Dutchess County Fair

I spent a few hours the other day at the annual Dutchess County Fair. Pigs, horses, sheep, cows, rides, junk food, farm exhibits - a lot of fun.

Entertainment this year included Billy Ray Cyrus, Sawyer Brown, Ronnie Milsap, Gary Pucket, Roy Clark, Julie Roberts and George Canyon.

The fair is held at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck; throughout the year many other shows are held there -antiques, automobiles, crafts, etc.

Rhinebeck Post Office

If you're in the area, I recommend a short visit to the Rhinebeck Post Office. The building dates from 1939, and was modeled after "Kipsbergen," an 18th century Rhinebeck home occupied by Franklin Roosevelt's ancestors, the Beekmans. The mural on the walls of the building are incredible! You can see a number of them at Hudson River Gallery; for more information about the post office building itself see the article "FDR and Dutchess County Stone Buildings."

Wilderstein

We visited Wilderstein yesterday, a "Hudson Valley Historic Site" just outside of Rhinebeck. It is one of the many historic mansions located in the region (such as FDR's and Eleanor Roosevelt's homes in Hyde Park; the Vanderbilt mansion is there too). We went in order to see the "HUDSON RIVER ART AT WILDERSTEIN" exhibit.

We've been there before, but only in winter to hike and snowshoe the extensive trail system (which overlook the Hudson, so the view is excellent). The mansion dates from the 1800s, and has been kept as is for many years (with certain renovations going on). It was OK - I'm not the biggest "historic house tour" fan. As I said, we went for the art exhibit. The problem was the tour guide wasn't familiar with the art, and so barely mentioned anything about it or the artists. Her strength was the house and its history; the art - which they have been promoting extensively - was just an afterthought. Disappointing.

But, if you like hiking (any season) and are in the area, check it out for that alone!

The Lake

Just got back from a few days in Houston; boy, it was hot there! Well, it's hot here too. Our place is on a lake, outside of Rhinebeck. Here's a photo of our kayak, and one of the lake (with a few ducks slightly visible).