Podcasts about Mohonk Mountain House

In this episode, the Ski Moms sit down with Annie Pilek, Director of Recreation and Entertainment at the historic Mohonk Mountain House. Located just 90 miles from NYC in the Catskills (NY State), this resort has been welcoming guests for over 150 years. Annie shares how the property offers something for everyone in every season - from winter activities like snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and ice skating to summer adventures including hiking, boating, and rock climbing. She details the resort's extensive kids' programs, farm-to-table dining experiences, and luxurious spa amenities. The conversation also explores Mohonk's deep commitment to conservation through its connection with the Mohonk Preserve and various sustainability initiatives. Whether you're planning a family getaway or a romantic escape, Annie provides insider tips on making the most of this unique destination that feels worlds away from city life while being easily accessible from the New York metro area.Keep up with the latest from Mohonk Mountain House:Website: www.mohonk.comInstagram: @mohonkmountainhouseFacebook: www.facebook.com/mohonkYouTube: www.youtube.com/mohonkStarting this March, you can lock in the lowest prices of the season and score big on Ikon Pass renewals and new sales. The Ikon Pass gives you access to 60+ resorts worldwide. Don't miss out on this incredible value — head to ikonpass.com Ready for your next adventure? Download the Vrbo app or check out Vrbo.com for trusted, family-friendly getaways and plan a stay everyone will love! Start planning your trip here visitulstercountyny.comThe Ski Moms are so excited to be partnering with Ulster County this year. Located in New York State, Ulster County is tucked into the Hudson Valley and offers families a chance to get out in nature all year long.Support the showKeep up with the Latest from the Ski Moms!Website: www.theskimoms.coSki Moms Discount Page: https://www.theskimoms.co/discountsSki Moms Ski Rental HomesJoin the 13,000+ Ski Moms Facebook GroupInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theskimoms/ Send us an email and let us know what guests and topics you'd like to hear next! Sarah@skimomsfun.comNicole@skimomsfun.com

Today's guest is Dr. Nina Smiley, Director of Mindfulness Programming at Mohonk Mountain House and co-author of The Three Minute Meditator (translated into 7 languages), Mindfulness in Nature, and MetaPhysical Fitness. Nina delights in sharing simple and effective mindfulness meditation techniques and philosophies that can be used by real people in real lives (when they really need it) - one moment at a time! As the Director of Mindfulness at New York's Historic Mohonk Mountain House, Nina presents programs and teaches private classes on mindfulness and wellness. She creates and leads special topic sessions that address issues including weight loss, insomnia, relationships, parenting, and more. In a world with constant distractions that abound in modern life—from smartphones to social media—it is imperative we seek the solace and comfort of nature for our well-being. Nina's philosophy is rooted in giving guidance to mindfulness techniques that allow a meaningful way to nurture ourselves through a sense of spaciousness, calm, and connection with the out-of-doors. Nina's work has been featured in The New York Times, O, The Oprah Magazine; Real Simple; Shape; Self; Huffington Post; InStyle; Organic Spa; Spafinder; Family Circle; and Prevention. In our conversation, we discuss: How there are many different ways to meditate, and incorporating a mindfulness practice into your life might be simpler than you thought The components of mindfulness, how the breath can be used as a tool, and how we can get more curious - and less judgmental - about our thoughts What creating more space even means, and how you can use nature to tap into this spaciousness, and have more of a sensory experience The power of nature, the benefits of forest bathing, and how you can reap the benefits even when you might not live in an environment with a lot of nature How to live more simply, learn to let go of things you don't need, and free yourself from distraction  Gratisfied Healthified Online Magazine Instagram: @gratisfied @healthified Empower Bar Baking Mix  NEW Gratisfied Bars! Use the code HEALTHIFIED to save  ⁠Counting Colors Online Course ⁠ ⁠The Beauty of Blood Sugar Balance⁠

