After getting mildly lost a few times (let's here it for my sense of direction or lack there of!) we made it up to Kingston where we first attempted to find our hotel. We were lacking any city map and map quest was on crack when it gave us directions so we stopped at the little red trolley that said visitors center. The damn thing was locked and I think it killed Leila a little because there were quite a few informative brochures she could have collected. Finally someone saw us and gave us directions, although we still went the wrong way once more.
We found the motel and then set out to find the festival across the river. On the way there we found a mall, Walmart and Michaels. YAY! It sounds lame but Walmart has the cheapest aluminum knitting needles. So after we got that out of our system we got across the river. We stopped at a very cute roadside burger stand.
At the festival we split up and Leila went antiquing and I ran around the festival scoping everything out. I ran into Aryn and bought lots of yarn. I made a metal list of maybe's and met back up with Leila. We hit a pizza place recommended by Blueprint Blog and then sprawled out exhausted in the motel room.
The next day we returned, I finished my yarn buying and met some Llamas, Alpacas,and Mohair bunnies. None of which I was allergic too! This is a small miracle.
The ride back took us, I kid you not, about 6 hours. We stopped in Red Hook to have Ice Cream at Holy Cow, the cheapest ice cream ever, also recommended by the Blueprint Blog. We stopped in Rhinebeck at the general store for more cheap aluminum double pointed knitting needles. It is here that we discovered that every dog in Rhinebeck is adorable.
Going south we drove past FDR's old house and the old Vanderbilt mansion (Oh my god). The culinary institute is AMAZING. It made me think of Lyra's Oxford but in NY.
I got to stop at the house I was almost born in. The area was amazing, acres and acres of orange and red trees.
We finally got back around 8:45 that night.
All in all an amazing weekend. I can't wait for next year.
