Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Country Living * Hudson Valley Adventure




What a Grand Weekend!
I went to the Country Living Fair in Rhinebeck, NY
with my friend Kim from County Line Road.
We've been Flea Market buddies for years 
and this seemed like the perfect adventure for us.
Friday's torrential rains kept us indoors at the Coxsackie Antique Mall 
which was interesting and kept us dry...

We had dinner at The Culinary Institute in Hyde Park 
and that was a lot of fun.

Here's the entrance to the American Bounty restaurant:



This beet salad with goat cheese and capers was delicious 
and so beautiful.


Seriously, between the colors and the artistic presentation, this could be a painting!



Then this whimsical dessert, which was fun, too. 


  The glassware was adhered to the board on a bed of honey.
Maybe a bit too much honey, but I have to remember this idea...
The Red Velvet Whoopie Pie was the best.


We arrived at the Country Living Fair as it opened on Saturday morning.
It was crowded.  
We saw lots of interesting things and I'll show you just a few.


Loved this regal Lion on a bed of boxwood.




And this pair of shutters-  
Too bad they wouldn't fit in my suitcase...



Lots of creative inspiration, too.
Check out this lampshade covered with buttons!




Love this "Welcome" pillow.
I may have to try my hand at this in my colors...



We both made a beeline over to these vintage Christmas trees...
We both collect Christmas Tree Pins (which you can read about here).


They were a bit pricey, so we didn't buy any.

I spotted this large demi-john filled with white lights and I may have to try this myself...




We managed to cover the whole Fair in three hours.  
That left us time to visit the Vanderbilt mansion and walk the grounds a bit.



Quite the setting, with amazing views.



Next, we headed down to Poughkeepsie, NY to walk across the Hudson River.
Really.

They have re-purposed an old railroad bridge into a spectacular pedestrian bridge 
high above the Hudson River with panoramic views in all directions.
You can read all about it here.
It's 1.28 miles across (one way) and 212 feet in the air.  
Gulp.





This is a view from the center of the walkway to the south.



Walking across the river!

Pictures really can't capture the panorama.




Looking north from the center of the bridge.



This was really the highlight of the trip.
Amazing American ingenuity!



The next day, we took a tour of Franklin D. Roosevelt's home in Hyde Park.
That was a very interesting place in another amazing setting.


Makes me want to watch "Hyde Park on the Hudson" and see more of FDR and Eleanor.
Interesting couple, to say the least.

The only loot I brought home from the Country Living Fair 
was this pretty green pitcher


and this charming little bird statue.



They both made it home safely in my suitcase.
Fun, fun, fun!


Linking to:
Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style
Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings
Tutorials,Tips and Tidbits at Stone Gable
Oh The Places I've Been at The Tablescaper

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12 comments:

  1. What fun! I was also at the Country Living Fair on Saturday and had a great time! A couple of years ago, my hubby and I did an anniversary weekend in upstate NY - toured the CIA and toured Vanderbilt & FDR museum and of course that gorgeous walk across the Hudson.
    Glad you had fun!
    Kelly

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  2. Looks like a really fun trip. Loved the demi john with the lights too. Very cool idea.
    Also that food presentation was awesome, who would think to use honey to keep them on the board, very smart idea, and love all the beautiful scenery and homes, Thanks for sharing your fun trip.
    blessings, Nellie

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  3. Oh my! You had quite a time. I am not sure what would have been more fun. I am loving seeing all of the pictures from the CL Fair. I hope to get to the one in Atlanta next time.

    I would love for you to post this at my Linky Party Home{work} Wednesday.Home{work}
    http://www.everydayhomeblog.com/2013/06/homework-wednesday.html

    Thanks for sharing, Barb

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  4. Erin:

    You sure got to see a lot more of the surrounding area than me. I pretty much stuck to the fair and cancelled my reservations at the Culinary Institute to take in more of the fair.

    I'm thrilled that you'll be linking to "Oh, the PLACES I've been!". Please just edit your post to provide a link to the party.

    - Alma, The Tablescaper

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  5. Love going/seeing new . . . Liked the Christmas glitter . . . very fond of your pitcher purchase. Sounds like a happy outing with much to see and do . . .

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  6. Oh, what fun you must have had!!! Love the little pitcher. Having to stash things in a suitcase really puts a damper on shopping, doesn't it?

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  7. Love the pitcher...nice find. A friend and I visited Rhinebeck several years ago. Loved it. We went to CIA also....great experience. I've wanted to do the L Fair for a while now....the one in Columbus! Thanks for sharing your travels.

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  8. Erin, thanks so much for sharing the Country Living Fair and the surrounding area. Having lunch at the CIA is on my bucket list! Sigh! Thanks for bringing TUTORIALS TIPS AND TIDBITS to the fair!

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  9. Erin,
    What a great trip! It looks like you made the most of your time and saw a lot of great places. Good for you. Thanks for sharing!
    Erin at Piers and Chandeliers

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  10. What a lovely adventure. I loved experiencing the trip through your pictures. Your dinner out looked delicious. The fair looked like so much fun. The additional adventures in NY looked daring and exciting :)

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  11. What an amazing time you must have had, thanks for taking us along! Love your pitcher and bird, great treasures!!!
    So very happy to have you share at AMAZE ME MONDAY, thanks so much!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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  12. Wow, those are some gorgeous country estates to visit, love the antique shopping trip too!

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