Wild Thing at the Fair

Yesterday's annual Woodstock Library Fair, celebrating 100 years of the Woodstock Library, had much to offer attendees of all ages . . . books, of course—new and old, plus crafts, plants, a white elephant and vintage clothes tent, hat making, dress-up, face painting, live music, assorted games, and plenty of gourmet food and drink.

A special emphasis at this year's fair was placed on the young set, beginning with a parade and maypole festivities. And later, an unexpected appearance by Wild Thing.

In Search of a Watery Eden

The Millstream swimming hole in Woodstock (photo by Danny Ghitis)

If you missed this article in The New York Times, here's the link.

"Swimming holes have always held a sort of mythical quality. Everyone seems to have heard of that one sweet secret location through a friend of a friend: the still pool of crystal water hidden at the end of a winding path, untainted by tourists, inviting a skinny dip."

Woodstock offers several wonderful swimming holes in which to enjoy the sultry days of summer.

Best Trips 2013

According to National Geographic Traveler, a jaunt to the Hudson Valley is one of the 20 best trips in the world for 2013. (Other destinations on their top-travel list this year include Bagan, Quito, Malawi, Raja Ampat, Ravenna, Thessaloniki, Valparaiso, Jarash, Bodo and Kyoto.)

In its profile of the Hudson Valley, National Geographic Traveler observes that 

"Artists of all media find their muses here. Take a drive to the newly expanded Hudson River School Art Trail to see 17 sites in New York that inspired America’s great mid-19th-century landscape paintings. 'The views that compose the art trail are a national treasure,' says Elizabeth B. Jacks, director of the Thomas Cole National Historic Site. Or visit museums such as the outdoor Storm King Art Center sculpture park to see the work of contemporary visionaries.

Some villages marry art and music famously. In the wonderfully weird and artsy Woodstock, indie performers and music icons rub elbows and grab crusty loaves at Bread Alone Bakery. Budding musicians bring their bongos to the weekly hippie drum circle on the Village Green.

Much like Rip, Hudson Valley wanderers often wake up to find this is where they long to rest their vagabond souls."