Hello, Puzzlers! Today, join A.J. and Greg at Mohonk Mountain House where we recorded this holiday-themed episode during the Wonderful World of Words weekend. Join host A.J. Jacobs and his guests as they puzzle–and laugh–their way through new spins on old favorites, like anagrams and palindromes, as well as quirky originals such as “Ask Chat GPT” and audio rebuses. Subscribe to The Puzzler podcast wherever you get your podcasts! "The Puzzler with A.J. Jacobs" is distributed by iHeartPodcasts and is a co-production with Neuhaus Ideas. Our executive producers are Neely Lohmann and Adam Neuhaus of Neuhaus Ideas, and Lindsay Hoffman of iHeart Podcasts. The show is produced by Jody Avirgan and Brittani Brown of Roulette Productions. Our Chief Puzzle Officer is Greg Pliska. Our associate producer is Andrea Schoenberg.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hello, Puzzlers! Today, join A.J. and Greg at Mohonk Mountain House where we recorded this episode during the Wonderful World of Words weekend. Join host A.J. Jacobs and his guests as they puzzle–and laugh–their way through new spins on old favorites, like anagrams and palindromes, as well as quirky originals such as “Ask Chat GPT” and audio rebuses. Subscribe to The Puzzler podcast wherever you get your podcasts! "The Puzzler with A.J. Jacobs" is distributed by iHeartPodcasts and is a co-production with Neuhaus Ideas. Our executive producers are Neely Lohmann and Adam Neuhaus of Neuhaus Ideas, and Lindsay Hoffman of iHeart Podcasts. The show is produced by Jody Avirgan and Brittani Brown of Roulette Productions. Our Chief Puzzle Officer is Greg Pliska. Our associate producer is Andrea Schoenberg.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hello, Puzzlers! Today, join A.J. and Greg at Mohonk Mountain House where we recorded this episode with magician and friend-of-the-podcast David Kwong during the Wonderful World of Words weekend. Join host A.J. Jacobs and his guests as they puzzle–and laugh–their way through new spins on old favorites, like anagrams and palindromes, as well as quirky originals such as “Ask Chat GPT” and audio rebuses. Subscribe to The Puzzler podcast wherever you get your podcasts!  "The Puzzler with A.J. Jacobs" is distributed by iHeartPodcasts and is a co-production with Neuhaus Ideas.  Our executive producers are Neely Lohmann and Adam Neuhaus of Neuhaus Ideas, and Lindsay Hoffman of iHeart Podcasts. The show is produced by Jody Avirgan and Brittani Brown of Roulette Productions.  Our Chief Puzzle Officer is Greg Pliska. Our associate producer is Andrea Schoenberg.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hello, Puzzlers! Today, join A.J. and Greg at Mohonk Mountain House where we recorded this episode with magician and friend-of-the-podcast David Kwong during the Wonderful World of Words weekend. Join host A.J. Jacobs and his guests as they puzzle–and laugh–their way through new spins on old favorites, like anagrams and palindromes, as well as quirky originals such as “Ask Chat GPT” and audio rebuses. Subscribe to The Puzzler podcast wherever you get your podcasts!  "The Puzzler with A.J. Jacobs" is distributed by iHeartPodcasts and is a co-production with Neuhaus Ideas.  Our executive producers are Neely Lohmann and Adam Neuhaus of Neuhaus Ideas, and Lindsay Hoffman of iHeart Podcasts. The show is produced by Jody Avirgan and Brittani Brown of Roulette Productions.  Our Chief Puzzle Officer is Greg Pliska. Our associate producer is Andrea Schoenberg.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, on The Conscious Consultant Hour, Sam is pleased to welcome Emmy-Winning Interviewer, Producer & Podcast Host, Cali Alpert.Cali is a three-time Emmy-winning interviewer, producer and podcast host who has created long and short form programming and content for multiple networks (NBC, Discovery, E!, Sony, Fox), platforms (Facebook, youtube, Dodo, E! Online, Spotify) TV hosts (Jane Pauley, Meredith Vieira, Dr. Oz) and brands (Crest, Mohonk Mountain House, Olay).Her deep listening and adept question-asking skills have garnered her a reputation for heartstring storytelling and intimate conversations from which listeners can gain wisdom, access their own vulnerability, laugh and cry. Cali's subjects range from Sheryl Crow to Richard Branson, Deepak Chopra to Halle Berry, Xiye Bastida to Dwight Howard, war vets to agoraphobics and everyday heroes to incarcerated mothers. Her passion for and knowledge of psychology, spirituality and the personal growth space blend to create soulful storytelling across the board.Tune in and share your questions and comments about your spiritual experiences on our YouTube livestream or on our Facebook page. https://www.theinnerviewer.netSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-conscious-consultant-hour8505/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This podcast hit paid subscribers' inboxes on Sept. 13. It dropped for free subscribers on Sept. 20. To receive future pods as soon as they're live, and to support independent ski journalism, please consider an upgrade to a paid subscription. You can also subscribe to the free tier below:WhoChip Seamans, President of Windham Mountain Club, New YorkRecorded onAugust 12, 2024About Windham Mountain ClubClick here for a mountain stats overviewOwned by: Majority owned by Beall Investment Partners and Kemmons Wilson Hospitality Partners, majority led by Sandy BeallLocated in: Windham, New YorkYear founded: 1960Pass affiliations:* Ikon Pass: 7 days* Ikon Base Pass: 5 days, holiday blackoutsClosest neighboring ski areas: Hunter (:17), Belleayre (:35), Plattekill (:48)Base elevation: 1,500 feetSummit elevation: 3,100 feetVertical drop: 1,600 feetSkiable Acres: 285Average annual snowfall: 100 inchesLift count: 11 (1 six-pack, 3 high-speed quads, 1 triple, 1 double, 5 carpets – view Lift Blog's inventory of Windham's lift fleet)Why I interviewed himThe Catskills are the closest thing to big-mountain skiing in my immediate orbit. Meaning the ski areas deliver respectable vertical drops, reasonably consistent snowfall, and an address reachable for first chair with a 6 to 7 a.m. departure time. The four big ski areas off I-87 – Belleayre, Plattekill, Hunter, and Windham – are a bit farther from my launchpad than the Poconos, than Mountain Creek, than Catamount or Butternut or the smaller ski areas in Connecticut. But on the right day, the Catskills mountains ski like a proto-Vermont, a sampler that settles more like a main course than an appetizer.I'm tremendously fond of the Catskills, is my point here. And I'm not the only one. As the best skiing within three hours of New York City, this relatively small region slings outsized influence over North American ski culture. Money drives skiing, and there's a lot of it flowing north from the five boroughs (OK maybe two of the boroughs and the suburbs, but whatever). There's a reason that three Catskills ski areas (Belleayre, Hunter, and Windham), rock nearly as many high-speed chairlifts (nine) as the other 40-some ski areas in New York combined (12). These ski areas are cash magnets that prime the 20-million-ish metro region for adventures north to New England, west to the West, and east to Europe.I set this particular podcast up this way because it's too easy for Colorad-Bro or Lake Ta-Bro or Canyon Bro to look east and scoff. Of course I could focus this whole enterprise on the West, as every ski publication since the invention of snow has done. I know the skiing is better out there. Everyone does. But that doesn't mean it's the only skiing that matters. The Storm is plenty immersed in the West, but I can also acknowledge this reality: the West needs the East more than the East needs the West. After all, there's plenty of good skiing out here, with a lot more options, and without the traffic hassles (not to mention the far smaller Brobot:Not Brobot ratio). And while it's true that New England ski areas have lately benefitted from capital airdrops launched by their western overlords, a lot of that western money is just bouncing back east after being dropped off by tourists from Boston, New York, Philly, and D.C. Could Colorado have skiing without eastern tourism? Yes, but would Summit and Eagle counties be dripping with high-speed lifts and glimmering base villages without that cash funnel, or would you just have a bunch of really big Monarch Mountains?None of which tells you much about Windham Mountain Windham Mountain Club, which I've featured on the podcast before. But if you want to understand, rather than simply scoff at, the New Yorkers sharing a chair with you at Deer Valley or Snowmass or Jackson, that journey starts here, in the Catskills, a waystation on many skiers' pathway to higher altitudes.What we talked aboutChip is the new board chairman of the National Ski Areas Association; searching for a new NSAA head; the difference between state and national ski organizations; the biggest challenge of running a ski area in New York; could New York State do more to help independent ski areas?; how the ski area's rebrand to Windham Mountain Club “created some confusion in the market, no doubt”; the two-day weekend lift ticket minimum is dead; “our plan has always been to stay open to the public and to sell passes and tickets”; defining “premium”; what should a long liftline look like at WMC?; lift ticket and Ikon Pass redemption limits for 2024-25; the future of Windham on the Ikon Pass; rising lift ticket prices; free season passes for local students; who owns WMC, and what do they want to do with it?; defining the “club” in WMC; what club membership will cost you and whether just having the cash is enough to get you in; is Windham for NYC or for everyone?; how about a locals' pass?; a target number of skiers on a busy day at Windham; comparing Windham to Vermont's all-private Hermitage Club; how about the Holimont private-on-weekends-only model?; some people just want to be angry; the new owners have already plowed $70 million into the bump; snowmaking updates; a badass Cat fleet; a more or less complete lift fleet; the story behind K lift; the Windham village and changes to parking; and the dreaded gatehouse.   Why I thought that now was a good time for this interviewRather than right now, maybe the best time for this interview would have been a year ago, or six months ago, or maybe all three. It's been a confusing time at Windham, for skiers, for employees, for the people running the place. No one seems to understand exactly what the bump is, what it plans to be, and what it wants to be.Which doesn't stop anyone from having an opinion, most of them wildly misinformed. Over the past year, I've been told, definitively, by a Saturday liftline's worth of casual skiers that Windham had “gone private.” The notion is pervasive, stubborn, immune to explanations or evidence to the contrary. So, very on brand for our cultural moment.Which doesn't mean I shouldn't try. I'm more than willing to bang on ski areas for their faults. In Windham's case, I've always thought that they groom too much, that the season is too short, that the season pass price (currently $2,000!), is beyond insane. But it's not really fair to invent a problem and then harangue the operators about it. Windham is not a private ski area, it is not shut off from locals, it does not require a $200,000 handshake to pass through the RFID gates. Inventing a non-existent problem and then taking offense to it is a starter kit for social media virtue signaling, but it's a poor way to conduct real life.But honestly, what the hell is going on up there? How can Windham Mountain Club justify a larger initiation fee than Vermont's truly private Hermitage Club for a ski experience that still involves half of Manhattan? Why is it so hard to make a weekend Ikon Pass reservation? Does anyone really go to the Catskills in search of the “rarified reality” that WMC insists it is somehow providing? What is the long-term vision here?All fair questions, all spun from WMC's self-inflicted PR tornado. But the answers are crystalizing, and we have them here.What I got wrong* I said that “Gore's triple chair,” which was only a “12, 13-year-old lift” was going to McCauley. I was referring to the Hudson triple, a 2010 Partek (so 14 years old), which will replace nearby but much smaller McCauley's 1973 Hall double, known as “Big Chair,” for the coming ski season.  * I said that the club fees for Windham were roughly the same as Hermitage Club. This is drastically untrue. WMC's $200,000 initiation fee is double Hermitage Club's $100,000 number. Windham's annual dues, however, are much lower than HC's $18,500.* I said that Windham was automating its first snowmaking trail this year. That is incorrect, as Seamans points out in our conversation. Windham is installing its first automated snowmaking on the east side of the mountain this year, meaning that 40 percent of the mountain's snowmaking system will now be automated.* I said that Windham had a water-supply-challenge, which is not accurate. I was confusing water supply (adequate), with snowmaking system pumping capacity (room for improvement). I think I am covering too many mountains and sometimes the narratives cross. Sorry about that.Why you should ski Windham Mountain ClubIf you really want an uncrowded Catskills ski experience, you have exactly one option: go to family-owned Plattekill, 40 minutes down the road. It has less vert (1,100 feet), and half Windham's acreage on paper, but when the glades fill in (which they often do), the place feels enormous, and you can more or less walk onto either of the mountain's two chairlifts any day of the season.But Plattekill doesn't have high-speed lifts, it's not on the Ikon Pass, and it's not basically one turn off the thruway. Windham has and is all of those things. And so that's where more skiers will go.Not as many, of course, as will go to Hunter, Windham's Vail-owned archnemesis 15 minutes away, with its unlimited Epic Pass access, Sahara-sized parking lots, and liftlines that disappear over the curvature of the Earth. And that has been Windham's unspoken selling point for decades: Hey, at least we're not Hunter. That's true not only in relative crowd size, but in attitude and aesthetic; Hunter carries at least a 10:1 ratio* over Windham in number of LongIsland Bros straightlining its double-blacks in baseball caps and Jets jerseys.In that context, Windham's rebrand is perfectly logical – as Hunter grows ever more populist, with a bargain season pass price and no mechanism to limit visitors outside of parking lot capacity (they ski area does limit lift ticket sales, but not Epic Pass visits), the appeal of a slightly less-chaotic, more or less equally scaled option grows. That's Windham. Or, hey, the much more exclusive sounding “Windham Mountain Club.”And Windham is a good ski area. It's one of the better ones in New York, actually, with two peaks and nice fall line skiing and an excellent lift system. It doesn't sprawl like Gore or tower like Whiteface, and those fall lines do level off a bit too abruptly from the summit, but it feels big, especially when that Catskills snowbelt fires. On a weekday, it really can feel like a private ski area. And you can probably score an Ikon Pass slot without issue. So go now, before WMC jumps off that mainstream pass, and the only way in the door is a triple-digit lift ticket.*Not an actual statistic^^Probably though it's accurate.Podcast NotesOn New York having more ski areas than any other state in the countryIt's true. New York has 51. The next closest state is Michigan, with 44 (only 40 of which operated last winter). Here's a list:On the three New York state-owned ski areas that “have been generously funded by the state”It's basically impossible to have any honest conversation about any New York ski area without acknowledging the Godzilla-stomping presence of the state's three owned ski areas: Belleayre, Gore, and Whiteface. These are all terrific ski areas, in large part because they benefit from a firehose of taxpayer money that no privately owned, for-profit ski area could ever justify. As the Adirondack Explorer reported in July:The public authority in charge of the state's skiing, sliding and skating facilities saw expenses and losses jump in the past year, its annual financial report shows.The Lake Placid-based Olympic Regional Development Authority [ORDA], whose big-ticket sites are the Belleayre Mountain, Gore Mountain and Whiteface Mountain alpine centers, disclosed operating losses of $47.3 million for the last fiscal year. That compared with losses of $29.3 million for the same period a year earlier.It's important to acknowledge that this budget also covers a fun park's worth of skating rinks, ski jumps, luge chutes (or whatever), and a bunch of other expensive, unprofitable crap that you need if you ever want to host an Olympics (which New York State has done twice and hopes to do again). Still, the amount of cash funneled into ORDA in recent years is incredible. As the Adirondack Explorer reported last year:“The last six years, the total capital investment in the Olympic Authority was $552 million,” [now-fomer ORDA President and CEO Mike] Pratt told me proudly. “These are unprecedented investments in our facilities, no question about it. But the return on investment is immediate.”Half a billion dollars is a hell of a lot of money. The vast majority of it, more than $400 million, went to projects in the Lake Placid region, home to some 20,000 year-round residents—and it turns out, that breathtaking sum is only part of the story.Adirondack Life found New York State has actually pumped far more taxpayer dollars into ORDA since Pratt took the helm than previously reported, including a separate infusion of subsidies needed to cover the Olympic Authority's annual operating losses. Total public spending during Pratt's six-year tenure now tops $620 million.… Taken together that's more money than New York spent hosting the 1980 Winter Olympics. It's also more money than the state committed, amid growing controversy, to help build a new NFL stadium in Buffalo, a city with a population more than 10 times that of the Lake Placid region.There's also no sign ORDA's hunger for taxpayer cash will shrink anytime soon. In fact, it appears to be growing. The Olympic Authority is already slated to receive operating subsidies and capital investments next year that total another $119 million.To put that amount in context, the entire Jay Peak Resort in Vermont sold last year for $76 million. Which means New York State's spending on the Olympic Authority in 2024 would be enough to buy an entire new ski mountain, with tens of millions of dollars left over.It now appears certain the total price tag for Pratt's vision of a new, revitalized ORDA will top $1 billion. He said that's exactly what the organization needed to finally fulfill its mission as keeper of New York's Olympic flame.More context: Vail resorts, which owns and operates 42 ski areas – more than a dozen of which are several times larger than Belleayre, Gore, and Whiteface combined – is allocating between $189 and $194 million for 2024 capital improvements. You can see why New York is one of the few states where Vail isn't the Big Bad Guy. The state's tax-paying, largely family-owned ski areas funnels 95 percent of their resentment toward ORDA, and it's easy enough to understand why.On New York's “increasingly antiquated chairlift fleet”Despite the glimmer-glammer of the lift fleets at ORDA resorts, around the Catskills, and at Holiday Valley, New York is mostly a state of family-owned ski areas whose mountains are likely worth less than the cost of even a new fixed-grip chairlift. Greek Peak's longest chairlift is a Carlevaro-Savio double chair installed in 1963. Snow Ridge runs lifts dating to 1964, '60, and '58(!). Woods Valley installed its three lifts in 1964, '73, and '75 (owner Tim Woods told me last year that the ski area has purchased at least two used chairlifts, and hopes to install them at some future point). Intermittently open (and currently non-operational) Cockaigne's two double chairs and T-bar date to 1965. These lifts are, of course, maintained and annually inspected, and I have no fear of riding any of them, but in the war for customers, lifts that predate human space travel do make your story a bit trickier to tell.On Holiday Valley selling a chairlift to CatamountI noted that a lift had moved from Holiday Valley to Catamount – that is the Catamount quad, Holiday Valley's old Yodeler quad. Catamount installed the new lift in 2022, the year after Holiday Valley pulled out the 20-year-old, 500-vertical-foot fixed-grip lift to replace it with a new high-speed quad.On Windham's pass price in comparison to othersWindham's season pass price is the eighth most expensive in America, and the most expensive in the East by an enormous amount (Windham also offers a Monday through Friday, non-holiday season pass for $750, and a Sunday through Friday, non-holiday pass for $1,300). Here's how WMC compares nationally:And here's how it stacks up in the East:On WMC's ownershipWe talk a bit about Windham's ownership in the pod. I dug into that a bit more last year, when they bought the place in April and again when the mountain rebranded in October.On Blackberry Farms Lodged between Windham and New York City is a hilltop resort called Mohonk Mountain House. In its aesthetic and upscale cuisine, it resembles Blackberry Farm, the Tennessee resort owned by Windham majority owner Sandy Beall, which The New York Times describes as “built on a foundation of simple Tennessee country life as reinterpreted for guests willing to pay a premium to taste its pleasures without any of its hardships.” In other words, an incredibly expensive step into a version of nature that resembles but sidesteps its wild form. I think this is what WMC is going for, but on snow.On the location of Windham's tubing hillI frankly never even realized that Windham had a tubing hill until Seamans mentioned it. Even though it's marked on the trailmap, the complex sits across the access road, well removed from the actual ski area. Tubing is not really something I give a damn about (sorry #TubeNation), other than to acknowledge that it's probably the reason many small ski areas can continue to exist, but I usually at least notice it if it's there. Circled in red below:On Hermitage ClubWe talk a bit about how Hermitage Club is similar in size to Windham. The southern Vermont ski area sports a slightly smaller vertical drop (1,400 feet to Windham's 1,600), and skiable acreage (200 to Windham's 285). Here's the trailmap:On Holimont, Buffalo Ski Club, and Hunt HollowNew York is home to three private, chairlift-served ski areas that all follow a similar business model: the general public is welcome on weekdays, but weekends and holidays are reserved for members. Holimont, right next door to Holiday Valley, is the largest and most well-known:Hunt Hollow is smaller and less-renowned, but it's a nice little bump (my favorite fact about HH is that the double chair – the farthest looker's left – is Snowbird's old Little Cloud lift):Buffalo Ski Center is the agglomeration of three side-by-side, formerly separate ski areas: Sitzmarker Ski Club, Ski Tamarack and Buffalo Ski Club. The trail network is dense and super interesting:On Windham in The New York TimesI referred to a feature story that The Times ran on Windham last December. Read that here.On Vail's pay bumpWhen Vail Resorts raised its minimum wage to $20 an hour in 2022, that presented a direct challenge to every competing resort, including Windham, just down the road from Vail-owned Hunter.On Windham's village expansionWindham will build a new condominium village over some portion of its current parking lots. Here's a concept drawing:The Storm explores the world of lift-served skiing year-round. Join us.The Storm publishes year-round, and guarantees 100 articles per year. This is article 57/100 in 2024, and number 557 since launching on Oct. 13, 2019. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stormskiing.com/subscribe

