterfalls to visit. We easily filled up our week staying at Grandma’s Place!
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| The breathtaking Kaaterskill Falls. |
Look for upcoming articles in MidAtlanticDayTrips.com about the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail and the Rosendale Trestle (but notably, although we didn’t get a chance to explore them, there’s also the Ashokan and Kaaterskill railtrails); hiking to Kaaterskill Falls and up Overlook Mountain (the latter of which stands behind Woodstock and is visible from the backyard of Grandma’s Place. It’s worth noting there are a number of other lovely waterfalls to visit — we’re saving those for our next visit!
We were there, accidentally, during prime leaf-peeping season — the autumn leaves were just before peak, which made our stay even more special, and was why we devoted a day to the Shawangunk Scenic Drive, which took us 88 miles through the countryside and the Mohonk Preserve.
We picked up a brochure at the Mohonk Preserve’s visitors center to file away for future trips. We also stopped by one of the several farmer’s market stands to pick up some fresh picked apples. Along the driving tour is the mysterious — and supposedly haunted — Widow Jane Mine.
Because we visited earlier this fall and Covid-19 was on an up-swing, we decided NOT to take any chances — we were really conservative with our choices of what we did. So we didn’t check out Woodstock or the other really quaint towns in the area, such as Kingston (other than to dash in to photograph the lighthouse). But after the pandemic, the numerous restaurants and boutiques would definitely keep us busy for multiple afternoons!
You can’t visit the area and not do activities on the Hudson River. Check out Walk-Over-the-Hudson State Historic Site, preserving an old truss railroad bridge, or visit Kingston and the Roundout Lighthouse.
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| Autumn leaves in front of the Old French Church in Historic Huguenot Street. |
Near that, there’s historic New Paltz and Historic Huguenot Street — the interiors of these 400 plus year old buildings were closed because of the pandemic but it was really fun to walk around outside.
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| The angel guarding Chester Arthur’s grave in the Albany Rural Cemetery. |
In the opposite direction, there’s the Martin Van Buren National Historic Site — and because we are really into history, we dashed up to Albany and the Albany Rural Cemetery to see Chester Arthur’s gravesite.
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| From the Walkway-Over-the-Hudson Historic Site you get splendid views of the Mid-Hudson Bridge. |
Into art? There are art museums, including Art OMI/Fields of Sculpture and Opus40 nearby (we couldn’t get an appointment to see the latter — next trip, sigh).
On our way back home, we checked out the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrom and its historic aircraft and automobiles and then made our way to Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site, also called Hasbrouck House, in Newburgh overlooking the Hudson River.
And all those activities didn’t even scratch the surface of all there is to see and do in the Catskills. As one immortal movie character stated, “I’ll be back.”
Getting there: Woodstock NY
Website: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/23059860?source_impression_id=p3_1604930866_HgvfjOWMOATMjPcv
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| The ruins of the abandoned Overlook Hotel, near the top of the Overlook Mountain Hike, just a couple of miles away from the house.. |
