lace is everywhere—detail of handmade fence at Olana, home of frederick church, greenport, NY
our time here in the hudson valley has just flown by—hence the lack of blogging. we’ve had very little time unoccupied by visiting, partying, and sight seeing on this trip. which is good; we needed a break from computering.
the weather has been spectacular the whole time we’ve been here, featuring clear, hot days and cool nights that tell us fall is coming. and there are other signs that the season is changing
as we neared our destination last friday, i began to spot trees with changing colors and tried to get a good shot for the blog, with mixed success. i’m sure the novelty will wear off soon enough.
i actually have gotten lots of knitting done this weekend, mostly late at night . . . i have two pair of socks nearly finished and a third about half done. i didn’t start knitting the scarf though . . . i got kinda caught up in the socks.
maybe in the car on the way home today (i can’t believe we’re heading home already, sigh).
we went to a landmark birthday party saturday and then my nephew arrived sunday so we goofed off with him quite a bit while my mom went on a firled trip that day (much sushi was consumed in her absence).
yesterday we had a great field trip to hudson, NY where my cousin lynn (a knitter) lives. she took us on a little walking tour around town
which is famous for its historic sites and beautiful scenery
as well as its antique shops, art, and offerings of good food and relaxation
yesterday we enjoyed a public art installation all along washington street that made use of previously-existing sites for parking meters to display a series of dog sculptures, each by a different artist. the button one was a favorite, along with the one painted in houndstooth check which i couldn’t photograph because my camera battery ran out.
this tiny lighthouse seems dwarfed where it sits in the middle of the hudson, which runs very wide at this point upstream (it is still in a tidal zone).
we ate a terrific lunch in town, restored a fresh battery to the camera, and then headed out to olana, the home of frederick church, an prominent member of the hudson river painters.
the park grounds are open to the public every day, and though the house was closed yesterday, there was still plenty to take in. the views to the river take your eyes over meadows, gardens, and woods that provide a reflective natural setting for walking, reading, and relaxation.
the house, on the other hand, is a weird and wonderful mix of victorian/persian architecture and detail that can only have been conjured by a human brain
it is a complete and unabashed study in “i like this and i want it on my house”. and it is all so beautifully wrought; who could argue?
persian tile work and painted decoration mixes with stone and wood construction to create a bizarre bazaar effect
i was especially taken with this series of broad-striped awnings juxtaposed with shaped windows and colorful tile borders.
the windows and doorways everywhere are incredible, not just for their colors and shapes, but for what is reflected in them—beautiful compositions of sky, trees, and water.
and then suddenly all that business is broken by one strong element that resonates with quietude and powerful stillness. interesting, right?
after olana we headed back to my mom’s for a big dinner with family and friends. and today we are heading back home—i can’t believe five days have gone by so fast (and, sorry for the scanty posting during that time; i’ll be back on track this coming week.)
see you back in ohio . . .
29 thoughts on “hudson valley trip”
What a beautiful area! I’ve never been there and I enjoyed seeing your photos. That fence is really beautiful.
What a nice surprise to read your post today and see photos of Hudson and Olana! I live very close to Hudson, what a pleasure to see some familiar views. Hope you had a lovely visit to the Hudson Valley, your photos are gorgeous!!
Thanks for the shots of your adventure! I’m interested in the button dog, the Celtic-looking statue, and the twisted fence at the beginning of your post. Do you have information to share about any of those? I’m glad you’re have a nice time!
I love Olana -everytime I leave there I want to go home and make furniture out of twigs. I really have a deep, deep passion for those benches 🙂 Man you were right here and I didn’t even know it, uh I haven’t really been keeping up with all the online stuff well lately.
The trees already starting to change are freaking me out! 🙂 I need some summertime still – without the rain.
I’m so glad you had a chance to relax, but boy I really missed you on the blog!!
we are finding small hints of fall all around us here too. I’m ready, but I’m not ready!
What lovely pictures and interesting things you get to experience!
Lovely photos for a lovely time!
I was intrigued with the statue also, googled and found it listed as St. Winfred…wtf? that was a dude. this statue clearly appears feminine to me, so Anne.. what’s the story?
you’d get a lot of knitting time in if you lived in that lighthouse…
It sounds like a perfect getaway, and I love the photos! Thanks for the small vicarious vacation 🙂
Thanks for sharing these pictures of your trip! You certainly guessed it, I found that house fascinating! One more place to go and see…
Have a safe and enjoyable trip back!
I don’t suppose we could come up with a knitting hide-a-way with our favorite architecture, pantry and wine cellar, gardens, water, library, etc. These shared moments certainly could provide possibilities, but a bit warmer climate! Safe trip.
Wow! That house is in my Houses of the Hudson book. So beautiful!
It’s funny – when my husband first moved out to NY to live near me, he and his friend almost rented a house in Hudson from a friend of theirs who had bought a totally run down old house and was fixing it up. However, we went to go look at it and it needed a another month or two of work before it would be liveable so he moved in with me and now it’s 8 years later!
Hudson is one of my favorite towns. Many years ago, my husband I lived in Woodstock which is not too far. Did you go there too? I’m going to visit Hudson when I go to the Rhienbeck fest this fall – all the way from Kansas. I loved the photos.
My mom’s house in in Redhook/Rhinebeck, not far from Frederick Church’s amazing house. I used to derive many quiliting inspirations from his use of color and shape. Truly amazing place.
Oh everyone needs a break. Great photos all the way around, and it sounds as if you had a lovely time.
I’ll put that on my places to visit list. Great colorwork. Thanks,
We New Yorkers cooked up the best weather we could, and are happy that you had a wonderful family time here in our great state! Glad that you are back on the blog!
I’m jealous! I’ve wanted to visit Olana for several years now, ever since I saw it featured in Victorian Homes magazine. Those awnings are a trip–I guess if you’re going to have such a lavish place, you don’t want the furniture to fade. The button dog is lots of fun too. It makes me laugh.
Oooh, you went to one of my favorite places — lucky you! With such gorgeous weather, too. Autumn would be perfect for a revisit. Thanks for the inspiration.
Sounds like a great vacation!
Anne- Beautiful scenery, and quirky architecture- looks like a great trip.
i LOVE that fence!! makes me want to make one of my very own somewhere on our property…
glad you are having such a great time.
what a beutiful place:)
The button dog is so charming. I immediately thought that this was the best use of digital cameras ever, disseminating art (well, maybe second to disseminating fiber pictures).
The oak leaf on rock just goes thunk into my heart.
Anne, as you know I was born and raised in Hudson, New York!!1 I loved seeing your wonderful photos and it really hasn’t changed…a few more antique shops though!!! I’m just thrilled you went to visit Olana and one of my daughters used to give the tour. I wish you could have done that…it’s so unusual inside and everything was done with a “purpose” the lighting, the colors….it is just a wonderful place of histor, maybe your next visit. I remember the statue down on Front Street at the Hudson River too….it has cleaned up very nicely….LOL Good old Henry Hudson had it in his mind to settle himself there. We loved the watch portals on Front Street that beckoned to the river – and whale watching….I’m so glad you had time to take a step back in history…it is very rich in tradition. As always, I can’t wait to see what you are working on. I’ve ordered your latest shawl and am ready to go…..Love the blog, hope your garden is doing better????
oh wow, looks like you have a great trip! olana looks really interesting – i may have to add it to my places to see list.
Fabulous pix!
Great pictures! Got those socks done yet?
A lot of us locals in Hudson hate those dogs and can’t wait until they are taken down. They make the main street (Warren not Washington) look like a middlebrow tourist town instead of the off-beat creative haven that it really is.
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