Joining the show this week is a committed executive who cherishes the traditions of his resort, inspired by the legacy of his late family, the Smileys. Please welcome to the show The President of Mohonk Mountain House. Eric joins Host Dan Ryan, their conversation delves into the intricacies of managing a multi-generational family business, emphasizing sustainability and stewardship as core principles. Eric provides insights into their strategic planning initiatives and their commitment to balancing profitability with environmental and community preservation.Takeaways: Hospitality means ensuring the comfort and contentment of every guest and anticipating their needs. It also includes understanding that every individual has a unique story and unique needs. Being fully present with guests, listening to them, and then delivering service based on what you've learned is key. This approach helps create a longing for guests to return even as they are leaving.Focusing equally on sustainability and stewardship is essential. This involves balancing financial gains with the upkeep and improvement of the property. For example, reinvesting profits into maintaining the extensive infrastructure and natural landscape ensures that future generations can also appreciate the property.Running a family business successfully requires balancing the needs of shareholders and stakeholders. At Mohonk, they ensure that while they make profits to stay operational, they also pay attention to nature, community, family, and history. This balance ensures that the business thrives in the long term and stays true to its founding principles.A strong mission and principles are crucial for long-term success. Mohonk's mission is built on Quaker values like consensus-building, caring for people, and maintaining peace and serenity. These principles have guided the business for five generations and help to make clear, principled decisions for future sustainability.Providing unique and diverse guest experiences can significantly enhance a resort's appeal. At Mohonk, they offer activities like mountain biking, hiking, and a Via Ferrata experience that allows guests to engage with the natural landscape in thrilling but low-impact ways. Such offerings ensure that the property remains a destination in itself, attracting visitors repeatedly.Building consensus within the organization and the broader family is essential. Whether it's developing a strategic plan or making day-to-day decisions, involving all stakeholders ensures that everyone is on board with the vision and mission of the business. This approach has helped Mohonk sustain itself through five generations.Effective resource management and reinvestment are critical. At Mohonk, all profits are reinvested back into the business to sustain its vast property and infrastructure. They focus on maintaining what they have while also planning for future expansions cautiously. This strategy ensures that the property continues to thrive and grow in a sustainable manner.Quote of the Show:"Hospitality is about anticipating and meeting guests' needs while recognizing their unique stories and individuality. In life, listening and showing compassion are essential, just as with a friend."Links:Website: https://www.mohonk.comShout Outs:Smiley Family Quaker Traditions Ways to Tune In: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPXApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1sAmazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419Transistor: https://www.defininghospitality.live/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrpt8C461L_9n_6vezzZtkQ 

We're in Hudson Valley, New York, with Amanda Dana of OrangeTourism.org. We talk about visiting the Vanderbilt Mansion, booking a stay at Mohonk Mountain House, an award-winning Victorian castle from 1869, and hiking out to Kaaterskill Falls to admire its beauty.  Show notes & our 1-page guide are at https://WeTravelThere.com/hudsonvalley Miles & points make travel affordable but tracking them is difficult. That's why I use AwardWallet to monitor rewards, reservations & free night certificates. Sign up for free at WeTravelThere.com/awardwallet

Join FemCity Founder and host of the FemCity Podcast, Violette de Ayala in a discussion with Demitra Vassiliadis of Heaven to Earth Astrology, and FemCity Founder's Circle Member.  Demitra sheds light on the key principles of astrology and how it influences our lives, and what is in store for the year ahead. Demitra unveils astrological insights, offering a glimpse into the energies that will shape the coming months. Whether you're an astrology newbie or enthusiasts, this episode promises to be an enlightening and entertaining exploration of the cosmic landscape. Tune in now to gain a deeper understanding of astrology and a sneak peek into the astrological forecast for 2024.  About Demitra // Demitra Vassiliadis of heaventoearthastrology.com is a spiritual astrologer and inspirational speaker who is passionate about helping others understand their unique talents and life path, reflected through the prism of spiritual astrology. Her interpretations and infectious enthusiasm for her subject have made her a popular speaker, performer, personal consultant, and workshop and retreat leader for clients such as Deepak Homebase at ABC Carpet and Home, NYC's Open Center where she was a regular ceremony leader and weekly blogger. She currently collaborates with NYC's Instituto Xilonen and has led workshops at New Age Health Spa, McGraw Hill corporate event, Mohonk Mountain House and more. Her Astrology practice is centered in NYC. Her work takes her across the tri state area and beyond.  About FemCity // Join FemCity with a complimentary Community Membership!It's the perfect way to sample our Membership, attend local events, meet FemCity Founder, Violette de Ayala and see if the FemCity vibe is a good fit for you. And it's free!. You can also learn more about launching a FemCity Chapter in your community. FemCity has been seen in Gilt, Vogue, AP News, Entrepreneur, Forbes, and MarieClaire. Learn why FemCity is more than just a women's networking group at www.femcity.com and on all social platforms @FemCity. Want to learn about FemCIty? Join us for our free upcoming Get to Know FemCIty event.  About Violette de Ayala // Violette is a Cuban-American serial and social Entrepreneur, Founder of FemCity®, and virtual mentor to over 20,000 women. Violette has been quoted in Success, Entrepreneur, CNBC, Yahoo Small Business, Business Insider News as a small business expert. You can connect with Violette on IG, FB, LinkedIn at Violette de Ayala. About Lynn Pelzer // Lynn is the COO of FemCity and has held a chair position on boards, currently part of a DEI board with FemCity, she has been awarded the Rising Star Award and Crystal Executive Award in her previous company. She has been a contributor on podcasts as well as blogs, and has been a speaker in women's groups on the topics of business. You can connect with Lynn on Facebook or Linkedin @lynnpelzer.   

Back to Mohonk Mountain House for more beautiful music.  Jazz Weekend curated by Pete Malinverni, featuring Will Friedwald, Anaïs Reno, Sage Myers, Gabrielle Stravelli, Helen Sung, Martin Wind, Scott Robinson, Bruce Harris... The wide ranging work of Norman Jewison.  Non-fiction comics.  Beatrix Potter.  Days of Wine and Roses. Menu trends.  Last One Laughing.  A Sydney Crosby story. Credits: Talent:  Tamsen Granger and Dan Abuhoff Engineer:  Ellie Suttmeier Art:  Zeke Abuhoff

Hello, Puzzlers! This week, we're gifting you a holiday grab bag of some of our favorite puzzles. Today: join A.J. and Greg at Mohonk Mountain House where we recorded this episode during the Wonderful World of Words weekend. Join host A.J. Jacobs and his guests as they puzzle–and laugh–their way through new spins on old favorites, like anagrams and palindromes, as well as quirky originals such as “Ask Chat GPT” and audio rebuses. Subscribe to The Puzzler podcast wherever you get your podcasts!  "The Puzzler with A.J. Jacobs" is distributed by iHeartPodcasts and is a co-production with Neuhaus Ideas.  Our executive producers are Neely Lohmann and Adam Neuhaus of Neuhaus Ideas, and Lindsay Hoffman of iHeart Podcasts. The show is produced by Jody Avirgan and Brittani Brown of Roulette Productions.  Our Chief Puzzle Officer is Greg Pliska. Our associate producer is Andrea Schoenberg.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Fun, bite sized, and entertaining.” In the final episode of season 6, we're back with author and now podcaster A.J. Jacobs, along with his Chief Puzzle Officer, Greg Pliska. We first interviewed A.J. about his book, The Puzzler, in S3E11. The idea for the podcast originated in part while recording the audio book version of The Puzzler. A.J. realized many of the puzzles in the book were visual and wouldn't work for an audio book. He created a bunch of audio puzzles that only worked in the audio form. But when it came to a podcast, he knew he couldn't do it alone, and so he pulled in puzzle guru Greg Pliska, who collaborated with A.J. on The Puzzler book. Greg Pliska has created puzzles for the Ask Me Another podcast and the Mohonk Mountain House's Wonderful World of Words. This is a fun-filled weekend in a mountain resort with puzzle-hunts for people who love language. He's also a commentator for Will Shortz's annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, the YouTube recordings of which, to David's surprise, “really sucked [him] into it.” Between A.J. and Greg, they possess a powerful pile of podcast puzzling prowess, so I was thrilled to pick their brains about crafting audio puzzles. At the end of the episode, I turned the tables, surprising them with my own game segment called Tilted Titles. Play along, and see if you can beat the puzzle gurus! If you're looking for pint-sized puzzles for your listening pleasure, make sure to check out The Puzzler Podcast.   Timestamps & Full Show Notes   Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, and COGS:  Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings.  Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also).   Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.   COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout.   Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira & Richard Burns Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media  Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

In this episode, I chat with Maura McMahon. Maura McMahon is currently the Employment Manager at Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, NY. She recruits globally to build the best-in-class staff at one of the historic hotels of America. Mohonk's Food and Beverage team has earned accolades including the #2 Hotel Restaurant of the year 2023 by USA Today. She credits the professionalism of her culinary, pastry and dining services teams as a driver to attracting talent locally and worldwide. Maura has succeeded in the competitive space of college recruiting in the US and abroad. She manages J1 internship and trainee programs for Culinary, Pastry, Front Office and F&B as well as managing H2B recruiting for other departments of the resort. Before Mohonk, Maura managed the Career Advising office of The Culinary Institute of America where she worked for 18 years. Maura is a Certified Hospitality Educator from the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute and earned her Master's degree in Organizational Development and Leadership from St. Joseph's University in 2023. In the episode we talk about why Maura enjoys recruiting so much, the art of the job interview, resume building and much more. You can connect with Maura on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mauramcmahon845/ Subscribe to the Line Cook Thoughts newsletter here: linecookthoughts.com

In this captivating journey, we blend the excitement of my Becoming More Me book launch, the warmth of family celebrations, and the transformative power of adventure and milestones! Picture a majestic sunrise hike along the cliff's edge up to the highest point in the area and then even higher into Skytop tower...It was beyond amazing and also, I was sure glad I had the power of EFT to help me subdue my fear of heights which, for whatever reason, was highly activated on that hike. Come along on this adventure as we explore scenic trails, eat delicious food, go crystal shopping, and indulge in a luxurious resort stay that seamlessly combines history, pampering, and breathtaking views! This episode is not just about travel;It's a celebration of family bonds and personal growth. Join me as I share about the thrill (and exhaustion!) of my new book becoming an international bestseller and the joy of embracing collective triumphs. Whether you're a travel enthusiast, a book lover, or simply seeking inspiration, this episode promises to uplift your spirits and fill you with ideas for your next adventure or milestone celebration!Support the showVisit theresalearlevine.org to get Theresa's Book, "Becoming More Me: Tapping into Success - Subconscious Secrets of an ADHD Entrepreneurial Mom" and receive the private sessions for Free!Becoming More Me with Theresa Lear Levine features conversations that Make the Never-Ending Journey of Becoming one you Want to get Present for & Enjoy! Theresa shares her struggles with trauma, anxiety & ADHD, and how nervous system regulation, EFT & Hypnotherapy, took her past her breaking point and into an embodied life of calm, clarity & confidence.Kindle, Audible & Paperback on AmazonCommunity:https://www.skool.com/becoming-more-me-communityBegin your transformation:gamechangingconversation.com Thanks for Listening! Please Leave a Review!Join the Email list:theresasfreegift.comIG:instagram.com/theresalearlevineEmail:theresa@theresalearlevine.comWebsites:www.theresalearlevine.comwww.becomingmoreme.com

Hello, Puzzlers! On this special Thanksgiving edition, join A.J. and Greg at Mohonk Mountain House where we recorded this episode during the Wonderful World of Words weekend. Join host A.J. Jacobs and his guests as they puzzle–and laugh–their way through new spins on old favorites, like anagrams and palindromes, as well as quirky originals such as “Ask Chat GPT” and audio rebuses. Subscribe to The Puzzler podcast wherever you get your podcasts!  "The Puzzler with A.J. Jacobs" is distributed by iHeartPodcasts and is a co-production with Neuhaus Ideas.  Our executive producers are Neely Lohmann and Adam Neuhaus of Neuhaus Ideas, and Lindsay Hoffman of iHeart Podcasts. The show is produced by Jody Avirgan and Brittani Brown of Roulette Productions.  Our Chief Puzzle Officer is Greg Pliska. Our associate producer is Andrea Schoenberg.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eric Gullickson, President Mohonk Mountain House and Alex Sherwood, Director of Hotel Operations, host the Gunks Cast at the Mountain House.  

Binance CEO faces potential shutdown, Temasek shifts portfolio to private markets, reading is crucial for entrepreneurs, employee retention a top priority for employers, ambidexterity key to growth, surge in US oil and gas M&A, sustainable web app design for a greener future, biometrics and data privacy implications, Mohonk Mountain House's family ownership success, Standard Chartered experiences senior banker exits in India.

