Visit Hudson Valley

Location:

Village Pizza & Restaurant
19 East Market Street
Rhinebeck, NY 12572

Date/Time: Sunday, August 6, 2006 at 1:30 PM

Party Size: 2 Adults

Ambiance: A family style Italian restaurant. We elected to eat outside on the back patio. To get to the patio you have to walk through the restaurant, past the kitchen (where you can peek and see how clean it is and that the food is freshly prepared), to the back patio.

Food Ordered:

• Caprese Salad
• Shrimp Parmesan Sub
• Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil Sub (Warm)
• Pepsi and Water
• Cannoli

Review/Opinion*

I can finish the review right now by saying EXCELLENT, but that wouldn’t be fair.

The salad, oh what a salad. The greens were fresh and so were the mozzarella and basil. The roasted peppers were done to perfection and the balsamic vinegar dressing complimented the mixture perfectly.

All of the food was prepared fresh. It’s obvious that the food hasn’t been sitting there waiting for someone to order it. It takes a little longer to get your meal, but believe me, it’s well worth the wait.

It’s been years since I’ve had a sub (watching the waistline and all), but this was worth an extra inch on my waist. The mozzarella was fresh and so were the tomatoes. The flavor of the sauce was the perfect enhancement for the mozzarella and fresh basil. You’ll also note the word ‘fresh’ is used time and time again. The bread was heated to achieve just the right amount of crunch on the outside while maintaining a fresh-baked softness on the inside. It was served to us at the right temperature.

Although I did not taste the shrimp parmesan sub, the look on my husband’s face as he bit into it was enough to let me know it was as excellent as my sub.

But wait. It gets better. The owner chatted with us for a bit and explained that all of the food was freshly made (like we couldn’t tell), and he asked if we could wait for just a minute. Of course, after having such a great meal, we were under his spell so if we were in a rush, we would wait anyway.

He came back with two cannoli’s. Oh my. Need I say more? They were home-made, fresh and of course, delicious.

Cost: $24.00 (excluding tip)
Village Pizza does not take credit cards. That’s fine because they’re located right next to a bank so I was able to get up from the table, take a few steps and get cash from the ATM machine (what would I have done several years ago when that was not an option).

General Comment: Now that you’ve read this review, I strongly suggest that you turn off your computer, get in your car and drive straight to Village Pizza Restaurant and have a meal. I’ve not tasted everything on the menu, but I get the sneaky suspicion that it’s all good!

*These are our opinions. Please visit the establishment and make your own decisions. We would be interested to know if you agree with us. All VHV reviews are done anonymously.

Review by: Felicia A. Williams

WHERE & WHEN:

Splashdown Water Park
Route 9
Fishkill, NY
845-897-6606

Type of Fun: Water Park/Amusement Park

Date: Wednesday July 19, 2006

Cost of Admission:
Full Day Prices:
Adults and Children over 42″ tall: $22.50
Children Under 42″ tall: $17.95

Half Day Prices:(3 PM to Closing)
Adult $17.95
Child $13.95

Online Ticket Prices:
Adults and Children Over 42″ Day Pass: $20.96
Children under 42″ Day Pass: $16.31
Seniors 65 and over Day Pass: $18.31

Season passes are available

Review/Opinion*

I found the park to be very clean. It’s a pleasure to be able to take a young child to the rest room without feeling the need to scrub it clean before use. Taking into consideration the amount of people that were at the park on the day of our review, we were very pleased at its cleanliness. The employees were helpful and courteous. They were also young and energetic enough to handle working at such a place.

Here’s what you’ve got to choose from when you visit Splashdown:

• The wave pool
• Lazy river (for tired parents)
• Bumper boats
• 18 Hole Mini Golf
• Adventure Island - Arcades and Restaurant
• Cowabunga Falls - Water Slides
• Blast Zone - Water Maze
• Buccaneer Bay - Pool and slide for the little ones
• White Sand Beach
• Humunga Half Pipe raft ride - For the adventurous at heart. Actually, you’ve got to be a little crazy.
• Coconut Lagoon - Large swimming pool

You’re allowed to bring your own food (no alcoholic beverages), so you could save a couple of dollars by packing your own cooler. We decided to truly experience the park so we didn’t bring food. The food is the usual amusement part type stuff (sure wish they had more greenery. Unfortunately the day we went they ran out of salad, but who goes to an amusement park for salad?).

