Castle on the Hudson:
You don’t need to come from a lineage of outrageously wealthy aristocrats to live in the lap of New York luxury, if only for a weekend. An escape from the wearisome humdrum of the last century, the
Castle on the Hudson is a fairytale Welsh estate turned luxury hotel set in the dramatic landscape of the Hudson Valley. Ride on horseback along the scenic carriage roads of the Rockefeller State Park Preserve. Nearby,
The Westchester offers intoxicating luxury mall window shopping—or maybe even something to wear for cocktails around the pool back at the Castle. Castle on the Hudson: (914) 631-1980; The Westchester: (914) 683-8600
Old Forge Hardware:
Ordinarily, people don’t want to go to a hardware store on their vacation, but a trip to The Adirondacks is no ordinary vacation and
Old Forge Hardware is certainly no ordinary store. Opened in 1900, The Adirondack’s “Most General Store” is a quirky shopping adventure for fishing gear, Polish pottery, copper and cast-iron cookware, rustic novelty yarns and handmade Adirondack peeled-log furniture. You could spend hours in a lost world of unique gifts, gear and hardware, and why not? All your Christmas shopping could be done six months early! (800) 821-1454
Corning, NY:
Extremely rare 19th-century commercial architecture frames more than 100 quaint boutique stores, antique shops and sidewalk cafes in the
Gaffer District of Corning. “The Crystal City” has long been famous for its production of beautiful and delicate blown glass. Savvy shoppers who want a truly one-of-a-kind piece can step into The Studio at the
Corning Museum of Glass to try their hand at making their own masterpiece. If you start to slow down, a cup of
Market Streetcoffee, fresh roasted to order, will keep you strolling the historic brick and cobblestone streets of one of the top walking cities in the country. (607) 937-6292, (800) 732-6845, (607) 936-3351
Antique Boat Auction:
The annual
Antique Boat Show’s “Rock Around the Dock” event (Aug. 1-3) draws more than 10,000 to the Thousand Islands-Seaway region for an auction of some of the rarest and most beautifully restored classic freshwater boats in the Northeast. Whether you’re in the market for a 19-foot 1940 Chris Craft Barrel Back, a 28-foot 1929 GarWood Runabout, or even if you’re a Greavette Streamliner kind of guy, the auction and adjacent Antique Boat Museum have everything your nautical soul could ever desire. (315) 686-4104
Saratoga Salsa and Spice Company:
Saratoga’s springs offer a cool drink of water, contrasting with some of the hot sauces, salsas and barbeque rubs at the
Saratoga Salsa & Spice Company. The colorful and eclectic store offers a wide variety of international sauces as well as its ever-popular local concoctions like Saratoga Salsa’s Best Bet Hot Sauce and Autumn Apple Salsa. Great gift ideas include the Old Fart gift pack of spicy bean dips, and there’s even a line of spicy sauces named “Woman Scorned”—hot enough for you? (518) 580-0792