Jenkins-Lueken Orchards
On one of my weekly road trips up to our Catskills Outpost in Sullivan County’s Mountaindale, I took an extra day out-of-office. As I headed north on the Thruway, I took Exit 18 to meet friends in New Paltz. Known as a college town thanks to the SUNY campus located there, New Paltz’s Main Street district is packed with restaurants, bars, and shops. More unexpectedly, the side streets were filled with places to discover. So we hit the pavement in search of food and fun.
Found while wandering around residential streets
On quaint, little Church Street, we found Team Love (11 Church Street), an independent record label with a storefront selling the music and merch of their artists, well-stocked bookstore Inquiring Minds (6 Church Street), and an outpost of nearby farm brewery Arrowood (3B Church Street) with tasting menu choices like honey porter “The Bees”. We stumbled on delicious food at laid-back McFoxlin’s (5 Church Street) and Huckleberry (21 Church Street), coffee (in a Tellefsen Atelier mug!) and sweet snacks at Lagusta’s Luscious Commissary (11 Church Street). Then we wrapped up our Church Street experience watching live music at the unique Crazy Dan’s Hardcore and More (7 Church Street) venue.
Inquiring Minds Bookstore
Outside of Crazy Dan's Hardcore and More
From Church Street, we hopped back on Main and then made a left on South Chestnut Street to Bacchus (4 South Chestnut Street) to finish the evening shooting pool in their billiards hall.
Bacchus pool hall
Before I left New Paltz behind, I took a quick walk down historic Huguenot Street to see what is left of an 1800s Huguenot stone-house settlement and to check out Water Street Market (10 Main Street) -- a popular, happening walking village -- for a bit more food and shopping.
Discovered on the trail to Huguenot Street
After New Paltz, my journey took me 50-minutes west to Mountaindale via Route 299 (a.k.a. New Paltz-Minnewaska Road). A spectacular view of the Shawangunk Mountains (“The Gunks”) traveled with me as I passed over the Wallkill River and through Minnewaska State Park Preserve. Just before reaching the Park, I could not resist checking out Tweefontein Herb Farm (4 Jenkins Lane), with its “Woodstocky” feeling “house” shop selling potions and lotions for skincare and wellness, and stopping by Jenkins-Lueken Orchards (69 Yankee Folly Road), where I walked out back to the u-pick berry bushes, and a farmhand showed me how to find the ripe blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries. I spent about an hour all alone looking out on The Gunks and filling up my pint carton with a gorgeous medley of fruit in the warm sun. Those special moments are ones I have been revisiting when my spirits have needed recharging. I recommend you don’t leave without shopping in their farm market store for homemade chocolate peanut butter and donut peaches!
Tweefontein Herb Farm (photos 1 + 2) and Jenkins-Lueken Orchards (photos 3 + 4)
There you have it; all of the above in 18 hours +/- time. What New York detour have you taken recently that you were pleasantly surprised and fulfilled by?
Traveling Route 44 55 around Kerhonkson
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