Although there were several school groups there, it did not seem crowded and uncomfortable. The staff was professional and the facilities were clean.

The wave pool was fun and funny. They sound a buzzer/horn when the waves are about to begin. Everyone screams and runs to the wave pool. It is really pretty funny. Young and old alike are trained to react to the buzzer.

The slides at Cowabunga Falls are huge and fun. There are three slides, orange, purple and yellow. I hear that the orange is the fastest and the loopiest. To preserve my appearance of composure, I didn’t try that one. The purple and yellow were more than fast enough for me. If you want to go slower, sit up while descending the slide, but being the adventurer that I am, I laid back like I was lugeing. About three quarters of the way down the slide, I realized I had not removed my sunglasses. I reached up to take them off right as I hit a turn and my body went halfway up the side of the slide. Of course I lost my bearings (couldn’t find my face) and the next thing I knew, I hit the water, my rear end hit the bottom of the pool, my feet were in the air and my glasses were who knows where.

I’d say I scored a 10 on landing gracefully in the water. Once I got my bearings and tried to gain my composure and ‘cool’, I had the poor attendant go under water to fetch my glasses. She was very understanding (she probably was still giggling at my graceful water entry). After my humiliating water entry, I let the kids talk me into going again on another slide. So, of course I did. It really was a lot of fun.

The kids totally enjoyed themselves. They ran from slide to slide then to the wave pool and then to my favorite, the lazy river. It’s a tired parent’s best friend. Except for the occasional sprays of water , it is a very relaxing ride. All you have to do is get on the tube and float around the river. (Although my ability to gracefully place myself on a tube is something to behold).

There was so much to do at Splashdown that we couldn’t get to it all in one day. We didn’t get to the bumper boats, arcades or even the miniature golf.

One of the main attractions at the park is the Humungous slope. It’s a huge 4 story high U-shaped slope on which one or two people at a time can slide down. Of course being U shaped, once you hit the bottom, the momentum takes you back up the other side. This continues until you run out of steam and your ride ends in the valley of the U.

No, before you ask, I did not get on this ride (I’m not totally crazy). I did, however, stand at the bottom and guffawed at the total look of fear on every rider’s face as they realized that it was too late to back out of their soon to be deep descent into the valley of the Humongous slope.

My son, who fears nothing, momentarily wanted his ‘mommy’. He didn’t say it, but I could see the petrified look of fear in his eyes and the dropping of his jaw that he wished he were down on the ground with me.

Swoosh, down he went, hit the bottom and back up the other side the momentum took him. Up four stories high, again the panic on his face, then back down again and up the other side (not as high as the first time). Finally, the muscles in his face relaxed and he remembered that he was supposed to be cool. Teen aged boys are always cool. (except on a 4 story high water slide).

He enjoyed the ride but said he wouldn’t do it again. A testimony to the ride.

Get there early because it is a popular attraction (for the life of me I can’t understand why. I think it’s something about youth being wasted on the young).

All in all, it was a great time and we’ll have to go back there again to enjoy the remainder of the park.

*These are our opinions. Please visit the establishment and make your own decisions. We would be interested to know if you agree with us.

Review by: Felicia A. Williams

The long and the short of it is the Learn to Row class was great!

Because of the gap in time between my attending the Open House and the first day of the Learn to Row lesson, the anticipation grew and I indulged myself in the fantasy of rowing down the Hudson River in perfect harmony with the water, boat, oars and my teammates. In total synchronization we sailed down the river.

Well, fast forward to reality. On the first day of class, the first thing we learned was what to do in case the boat capsizes. Yep, scary thought (especially when you’re in the Hudson River), but it does happen.

Then we learned the parts of the boat and the lingo that goes with it(I’m still getting that port/starboard thing down pat). Within the boat there are 8 tiny little seats which glide back and forth and there is (so I’m told) a graceful motion of pushing and pulling the oar in and out of the water while pushing and pulling your legs in the movable seat while reaching forward to extend your arms as far as you can and coming back (not too far) and keeping your wrists in the correct position without your knees getting in your way. However, before we were able to test our our spastic ability, we trained on an ergometer to simulate the rowing motion. It does simulate the motion, but it pales in comparison to being on the water.

