{"id":94639,"date":"2021-09-21T07:00:05","date_gmt":"2021-09-21T11:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/upstater.com\/?p=94639"},"modified":"2021-09-30T12:18:38","modified_gmt":"2021-09-30T16:18:38","slug":"gardiner-skys-the-limit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/upstater.com\/gardiner-skys-the-limit\/","title":{"rendered":"Gardiner: Sky\u2019s the Limit"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"main

Main Street, Gardiner, NY<\/p><\/div>\n

If you live in the Hudson Valley, it can be easy to take the region\u2019s natural beauty for granted, but it\u2019s a little bit harder to do that if you live in Gardiner. All you have to do is stand on Main Street and look up to see the white cliffs of the Shawangunk Mountains towering over this quaint Ulster County town. The Gunks are many things: an ecologically unique \u201csky island,\u201d the home of Mohonk Preserve<\/a> and Minnewaska State Park<\/a>, the best rock climbing spot on the East Coast. But for the people of Gardiner, the ridge is a powerful daily reminder of the majesty of nature\u2014and one\u2019s place in it.<\/p>\n

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Wallkill Valley Rail Trail (WVRT)<\/p><\/div>\n

So it\u2019s probably not a coincidence that this small town (population 5,700) just submitted their application for a Bronze Level certification in the state\u2019s Climate Smart Communities<\/a> initiative, a rigorous program in which municipalities complete actions on a lengthy checklist of tasks such as conducting a community-wide greenhouse gas emission inventory, decreasing local energy use, increasing use of renewable energy, and adopting climate-smart land use policies. \u201cThere are a lot of people here who care about the environment,\u201d said Kim Mayer, who serves on the town\u2019s Climate Smart task force and has lived here for more than 10 years. And a lot of those people who care about the environment are keyed up about working together to save it – also not a surprise, says Mayer, since the town\u2019s small size fosters a strong sense of community. \u201cYou wave to people here when they walk by you or when you drive by,” said Mayer. \u201cWe\u2019re a down-to-earth community and very friendly.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Julian\u2019s Provisions<\/p><\/div>\n

Far too many people only know Gardiner as the town with the hard turn on Main Street that comes out of nowhere on your way to New Paltz, a few minutes north of here. Perhaps you\u2019ve had your windows rolled down and caught a heavenly whiff of Pasquale\u2019s Pizza<\/a> as you drove through Gardiner\u2019s two-block downtown or wondered why it seems like you always have to stop at that one spot to let bicycles cross the road. So let\u2019s start here, with the family waving to you as they bike across Main Street. Pull into Pasquale\u2019s for a panini on their homemade focaccia. Thoughtfully munch on it while you look up at the Gunks and all the people waving to each other on the street. Why haven\u2019t you stopped here before?<\/p>\n

No matter, you\u2019re here now. And you can finally figure out where all that bike traffic is coming from. The 22-mile-long Wallkill Valley Rail Trail<\/a> crosses Main Street here on its way to Kingston. If that\u2019s not a far enough trip for you, the Rail Trail is now part of the 750-mile Empire State Trail<\/a>, so you can also bike or jog from here to the southern tip of Manhattan or north to Buffalo, if you\u2019re so inclined. If the only thing stopping you from shuffling off to Buffalo is the lack of a bike, turn around and look behind Pasquale\u2019s. Here is Lightsey Cycles<\/a>, with an impressive selection of both new and used bikes, daily rentals, and all the gear you could possibly need (They also have a selection of skateboards, in case you want to check out the small skate park located in Majestic Park<\/a> in town.)<\/p>\n

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Lightsey Cycles<\/p><\/div>\n

As beguiling as the smells from Pasquale\u2019s are, it\u2019s not the only place to eat on Gardiner\u2019s Main Street. Julian\u2019s Provisions<\/a> is probably best known for their line of frozen waffles and baguettes, but they also carry a small selection of groceries and their own cafe. Cafe Mio<\/a>, located just around the turn, is a beloved and dependable go-to spot for breakfast all day or a grass-fed burger from Full Moon Farm<\/a> if you\u2019re in the mood for something heartier. Or perhaps something not as hearty? Something in a glass? Head back across Main Street to Gardiner Liquid Mercantile<\/a>, headquarters of the local spirits scene, offering a selection of the region\u2019s wines, ciders, and spirits for sale or for sampling (there\u2019s food too, to take the edge off.) If you\u2019re still looking for something to lighten the mood, head to the industrial park on the northern edge of the village, where Yard Owl Brewery<\/a>, an offshoot of New Paltz\u2019s Mudd Puddle Cafe<\/a>, has been making Belgian-style beers for almost 10 years.<\/p>\n

In addition to being the local watering hole, Gardiner Liquid Mercantile also distills their own apple brandy, made with fruit grown at Dressel\u2019s Farm. So if you want to see where your drink was \u201cborn,\u201d it\u2019s just a five-minute drive away. If you\u2019re here in September or October, you can pick apples at Dressel\u2019s as well, or keep the party going by sampling the hard ciders at the farm\u2019s Kettleborough Cider House<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Gardiner Liquid Mercantile<\/p><\/div>\n

Wright\u2019s Farm<\/a>, also in Gardiner, is another U-pick destination, with cherry picking in the summer, apple picking in the fall, and a farmer\u2019s market open year round. I don\u2019t make it to Wright\u2019s Farm every fall, but I do visit their website every fall to click on the \u201cHelp, I Picked Too Many Apples\u201d header in order to get recipes that use up all the apples in the bottom of my red mesh bag.<\/p>\n

If the apple-picking hordes get too overwhelming, head for the quiet of Majestic Park. It\u2019s here that you can find the aforementioned skate park, as well as short trails down to the rushing Wallkill River, a baseball diamond, a hardball court, and a playground. There\u2019s also a way-more-impressive-than-it-needs-to-be Frisbee golf course that\u2019s often visited by fully-kitted-out semi-pro Ultimate Frisbee diehards, a subculture that I honestly did not know even existed until my most recent visit to the course.<\/p>\n

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A mural by Annie O’Neil.<\/p><\/div>\n

And if none of this appeals to you\u2014the food, the craft spirits, the trails, the mountains, the frisbee, the sense of community\u2014then look, buddy, you may just need to go jump out of a plane. Skydive The Ranch<\/a> has been here in Gardiner for 40 years and offers the longest freefall in the Northeast. But if the idea of \u201cthe longest freefall in the Northeast\u201d sounds slightly terrifying to you, the fisbee golf course is a great place to watch the skydivers safely (hopefully) plummet to the ground while the hardcore frisbee players dart about underneath, you finish off another perfect panini, polish off a freshly picked apple, and throw back a crowler of Yard Owl from the safety of the gazebo, while reflecting on the fact that you don\u2019t need a parachute to appreciate the beauty of the Hudson Valley.<\/p>\n

The views are probably great on the way down, though. Maybe next time. You\u2019ll be back.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Majestic Park<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you live in the Hudson Valley, it can be easy to take the region\u2019s natural beauty for granted, but it\u2019s a little bit harder to do that if you live in Gardiner. 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