Warm-Up Suit
This Carhartt staple personifies function over style—big time. | By Jane Larkworthy
When you become a denizen of the area, the cold-weather must-have becomes the cold weather go-to. Freezing temps and bone-chilling wind are unavoidable, so it’s best to toss all vanity out the window and focus on staying warm. You might not have reasons to be outside when temps drop to the single digits, but you might actually discover that you want to. And for that, I recommend the Carhartt Yukon Extremes Insulated Coverall. It’s not exactly figure flattering, nor is it particularly stylish. But what it lacks in sartorial elegance it more than makes up for in function: wind resistant, water repellent, snap closures, ankle-to-thigh leg zippers with storm flaps—whatever storm flaps are. This tried-and-true onesie isn’t too crazy expensive at $249. Carhartt.com
Dress to impress: Baby Franklin (above) really knows what’s stylin’ for the winter season: Carhartt onesies, all day, every day! $49 (Amazon.com)
Photograph by Sarah Carpenter
Glamping In The Catskills
By Isabel Hochman
After my summer trip with friends was canceled at the last minute, I stumbled upon AutoCamp Cape Cod. a national glamping company that recently added the Catskills to its portfolio. To put it bluntly: I’m a convert.
AutoCamp offers luxury camping experiences with all the bells and whistles, such as custom-designed 31-foot Airstreams, luxury tents and modern cabins, all set amidst the natural beauty of the Catskills. The Clubhouse, situated in the center of the property, functions as a reception area and gathering place for guests, and boasts plenty of home comforts—an indoor fire pit and lounge, a general store and coffee bar.
Our particular summertime glamping adventure was filled with live music, bike rides, beach time and high-quality s’mores, all overseen by a client experience team that was kind and accommodating. But I hear it’s just as special in the fall for leaf peeping and even into winter when AutoCamp facilitates snowshoe rentals, winter wine tours and plenty of other cool outings.
Whoa! Bite THIS
Sandwich bliss at The Maker Cafe | By Mitch Rustad
The Maker Cafe in Hudson is known for their signature lunchtime delight, the unlikely yet mouth-watering Beet & Gin Cured Lox sandwich. “It’s definitely a guest favorite and one of our longest-running sandwiches on the menu,” says the Euro-inspired eatery’s co-executive chef Annette Barlow.
This “riff on a classic” is popular for good reason: it’s stacked with an array of locally sourced goodies, including house-cured beets, gin lox (the trout’s from Hudson Valley Steelhead) and farmer’s cheese (from Churchtown Dairy). Barlow rounds out her luncheon masterpiece with fresh horseradish, slightly sweet house-pickled red onions and a sprig of dill, all served up on Bartlett House Pain de Mie. Yum.
Hear Them Roar
The historic Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, MA is historic for a reason. Among their many celebrated guests, at least five former presidents have stayed at the Berkshires HQ: Grover Cleveland, William McKinley (above), Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Other notable guests have included Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Thornton Wilder—even John Wayne and Bob Dylan. History just got cool.
PAPARAZZI ALERT: Celeb fave wellness retreat Ranch Malibu set to open in Tuxedo Park next summer. Totes chill.
Smell Of Success
It was inevitable, wasn’t it? As if anyone needed further proof of this region’s red-hot moment, Burkelman recently launched T.H.V.F. (The Hudson Valley Fragrance). Purportedly evoking a “dense forest and smokey tones,” at $165 a bottle, this scent is nothing to turn your nose at. (We’re kind of low-key obsessed.) $165. Burkelman.com
Read all about it: Filling The Void
The Red Hook Daily Catch goes old-school in pursuit of news. Even in Ukraine. | By Rebecca Hardiman
The Red Hook Daily Catch may be just an online newspaper, but it has decidedly outsized ambitions. Not only does the website aim to publish “all the news you need to live your daily life in Red Hook and Rhinebeck,” says Founding Editor Emily Sachar, but it’s equally critical raison d’être is to train the next generation of local news reporters. “We’re not trying to expand,” Sachar says. ”We’re trying to create a sustainable model in the Hudson Valley.”
The internet continues to be the death knell for many a local paper and the fallout—news deserts—hits smaller, rural towns especially hard. “We don’t know what’s happening in our schools, local environmental issues, when a new hiking trail comes online or a new toll booth,” says the veteran editor. “The Daily Catch is plugging that hole.”
Launched in 2021, the media outlet reports on local politics, education and lifestyle (as well as its nationally recognized coverage of the Ukraine war by its on-the-ground correspondent Pavel Kuljuk). Sachar is particularly proud of her paper’s deep dives into special local stories, including its farmer series spotlighting the overlooked population of farm laborers.
#IYKYN: Ravenwood, the busy (and buzzy) communal gathering space and farmstand/café in Kerhonkson, is closed for the season—but not the whole season. Owner and design guru Dana McClure tells us that the creative exchange will host a holiday market the first and third weekends of December. “Many of our guests say that our space feels like entering a home.” We’re on our way, thanks.
Westerlind Opens Crown Jewel
Westerlind, the stylish outdoor apparel and gear boutique, is open in Hudson, with locations operating in Kingston, Great Barrington, Millerton and New York City’s SoHo. “Hudson is the final location in our upstate retail expansion,” says founder Andrea Westerlind (for more see: Andrea Westerlind: Swede Dreams At Home In The Berkshires). “We’ve been working on this particular store for quite a while, and in many ways it’s our crown jewel.”
Though lots of towns could’ve been a good fit for their next store, “Hudson always felt like a natural stepping stone and a place we like to visit and explore personally,” she says. “People kept telling us how they thought there was a void in the market for the type of product we specialize in, and having moved to a home close by, made it a natural decision.”
Westerlind continues. “Bringing all the functions in-house has allowed me to be a lot more creative in really designing a store that reflects my ideas and Scandinavian heritage around minimalism, sustainability and modern design. It’s incredibly cool to be able to source all my building materials from a half-mile radius. That’s the kind of thing that makes me excited about living where I do.” We totally get it. –Isabel Hochman
Love: I Want To Snow What Love Is
Photography by Eric Limon
Eric and Ashley Herndon’s dream setting for their nuptials was the bucolic Race Brook Lodge in Sheffield, MA. Mother nature gave the happy couple a big surprise on their Halloween wedding. “Throughout the storm, the electricity stayed on until the last song,” Ashley said. “The night finished speakeasy style by candlelight with a friend playing on the piano.” Spooky? No. Perfect? Oh, yeah. –Erika Phenner
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