How can one breath, one moment, one choice change your life? Nina Smiley, Director of Mindfulness Programming at Mohonk Mountain House, breaks down the art and science of mindfulness. She shares how guests experience this practice at the resort and ways to implement it in your daily life to transform stress to calm.  Stay at Mohonk Mountain House Invest in The Three Minute Meditator Message our host: jackie@inspiredjourneyconsulting.com Claim Your Spot in Quiet the Self-Doubt Monster Work with IJC

The Wells Collective was born out of both necessity and the right amount of mimosas. After six Black women, who worked individually as public and private school educators, researchers, educational administrators, and psychologists, gathered together for a bubbly brunch, the kinetic energy that manifested itself at their table confirmed that by coming together, they could have a greater impact in promoting inclusion in their communities. These women rallied together to identify ways in which they could leverage their individual talents to develop a unique framework that would equip organizations with the tools  to be successful as change agents and architects for liberation. I was lucky enough to hear them speak at a conference last March at Mohonk Mountain House. I knew immediately, that I wanted to share their message on the Debrief. If you want to work with them or learn more, please reach out! Kalea Selmon, Areas of Expertise: Restorative practices, teacher coaching, social-emotional wellness, assessing school culture for inclusion and anti-racist practices. Kalea hails from the Washington DC area. She is a proud alumna of Howard University where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology. After undergrad, she began her career teaching and facilitating a youth employment program. Kalea returned to school attending Johns Hopkins University where she earned a Master of Science in Counseling. Later, she transitioned into Independent Schools where she served as a school counselor and then a Director of Diversity and Inclusion where she focused on developing equity programming, providing professional development, curating curriculum, and hiring and retention of diverse staff. Jenifer Moore, Areas of Expertise: Anti-racist & anti-bias curriculum, teacher coaching, assessing school culture for inclusion and anti-racist practices. Jenifer is the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Key School in Annapolis, MD. Previously, she has served as the Head of School and Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Sela Public Charter School. Jenifer has served children of Washington, DC since 2003 as a teacher, tutor, and school leader. She earned a Master's degree from Trinity Washington, DC in Educational Administration and a Bachelor's degree from Howard University. Akailah Jenkins McIntyre, Areas of Expertise: Anti-racist & anti-bias practices, employee and teacher coaching, assessing organizational culture for inclusion and anti-racist practices, public speaking. Akailah is a native of Charleston, SC who began her career in education at Vanderbilt University. She went on to contribute to multiple education research projects at the institution, resulting in two published works. In this time, she discovered that her areas of interest were racial justice in education, and exploring Black girl joy and freedom in educational spaces. She earned both her Bachelor's degree, and Master's Degree from the institution. She now serves as Chief of Staff at a nonprofit. Dr. Shari Baker, Areas of Expertise: Anti-racist & anti-bias curriculum, teacher coaching, assessing school culture for inclusion and anti-racist practices Shari began her career in education at Duke University. While there, she joined a women's scholarship group, the Baldwin Scholars, in which she continues to be an active member. Dr. Baker obtained her social studies teaching certificate and went on to teach social studies in Prince George's County Public Schools for a decade. She has also had extensive training on cultural responsive/sustaining pedagogy and restorative justice in schools. Dr. Baker also has experience implementing and measuring DEI initiatives at both large and small independent schools, notably including her most recent position as Director of Diversity & Inclusion at one of the largest independent high schools in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/devdebrief/support

Michelle visits the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, NY and speaks to those most involved in making it the wellness, family friendly haven it is.Formerly Vice President and General Manager, Eric Gullickson was promoted to President of Mohonk Mountain House in 2018. Involved with Mohonk Mountain House in various capacities since his teenage years, Gullickson first joined the managerial team at Mohonk in 2010 as Director of Hotel Operations. Gullickson has also served as part of Mohonk's Board of Directors and previously held careers in journalism and public relations for over 10 years. Gullickson is a graduate of SUNY New Paltz and holds graduate certificates from New York University and the Cornell School of Hospitality Administration.Nina Smiley, Director of Mindfulness Programming graduated from Vassar College and earned a doctoral degree in psychology from Princeton University. She is co-author of The Three Minute Meditator (translated into 7 languages), Mindfulness in Nature, and MetaPhysical Fitness. Nina taught psychology at the University of Maryland and directed public relations at the American Psychological Association. She has studied mindfulness with Jack Kornfield (founder of Spirit Rock Meditation Center), Sharon Salzberg (co-founder of Insight Meditation Society), and others. Nina is on the advisory board of the Breath-Body-Mind Foundation. Nina delights in sharing insights about meditation and wellness. Nina's work has been featured in O, The Oprah Magazine; Real Simple; Shape; Self; Huffington Post; InStyle; Organic Spa; Spafinder; Family Circle; Prevention; and The New York Times.Margaret Lora, Spa Director at Mohonk Mountain House, oversees operations for the newly refreshed Spa at Mohonk Mountain House, focusing on current and upcoming wellness trends. With over 15 years of experience managing spas across the country, Margaret aims to create one-of-a-kind experiences for guests, utilizing the resort's beautiful natural setting and incorporating environmentally-friendly practices and green initiatives. Prior to joining Mohonk, Margaret was National Director of Operations and Sales at the acclaimed spa brand Exhale, where she helped the brand earn over 75 awards during her nine-year tenure.

Last week, I went with several of my colleagues to the NYSAIS advancement conference at Mohonk Mountain House. NYSAIS stands for the New York State Association of Independent Schools. At the conference, I had the opportunity to speak about building your personal brand for career success with today's guest, Jan Abernathy. Before we did our talk, we recorded it to share with all of you! Jan Abernathy is the Chief Communications Officer at The Browning School, a K-12 boys' school in New York City. Formerly the director of marketing and communications at The Elisabeth Morrow School in Englewood, NJ. At Browning, she is a member of the Health & Safety Team, responsible for managing COVID response, and co-chaired the school's successful search for its new director of equitable practice and social impact. She is president of New York City Independent Schools Communications Professionals, a professional association of over 100 members from schools throughout the tri-state area, and the co-founder of Black Advancement Networking Group, which works to gain further representation and greater professional growth of Black professionals in advancement roles in independent schools. Jan is chair of CASE-NAIS 2022, the most prominent international advancement conference in the independent school sector. A journalist by training, she has written for NAIS' Independent School Magazine on crisis communications (Winter 2019) and the “Black at” movement (Winter 2021). She is a trustee of Grace Church School, a K-12 school in New York City, and was on the board of Stevens Cooperative School in Hoboken, NJ, for 13 years, spending six years as chair. Her consulting firm, Jan Abernathy Strategic Communications, provides communications and DEI counsel for educational institutions and non-profits. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/devdebrief/support

Everyone is interested in mindfulness practices, but we don't always know where to start. What is meditation, exactly? And how do I know if I'm doing it "right?" Dr. Nina Smiley, Director of Mindfulness Programming at Mohonk Mountain House, walks us through the process, and supplies some excellent tips and tricks to get started.

Adherents of biophilia know that humans have an innate connection to nature and living things. But in a fast-paced and technology-driven world, how do we cultivate - or even discover - that connection in the first place?  Today we're speaking with Nina Smiley, Director of Mindfulness at Mohonk Mountain House, an iconic resort in New York's Hudson Valley renowned for its environmental stewardship and focus on outdoor recreation. Nina walks us through the ways that practicing mindfulness in nature calms our bodies and clears our minds, from reducing blood pressure and cortisol levels, easing symptoms of anxiety and depression, and even widening our perspective. We also get pretty scientific in our discussion about the airborne organic compounds found in forests that have antifungal and antibacterial properties. Nina Smiley is the co-author of multiple books including The Three Minute Meditator and Mindfulness in Nature. She earned her doctorate in Psychology from Princeton University, teaching at the University of Maryland and directing public relations at the American Psychological Association, before she and her husband became full-time steward of Mohonk in 1990.Show NotesMohonk Mountain HouseMindfulness at MohonkMindfulness in Nature by David Harp and Nina SmileyThe Three Minute Meditator: Reduce Stress. Control Fear. Diminish Anger. In Almost No Time At All by David Harp and Nina SmileyAn Intro to Forest Bathing: Where Mindfulness Meets Nature by Nina Smiley History of Mohonk Mountain HouseEnvironmental Stewardship at Mohonk Mountain HouseKey Words: nature, mindfulness, wellness, meditation, mindfulness meditation, Mohonk, Mohonk Mountain House, forest bathing, biophilia, biophilic, biophilic design, environment, eco tourism, tourism

On this week's 51%, we recognize Women's History Month. We learn about Sarah Smiley, a controversial Quaker minister who dared to preach to women — and men — in the 19th Century, and Nancy Brown of the National Collaborative for Women's History Sites provides a more local lens on the women's suffrage movement. We also stop by the New York State Museum to learn about a new initiative to expand its collection on women's sports. Guests: Samantha Bosshart, executive director of the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation; Nancy Brown, National Collaborative for Women's History Sites; Ashley Hopkins-Benton, New York State Museum 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. It's produced by Jesse King. Our executive producer is Dr. Alan Chartock, and our theme is “Lolita” by the Albany-based artist Girl Blue. Follow Along You're listening to 51%, a WAMC production dedicated to women's issues and experiences. Thanks for joining us, I'm Jesse King. All month long, we've recognized Women's History Month by taking the time to learn about prominent American women, past and present. At the end of each episode, we visited exhibits at the New York State Capitol and spoke with the National Women's Hall of Fame. This week, I wanted to take a more local approach — mostly because, as a transplant in Central New York, I'm forever catching up on my Capital Region history, but also to serve as a reminder about the wealth of history that's right in our local communities. We're also flipping the script this week — rather than ending with a “woman you should know,” let's start with one. At the end of last year, the city council of Saratoga Springs, New York, unanimously voted to designate a small cottage on Excelsior Avenue a local landmark. The Smiley-Brackett Cottage, as it's called, is thought to be a prime example of the Gothic Revival style of architecture popularized by Andrew Jackson Downing in the 19th Century — but it's also noteworthy for those who lived there. The house was owned by and built for Sarah Smiley, a popular, yet controversial Quaker minister.  "She really had this significant impact, I think, on women and public speaking," says Samantha Bosshart, executive director of the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation. The Foundation led the effort to acquire the local landmark designation. Smiley was born the daughter of a well-known Quaker family in Maine in 1830 (her father and brothers would go on to build the popular Mohonk Mountain House resort in the Catskills, which still operates today). She initially sought to become a teacher, but after the Civil War, Bosshart says Smiley went South to “relieve human suffering.”  "She traveled to Virginia and to North Carolina, aiding Quakers in organizing schools and libraries," Bosshart notes. "She helped to start a school for 1,000 free Black adults and children in Richmond, Virginia — but that's not really what made her well-known. She later spoke to what they called 'mixed audiences,' and when we say 'mixed audiences,' we're talking about men and women. Women did not speak in front of a congregation, that just wasn't happening." In 1872, popular minister Theodore Cuyler invited Smiley to preach before a mixed congregation at the Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn — making her the first woman to speak from a Presbyterian pulpit. "This caused a ruckus," says Bosshart. "This made Harper's Weekly news, and she was said to 'teach and to extort, or to lead in prayer in publ

