At last, the holiday season is upon us! We’ve composted our farm-picked pumpkins and gourds, cleared off our Thanksgiving tables, and now it’s time to start checking off that December bucket list. First up, picking out and cutting down your very own Christmas tree! It’s not as daunting as it may seem – New York state is filled with Christmas tree farms within a couple hours from the city. Grab some hot cocoa, jump in the car, crank up your favorite holiday tunes and make a day out of it! See below for a list of farms just a hop, skip and a jump from NYC. POSSIBLE TREE SHORTAGE: Please visit the individual websites and/or call ahead for farm hours, tree availability, and tree-cutting regulations. DUTCHESS COUNTY Battenfield’s Christmas Tree Farm 856 Rte 199, Red Hook, NY 845-758-8018 Primrose Hill Farm 203 Fiddlers Bridge Rd, Staatsburg, NY 845-889-4725 Saltsman Tree Farm 214 Route 308, Rhinebeck, NY 845-876-8801 WESTCHESTER COUNTY Stuart’s Fruit Farm 62 Granite Springs Rd, Granite Springs, NY 914-245-2784 LONG ISLAND Dart’s Christmas Tree Farm 2355 Main Bayview Rd, Southold, Long Island, NY 631-765-4148 Elmwood Pumpkin and Christmas Tree Farm 1500 E Jericho Turnpike, Huntington, NY 631-368-8626 Lewin Farms 812 Sound Ave, Calverton, NY 631-929-4327 Santa’s Christmas Tree Farm 30105 Main Street, Cutchogue, NY 631-734-8641
At last, the holiday season is upon us! We’ve composted our farm-picked pumpkins and gourds, cleared off our Thanksgiving tables, and now it’s time to start checking off that December bucket list. First up, picking out and cutting down your very own Christmas tree! It’s not as daunting as it may seem – New York state is filled with Christmas tree farms within a couple hours from the city. Grab some hot cocoa, jump in
It's almost fall, y'all! This quintessential New York season brims with changing leaves, steaming cider, crumbly donuts, and apple picking galore. There are endless farms and orchards that you can escape to from NYC, whether you're looking for a quick day trip or a relaxing weekend getaway. Check out the list below and make sure your next getaway includes a visit to one of these fabulous farms. U-PICK FARMS AROUND NYC Please note that hours, offerings and closures may vary. We recommend checking out orchards on social media and calling ahead to confirm apple varieties and availability. 1-2 Hrs from NYC: Outhouse Orchards (Salem, NY in the Hudson Valley) Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard (Salem, NY in the Hudson Valley) Stuarts Farm (Granite Springs, NY in the Hudson Valley) Wilkens Fruit & Fir Farm (Yorktown Heights, NY in the Hudson Valley) Orchards of Concklin (Pomona, NY in the Hudson Valley) Kelder’s Farm (Kerhonksen, NY in the Hudson Valley) Apple Dave's Orchard (Warwick, NY in the Hudson Valley) Masker Orchards (Warwick, NY in the Hudson Valley) Woodside Orchards (Aquebogue, NY on Long Island) Harbes Family Farm (Riverhead, NY on Long Island) Giamarese Farm & Orchards (East Brunswick, NJ) Terhune Orchards (Princeton, NJ) Melick's Town Farm (Oldwick, NJ) Demarest Farms (Hillsdale, NJ) 2-4 Hrs from NYC: Barton Orchards (Poughquag, NY in the Hudson Valley) Cedar Heights Orchard (Rhinebeck, NY in the Hudson Valley) Golden Harvest Farms (Valatie, NY in the Hudson Valley) Mead Orchards (Tivoli, NY in the Hudson Valley) Montgomery Place Orchards (Red Hook, NY in the Hudson Valley) Rose Hill Farm (Red Hook, NY in the Hudson Valley) Prospect Hill Orchards (Milton, NY in the Hudson Valley) Greig Farm (Red Hook, NY in the Hudson Valley) Twin Star Orchards (New Paltz, NY in the Hudson Valley) Roger's Family Orchard (Johnston, NY
It’s almost fall, y’all! This quintessential New York season brims with changing leaves, steaming cider, crumbly donuts, and apple picking galore. There are endless farms and orchards that you can escape to from NYC, whether you’re looking for a quick day trip or a relaxing weekend getaway. Check out the list below and make sure your next getaway includes a visit to one of these fabulous farms. U-PICK FARMS AROUND NYC Please note that hours,
A lot of folks are wondering if New York's annual traditional of picking apples in bucolic orchards among the fiery fall leaves and baked cider donuts is a safe activity for 2020. EscapeMaker founder & CEO Caylin Sanders joined Heritage Radio Network to answer that question. YES! Supporting local farms and farmers is so important right now, so as long as proper precautions (Wear a mask! Wash your hands! Social distance!) are taken, apple picking is officially on for this season. Check out the podcast below for details on these questions and then continue down for a list of apple orchards across New York State. Heritage Radio Network's The Big Food Question: Is it Safe to Go Apple Picking? U-PICK FARMS IN NEW YORK STATE Please note that hours, offerings and closures may vary, so we recommend checking out orchards on social media and calling ahead to confirm availability. 