We didn't spot the parking area on the west side of the bridge and there was traffic behind us, so…read morewe continued across the bridge and there is a parking area on the east side. It's free parking but you have to cross the traffic at the roundabout and that's always a good time. In place since 1935, this cantilever and truss bridge is 145 feet above the Hudson River below. Plenty of space for pedestrians with a very high curb and that made me feel safe from the traffic. There are a couple of spots with overhangs so that you can step a bit out from the bridge to look at it from the side. Helpful! The bridge joins the cities of Hudson and Catskill, carrying NY route 23. It is a total of 5040 feet from end to end. The toll is eastbound only. There are a number of mounted telephones for suicide awareness. I guess enough people have jumped that they felt the need to put the phones up. On a clear day, the "America's First Canvas" notes make sense. This area got some of the first American landscape paintings by Thomas Cole (1801-1848) and Frederic Edwin Church (1826-1900). Before the bridge, of course. [Review 11496 overall, 1276 of 2019.]

It looks like they finally removed the 25mph speed limit on the Greene County side of the bridge…read more That, plus removing toll booths and repaving that stretch of road definitely speeds up the flow of traffic across the bridge.

With a historic Dutch-style building facade, the Capital Region Welcome Center represents the…read moregateway into the Capital Region for northbound travelers and promotes the region's local tourism industry, rich history, food, and beverages. This I Love NY sign- is a symbol of New York State Welcome Centers and it has 11 welcome centers across NY state. I am just listing this down because now I am interested in exploring it all. * Adirondacks Welcome Center * Capital Region Welcome Center * Central NY Welcome Center * Finger Lakes Welcome Center * Hudson Valley | Catskills Welcome Center * Long Island Welcome Center * Mohawk Valley Welcome Center * New York State Welcome Center * North Country Welcome Center * Southern Tier Welcome Center * Western NY Welcome Center These are all newly constructed and not your usual rest stop. Food options are limited here, not a single chain or separate kiosk. Approximately 15 miles south of Albany, the Capital Region Welcome Center is located across from the New York State Thruway Authority's New Baltimore Service Area on the Thruway (I-87) it features regionally specific elements linked to the history and natural beauty of the Hudson River Valley, including attractions such as the New York State Capitol, the historic Saratoga Racecourse, and the Lake George region. Other features include: Taste NY Market showcases locally grown and sourced products from across the capital region and the state. Taste NY Market Menu PDF Artifact wall I LOVE NY interactive kiosks. Area for farmers' markets Music-themed children's playground High-speed Electric Vehicle charging stations.

Cool rest stop with a few fast food choices like chick fil a shake shack and panera. The place is…read morerather clean . We stopped here on a trip down and back from Vermont to NYC. The panera didn't have most of the soups on their menu and the chicken at the chick fil A tasted oddly chewy like a hard/raw chewy. Other than that the facilities is conventional and clean so that's what my rating is based off

"Extra! Extra! Read all about it…read morePinball Wizard in a miracle cure! Extra Extra read all about it" (Pete Townsend) When I was a kid, a lot of black and white movies from the 30's and 40's were standard fare for television. A lot of those movies had scenes of young newsboys selling newspapers on the streets yelling "Extra! Extra! Read all about it". Nowadays, the only time you see newspapers being sold on the streets are by homeless people who catch you at a red light or an on-ramp. This unique Newsboy Monument is located on a triangular patch of grass bounded by Maple Street, Silver Street and Newsboy Monument Lane in Great Barrington, MA. It was dedicated on October 10, 1895 by a gentleman named Colonel William L. Brown. Now that makes perfect sense, because he was part owner of the New York Daily News. I read that Brown thought of the newsboys as "unsung heroes" in the success of his newspaper and the industry in general. The passage of the decades and the advances in technology have made this occupation all but extinct. It's a very cool 5' tall bronze statue of a newsboy perched on a 10' high granite base. He is dressed in the style of the day, with a cap, jacket, knickers and very long socks. He holds up a copy of a newspaper in his raised right hand and clutches a bundle of newspapers under his left arm. The statue sits on a fountain that was designed as a watering trough with several fountainheads to quench the thirst of thirsty dogs, horses, and people. A near bronze plaque is inscribed: Newsboy Statue and Fountains Presented to the town of Great Barrington by Colonel William L. Brown on October 10, 1895. Colonel brown was a resident of this neighborhood and part-owner of the first New York Daily News. It was Colonel Brown's wish to create a lasting monument honoring hard-working newspaper carriers. It's a nice piece of history commemorating an era where people learned about the news before radio, TV, and Facebook came along.