On this week's 51%, we recognize Women's History Month. We learn about Sarah Smiley, a controversial Quaker minister who dared to preach to women — and men — in the 19th Century, and Nancy Brown of the National Collaborative for Women's History Sites provides a more local lens on the women's suffrage movement. We also stop by the New York State Museum to learn about a new initiative to expand its collection on women's sports. Guests: Samantha Bosshart, executive director of the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation; Nancy Brown, National Collaborative for Women's History Sites; Ashley Hopkins-Benton, New York State Museum 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. It's produced by Jesse King. Our executive producer is Dr. Alan Chartock, and our theme is “Lolita” by the Albany-based artist Girl Blue. Follow Along You're listening to 51%, a WAMC production dedicated to women's issues and experiences. Thanks for joining us, I'm Jesse King. All month long, we've recognized Women's History Month by taking the time to learn about prominent American women, past and present. At the end of each episode, we visited exhibits at the New York State Capitol and spoke with the National Women's Hall of Fame. This week, I wanted to take a more local approach — mostly because, as a transplant in Central New York, I'm forever catching up on my Capital Region history, but also to serve as a reminder about the wealth of history that's right in our local communities. We're also flipping the script this week — rather than ending with a “woman you should know,” let's start with one. At the end of last year, the city council of Saratoga Springs, New York, unanimously voted to designate a small cottage on Excelsior Avenue a local landmark. The Smiley-Brackett Cottage, as it's called, is thought to be a prime example of the Gothic Revival style of architecture popularized by Andrew Jackson Downing in the 19th Century — but it's also noteworthy for those who lived there. The house was owned by and built for Sarah Smiley, a popular, yet controversial Quaker minister.  "She really had this significant impact, I think, on women and public speaking," says Samantha Bosshart, executive director of the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation. The Foundation led the effort to acquire the local landmark designation. Smiley was born the daughter of a well-known Quaker family in Maine in 1830 (her father and brothers would go on to build the popular Mohonk Mountain House resort in the Catskills, which still operates today). She initially sought to become a teacher, but after the Civil War, Bosshart says Smiley went South to “relieve human suffering.”  "She traveled to Virginia and to North Carolina, aiding Quakers in organizing schools and libraries," Bosshart notes. "She helped to start a school for 1,000 free Black adults and children in Richmond, Virginia — but that's not really what made her well-known. She later spoke to what they called 'mixed audiences,' and when we say 'mixed audiences,' we're talking about men and women. Women did not speak in front of a congregation, that just wasn't happening." In 1872, popular minister Theodore Cuyler invited Smiley to preach before a mixed congregation at the Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn — making her the first woman to speak from a Presbyterian pulpit. "This caused a ruckus," says Bosshart. "This made Harper's Weekly news, and she was said to 'teach and to extort, or to lead in prayer in public and promiscuous assemblies...[it's] clearly forbidden to women in the Holy Oracles.' But what we learned, or what I learned after that, was that she was so well-received amongst her audiences that she was asked to speak across the country and abroad." Soon, Bosshart says Smiley was speaking in churches from Cincinnati, to London, to Cube. She was adamant that women could study the scriptures themselves, without the help of men. She started a home Bible study program for women, and would go on to write five books on the subject — some of which are still published today. Bosshart says Smiley's Gothic-Revival cottage was built the same year of her notorious appearance in Brooklyn. She's not sure why Smiley chose to settle in Saratoga Springs, but it appears she knew exactly what she wanted in terms of a home.  "Andrew Jackson Downing, he published his Cottage Residence in 1842, and The Architecture of Country Houses in 1850. Alexander Jackson Davis designed and drew the illustrations featured — her house looks nearly identical to one of those cottages. Perhaps because it was the gothic style that is reminiscent of churches, perhaps [she was] being influenced by seeing these rural cottages, and she wanted it to be in keeping with that," Bosshart adds. "She would come to Saratoga to study. In an article in 1874 in The Saratogian, it said, 'She speaks twice almost every day in the week. She only spends six months of the year in preaching, the remainder of the year, during the summer months, in diligent study in her cottage in Saratoga.' So I think, perhaps, it was where she had peace and quiet." Following Smiley's death in 1917, the cottage was left to The Society for the Home Study of Holy Scripture and Church History, the group she had founded to promote religious study by mail. It was ultimately bought by another famous name who owned the property until 1968: Charles W. Brackett. Brackett was a popular author, New Yorker drama critic, and screenwriter of films including Sunset Boulevard, The Lost Weekend, and 1953's Titanic. In 1958, he received an Honorary Oscar for Lifetime Achievement. Bosshart says the cottage ultimately fell into disrepair following Brackett's death. The building is privately owned, so she notes there's nothing the Foundation or city can explicitly do to restore it at this time, but she remains hopeful that they can work with the owner down the line. In the meantime, the Foundation is celebrating the local landmark designation, which requires a review for any demolition or new construction in the future.  "I think it's important that we continue to recognize all the people that contribute to the stories of our communities. Having an opportunity to be a part of ensuring that Sarah Smiley's story is told and preserved is rewarding," says Bosshart. Saratoga Springs, as it turns out, saw many aspects of women's history. When we talk about the Women's Suffrage Movement, we tend to start with the Seneca Falls Convention and Declaration of Sentiments in 1848 — but as our next guest will tell us, there's a lot of local history to the movement, including in Saratoga Springs. Nancy Brown is a board member of the National Collaborative for Women's History Sites, and chairperson of the National Votes for Women Trail, a database of more than 2,000 sites significant to women's suffrage across the U.S. She says the goal was to highlight the nationwide, grassroots commitment that was needed to gain women the vote, and honor the ongoing struggle for voting rights across the U.S.  How did you get involved in the National Votes for Women Trail? I think that my interest in women suffered comes from the fact that I'm a native of Johnstown, New York, and that is home to Elizabeth Cady Stanton, where not only she was born, but inspired. So I think that has always made me very interested in women's suffrage. I was a board member on the National Collaborative for Women's History Sites, and this became a project that was originally, actually, a funded project that was proposed by Hillary Clinton – to have a Votes for Women Trail. And it was passed, the legislation was passed, but there were never any funds appropriated for it. So I remember being on a phone call, years ago now, and we were bemoaning the fact that there was no money to tell the story of women's suffrage – how half of our democracy became enfranchised, which is a pretty huge story. And we got thinking that really, suffragists we're all volunteer operations. So that's how the National Votes for Women Trail got started: a number of volunteers stepped up and we ended up creating a national network. And our goal was to have 2,020 sites on a database, a mobile friendly, searchable database by 2020 – which we exceeded, and we're now at 2,300 sites, it at nvwt.org. And along the way, the William G. Pomeroy Foundation in Syracuse, New York, recognized the importance of the project and offered to fund historic markers for places of specific significance around the country. And they are doing that for over 200 markers. So it was through that project that I kind of stumbled across the wonderful suffrage history in Saratoga. So what role did Saratoga play in the women's suffrage movement? Well, I will tell you how I stumbled across it, to be honest with you. One of the most important and influential associations was the New York State Women's Suffrage Association. And when I was doing a little research on where it started, I realized that it started at a meeting in Saratoga in July of 1869. Matilda Joslyn Gage, who was famous suffragist from Syracuse, actually had called a meeting to form a state women's suffrage association, and it was held at Congress Hall, which is where the corner of Congress Park and Spring Street is in Saratoga. And it was chaired by Susan B. Anthony. And the result of it was the formation of the New York Women's Suffrage Association. Why that's so important is this will become the association that helps women win the right to vote in New York state, which happened in 1917. They lost the bid for voting in 1915, but were able to get it in 1917. And why that's so important is we were the 12th state in the nation to pass women's suffrage – but the other states were in the West, and we were the first state in the east to pass this. And Carrie Chapman Catt, the famous suffragist, called this the Gettysburg of the woman's suffrage association. So come to find out that started right in Saratoga. And when I looked back a little further, I found that that was not the first women's rights convention in Saratoga. Well, we know that the very first one was in Seneca Falls in 1848, that sort of began the idea of having women's rights conventions. And after that there was one in Rochester, but in 1854, actually – the suffragists were such strategic thinkers that there were some other associations meeting in Saratoga, and they decided to go to Nikolas Hall, which was on the corner of Phila and Broadway. And they had a meeting with Susan B. Anthony, and it was very well regarded, very well attended. It was before there was a race track, but still, it was very popular place to go for people who had money and influence, and they knew that that's what the suffrage movement needed, was money and influence. And they had another meeting again in 1855, because it went so well. Then they have the meeting in 1869, in Saratoga, that forms the New York State Women's Suffrage Association, which becomes so influential. And then what I think is so incredibly interesting is the last meeting of the New York State Women's Suffrage Association was held there in 1917. And that was the last one before the vote, and then fortunately, the vote was passed and women got the vote within our state. And that's a really interesting meeting. That is sort of a culmination of all the work that the Association had done throughout its history, and they had really won over all the legislators. They had worked during World War I, doing all kinds of anything that was asked of them. They had worked with the state military census, they had organized Red Cross chapters, they had sold bonds, they had organized food canning clubs, and every political party decided that they were going to support them. And it was quite a meeting. Even Woodrow Wilson wrote a letter and said, “I look forward to seeing the results of the meeting in Saratoga.” And it started out with a car parade, an automobile parade from Buffalo across the state to Saratoga. So that was August 1917. And hundreds of cars were coming down Broadway. And that's when about one in four people owned a car, so that must have really been quite a sight. And again, famous people like Woodrow Wilson wrote a letter, Samuel Gompers wrote a letter of support. Katrina Trask sent a letter saying that she supported suffrage and wanted to make a donation that would have been worth about $5,000 in today's money. So it was really quite an interesting place. I think what's especially interesting about it is it was a turning point, literally in the suffrage movement nationally. And Saratoga is known as the turning point of the Revolution, right? We all know that the American Revolution, and that enfranchised white men, essentially. But it was really a turning point in what many people have called the “bloodless revolution,” which was the 72-year-fight for women's suffrage over which no blood was shed, and voting rights were gained. So I think that its importance is very significant. You mentioned you're from Johnstown, and that's where Elizabeth Cady Stanton was born. And you also said it's where she was inspired. Can you go into what you mean by that for me? I sure can. Elizabeth was one of the children born to Judge [Cady] and his wife, and unfortunately, only one of their sons made it to adulthood. Eleazer. And when he came home from Union College, he passed away at the age of 20. And Elizabeth remembers in her autobiography, that, as her father, who saw this as the successor to his law practice, was sitting by the coffin, he was just despondent. She went, and she sat on his lap, and he said, “Oh, Elizabeth, if you've only been a boy.” And apparently after that, she talked to her neighbor, who was the Reverend Simon Hoosick, and asked if he thought boys are better than girls. And he said, “No, of course not.” And she vowed at that point in time that she was going to become as good as any boy. And she became a very good horse woman. And she went to the Johnstown Academy, and was in all the accelerated classes that very few girls were in. And there was a coveted Greek prize, that she won along with another gentleman at one point, and the story goes that she took that Greek prize, which was very coveted, and she ran it down the street, and she went to her father's law office and said, “There, I won the Greek prize.” And he said, “Elizabeth, if you'd only been a boy.” And because her father was a lawyer, and we believe that his law office was adjacent to their home, she spent time there and she learned about the law. And she learned how the law didn't favor women. And there's the story of a woman who came to see the judge, because she had no property rights, and her husband passed away, and her son and his wife were kicking her out of her house, and she had no rights to stay there. And Elizabeth heard this story and vowed to cut all the laws out of his logbooks. And he said, “Elizabeth, you would have to go and talk to the legislature to change a law,” never really realizing that she really would end up doing that one day, and she would help change the property law in New York state. So she really was inspired by the events of her youth that took place in Johnstown. You mentioned when you were describing the conventions that there's parades of cars and famous figures and big donations being made for the effort. Do you see it as a movement that, at the time in Saratoga, was particularly driven by the upper classes, or was there a movement for the everyday folks who wanted this too? I think that when we think about it, and we look at the suffrage movement in New York state, for example, there were women like Rose Schneiderman, who worked so hard for workers' rights as well as for suffrage, knowing that that would help the workers gain a voice in their destiny. But I also think women who had more money had more time to devote to this. And there were certainly women who were immigrants who were very interested in this and worked in suffrage, but they had so much on their plates just to survive and just to get educated and just to keep their families together. But there also were Black women who worked so hard to win the vote when the suffrage movement was not always kind to women of color. So there were really women of every class who worked terribly hard, and devoted themselves to a cause that they didn't even know if they were ever going to see. So I'm so impressed by that as well. And fortunately, I will say that the National Votes for Women Trail has worked hard to try and unearth as many stories as we could for those underrepresented women who aren't known as well as the upper class white women, who we tend to know their names. I was going to ask, as we're looking towards preserving sites that have to do with women's history, what are some things that we should keep in mind? And what are the obstacles that are we're running into nowadays to create more monuments to women in the U.S.? Well, the obstacles in terms of preserving sites are they weren't preserved, unfortunately. Elizabeth Cady Stanton's original house, for example, was moved, and a new one that she lived in was built out of stone, because there have been a number of fires in Johnstown. And it was taken down in 1963. And nobody thought a thing about it, actually. And she was a woman of means, so her family had some money. And that's why we on the National Votes for Women Trail are willing to mark sites, because so many homes, nobody preserved the history of them at all. And especially those that women of color [lived in], they're particularly hard to find. Before those names get lost, it's really our responsibility to do our best to shine a light on the information that we can find in for those few remaining places. Like fortunately, Katherine Starbucks' home is still there. So that's why it's so important to recognize it. Because so many of these homes in locations really are not. It's just, you know, ideally that that people really take some time and do their research. They can go on the National Votes for Women Trail and submit sites in their community, if they find information. We then have somebody who reviews them before they're released to populate the map. But we I just think, fortunately, with the centennial of the passage of the 19th Amendment, there was more interested in women's history. And I think people are more interested in finding out who was in their communities that help them get the rights that they enjoy today. And we also need to be mindful of, you know, all women couldn't vote in 1920, Black Women's still had a long way to go to fight their way through Jim Crow laws before they could vote. And, you know, Native American women weren't even US citizens yet, not for another four years and women of Asian descent. Not until even after that they were not citizens yet, so they didn't get the vote. And as we know, unfortunately, today, voting rights are still being compromised in a variety of places. So I think that is equally important to commemorating their sites, I suppose is commemorating their struggle for the for the right to vote. Well, lastly, in looking at the local impact on women's suffrage movement, what has been your main takeaway? I think the main takeaways – I didn't know any of that history existed there, either. But in every county in New York state, there was an active women's suffrage association. That's how they were able to eventually get the New York state legislature to pass the amendment to the law so that they could vote. But so I think what I have learned is how widespread it was, how many people had to be involved to get this movement over the finish line, if you will. Also, there was a significant anti-suffrage movement that I wasn't aware of before I started doing research. And there were women as well as men who didn't think women voting was a good idea. They thought that they didn't need to vote to make their voice heard. If you dial it all the way back to that first women's rights convention in Seneca Falls, when Elizabeth Cady Stanton said in her Declaration of Sentiments that she felt that women needed the right to vote, almost no one agreed with her then. They said, “Oh, that's too much. You know, we can't go quite that far.” But it was Frederick Douglass who stood up and said, “No, she's right. Without the right to vote…that's the right by which all other rights are gained.” It really was such a Herculean effort. There are so many people that we don't know about, that we should be so grateful for. I think there's so much research to do and so many people we need to try and remember their names and try and find out about them so that their efforts won't be lost. Nancy Brown is the chairperson of the National Votes for Women Trail. You can view the trail and learn more about a site near you on the website for the National Collaborative for Women's History Sites. The William G. Pomeroy Foundation has a map for all of its historic markers at wgpfoundation.org.  Lastly, on the topic of preserving women's history, the New York State Museum in Albany has launched a new effort to expand and diversify its collections — specifically, its sports collections. It's all ahead of the 50th anniversary of Title IX this June — Title IX, of course, is the federal civil rights law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in schools that receive federal funding. It applies to all aspects of education, but one of its most visual impacts was in sports, requiring schools to equally support girls' and boys' teams. The museum is trying to balance out its own recollection of sports history by recognizing juggernauts like the WNBA's New York Liberty, or special events like the all-female Aurora Games, which launched in Albany in 2019.  I spoke with the museum's senior historian and curator for social history, Ashley Hopkins-Benton, to learn more.  "At the New York State Museum, our entire history curatorial department has been working on really evaluating our collections, and what strengths we have, and also what stories we're missing," says Hopkins-Benton. "And diversity, of course, is always something that we're trying to get more into the collections. But a couple of years ago, in 2017, when we were working on the Votes for Women exhibit about the centennial of women's suffrage in New York state, we realized women's history collections were really lacking. And then shortly after that, Steve Loughman, who is our sports curator, also was realizing that sports were really lacking, which is crazy when you think about New York and all of the great sports teams and sports stories that we have. So simultaneously, we were both working on these things. And because of the upcoming anniversary of the passage of Title IX, it became very apparent that women's sports were a particular collection that was lacking." So what kinds of items are you looking for in this collection? Well, let me start with what we have, because it's very small. It's all out on the table in front of us right now, we really have two collections that speak to women's sports as they relate to New York state. So one is a collection of material from the New York Liberty basketball team, the WNBA team. And this came in from a woman named Pam Elam, who is a feminist and a women's history scholar, and was really interested in collecting women's history and LGBTQ history as it pertained to culture and politics and sports and everything. So this came in before we even knew that women's sports was something that was missing from our collections, and it includes tickets and calendars and bios of the players. So it's a really great snapshot of the league. And these all came from around 10 years of the league being in existence. So that was the first thing that we had. And then a couple years ago, when Albany hosted the Aurora games, a couple of us all went out to different events and collected pins and basketballs and shirts and other materials from that. So that was a great opportunity as well. So we have two examples, more on the professional sports side of things. But we would love to collect more amateur sports, girls playing in high school, women in college, and those stories. I'm definitely looking for stories of trailblazers, women who were the first to play their sports. New York has so many great stories of girls who play on their high school football team, or I spoke to a woman earlier who was the first girl in her high school to earn a letter by playing on the men's golf team back in the ‘60s. So I am also looking to speak to women. I'd like to do some oral histories of women who were involved in sports at various times in history. Cool. Now, if someone has something that they think might be a good addition to the collection, what is the process of giving that to the museum? Well, reaching out to the museum and to me in particular, and then I bring it to our collections committee, and we discuss it as a group – how it fits into the collection, if it's something that we can responsibly take care of, and if it's something that has research and exhibition value in the future. If you think you may have something you'd like to contribute to the collection, you can find more information at the museum's website. You can also email Ashley Hopkins-Benton at ashley.hopkins-benton@nysed.gov. Title IX turns 50 on June 23. 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. It's produced by Jesse King. Our executive producer is Dr. Alan Chartock, and our theme is “Lolita” by the Albany-based artist Girl Blue.