1-2 Hrs from NYC: Outhouse Orchards (Salem, NY in the Hudson Valley) Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard (Salem, NY in the Hudson Valley) Stuarts Farm (Granite Springs, NY in the Hudson Valley) Wilkins Fruit & Fir Farm (Yorktown Heights, NY in the Hudson Valley) Orchards of Concklin (Pomona, NY in the Hudson Valley) Kelder’s Farm (Kerhonksen, NY in the Hudson Valley) Woodside Orchards (Aquebogue, NY in Long Island) 2-4 Hrs from NYC: Barton Orchards (Poughquag, NY in the Hudson Valley) Stone Ridge Orchard (Stone Ridge, NY in the Hudson Valley) Cedar Heights Orchard (Rhinebeck, NY in the Hudson Valley) Mead Orchards (Tivoli, NY in the Hudson Valley) Montgomery Place Orchards (Red Hook, NY in the Hudson Valley) Rose Hill Farm (Red Hook, NY in the Hudson Valley) Prospect Hill Orchards (Milton, NY in the Hudson Valley) Greig Farm (Red Hook, NY in the Hudson Valley) Roger's Family Orchard (Johnston, NY in Central
A lot of folks are wondering if New York’s annual traditional of picking apples in bucolic orchards among the fiery fall leaves and baked cider donuts is a safe activity for 2020. EscapeMaker founder & CEO Caylin Sanders joined Heritage Radio Network to answer that question. YES! Supporting local farms and farmers is so important right now, so as long as proper precautions (Wear a mask! Wash your hands! Social distance!) are taken, apple picking
One of the most special parts about living in New York is the quick access to so many different Northeast regions, famous for their fresh air and utter beauty. Spend the weekend in Central New York, where you can take off on a rare adventure below ground at the Howe Caverns! 156 ft below the earth's surface, your journey will wind through limestone corridors, cavernous galleries, under massive boulders, until you discover a subterranean riverbed carved over countless millennia. Deep in the cave, solid rock appears fluid: creating strange formations, flowing sheets and dripping stalactites. Mysterious grottos lead off into distant, unexplored passages. Shadows hide secrets in deep cracks and crevices. The well-worn path twists and turns descending into the depths, downward to the glassy surface of an underground lake that trails off into the absolute darkness of the cave’s Eastern Terminus. An amazing experience for all ages! Visit Garden of Eve in Riverhead, NY for their Sunflower Festival Weekends (July 21 & 22, 28 & 29 9am - 6pm). For just a $5 admission fee, enjoy Fun Fields admission with 100,000 flowers, one sunflower to take home and you can cut your own as you explore the Sunflower Path (additional stems are $1 each), hayrides, farm animals and more! The farm café will include Sunflower specials and locally produced organic sunflower oil tasting! U Pick blueberries and other berries available! Get there via LIRR from Penn Station in NYC! If you can't get enough Sunflowers at these Festival Weekends, head up to Dutchess County to Hudson Valley Cold Pressed Oils. This year, they are offering U-Pick sunflowers in addition to their variety of sunflower oil products. Plan your visit for U-Pick fun from August 7 - August 12. Follow along on Facebook and Instagram for updates! Get there via Metro-North Railroad
One of the most special parts about living in New York is the quick access to so many different Northeast regions, famous for their fresh air and utter beauty. Spend the weekend in Central New York, where you can take off on a rare adventure below ground at the Howe Caverns! 156 ft below the earth’s surface, your journey will wind through limestone corridors, cavernous galleries, under massive boulders, until you discover a subterranean riverbed
This time of year, I run into two cooking woes. 1) What to make when I'm too tired and lazy to chop and prep and use every one of my pots and pants, and 2) what's a quick and easy bite to make/bring to one of the many holiday parties popping up on my calendar? This quick, easy, farm-fresh dish is the perfect solution to both! It takes 10 minutes, makes very little mess, and is an absolute crowd-pleaser! Enter: The Pawlet & Honey Crostini. During my Saturday shopping excursion at McCarren Park in Brooklyn for my Honey Roasted Carrots, I picked up a few additional items for my crostini. From Vermont's Consider Bardwell Farm, I perused a variety of delicious cow and goat cheeses. I was specifically searching for something that was soft and easy to melt, so I was directed to the "Meltlet" cheese, which is a version of their Pawlet. It was nutty and mild and perfect for a sweet and savory recipe. I bought 1/4lb ($5). I picked up a fresh baguette ($3) from New Jersey's Baker's Bounty. The outside felt nice and crusty, but the inside was soft and pillowy. The perfect type of bread for a crostini! The honey, which I picked up for my Honey Roasted Carrots last week, came from Nature's Way ($6.25/honeybear). There's something about fresh cheese that brings on an unstoppable craving for wine, am I right? Luckily, Borghese Vineyard was set up just across from the cheese stand, so I made my way over to pick my poison :). They had so many delicious bottles straight from their Long Island vineyard, but I settled on an easy-drinking red wine, the Petit Chateau ($17). Time to head home and assemble my delicious and festive treats! Here's how
