The Adventures of Baby Arthur

by Lincoln

Day 2 was off to an early start as we all arose by 7am. The fact I hadn't been asleep at 9:30pm since, 1991 or so, may have had something to do with it!

We started off with a quick breakfast at Irving Farm, where the coffee is locally roasted and all pastries are baked on the premises. It didn't disappoint. This place also appeared to be the only breakfast gig in town as it was pretty busy for an early Sunday morning!

Then we were off to another day at the countryside, visiting farms, looking for farm fresh food and farm animals for Arthur to gawk at! Along with a couple of friends who joined us, we made stops at Dykeman Farm for some produce, Barton Orchards for some cider donuts and fruit and Sprout Creek Farm for the cheese.

These farms may have been only 20 or so miles south of where we were on Day 1, but the area had a far more suburban feel. I also couldn't help but feel that we were a month or two too early since the farms seemed a bit under supplied. The cider donuts didn't appear to be in season at Barton Orchards! (It seemed like they had just renovated and we were told that their bakery wasn't operating yet. Too bad they failed to mention that on their website!) Nevertheless, the weather was perfect and the country air made it worthwhile. Sprout Creek also had a nice looking cottage for rent, so that may be an opportunity for another time!

It's only grass kiddo! We're gonna have to work on those jungle instincts.

So off we went South back towards home with only one more stop to go.

Blue Hill / Stone Barns Center

About 50 miles south from Dutchess County and a mere 20 or so miles from home is the Blue Hill Restaurant and Stone Barns Center. The Blue Hill seemed to be a natural culmination to the trip as it not only stayed faithful to our theme of eating at restaurants featuring local ingredients, it is located on an operating farm. (Yet ANOTHER one!) We actually discovered this place while watching Top Chef and Blue Hill was to be the most reputable and vaunted stop on this trip. So we made a lunch reservation for eight (6 of our friends joined) TWO months in advance and eagerly awaited our visit!

Perhaps the most interesting part of the $68/pp prix-fixe lunch was that it did not feature a menu, but rather a list of seasonal ingredients. Apprise the wait staff of your dietary restrictions and off you go at the mercy of the chef! The food didn't disappoint in presentation or taste and I did enjoy being surprised (even though they served chicken!). The service was even better as plates were served in what appeared to be a carefully choreographed and coordinated movement (they wouldn't say if they practiced).

At the end of the day, I'd have to say that Red Devon won this Iron Chef competition.

Kid Friendly?: At least they try. They did have high chairs available but the environment was anything but kid friendly. Blue Hill strives to provide an elegant experience and let's face it, crying kids are NOT elegant. Liz and I took turns taking Arthur out for walks to keep him calm during what ended being a 3 hour lunch. We didn't want to be "those" parents with a crying baby! Maybe Arthur was extra hyped to be sitting at a table of 8, but I think he just already had as much vacation as a 1-year old could take! Save this place for the adults.

After a walk through the Stone Barns Center to look at yet more animals, it was time to go home!

Two days on the road and all I get is this stupid duck!

Resources
Hammertown
About Town
Dutchess County Tourism

Labels: arthur, parenting, travel

8:18 PM 0 Comments

by Lincoln

Now that Arthur is just over 1 year old, we decided that a short yet local weekend getaway would be a good idea. Not only was it also Liz's birthday weekend, we thought a weekend of firsts for Arthur would do wonders for this bourgeoning curiosity. We are not one of those bold parents who dare to take their young children on plane rides and we've also tried our best to not be one of "those" parents. You know what I mean by "those", the ones with the crying baby! With this in mind, we came up with the following requirements:

1- Must have something for everyone: Arthur, Liz and I.
2- No planes or public transport. So only we'd suffer a cranky crying baby.
3- Only 1 night away from home. Short and sweet.

Since Liz and I both love eating great food, breathing fresh air and the fact that site of any animal (Even rats with wings, a.k.a. an NYC pigeon) makes Arthur go berserk with excitement, our decided destination was Dutchess County. Dutchess County is a mere 75 miles or so from Manhattan and is what I like to call a "Napa Valley on a much smaller scale".