On this week's 51%, we recognize Women's History Month. We learn about Sarah Smiley, a controversial Quaker minister who dared to preach to women — and men — in the 19th Century, and Nancy Brown of the National Collaborative for Women's History Sites provides a more local lens on the women's suffrage movement. We also stop by the New York State Museum to learn about a new initiative to expand its collection on women's sports. Guests: Samantha Bosshart, executive director of the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation; Nancy Brown, National Collaborative for Women's History Sites; Ashley Hopkins-Benton, New York State Museum 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. It's produced by Jesse King. Our executive producer is Dr. Alan Chartock, and our theme is “Lolita” by the Albany-based artist Girl Blue. Follow Along You're listening to 51%, a WAMC production dedicated to women's issues and experiences. Thanks for joining us, I'm Jesse King. All month long, we've recognized Women's History Month by taking the time to learn about prominent American women, past and present. At the end of each episode, we visited exhibits at the New York State Capitol and spoke with the National Women's Hall of Fame. This week, I wanted to take a more local approach — mostly because, as a transplant in Central New York, I'm forever catching up on my Capital Region history, but also to serve as a reminder about the wealth of history that's right in our local communities. We're also flipping the script this week — rather than ending with a “woman you should know,” let's start with one. At the end of last year, the city council of Saratoga Springs, New York, unanimously voted to designate a small cottage on Excelsior Avenue a local landmark. The Smiley-Brackett Cottage, as it's called, is thought to be a prime example of the Gothic Revival style of architecture popularized by Andrew Jackson Downing in the 19th Century — but it's also noteworthy for those who lived there. The house was owned by and built for Sarah Smiley, a popular, yet controversial Quaker minister.  "She really had this significant impact, I think, on women and public speaking," says Samantha Bosshart, executive director of the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation. The Foundation led the effort to acquire the local landmark designation. Smiley was born the daughter of a well-known Quaker family in Maine in 1830 (her father and brothers would go on to build the popular Mohonk Mountain House resort in the Catskills, which still operates today). She initially sought to become a teacher, but after the Civil War, Bosshart says Smiley went South to “relieve human suffering.”  "She traveled to Virginia and to North Carolina, aiding Quakers in organizing schools and libraries," Bosshart notes. "She helped to start a school for 1,000 free Black adults and children in Richmond, Virginia — but that's not really what made her well-known. She later spoke to what they called 'mixed audiences,' and when we say 'mixed audiences,' we're talking about men and women. Women did not speak in front of a congregation, that just wasn't happening." In 1872, popular minister Theodore Cuyler invited Smiley to preach before a mixed congregation at the Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn — making her the first woman to speak from a Presbyterian pulpit. "This caused a ruckus," says Bosshart. "This made Harper's Weekly news, and she was said to 'teach and to extort, or to lead in prayer in public and promiscuous assemblies...[it's] clearly forbidden to women in the Holy Oracles.' But what we learned, or what I learned after that, was that she was so well-received amongst her audiences that she was asked to speak across the country and abroad." Soon, Bosshart says Smiley was speaking in churches from Cincinnati, to London, to Cube. She was adamant that women could study the scriptures themselves, without the help of men. She started a home Bible study program for women, and would go on to write five books on the subject — some of which are still published today. Bosshart says Smiley's Gothic-Revival cottage was built the same year of her notorious appearance in Brooklyn. She's not sure why Smiley chose to settle in Saratoga Springs, but it appears she knew exactly what she wanted in terms of a home.  "Andrew Jackson Downing, he published his Cottage Residence in 1842, and The Architecture of Country Houses in 1850. Alexander Jackson Davis designed and drew the illustrations featured — her house looks nearly identical to one of those cottages. Perhaps because it was the gothic style that is reminiscent of churches, perhaps [she was] being influenced by seeing these rural cottages, and she wanted it to be in keeping with that," Bosshart adds. "She would come to Saratoga to study. In an article in 1874 in The Saratogian, it said, 'She speaks twice almost every day in the week. She only spends six months of the year in preaching, the remainder of the year, during the summer months, in diligent study in her cottage in Saratoga.' So I think, perhaps, it was where she had peace and quiet." Following Smiley's death in 1917, the cottage was left to The Society for the Home Study of Holy Scripture and Church History, the group she had founded to promote religious study by mail. It was ultimately bought by another famous name who owned the property until 1968: Charles W. Brackett. Brackett was a popular author, New Yorker drama critic, and screenwriter of films including Sunset Boulevard, The Lost Weekend, and 1953's Titanic. In 1958, he received an Honorary Oscar for Lifetime Achievement. Bosshart says the cottage ultimately fell into disrepair following Brackett's death. The building is privately owned, so she notes there's nothing the Foundation or city can explicitly do to restore it at this time, but she remains hopeful that they can work with the owner down the line. In the meantime, the Foundation is celebrating the local landmark designation, which requires a review for any demolition or new construction in the future.  "I think it's important that we continue to recognize all the people that contribute to the stories of our communities. Having an opportunity to be a part of ensuring that Sarah Smiley's story is told and preserved is rewarding," says Bosshart. Saratoga Springs, as it turns out, saw many aspects of women's history. When we talk about the Women's Suffrage Movement, we tend to start with the Seneca Falls Convention and Declaration of Sentiments in 1848 — but as our next guest will tell us, there's a lot of local history to the movement, including in Saratoga Springs. Nancy Brown is a board member of the National Collaborative for Women's History Sites, and chairperson of the National Votes for Women Trail, a database of more than 2,000 sites significant to women's suffrage across the U.S. She says the goal was to highlight the nationwide, grassroots commitment that was needed to gain women the vote, and honor the ongoing struggle for voting rights across the U.S.  How did you get involved in the National Votes for Women Trail? I think that my interest in women suffered comes from the fact that I'm a native of Johnstown, New York, and that is home to Elizabeth Cady Stanton, where not only she was born, but inspired. So I think that has always made me very interested in women's suffrage. I was a board member on the National Collaborative for Women's History Sites, and this became a project that was originally, actually, a funded project that was proposed by Hillary Clinton – to have a Votes for Women Trail. And it was passed, the legislation was passed, but there were never any funds appropriated for it. So I remember being on a phone call, years ago now, and we were bemoaning the fact that there was no money to tell the story of women's suffrage – how half of our democracy became enfranchised, which is a pretty huge story. And we got thinking that really, suffragists we're all volunteer operations. So that's how the National Votes for Women Trail got started: a number of volunteers stepped up and we ended up creating a national network. And our goal was to have 2,020 sites on a database, a mobile friendly, searchable database by 2020 – which we exceeded, and we're now at 2,300 sites, it at nvwt.org. And along the way, the William G. Pomeroy Foundation in Syracuse, New York, recognized the importance of the project and offered to fund historic markers for places of specific significance around the country. And they are doing that for over 200 markers. So it was through that project that I kind of stumbled across the wonderful suffrage history in Saratoga. So what role did Saratoga play in the women's suffrage movement? Well, I will tell you how I stumbled across it, to be honest with you. One of the most important and influential associations was the New York State Women's Suffrage Association. And when I was doing a little research on where it started, I realized that it started at a meeting in Saratoga in July of 1869. Matilda Joslyn Gage, who was famous suffragist from Syracuse, actually had called a meeting to form a state women's suffrage association, and it was held at Congress Hall, which is where the corner of Congress Park and Spring Street is in Saratoga. And it was chaired by Susan B. Anthony. And the result of it was the formation of the New York Women's Suffrage Association. Why that's so important is this will become the association that helps women win the right to vote in New York state, which happened in 1917. They lost the bid for voting in 1915, but were able to get it in 1917. And why that's so important is we were the 12th state in the nation to pass women's suffrage – but the other states were in the West, and we were the first state in the east to pass this. And Carrie Chapman Catt, the famous suffragist, called this the Gettysburg of the woman's suffrage association. So come to find out that started right in Saratoga. And when I looked back a little further, I found that that was not the first women's rights convention in Saratoga. Well, we know that the very first one was in Seneca Falls in 1848, that sort of began the idea of having women's rights conventions. And after that there was one in Rochester, but in 1854, actually – the suffragists were such strategic thinkers that there were some other associations meeting in Saratoga, and they decided to go to Nikolas Hall, which was on the corner of Phila and Broadway. And they had a meeting with Susan B. Anthony, and it was very well regarded, very well attended. It was before there was a race track, but still, it was very popular place to go for people who had money and influence, and they knew that that's what the suffrage movement needed, was money and influence. And they had another meeting again in 1855, because it went so well. Then they have the meeting in 1869, in Saratoga, that forms the New York State Women's Suffrage Association, which becomes so influential. And then what I think is so incredibly interesting is the last meeting of the New York State Women's Suffrage Association was held there in 1917. And that was the last one before the vote, and then fortunately, the vote was passed and women got the vote within our state. And that's a really interesting meeting. That is sort of a culmination of all the work that the Association had done throughout its history, and they had really won over all the legislators. They had worked during World War I, doing all kinds of anything that was asked of them. They had worked with the state military census, they had organized Red Cross chapters, they had sold bonds, they had organized food canning clubs, and every political party decided that they were going to support them. And it was quite a meeting. Even Woodrow Wilson wrote a letter and said, “I look forward to seeing the results of the meeting in Saratoga.” And it started out with a car parade, an automobile parade from Buffalo across the state to Saratoga. So that was August 1917. And hundreds of cars were coming down Broadway. And that's when about one in four people owned a car, so that must have really been quite a sight. And again, famous people like Woodrow Wilson wrote a letter, Samuel Gompers wrote a letter of support. Katrina Trask sent a letter saying that she supported suffrage and wanted to make a donation that would have been worth about $5,000 in today's money. So it was really quite an interesting place. I think what's especially interesting about it is it was a turning point, literally in the suffrage movement nationally. And Saratoga is known as the turning point of the Revolution, right? We all know that the American Revolution, and that enfranchised white men, essentially. But it was really a turning point in what many people have called the “bloodless revolution,” which was the 72-year-fight for women's suffrage over which no blood was shed, and voting rights were gained. So I think that its importance is very significant. You mentioned you're from Johnstown, and that's where Elizabeth Cady Stanton was born. And you also said it's where she was inspired. Can you go into what you mean by that for me? I sure can. Elizabeth was one of the children born to Judge [Cady] and his wife, and unfortunately, only one of their sons made it to adulthood. Eleazer. And when he came home from Union College, he passed away at the age of 20. And Elizabeth remembers in her autobiography, that, as her father, who saw this as the successor to his law practice, was sitting by the coffin, he was just despondent. She went, and she sat on his lap, and he said, “Oh, Elizabeth, if you've only been a boy.” And apparently after that, she talked to her neighbor, who was the Reverend Simon Hoosick, and asked if he thought boys are better than girls. And he said, “No, of course not.” And she vowed at that point in time that she was going to become as good as any boy. And she became a very good horse woman. And she went to the Johnstown Academy, and was in all the accelerated classes that very few girls were in. And there was a coveted Greek prize, that she won along with another gentleman at one point, and the story goes that she took that Greek prize, which was very coveted, and she ran it down the street, and she went to her father's law office and said, “There, I won the Greek prize.” And he said, “Elizabeth, if you'd only been a boy.” And because her father was a lawyer, and we believe that his law office was adjacent to their home, she spent time there and she learned about the law. And she learned how the law didn't favor women. And there's the story of a woman who came to see the judge, because she had no property rights, and her husband passed away, and her son and his wife were kicking her out of her house, and she had no rights to stay there. And Elizabeth heard this story and vowed to cut all the laws out of his logbooks. And he said, “Elizabeth, you would have to go and talk to the legislature to change a law,” never really realizing that she really would end up doing that one day, and she would help change the property law in New York state. So she really was inspired by the events of her youth that took place in Johnstown. You mentioned when you were describing the conventions that there's parades of cars and famous figures and big donations being made for the effort. Do you see it as a movement that, at the time in Saratoga, was particularly driven by the upper classes, or was there a movement for the everyday folks who wanted this too? I think that when we think about it, and we look at the suffrage movement in New York state, for example, there were women like Rose Schneiderman, who worked so hard for workers' rights as well as for suffrage, knowing that that would help the workers gain a voice in their destiny. But I also think women who had more money had more time to devote to this. And there were certainly women who were immigrants who were very interested in this and worked in suffrage, but they had so much on their plates just to survive and just to get educated and just to keep their families together. But there also were Black women who worked so hard to win the vote when the suffrage movement was not always kind to women of color. So there were really women of every class who worked terribly hard, and devoted themselves to a cause that they didn't even know if they were ever going to see. So I'm so impressed by that as well. And fortunately, I will say that the National Votes for Women Trail has worked hard to try and unearth as many stories as we could for those underrepresented women who aren't known as well as the upper class white women, who we tend to know their names. I was going to ask, as we're looking towards preserving sites that have to do with women's history, what are some things that we should keep in mind? And what are the obstacles that are we're running into nowadays to create more monuments to women in the U.S.? Well, the obstacles in terms of preserving sites are they weren't preserved, unfortunately. Elizabeth Cady Stanton's original house, for example, was moved, and a new one that she lived in was built out of stone, because there have been a number of fires in Johnstown. And it was taken down in 1963. And nobody thought a thing about it, actually. And she was a woman of means, so her family had some money. And that's why we on the National Votes for Women Trail are willing to mark sites, because so many homes, nobody preserved the history of them at all. And especially those that women of color [lived in], they're particularly hard to find. Before those names get lost, it's really our responsibility to do our best to shine a light on the information that we can find in for those few remaining places. Like fortunately, Katherine Starbucks' home is still there. So that's why it's so important to recognize it. Because so many of these homes in locations really are not. It's just, you know, ideally that that people really take some time and do their research. They can go on the National Votes for Women Trail and submit sites in their community, if they find information. We then have somebody who reviews them before they're released to populate the map. But we I just think, fortunately, with the centennial of the passage of the 19th Amendment, there was more interested in women's history. And I think people are more interested in finding out who was in their communities that help them get the rights that they enjoy today. And we also need to be mindful of, you know, all women couldn't vote in 1920, Black Women's still had a long way to go to fight their way through Jim Crow laws before they could vote. And, you know, Native American women weren't even US citizens yet, not for another four years and women of Asian descent. Not until even after that they were not citizens yet, so they didn't get the vote. And as we know, unfortunately, today, voting rights are still being compromised in a variety of places. So I think that is equally important to commemorating their sites, I suppose is commemorating their struggle for the for the right to vote. Well, lastly, in looking at the local impact on women's suffrage movement, what has been your main takeaway? I think the main takeaways – I didn't know any of that history existed there, either. But in every county in New York state, there was an active women's suffrage association. That's how they were able to eventually get the New York state legislature to pass the amendment to the law so that they could vote. But so I think what I have learned is how widespread it was, how many people had to be involved to get this movement over the finish line, if you will. Also, there was a significant anti-suffrage movement that I wasn't aware of before I started doing research. And there were women as well as men who didn't think women voting was a good idea. They thought that they didn't need to vote to make their voice heard. If you dial it all the way back to that first women's rights convention in Seneca Falls, when Elizabeth Cady Stanton said in her Declaration of Sentiments that she felt that women needed the right to vote, almost no one agreed with her then. They said, “Oh, that's too much. You know, we can't go quite that far.” But it was Frederick Douglass who stood up and said, “No, she's right. Without the right to vote…that's the right by which all other rights are gained.” It really was such a Herculean effort. There are so many people that we don't know about, that we should be so grateful for. I think there's so much research to do and so many people we need to try and remember their names and try and find out about them so that their efforts won't be lost. Nancy Brown is the chairperson of the National Votes for Women Trail. You can view the trail and learn more about a site near you on the website for the National Collaborative for Women's History Sites. The William G. Pomeroy Foundation has a map for all of its historic markers at wgpfoundation.org.  Lastly, on the topic of preserving women's history, the New York State Museum in Albany has launched a new effort to expand and diversify its collections — specifically, its sports collections. It's all ahead of the 50th anniversary of Title IX this June — Title IX, of course, is the federal civil rights law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in schools that receive federal funding. It applies to all aspects of education, but one of its most visual impacts was in sports, requiring schools to equally support girls' and boys' teams. The museum is trying to balance out its own recollection of sports history by recognizing juggernauts like the WNBA's New York Liberty, or special events like the all-female Aurora Games, which launched in Albany in 2019.  I spoke with the museum's senior historian and curator for social history, Ashley Hopkins-Benton, to learn more.  "At the New York State Museum, our entire history curatorial department has been working on really evaluating our collections, and what strengths we have, and also what stories we're missing," says Hopkins-Benton. "And diversity, of course, is always something that we're trying to get more into the collections. But a couple of years ago, in 2017, when we were working on the Votes for Women exhibit about the centennial of women's suffrage in New York state, we realized women's history collections were really lacking. And then shortly after that, Steve Loughman, who is our sports curator, also was realizing that sports were really lacking, which is crazy when you think about New York and all of the great sports teams and sports stories that we have. So simultaneously, we were both working on these things. And because of the upcoming anniversary of the passage of Title IX, it became very apparent that women's sports were a particular collection that was lacking." So what kinds of items are you looking for in this collection? Well, let me start with what we have, because it's very small. It's all out on the table in front of us right now, we really have two collections that speak to women's sports as they relate to New York state. So one is a collection of material from the New York Liberty basketball team, the WNBA team. And this came in from a woman named Pam Elam, who is a feminist and a women's history scholar, and was really interested in collecting women's history and LGBTQ history as it pertained to culture and politics and sports and everything. So this came in before we even knew that women's sports was something that was missing from our collections, and it includes tickets and calendars and bios of the players. So it's a really great snapshot of the league. And these all came from around 10 years of the league being in existence. So that was the first thing that we had. And then a couple years ago, when Albany hosted the Aurora games, a couple of us all went out to different events and collected pins and basketballs and shirts and other materials from that. So that was a great opportunity as well. So we have two examples, more on the professional sports side of things. But we would love to collect more amateur sports, girls playing in high school, women in college, and those stories. I'm definitely looking for stories of trailblazers, women who were the first to play their sports. New York has so many great stories of girls who play on their high school football team, or I spoke to a woman earlier who was the first girl in her high school to earn a letter by playing on the men's golf team back in the ‘60s. So I am also looking to speak to women. I'd like to do some oral histories of women who were involved in sports at various times in history. Cool. Now, if someone has something that they think might be a good addition to the collection, what is the process of giving that to the museum? Well, reaching out to the museum and to me in particular, and then I bring it to our collections committee, and we discuss it as a group – how it fits into the collection, if it's something that we can responsibly take care of, and if it's something that has research and exhibition value in the future. If you think you may have something you'd like to contribute to the collection, you can find more information at the museum's website. You can also email Ashley Hopkins-Benton at ashley.hopkins-benton@nysed.gov. Title IX turns 50 on June 23. 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. It's produced by Jesse King. Our executive producer is Dr. Alan Chartock, and our theme is “Lolita” by the Albany-based artist Girl Blue.

