“If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there would be peace.”
We took to the road on the coldest day of the year! The car's outer shell protected us from the chill in the air. We were heading to our first Mile Marker - Woodstock. It is exactly 106.1 Miles away from New York City. We earned our way there by biking, swimming, zumba-ing, and rowing.
Woodstock had always been a fascination of mine. I know it is commonly mistaken for hosting the famous 1969 concert, but even though it did not, the town has maintained a great music history, hippy-life, and liberal feel.
As soon as we parked the car Mi Amor, his Brother, and I tried to walk faster then the cold could touch us to Oriole9. It is this cute breakfast and lunch spot with peace and love vibes. The decor felt homey and inviting, not to mention the food was amazing! I had to try their special, "The Cowboy Skillet".
We also managed to sneak in going to Bread Alone. This is a wonderful bakery! They have such a delicious array of breads and pastries. We walked in an hour before they closed, and you could tell how much people love this place by the empty shelves. We were lucky to snag a fresh Olive Ciabatta loaf and a hot chocolate.
For the rest of the early evening we hopped into and out of the eclectic stores on Tinker Street. There were stores filled with tie-dye shirts, trinkets from Tibet, pins emphasizing peace and love, and cabin-style home goods.
My favorite stores had to be The Golden Notebook, Woodstock General Supply, and The Little House. I would go back just for those three places!
The Golden Notebook felt like walking into someone's home, but a home for books. I loved the unique titles you could find and the playful bookends. When we went there was a book talk happening upstairs.
When I think of a general store, a catch-all place that has everything from clothing to medicines laid out in a kitschy way comes to mind. The Woodstock General Supply is only half of that description, they are anything but kitschy. I felt like I walked into a mini-lodge. Everything is cleverly designed and is really just beautiful to look at.
My favorite store is definitely The Little House. I would drive the 2 hours from NYC every weekend if I could, just to stop there! The owner's collection of new, vintage, and artisan is simply wonderful. She's also displayed everything in the most inviting way. I told her I wanted to live in her store! She had said she designed it to look like the home she grew up in.
After the sun went down the air got even colder! We were trying to move our legs as fast as we could to get to the car, but we happened upon The Garden Cafe. We stopped in, sat down, and ordered two pots of hot tea. The restaurant is so calming. It is entirely vegan, although we did not eat there the food did look delicious. I can vouch for the tea and the kind waitress! It was a nice reprieve from the icy air outside.
Then we went to The Bear Cafe for dinner. It was first started by Albert Grossman, who was the manager to bands like Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, and Todd Rundgren. This restaurant is on the same grounds as The Bearsville Theater and is a great place to have dinner. You feel like you are walking into a fancy lodge with high log ceilings and wooden beams. The food is delicious American fare. We had a tasty appetizer with mozzarella cheese and Blood Orange. We each got a different main, I got the salmon and Mi Amor got the steak. Both were delicious!
After dinner we went to check out the concert going on at The Bearsville Theater. The Bearsville has had bands like Paul Newman, The Pretenders, and Jimmy Cliff play there. It is quite an iconic place. When we went we saw The Sun Parade and The Congress. I had not heard of either of these bands, but loved them both! The Sun Parade was first and after their set we got to chat with them a little and got their EP. They are great guys, very down to earth and all about their music.
The Sun Parade
The Congress
After the concert we drove home. It was a fun drive back, talking about our favorite spots in Woodstock and dreaming of having a log cabin home. We loved the peaceful vibes of Woodstock and want to go back in the spring or summer when we can sneak some hiking in!