| Historic
Hudson areas |
Nick
Vaczek |
| Jul
08, 2003 07:45 PDT |
Travellers:
Ithaca has a well-traveled bumper sticker that says
"Ithaca is Gorges."
After the adventures in Zoar perhaps we can say "New York
is Gorges." It
was a very uplifting experience being there on Saturday to cheer
the reach
of old growth treetops. The "Gallery of Giants," as
Bruce called it, is a
living museum of - can we say? - ecological beauty. Celebrating
local
treasures (not to mention discovering them) in the forms of
flora and
heritage tourism go hand in hand.
Bob's praise and efforts do New York proud!
Bob mentions the Hudson River estate of the painter Frederick
Edwin Church
- known as "Olana." This State Historic Site near the
town of Hudson is
part of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area. A month
ago I took
a trip over the Catskills to see this source-point whose vistas
inspired an
artistic vision that for some of Church's life stretched across
the country
and drew crowds in Europe. A short distance to the west, across
the Rip van
Winkle Bridge in the village of Catskill is the National
Historic Landmark
of Cedar Grove, the home of painter Thomas Cole, regarded as the
founder of
the 'Hudson River School of Art,' and where Church lived during
an
apprentice period. In their day these two friends who could
journey far and
look very close could see one another from these vantage points.
Not far to
the north, near the village of Coxsackie, is the Bronck Museum,
a home
built in 1663, New York's almost oldest (where that
"pumpkin pine" is so
evident). These places are well worth visiting because of what
they speak
to regarding environmental awareness and actuality then and now.
Two years
ago the New York Times ran a fascinating series profiling the
shifting
destinies of locations that had appeared in Hudson River School
art.
For reference:
Olana's grounds are open but the home is only open via scheduled
tours so
at busy times a reservation is a good idea. Phone 518-828-0135.
Also on the
web: www.olana.org.
Cedar Grove: 518-943-7454. Web: www.thomascole.org
Bronck Museum: 518-731-6490. Web: www.gchistory.org
Greene County Tourism Office, Catskill 1-800-355-2287. Web:
www.greene-ny.com
Happy Trails |
|