Victoria: Hey everyone, it's Sensei Victoria Whitfield here, your journey partner in business, welcoming you back to episode 192 of the Journeypreneur Podcast. This is your source for channeled holistic stress management techniques, guidance, inspiration and motivation to stay on your path to rapid financial ascension and massive impact as a conscious entrepreneur. The title of this podcast episode is Case Study Interview with Ginny Baro.  I had to hit record, the juices flowing Doctor Ginny Baro and I are celebrating how fabulous her productivity her work life is right now sit like this isn't a celebration of a view goddess because you how you are transmuting and shifting so much since we started working together and I want to let people know that their this is possible like to give them the vision of what's possible so as we could you just for those who may not know you could you give a little bit on who you are and what you do goddess.   Ginny: So hello everyone. My name is Dr. Ginny Baro, I am an international transformational speaker, and leadership coach, Career Strategist. And number one best selling author. I am super excited that Victoria was in my latest book healing leadership, which was published in 2021. And I've been with the tribe now for two years. This is my second full year. And we were celebrating before we started to record that yesterday, I went on a hike by myself for the first time as an adult. I love hiking is one of my favorite activities. But one of my fears was hiking alone, because I didn't feel safe. And I picked the place that was had other hikers and they'll say for me, and I was sharing that while I was done with my first hike because I did a second hike in the afternoon. I stopped as I was walking in the gardens, I stopped at a beautiful bench with a little canopy on top and I put my feet up, I had this small journal that I brought with me, I was jotting down some thoughts. And I began to download a blog on the 10 steps and the 10 strategies that I use to climb the labyrinth trail, the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, new New York. And then I took otter from my app, my phone and I began to speak the article after I had the 10 points. And the the shift that has happened for me is that I had to work and be spiritual and be connected and be centered separately. And now what I've learned to do over the past couple of years is to integrate the two and the productivity. The flow is absolutely amazing. Because there is no effort. You are constantly being present, listening to your intuition. And your work is coming from that place.   Victoria: 100% So so beautifully said so beautifully bragged and so beautifully downloaded. And as this as a side note for anyone watching, if you think like oh, she like she downloaded in her app, like I said, No.   Ginny: That's funny. It's funny because I'm an ex programmer. We're talking technology language, but we don't mean downloading your app on your phone   Victoria: Well that's the thing like when people hear like I downloaded, they're going to go to the technological leg. Ginny: Yeah.  Victoria: And you and I both like we're techies at heart, we're tech goddesses of you especially because that's your doctrine, you're You're an incredible. But when you say download, what do you mean?   Ginny: What I mean by that is, when you are in flow, when you are connected to nature to your mindful, you're in the moment, and you open up the floodgates to your intuition to literally take over. What happens is when you sit down, the ideas, just pour in, as if you're literally being told what to write. But the who's telling you is yourself. So it's you tapping into your intuition and the wisdom that lies within based on whatever inspired you at the moment and you learn to just let a flow instead of questioning, holding it back, editing yourself. You literally let a flow and it pours out of you. And that's how my book came out to I was putting together the fearless leaders challenge for this past July in July of 2021. And actually 2020 and I put together 30 topics that I wanted to cover during a five day challenge Hello. And obviously, it wasn't for the challenge. It was for the chapters in my new book. And allowing it to flow is what I've learned with the Korea, allowing to trust my intuition and honing it. Because it's one thing to know yes, I'm intuitive, your intuitive, we're all intuitive. That's never a question. The question is, are you listening to it. And so together with Victoria and the tribe, what we do is we exercise, learning how to tap into that intuition, so that it isn't happenstance. It's intentional, and is loving and courageous, and generous. And it is with ourselves. And so that's how it all begins. And that's what we learn. When we do the work together. It's, I say work but quite frankly, is so much fun. It's work because that's what we are calling it. We call it the inner work. But it's truly is our own evolution as as people and as leaders in our lives and in our businesses. - Let's talk about it! - Thanks for stopping by! While you're here, let me ask you a question: Do you ever feel like you're having a hard time sustaining the level of energy you need in order to keep up with the demands of your business? Or do you find yourself struggling to stay consistent with your self care - like meditation, movement, and nutrition - because you're so busy and distracted at work? Searching for safe spaces to celebrate your wins and work through your sh*t as an energy sensitive entrepreneur? If that resonates, know this: you are in the right place; in fact your intuition has lead you here to the gateway for your next breakthrough: GO HERE NOW.