All of that being done, we finally get closer to getting on the water. Before we got there, however, we had to lift and carry our boat to the dock and place it the water. Easy enough for 10 or so people carrying a 250 pound shell. We walked it down the dock and placed it in the water. Now this is when the fun/torment begins.

All 8 of us (9 including the coxswain) managed to get into the boat (in unison lest the boat tips) and finagle the oars to move the shell from the dock to moving down the Hudson. We were cooking with gas for approximately 5 seconds until we caught our first crab. I’m not talking about the multi-legged crustacean, I’m talking about the condition whereby the oar is buried too deeply into the water which causes the pressure of the water to snatch the oar right out of your hands causing the handle to swing and aim directly for you (that is if you’re not quick enough to duck). We all managed to catch enough crabs to sponsor our own crab buffet dinner.

One of the other challenges as a member of the 8-person team is to keep the boat balanced. If we are not in unison, the boat will teeter/totter from port to starboard making it difficult at times to pull your oar out of the water to start your next stroke.

In spite of the lack of coordination, the crab catching and the teeter tottering of the boat, the majority of us loved it and kept coming back. I am now a proud member of the Mid Hudson Rowing Association. I must say that the members, both seasoned and novice rowers, are a friendly, patient and encouraging group of people.

If you missed the Learn to Row class this year, mark your calendars so that you can take it next year. It’s a great experience and a very enjoyable exercise.

Rowing Terms

• Coxswain - The person who steers the shell and is the on-the-water coach for the crew (pronounced cox’n).
• Ergometer - A rowing machine that closely approximates the actual rowing motion.
• Oar - Used to drive the boat forward; rowers do not use paddles.
• Port - The left side of the boat, while facing forward.
• Shell - Can be used interchangeable as a term for boat.
• Starboard - The right side of the boat while facing forward.

Definitions were taken from literature distributed at the MHRA Open House  - July, 2002

Review by: Felicia A. Williams

Location:
The Hudson River
Just North of Marist College on Route 9
Poughkeepsie, NY

Mailing Address:
Mid Hudson Rowing Association
P.O. Box 683
Poughkeepsie, NY 12602
Phone: 845-452-2970

Dates: Thursday, Saturday & Sunday, June 20, 22, 23, 27, 29 and 30, 2002

Cost: $75 for 6 2-hour lessons

Initial Review/Opinion*

Let me begin this review by being a bit self-indulgent and say, I’ve never rowed before nor have I ever shown an interest in the sport. I don’t even remember how the thought entered my mind. I believe a much higher authority put the thought there.

Taking into consideration my age (..er forty something…), and my creaking knees and other joints, I was searching for an exercise that would be gentle on the joints and yet a good workout in an attempt to keep/get fit and ward off the extra pounds. During the search I came across an old website for the Mid-Hudson Rowing Association (they have since updated it). We called them and found out that there ‘happened’ to be an open house the next day (another stroke of ‘luck’ or a blessing from a higher authority).

The following day we got up early to attend the open house. We were fortunate enough to get there early to see the existing Learn To Row class hoist their boat (scull) and walk it to the dock and place it in the water. We also saw that an eight-person rowing team is the ultimate in team sports. That is, you cannot even get into the boat without your entire team for fear of tipping the boat over. The oars must be placed just so and each person must step in the boat in unison and shift their weight simultaneously to keep the boat balanced.

That brings me to another issue. The boat. Man is it ever narrow. I looked at the boat and then looked down at my hips and wondered for a moment…hmmmm, is it wide enough? Take a look at the tiny little black seat that is supposed to hold a full-sized rear end. We’ll soon see how it works out.

There’s a whole new lingo that accompanies the sport like scull, hull, port, bough, stern and the like. Again, I’m a land lover and have never, ever shown an interest in rowing or boating or any other water sport (except swimming). However, the thought of being on the Hudson River in the quiet of the early dawn as a part of a rowing team is exciting to me.

Since this was an adult learn to row class, I thought that my 11 year old son might be bored rowing with 6 adults and his mom so we invited one of his friends to join us. Now we have 2 boys and 6 adults.

Our first lesson is scheduled for Thursday evening. Click here to see how it turned out.

General Comment: I hope we enjoy rowing as much as we think we will.

