Food And Things To Do

For bikers... if you are a novice or "moderate" bike rider the hills around the house are probably going to be too much for you.... and I would recommend the rail trails link below this one. The Wallkill Trail is particularly good. Some not paved but all pretty smooth but with wonderful bridges and scenery. Just carry your bikes there on a rack. About thirty minute drive south... but set your GPS to coordinates and the settings for "closest distance" rather than "fastest speed"... that way it will take you there on beautiful backroads and avoid the turnpike. sure it takes five more minutes... but it's wonderful scenery the whole way.

So... back to bike riding.... If you ride regularly and are in good shape the map at the link above should prove to be really helpful for a nice ride ( 7 or 11 miles) on as few "roads with a yellow line on them" as possible... but please note that there are some places where that is unavoidable... so wear a helmut and stay by standard "bike " rules on larger roads. People don't see bikes. They can be invisible. On roads with stripes go single file with the traffic direction as close to the outer white line as possible.

AND... if you are in absolutely olympic top shape... Try going UP Plattecove Road... and then coast back down it! But have your brakes checked first. It's about a 1500 foot climb! Fun in a car too... see the Catskill Drive Map.

Area Rail Trails for Biking, and Walking (click here)

Good Skiing is about 40 minutes away... (click here)

How Far Away is the Festival Site & Museum?

The Woodstock Festival was NOT held in Woodstock New York. Different legends explain why and how the name stuck but it’s about a 70 MINUTE drive from the house and something you might want to do coming up from or going to the NYC area. However... it should be noted that the drive there is absolutely spectacular if you are going FROM The Grouse House and you set you GPS for the "shortast distance"... rather than "fastest time". It will take you through the mountains... passing beautiful reservoirs and streams as well as an eagles nest on an island if you know where to look (you'll see all the people pulled over with cameras and binoculars).

CLICK HERE FOR A MAP SHOWING DISTANCES

Visit "The Ashokan Center" (click here)

A wonderful center for music and the arts in a gorgeous natural environment with numerous trails... historic buildings... and spectacular geology. Check out their schedule here for music and dance performances in one of many venues. Hosted by musical legends Jay Ungar & Molly Mason... Americana musicians famous for their work with Ken Burns and the classic "Ashokan Farewell".

Catch a Concert at Levon Helm's Barn (click here)

You can't get more intimate of a concert venue than the historic home of music legend Levon Helm (The Band). "The Midnight Ramble" showcases world class performances with an incredible sound system. It is NOT a large venue so please check for availabilty of tickets. Levon's daughter Amy Helm is NOT TO BE MISSED with her KILLER band! Something you WILL NOT forget!

Check out... The Bearsville Theater (click here)

Check out the concert listings at The Bearsville Theater... the brainchild of Albert Grossman... the music industry visionary and magnate whose stable included Peter, Paul & Mary, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, The Band and Todd Rundgren. Oh if THESE walls could talk! Great sound system and bar. Beautiful building.

Check out... The Woodstock Playhouse (click here)

World class theater events of all types of ART from Broadway musicals to a classic British car show this coming October to a guitar makers festival. The Woodstock Playhouse is nearly eighty years old and is a legendary local treasure.

Check out The Maverick Theater (click here)

What can you say about a place that had its first performance in 1916 and today is still an "open air" structure of wood with a roof over the audience and stage. It is a wonderful structure. And they offer terrific concerts of all types of music. You can be assured that if The Maverick is presenting something... it WILL be good.

Check out... "Opus 40" Sculpture Park (click here)

Only one mile down George Sickle Road from The Grouse House this amazing and gorgeous earthworks blue stone sculpture was the lifetime project of artist Harvey Fite. It represents the work of ONE man over 38 years... with no modern machinery or tools.

Visit the Ulster County Wineries (click here)

There are no wineries in the immediate Woodstock / Saugerties area but there are some terrific ones in the Wallkill River Valley about thirty minutes to the south.

Visit the Woodstock Farm Sanctuary (click here)

Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary provides shelter to cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, ducks, sheep, goats, and rabbits who have been rescued from cases of abuse, neglect and abandonment. Here you can frolic with goats in a large open pasture, sit down with a pig who wants nothing more than a belly rub, cuddle with chickens who seek out your attention or get nuzzled by some very friendly sheep!

Check out "The Woodstock Times" (click here)

Local paper with listings of things going on around the area as well as news. And check back at this link right before you leave... as it doesn't update too far in advance. Best to use the web sites of the venues above.

Food & Things to do...