This historical fountain has been moved twice since it's original installation in the town of Lee…read more It presently resides on the town park green, Main St., near the tourist information building. Originally installed by the Temperance Union is 1899, one side includes an image of Chief Konkapot of the local Mohegan tribe and has a trough to be used by horses. The other side has a fish head where water flows and according to the Smithsonian, can be used as a drinking fountain for humans: https://www.si.edu/object/kilbon-memorial-fountain-sculpture:siris_ari_341419 It is made from locally quarried marble. Information we obtained from the tourist office included restoration work done to the sculpture before it was moved to it's current location. A lovely piece of restored history in this charming New England town.

This is a story about three things:…read more 1) A public drinking fountain built over 100 years ago for thirsty citizens and thirsty horses. 2) How that fountain deteriorated over time to the point that it was stained and crumbling. 3) How the local citizens rallied around their historic fountain to raise enough funds to beautifully restore it. This two-sided Temperance Fountain was built in 1899 by the Temperance Union to honor Amelia Jeannette Kilbon. The marble used to build it was mined from local quarries and has a drinking trough for horses on one side and a stream of water flowing from a fish sculpture on the other. The fountain's front has an engraving of Chief Konkapot of the Stockbridge Mohegans tribe, The back of the fountain has this inscription: THIS FOUNTAIN WAS BEGUN BY THE LOYAL TEMPERANCE UNION UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF AMELIA JEANNETTE KILBON AND WAS COMPLETED BY OTHER FRIENDS AS A TRIBUTE TO HER MEMORY 1870 1897 Over time, the fountain became damaged from wear and tear, and internal leakage. It was stained and crumbling, and badly needed restoration, as well as a plan for preservation. A movement to gather donations and restore it started around 2013. How successful was that movement? Very successful! Private donations by 375 kindhearted individuals and businesses donated $45,000 to that cause. The restoration work began last summer as the fountain was dismantled and shipped off to a repair vendor who discovered problems with the fountain's internal plumbing lines. Leaks had helped decay and stain the marble. The marble was repaired, the water lines were updated with better material, and over one dozen hidden pins were imbedded into the Chief's face to keep it stable. An additional $5,000 or so for a plaque and landscaping around the tiny park where the fountain sits is still needed to wrap up this project. On May 25, 2019, the fountain was re-dedicated and it looks brand new. Gone are the old stains and cracked marble. Members of the Mohican tribe were invited to the dedication and said a blessing over the fountain to honor their ancestor Chief Konkapot. I thought that was pretty sweet.

I enjoyed the hotel and it's scenery. Unfortunately my friend and I did not have a room that faced…read morethe valley. But we were the first to arrive as the entire hotel was booked. Because of a nearby motorcycle rally called Rolling Thunder. Only 12 rooms. Our room was at the end of a very long hallway on the second floor which is where all the rooms were located. We were on the left-hand side which faced the front of the hotel at the rooms on the right hand side where the rooms that have the great view. All of the doors were open as the captain told us he had been preparing the rooms for his guests. My friend and I proceeded to unpack our suitcases and get everything ready for the three days that we would be staying putting our clothes away putting our toiletries into the bathroom etc. When I was done putting my things away I walked across the hallway into the hotel room across from us and looked out the window. I wanted to check out the gorgeous view and it really was gorgeous. All of a sudden I heard a crashing sound coming from my room so I ran back in and I said to my friend what was that and she said it was something in the bathroom. So I looked on my toiletries which I had put into a large Ziploc bag had fallen into the trash can. It was impossible that they would have fallen in the trashcan from where I have placed them so I found it very odd but I just brushed it off. So I decided to go and have a look with my friend who is now done putting her things away at the room that I was looking out the window and across the hall. As we walked out of my room I noticed that the door was closed to the other room. I know for a fact that I did not close it because I ran out of the room when I heard the noise. And I suddenly felt I guess this very strange energy. I suppose it gave me the creeps. And then it happened again... My toiletries ended up in the trashcan!!! I decided I would run downstairs and talk to the captain about where we could purchase some bottled water on the premises since the soda machine was broken. I found him sitting outside having a glass of bourbon and a cigar and he was a super nice guy. So I sat down with him and he offered to give me some free bottled waters which I thought was nice and I asked him point blank if his hotel was haunted. He laughed but only slightly and said I guess you met her. I said yes not exactly but she's messing with my stuff. So he told me the story of a woman that they had found murdered who was a prostitute in the room across from ours. And nobody knew that she was under the bed for a couple of weeks until she started to smell. I felt slightly unhinged as he was telling the story. And I believe that he said it happened in the early 80s. She told me that she wasn't going to hurt us but likes to scare the women that were staying in the hotel. So a few more things happened like she rearranged my bracelets on the dresser and took my girlfriends diamond ring and placed it in a very unusual place- on the window sill. I also felt someone following me down the hallway. But it would stop when I arrived at the top of the staircase. I heard a woman moaning. Yikes The scariest thing that happened was the morning of the day we were going to leave. My girlfriend and I slept in the same bed bc it was the only bed. And I was wearing my earplugs because she snores like a truck driver... L O L. So I could hear nothing. She wakes me up in the morning looking white as a ghost and screams at me to take out my earplugs and asked me did I grab her by her hip and violently shake her to wake her up? I said absolutely not. And then we looked at each other and got dressed real quick without even showering and left... !!!! we knew a few of the people who were staying there and we asked them days after we left if they had experienced anything like that but they told us no. I assumed it was because they were mostly couples and there was a man in the room. Oh yeah and there's a very nice man who is also a ghost who roams around the dining area during breakfast. But he wasn't scary.

