Quote Of The Day

"The Catskills are not merely a place — they are a mood that settles over you like river fog, slow and total, until you cannot remember what hurry felt like."

Interesting Facts

Ulster County, New York holds some genuinely overlooked surprises beneath its Catskill scenery:

• America's oldest continuously operated ferry: The Rhinebeck-Kingston ferry crossing near Rhinecliff operated for centuries, and the general stretch of the Hudson at Ulster County has hosted ferry crossings since the 1600s, making it one of the longest-running water crossing traditions in the country.
  
  
• Cement capital of the world: In the mid-1800s, Ulster County produced the majority of the natural hydraulite cement used to build the Erie Canal and later the base of the Statue of Liberty's pedestal — earning the county the informal title of "cement capital of the world" at its peak.
  
  
• A county older than the United States: Ulster County was formally established in 1683 under the British colonial government, nearly a century before American independence, making it one of the original twelve counties created in colonial New York.
  
  
• The Huguenot Street paradox: New Paltz contains Huguenot Street, widely recognized as one of the oldest continuously inhabited streets in the United States, where several stone houses built in the early 1700s still stand — yet the street is often overshadowed by more famous colonial sites elsewhere.
  
  
• Underground railroad hub: Ulster County's rugged terrain and abolitionist Quaker and Dutch Reformed communities made it a significant corridor on the Underground Railroad, with documented safe houses in towns including Marlboro and Kingston that sheltered freedom seekers heading north.

Tip of The Day

Skip the Crowded Spots — Explore Ulster County's Rail Trail Network on Foot

Most visitors head straight to Woodstock or the Catskill Mountain overlooks, but Ulster County's Wallkill Valley Rail Trail offers something quieter and just as rewarding. Stretching through New Paltz and into Gardiner, this flat, mostly paved former rail corridor winds past farm stands, apple orchards, and marsh wetlands that most tourists never see. The Gardiner end in particular opens onto sweeping views of the Shawangunk Ridge without any serious elevation gain — making it accessible whether you're walking, cycling, or just want a slow stroll.

If you go today, park at the Huguenot Street trailhead in New Paltz and head south toward Gardiner. Keep an eye out for Tuthilltown Spirits not far from the corridor — you can wrap up the outing with a tasting at one of New York's original craft distilleries. Bring water, because shade is intermittent, and check local farm stand hours in advance since many operate on seasonal schedules.

Autumn is the perfect excuse to explore the region's most remarkable public gardens — and the Hudson Valley has no shortage of them.

At the Hortus Arboretum and Botanical Gardens in Stone Ridge, founders Allyson Levy and Scott Serrano have built a 21-acre "living textbook" of native, rare, and unusual plants, from ancient medlar trees to kaleidoscopic witch alder. An edible walking and tasting tour is planned for October 10.

In Boiceville, the Brunel Sculpture Garden pairs lush native plantings with massive concrete totems honoring Indigenous peoples — including a 30-foot masterpiece incorporating Buddha, Jesus, Moses, and Mohammed — crafted by pioneering photographer Emile Brunel between 1929 and 1941.

Nearby options include the Beatrix Farrand Garden at Hyde Park, the 185-acre Innisfree Garden in Millbrook, and the Mountain Top Arboretum in Tannersville, which closes its season with a sound meditation experience in November.