This time of year, I run into two cooking woes. 1) What to make when I’m too tired and lazy to chop and prep and use every one of my pots and pants, and 2) what’s a quick and easy bite to make/bring to one of the many holiday parties popping up on my calendar? This quick, easy, farm-fresh dish is the perfect solution to both! It takes 10 minutes, makes very little mess, and
It always feels like there is a very short period after that Thanksgiving feast where you can rest and fill up on detoxifying veggies and wholesome foods in preparation for the onslaught of holiday cookies, cocktail hours, treats, and sweets that descend upon you each December. I try to take advantage of the wintry assortment of vegetables the NYC Greenmarkets have to offer this time of year. My go-to dish is roasted root vegetables. Warm, toasty, juicy, and satisfying, you can mix and match any root veg with an array of spices and flavorings to trick you into thinking you're eating something rich and sinful. I took a walk through Brooklyn's McCarren Park Greenmarket on Saturday and was immediately drawn to the vibrant orange carrots from Garden of Eve Farm. Parked right next door was Nature's Way Farm, with all of its delicious local honeys and honey products. The perfect (and absolute simplest) recipe came to mind: Honey Roasted Carrots. I grabbed a bunch of carrots ($4) and a honey bear jar of honey ($6.25) and I had everything I needed! You won't believe how easy this recipe is... INGREDIENTS: 1 bunch whole carrots, peeled salt & pepper to taste approx. 2 tbsp honey (you may use more or less for desired sweetness) 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat oven to 350F. Place washed and peeled whole carrots onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt & pepper. Toss to coat carrots evenly and spread them out into a single layer. Drizzle the surface of the carrots with honey. Bake until desired tenderness, 40 - 50 minutes. Cooking up these honey-roasted carrots will surely inspire you to get out there and support these amazing farmers who bring you fresh, flavorful carrots, sweet sticky honey, and
It always feels like there is a very short period after that Thanksgiving feast where you can rest and fill up on detoxifying veggies and wholesome foods in preparation for the onslaught of holiday cookies, cocktail hours, treats, and sweets that descend upon you each December. I try to take advantage of the wintry assortment of vegetables the NYC Greenmarkets have to offer this time of year. My go-to dish is roasted root vegetables. Warm,
Happy President's Day Weekend, EscapeMakers! As we celebrate a three-day weekend and great presidents from the past, we would be remiss not to explore the American history right here in our backyard. The Northeast is rich with historic sites and landmarks, and now, perhaps more than ever, it is important to reflect on these great and progressive events and places that have helped define what it truly means to be American. Whether you only have time for a day trip or are looking to spend a long weekend away, get inspired to escape into history! Hop on Metro-North Railroad from Grand Central Terminal for a day-trip out to Westchester. Spend the day at the Hudson River Museum's current exhibitions open now through May, which feature images of the Civil War, i.e. faces of steely-eyed generals, femme fatale spies, crusading abolitionists, and teenage African American soldiers; images of Abraham Lincoln on the banks of the Hudson; and also images and objects that show the art and culture of the nation and New York at the time of the Civil War. You can also check out a complete itinerary for the American Revolutionary Trail from Visit Westchester! Once we're out of winter and into the warmer spring weekends, head up to the Catskills in Sullivan County to explore the Minisink Battle Ground Park (open daily between Mother's Day and Columbus Day). The park, which is part of the Revolutionary War Heritage Trail, is dedicated to the men who fought and died at the “Battle of Minisink,” the only major skirmish of the Revolutionary War fought in the northern Delaware Valley. The 57 acre park includes picnic areas, extensive hiking trails, restroom facilities, picnic pavilion, and more. Looking to make a weekend getaway out of this exploration? Check out our Catskills Craft Beverage
Happy President’s Day Weekend, EscapeMakers! As we celebrate a three-day weekend and great presidents from the past, we would be remiss not to explore the American history right here in our backyard. The Northeast is rich with historic sites and landmarks, and now, perhaps more than ever, it is important to reflect on these great and progressive events and places that have helped define what it truly means to be American. Whether you only have
