Peekskill
|
For the longest time, I thought we were going to a place called Pigs Kill. Pigs Kill? That doesn’t make sense. My sister let me know that. “Its Peeeek Skiiiill!” she corrected. Peek-a-what? I ask. We were about an hour and a half into our road trip from Baltimore. Thus began our three hour long, mundane ponderings on why it was called Peekskill. We were carpooling to a wedding reception 5 hours away in Cortlandt, New York, a few miles from Peekskill, where she’d found accommodation for us for the night. Avid frequents of the New York area, we were quite surprised that we’d never heard of Peekskill. We continue our discussion on why we’d never heard of Peekskill as we drove through densely covered foliage. We were silenced once the trees parted, revealing a bridge over the Hudson River which zigzagged through a valley nestled between rolling hills. Panoramic vistas surrounded us and we strained, turning every which way to make sure we didn’t miss anything. Located in Westchester County, New York, Peekskill is a scenic bay community along the Hudson River. We stopped by its classic train station along the banks of the Hudson to pick up yet another carpooler. Then we darted right over to the river to soak it all in. We chatted with friendly locals, and we chowed down on homemade rum-raisin ice-cream. A little gem at the foot of the hills, Peekskill exudes warmth that you could mistake for Southern hospitality. Peekskill didn’t have to try. It instantly won us over. Visit Peekskill’s official site - http://www.ci.peekskill.ny.us/ Historic River Towns – Peekskill - http://www.hudsonriver.com/rivertowns/peekskill.htm |
+ Enlarge
+ Enlarge
+ Enlarge
+ Enlarge
+ Enlarge
+ Enlarge
I was actually born and lived the first 8 years of my life in Peekskill. It's funny that you wrote about it. To me it's just another town most people have never heard of. I'd never even thought of it as a "destination," but you definitely make it sound nice.
How funny! :) We usually take for granted our own backyards.
Southern hospitality is a myth...many southerners are incredibly nice, but I've found consistently warmer welcome from river towns north of the mason-dixon line.
It sounds beautiful...thanks for the heads up!
-JB
The Hudson River valley is extraordinary... starting at the northern tip of Manhattan in Fort Tryon Park (I recommend a stop by the New Leaf Restaurant, which is in the park, is beautiful, and has fantastic food, and all the proceeds of which go to the park-- a bonus is that few people seem to know about it), then headed all the way up into the valley. It's a ride enjoyed most by train, but definitely enjoyable by car, too. In Garrison you can visit Graymoor, a Catholic retreat center with all sorts of treasures on the grounds of the property (including a thrift store, a ball field with grills, and more). The Appalachian Trail cuts through their property. Just a few miles up the road is a Buddhist temple, where I've seen deer on the grounds every time I've visited. The Hudson River Valley also has great historic sites and lots of farms that welcome visitors, including Ronnybrook, which sells milk in bottles (!) in NYC. If you live in NYC, the Hudson River Valley is a great getaway, whether for a day or a weekend.
Links: New Leaf Restaurant
http://www.nyrp.org/newleaf/
Graymoor
http://www.graymoorcenter.org/
Hudson River Valley Tourism
http://www.travelhudsonvalley.org/calendar.php?c=1
Ronnybrook Farms
http://www.ronnybrook.com/site_new/aboutthefarm.html