Getting to know a new area can be daunting.  Where do you start? First, I got my driver license, next got my car registered, and then started to explore local hikes.  In March, my first trail was at Raymondskill, tried the Cliff trail and saw the falls. (That was where I found the gnarly tree in my last post!)

As I meet and chat with locals, I’ll ask, “where do you suggest I go to hike and where can I find local art?”   They recommended Grey Towers, a historic site that was once the summer estate of the Pinchot family.  This became my second hike, although I’d call it more of a walk.  It has interesting architecture, with a long, steep paved drive to get up to the house and grounds.  There are a variety of tours available (after it opens in May) of the buildings, forest trees and cemetery.

Only the crocus were out the day I went:

Grey Towers mansion and crocus

The Bait Box was built in the 1920s as a playhouse.  Loved the setting, so I sat and sketched, while visiting children ran about.