After a bit of research and reservation making, off we went on a Saturday morning.

Wild Hive Farm

An Anxious Arrival!

After reading a positive review about this place on Hammertown I thought this was a worthy spot to have some breakfast. Local ingredients and freshly baked goods. The egg sandwich was well made and the brioche bun was fresh and soft with a unique earthy flavor. Along with fresh toast topped with a habanero jelly that was hot enough to wake up the dead, this breakfast was a good start even if it did take forever to get it! Well, we were on vacation, who cares?

Kid Friendly?: Yes. high chair available and a steady stream of families with children of all ages going in and out.

I'm gonna club someone with this garlic if I don't get my food soon!!

Dog Show Hosted by Ledgewood Kennels

It took me a couple of days to find something specifically animal oriented aside from looking at livestock from behind a fence, but eventually I got lucky finding this event when I chanced on the Amenia Chamber of Commerce's Website. This was strictly a local affair with a focus on community participation. It wasn't a Westminster Dog Show, but it did the trick as the up close and personal interactions with the dogs was far more effective at piquing the interests of a 1-year old! And yes, Arthur was going berserk almost the entire time.

Kid Friendly?: It doesn't get much more kid friendly than this!

So after a quick stop at McEnroe Organic Farm to pick up some fresh produce and groceries to take back home, it was time to check-in to our lodging so Baby Arthur could have his nap time. This plan was enthusiastically sponsored by Arthur with piercing shrieks.

The Interlaken Inn

So after deliberating on the lodging for a bit, we settled on the Interlaken Inn. While we originally were planning to stay at a nice bed and breakfast ("b&b"), that idea was nixed because:

1- Many b&b's are not kid friendly. They even specifically put an age limit on their website. I guess it's to be expected since you're basically staying at someone's house.
2- We needed a bathtub. Not a given at a b&b.
3- Most of the b&b's wanted a 2 night minimum. (So did the Interlaken but they had a loophole if you booked online!)
4- I hoped to have a pool for Arthur's first swim! Not a given at a b&b.

While the Interlaken Inn served its purpose, I was not completely satisfied. We paid $300 for our one night and it wasn't the Mandalay Bay. I'll tell you that the place looks a lot bigger on their website! The place is a bit dated and could use a renovation. It was clean, but as clean as an old hotel could be. Here are the TripAdvisor reviews. They're mixed, so you be the judge. It wasn't all bad. The pool was heated and the staff was courteous. We were in & out so it wasn't a big deal. But, that price tag was too hefty for what we got in my opinion.

Kid Friendly?: Definitely. They not only encourage kids, they encourage whole families including pets. There were many other familes at the place. It's also a wedding friendly hotel. The place may be more worth the price in the townhouses.

Red Devon Restaurant

Red Devon was the highlight of our trip. Simply put, it's an awesome restaurant and the food is just exquisite. The restaurant was recently renovated with a focus on green guidelines and sustainability as the building itself has many green innovations. With reviews like these from About Town, and Hammertown, its focus on local ingredients and its green focus (I'm an engineer remember?) we just had to give it a try. They offer a nightly chef's menu and we ordered the grilled sea bass with potatoes and the pork belly with chanterelle mushrooms and red chard over risotto as our entrees. Both were cooked to perfection. The sea bass was served whole, was crispy and salted on the outside and incredibly soft and moist on the inside. All that we left behind was a pile of bones. As a pork belly fanatic, there's almost no way I wouldn't enjoy it. But the combination of the tender pork belly, crunchy red chard and base of risotto made each bite a harmonious melody. We'll be going back.

Kid Friendly?: Yes. They offer booster chairs (really fancy ones!) and the environment is sophisticated yet laid back. We did make a reservation for the earliest time possible to avoid a crowd, but as dinner went on, other families with small children came in. The staff was friendly and helpful with everything.