*These are our opinions. Please visit the establishment and make your own decisions. We would be interested to know if you agree with us.

Review by: Felicia A. Williams

Location:

Hyde Park Drive-In
510 Albany Post Road (Route 9)
Hyde Park, NY
845-229-7438

Date: Friday, June 15, 2001

Admission:

• Adults - $6.00
• Children(ages 5-11) $3.00
• Children under age 5 - Free

Review/Opinion*

Its been years since I’ve been to a drive-in movie theater. As a kid, I remember my parents would make us wear our pajamas and bring our pillows and blankets. We’d load the family sedan and off we would go to the drive-in. I don’t remember the movies too well (er, because I was sooo young back then, yeah, that’s the ticket…too young), but I do remember going to get snacks and having a great time.

Fast forward a few decades (er… a couple of years), and here I am with my family, going to the drive-in. A few differences, but basically the same experience. There is a type of vehicle segregation, all mini vans, trucks and SUV’s to the left and the sedans and station wagons to the right. Since we were one of the mini van crew, we were on the left.

Being the frugal person that I am, I didn’t have to go to the snack bar. We had the cooler filled with cold cuts for sandwiches, juices, water, yogurts, fruit and other such treats. There was also the snack bag that consisted of fruit snacks, popcorn, chips and other dry goodies.

I did forget, however, to bring something to entertain the kids for the 20 minute eternity before the movie began (Mom, what time is it going to start? Will it ever start? When are we going to see the movie? UGH!). I saw that some families brought frisbies, balls and other such outdoor type entertainment. Another little piece of knowledge that would have been beneficial was to know how to turn off the dome light in the mini van. If I did, we would have parked with the back end of the car facing the screen so that the kids could get a better view. I guess that’s something else that I’ve got to take into consideration for the next time (at least I remembered the bug spray!).

Oh, by the way, we saw Shrek and Evolution. The movies were entertaining, but I think I really enjoyed the experience more. Although my daughter and I saw Shrek in the movie theater, I really think she enjoyed it more this time (especially since she was able to watch it from the roof of the car). My son liked the fact that he could have as many snacks as he wanted without having to hear his parents complain about how much it cost.

General Comments:
I’ve got to say though, having seen Shrek twice, I had a better appreciation for the graphics when I saw it in theatre. I guess I was enjoying the experience too much to pay very close attention to the fine details as I would have done if I were in an indoor movie theatre.All in all, if you have children (or are a child at heart), you’ve got to experience a drive in movie. I’m just glad that there are still some drive in theatres alive and kicking in the Hudson Valley!

*These are our opinions. Please visit the establishment and make your own decisions. We would be interested to know if you agree with us.

Review by: Felicia A. Williams

Location:

Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome
Stone Church Road
Rhinebeck, NY
845-758-8610

Date: September 23, 2000

Type of Activity: Museum of Antique Airplanes, Bikes & Cars

Admission:

Adults: $10
Children between 6 and 10 years of age: $5
Children under 6: Free
Parking: Free

Our Review/Opinion*
The day we went to the Aerodrome, it was cloudy with the threat of rain. The air show went on as scheduled. It was entertaining and educational.

My son (9 years old) especially liked the toilet paper trick. One of the pilots threw a roll of toilet paper from the plane. As it was falling to the ground leaving a trail of unraveling paper behind it, the pilot would make the plane swerve around and fly back through the trail and cut the toilet paper in half. This feat was repeated until the paper dropped too low to the ground to safely do it again.

That was one of the many displays that we enjoyed during the show. Aerodrome also offers plane rides for $40 per person. The rides last for approximately a 15 minutes. We weren’t brave enough to go for it (I’ll blame it on the fact that we had a 4 year old with us and we didn’t want her to be scared — yeah, er, thats right…didn’t want her to be scared.)

Personally, I’m not an expert in WWI fighter planes nor antique vehicles, however, I was thoroughly impressed and intrigued by the various antique vehicles, bikes, motor bikes, planes and flying contraptions.

It started to rain so we didn’t go to the museum, but we suggest you not only visit the Aerodrome, but visit their website at www.oldrhinebeck.org

Memberships are offered starting as low as $25 annually.

*These are our opinions. Please visit the establishment and make your own decisions. We would be interested to know if you agree with us (All VHV reviews are done anonymously).

Review by: Felicia A. Williams