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View the work of ten artist residents at the Wassaic Project community arts center.
(Photo: Courtesy of the Wassaic Project) |
Get out of the woods with a road trip through eastern Dutchess County. Start with a stack of raisin cinnamon French toast and blackberry maple syrup ($8.75) at Red Devon in Bangall, a casual farm-to-table eatery that emphasizes sustainability—the green roof is covered with grass and wildflowers and the kitchen recycles heat from the dishwasher and exhaust system. You’ll need the fuel to shoot a 30-stand round of sporting clays just down the road at Orvis Sandanona, one of the oldest public shooting ranges in the country ($75 for 100 shots or $175 an hour for lessons). Continue a few miles south to the Wassaic Project, a community arts center run out of a refurbished mill and animal auction house. On October 17, the spot hosts an open studio for its ten fall artist residents: Don’t miss Ryan Frank’s vintage photograph installations and Eliza Swann’s monstrous sculptures depicting twisted religious imagery (2 to 5 p.m.). Head ten miles north to Millerton’s Main Street, a trove of vintage shops and antiques, and check out the huge selection of vintage hats at BW's Eagle Eye (23 Main Street; 518-789-4109) and mid-century housewares at Hunter Bee (21 Main Street; 518-789-2127). Sample spicy Middle Eastern flavors at Serevan for dinner, a locally sourced restaurant in Amenia serving inventive Mediterranean fare. Finally, drive back along the horse farms lining Route 44 to downtown Poughkeepsie’s Bardavon, a beautifully restored nineteenth-century opera house that draws folk heavyweights like Natalie Merchant (10/8) and Joan Baez (10/24).