The food at captains inn is always perfect! And the captain is one of the nicest guys around. Old…read moreschool feeling with a modern menu!

This is a small town in MA just across the border from NYS. It's an exit off the Mass Pike…read more Cute town with outlets. The outlet mall is a smaller one and they built it just outside if town. It gets lots of traffic from the highway. The town itself is a New England town with small mom and pop gas stations, a few places to eat and some boutiques for shopping. There is a diner mentioned in roadfood.com, a few very cute lunch sandwich places and some dinner restaurants. The boutiques re pricey but they have some nice things. This is a great walking town. Once you park it's all pretty close together. After some outlet shopping come to town to fill the tank and get some sustenance. Well worth it. Parking is street or lot but it's not easy all the time. A little patience will do you well for parking.

I am sorry to read negative reviews of the Pittsfield Library. I have always found staff to be…read morehelpful, upbeat and personable. The library has a great selection, comfortable spots to relax with a book or magazine and plenty of computers to access. The online reservation program is simple to use. I do agree that there should be a way to check out books in person. Keep up the great service. An excellent public library like ours is essential to our community.

This is about the 'Friends of the...." book sale. As someone…read morelocal who contributes thousands of dollars of books it galls me to see dealers swoop down on these sales and rape the collection. If the library is serious about the sale they would hire some college kids for the summer to list everything on Amazon at 10X the price and cut out the dealers. To get into the sale early as a 'friend' you queue up to get a number. With 25 people standing there the volunteer waited a half hour until the second hand came around to the (unposted) time.

Woodstock is an eclectic town in the Adirondacks. It's about 2 - 3 hours northeast of NYC…read moredepending, in my opinion, on the amount of time you have to sit in traffic on the George Washington Bridge. The drive itself (except for traffic on the GW) is very pleasant. Many people believe it was the site of the Woodstock Music Festival in 1969. That was actually held in a field outside Bethel, NY, about an hour away. Despite my pleas my family wouldn't take me to the field because we would get back to the city too late. I've wanted for years to lay in the field with my eyes closed & feel the presence of the event that was a highlight of my generation. Of course at my age, I would need a strong hand to help me get back up again. Our visit was because my Grandson loved to swim in a stream that ran through a part of town. After seeing the incline down I chose to roam the town during his swim. The town, for someone of my generation, was not just charming. It appeared to be a place where old hippies went to live the remainder of their life around like minded people, Of course there were souvenirs stores that capitalized on its famous name. But there was so much more. Sitting on a bench watching a band playing in the town square, I chatted with people of my generation. It was pleasant and calming, a place where "Peace will guide the planets.....And love will steer the stars." When my family returned from their swim we ate at a cafe with 60's decor then headed back to the city without a detour to the field. Sigh.....

Mostly everyone, associate the 1969 concert that originally took place in Bethel, NY, with…read moreWoodstock, NY (the concert's namesake). But the "Free Loving", energy and music that occurred then- just extended here. Most people ask me, "what do you do up in Woodstock? Do you wear hippie clothes? Do you just roam around mindlessly? Do you sing in the Town's Square ?" No. No. And. No. Please fast forward to the newly rich Woodstock. It's more than Janis Joplin and tie-dyed t-shirts- please; (though I love every Janis song). I've seen the changes in the last 16 years; and the presence of Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban (pre wedding) while Mr. Man and I had lunch at Landau Grill, just bumped Woodstock to a modern destination spot; attracting folks from the city- by the bus loads! Locally-owned shops, rightfully remain, with a more refined appearance. But it also holds that country vibe also. That's perfectly fine. Creativity in the form of paintings, sculptures, Art Galleries and film, flows everywhere you go. I've driven in for the day, spent a long weekend and have spent a week. Either or, you will not be at a loss- there's something for everyone up here. People are genuinely approachable. And that aura of Peace and Love that initially took place more than 40 decades ago- will never go away.