Nancy Graham serves on the board of Mohonk Consultations and the arts council of The Lace Mill, where they live in Midtown Kingston. They have worked or volunteered for numerous nonprofits related to social justice, alternative media, theatre, film, and writing. Poet/writer/visual artist under the name Nancy O. Graham; actor under the name Noa Graham. Her most recent theatre project was Orchid Receipt Service, starring Asia Kate Dillon, at Theater MITU580 in Brooklyn, pre-pandemic. Most recent film project is a short called Elegy for a Glacier, about an environmental activist and her glaciologist daughter forced to face off about the construction of a ski resort in the Rockies.Louisa Finn is a  Hudson Valley native, whose mother was a member of the Quaker Smiley family of Mohonk Mountain House, and father a Russian Jewish pianist from the Bronx.  She has spent her life thus far actively engaged in learning what it is to be human and to be herself.  She works as a Speech/Language Pathologist and Reading Tutor, and clinical instructor at SUNY New Paltz.  She is on the Board of Mohonk Consultations, where she serves as Administrative Coordinator, and Sky Lake Shambhala Center Buddhist Retreat.  She writes poetry, and is creating a forest garden in her front yard.Today we're talking about Love and a myriad of related and thought provoking subjects. Nancy and Louisa share about their first memories of love and how they relate to the word which takes us into the realm of spiritual materialism, caring for others, and being a mother.  The show is inspired by bell hooks and her writings on love and self love/self worth so we dive into self-love as Louisa and Nancy share their own process to love themselves better as well as how self-love relates to caring for others and being a woman. We then leave the personal towards the end of the show to talk about the public and how the work of Mohonk Consultations is cultivating love in its own way, bringing folks together to collaborate, lifting voices, and caring for land and others. We leave you with a call for your own definition or thoughts on Love.  bell hooks herself seemed to have a few, "love is the action we take on behalf of our own or another's spiritual growth..." "love is a combination of trust, commitment, care, respect, knowledge and responsibility..." So, what say you?Thanks to Ian Seda from Radio Kingston for engineering today's show!Our show music is from Shana Falana !!!Feel free to email me, say hello: she@iwantwhatshehas.org** Please: SUBSCRIBE to the pod and leave a REVIEW wherever you are listening, it helps other users FIND IThttp://iwantwhatshehas.org/podcastITUNES | SPOTIFY | STITCHERITUNES: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/i-want-what-she-has/id1451648361?mt=2SPOTIFY:https://open.spotify.com/show/77pmJwS2q9vTywz7Uhiyff?si=G2eYCjLjT3KltgdfA6XXCASTITCHER: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/she-wants/i-want-what-she-has?refid=stpr'Follow:INSTAGRAM * https://www.instagram.com/iwantwhatshehaspodcast/FACEBOOK * https://www.facebook.com/iwantwhatshehaspodcastTWITTER * https://twitter.com/wantwhatshehas

Gift Guide Round 1: Moms, Dads, and Significant (or Formerly Significant) Others   It's gift-guide season around these parts, and here we are with the first of three—three!—installments to help you along with the hardest-to-shop-for people in your life (hopefully). If you need more ideas, subscribing to Secret Menu might be just the answer.   Moms and Mothers-in-Law!   Single mom by choice to an amazing little girl. Since it's just the two of us and she's a toddler, I need to help her buy her a gift for me. I realize that buying a gift for one's self shouldn't be difficult but I'm saving to buy us a condo and this will be my one quality and/or impractical spend for the foreseeable future. So I want to make it count and I'd love your help. I am willing to spend up to $400.00. I appreciate smart function in design and I have lost zero baby weight, so anything that involves sizing has the potential to make me cry, which feels like it would defeat the purpose. I work about 75 hours a week and am currently doing so remotely. Would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks! Fused bracelet like a Fewer Finer Eternal Bracelet or an Ochre Objects Permanence one Birthstone earrings—maybe one of your birthstone and one of hers. White/Space Francesca studs are sold as solos. Earrings/necklace you could build on each year: Scosha charms, Lizzie Fortunato mood necklace with an alphabet charm, and Fewer Finer vintage charms Kinn Studio locket A break! A one-night staycation or spa day   76 yo mom, super practical, can't throw stuff away, just lost her husband of 60+ years. Tidy Tova Virtual Tidiness Organizing accessories: Hay, Open Spaces, and Yamazaki Home POJ Studio Kintsugi Kit Mending kit: Merchant & Mills Rapid Repair Kit and Purl Soho Cotton Mending Thread Yuns Hardware gift certificate Dims Watering Can + Via Citrus tree Monthly flower delivery—you can make any bouquet a subscription with Farmgirl Flowers Miriam Toews novel: Fight Night or Women Talking Donation to her local library   My new step mom who has very good taste and loves thrifting Summersill & Bishop alphabet napkins Vintage calendar from 2011, 2005, 1994, 1983, 1977, 1966, 1955, 1949, 1938, or 1927 Greystone Needlepoint book cover Back issues of a favorite magazine—Gourmet? Berea College Student Craft Machete Apple Watch band Misette colorblock collection Beata Heuman: Every Room Should Sing The House that Pinterest Built by Diane Keaton Vintage piece from French Larkspur or One Day in France Do thrifting for her—splatterware, jadeite, or Fiestaware?   Frumpy MIL that you can't stand Ember mug (now a travel one, too) Eileen Fisher brushed recycled cotton cashmere scarf Hillery Sproatt blanket Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout Psychic Outlaw quilted stocking Farmhouse Pottery gift set Mutual aid org   My southern mom who thinks NYC made me snobby  Magnolia Bakery banana pudding Oliver Pluff Southern Style Iced Tea Cookbooks by Southern female chef: Black, White, and the Grey by Mashama Bailey and John O. Morisano and Mosquito Supper Club by Melissa M. Martin Chara's BBQ sauce These Precious Days by Ann Patchett Alabama Chanin sewing kit   Dads and Fathers-in-Law!   My dad! A very intelligent man. Passionate about baseball but has season tickets. Very covid cautious. Has read all books. Doesn't drink. Isn't handy (no tools). Plays scrabble and has all the boards, no other games. Very fashion apathetic and I always get him clothes. Likes to bike but has a very nice bike and all accessories. Has snow shovel service. Really only cares about his grandkids but spends tons of time with them. Still works (lawyer) and tends to buy anything he needs which is very little! Always a conumdrum. Equal Justice Initiative donation Argo attachment for front of bike to haul grandkids (group gift potential) Non-alcoholic bevs: Ghia, Non, Acid League Wine Proxies, Hella Cocktail Bitters & Soda variety pack, Avec NYT Crossword/Spelling Bee subscription StoryWorth Black Champions in Cycling by Marlon Moncrieffe   My dad! Buys himself everything he needs, likes rock and roll bios and mushrooming. and wine! Smallhold mushroom grow kit Mushrooms in the Middle: A Smallhold Cookbook How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us about Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence by Michael Pollan  A Really Good Day: How Microdosing Made a Mega Difference in My Mood, My Marriage and My Life by Ayelet Waldman (paired with this Yelp review??) Acid for the Children by Flea and donation to Silverlake Conservatory of Music Rose Los Angeles x Gossamer CBD Rosin Delights Cure Crate Maison Noir mix case Coda Collection subscription Eden Reforestation Projects donation Last Prisoner Project donation   FIL: widower, engineer, spotless home, not into design, kinda into fitness & cooking Blue Hill charcuterie picks Tapas the José Andrés Way Allday knife Spices: Burlap & Barrel and Diaspora Co. Omsom Everyone's Table: Global Recipes for Modern Health by Gregory Gourdet & JJ Goode The Essential New York Times Cookbook: The Recipes of Record (Anniversary) Top Drawer reversible slippers Future gift certificate Andree Jardin duster and/or Saint Olio cleaning spray and room spray Engineers without Borders donation   Romantic Partners (and Former Ones)!   A NFT-obsessed new dad who wants to be a lumberjack but actually buys Aimee Leon Dore King Kennedy Rugs bag or bomber Corridor plaid shirt Drake's check work shirt Fear of God thermal pant + henley Clark's Wallabees Blackstock & Weber loafers Garagiste gift certificate Blockchain for Babies (to read to the kid!) Best Made axe Melanie Abrantes DIY plate set Woodworking classes: Makeville Studio in Brooklyn or LA Woodshop in L.A.   I need help with my 49-year-old, male, partner. He's a commercial architect, but is super judgey about architect stuff. He constantly scrolls Zillow and vintage car sites. He drinks bourbon, but doesn't want whisky stones and we have an excellent set of glasses. He likes luxury, but won't wear a logo ever. He loves art - folk, sculpture, modern (sometimes the weirder the better) and he created about half the pieces in our house. We live in Atlanta, watch garbage TV and eat/cook good food. Help! Cameo from garbage TV cast member announcing an experiential gift Glaze Studio matchboxes Meet Your Matches commission Pedersen + Lennard bird feeder George Jensen bottle opener or cocktail shaker The materials for a Self Assembly project Do It Yourself by Thomas Barnthaler Vinty vintage/classic car rental Banner Butter    Old soul male significant other who manages to find all the wilderness in nyc (birding in prospect park, surfing in the rockaways) in his 20s. Matuse wetsuit—or gloves or booties Merch (or sauna time or a haircut) from Almeda Club, a cute Rockaways surf shop Overnight stay in the Rockaways at The Rockaway Hotel or the vintage 1963 Shasta camper on Hipcamp Trip to Mohonk Mountain House (also does daypasses) Bose Soundlink indoor/outdoor speaker Field Guide to the Neighborhood Birds of New York City by Leslie Day Donation to Laru Beya Collective Girlfriend who is super Catholic but also super woo and into crystals, energy, etc. Cool cross necklace from Pamela Love, Chan Luu, or Erica Weiner (coral, turquoise, etc.!) Spur—if there's a crystal that means something to her, get it made into jewelry! PIA jewelry  Vintage books on herbalism Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood Golde Complete wellness and beauty kit Crockd Pottery Kit Donation to DignityUSA My ex husband who doesn't deserve a gift but we share a daughter together  Something for them to do together—tickets to a basketball game or a museum, a video game, etc.   A friend who I had a thing with (years ago) and has a jealous girlfriend Nothing! This person does not need a gift from you! If you want to win her over, something consumable for them: Westbourne snacks, Zingerman's noodle kugel, Pizzeria Bianco pizzas, Loria Stern something, or Blackberry Farm biscuits three ways    For last year's gift guides, head here and here.   Keep those VMs and DMs coming at 833-632-5463 and @athingortwohq!   Shop all of our favorite gift picks at MoMA Design Store—so much stunning stuff, and it's 10% of now through November 24 with the code ATHINGORTWO online or in store. Escape with Dipsea's hot ‘n heavy audio stories—you get a free 30-day trial when you use our link. Get cookin' with Made In's professional-grade cookware. 15% off your first order with the code ATHINGORTWO. Dabble in CBD with Cure Crate and take 20% off your first order with the code ATHINGORTWO. YAY.   Produced by Dear Media

This week we are "traveling" to upstate New York to the land of mountain resorts of yore in the Catskill Mountains in New York. Fadra Nally from All Things Fadra fills us in on what is different in this region from the times of Dirty Dancing and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and why it makes a great spot for an outdoor-focused girlfriend getaway with waterfalls, wine, and shopping or a family vacation destination with hiking, kayaking and more. About Fadra Nally Fadra is a blogger and podcaster focusing on the lighter side of cars, entertainment, and travel. Her favorite destinations are as close as West Virginia and as far away as Saudi Arabia. You can find her online at AllThingsFadra.com, or on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. Tips for Visiting the Catskills The Catskills are located just about two hours north of New York City and cover 700,000 acres over four counties, with the Hudson River creating the eastern border. While the Catskills were popular in the 1950s, especially with families in NYC, many of those all-inclusive type of family resorts are no longer there. Dirty Dancing was based on a resort called Grossinger's, which is no longer operating, but it was actually filmed in Virginia and North Carolina. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel episodes in the Catskills were filmed at a family-run resort called Scott's Family Resort at Oquaga Lake. The Catskills are a good four-season destination, with skiing and winter sports in the winter, great hiking year-round, and beautiful fall foliage in October. However, some activities and attractions may only be open from May to October. There are a lot of breweries, wineries, and distilleries in the Catskill region. Kaaterskill Falls is one of the tallest in New York State at 260 feet, which is higher than Niagara Falls. It is approximately a one-mile hike, including a series of stairs, to reach the top and an overlook. Some trail heads may be closed so look online to find alternatives. There are many cute towns with great bookstores, restaurants, and boutiques for shopping. There are many cabin rentals that you can find on Airbnb that are perfect for a self-contained getaway where you can either cook or bring in take out. Mohonk Mountain House near New Paltz is a great hotel to stay at or even visit for brunch and then enjoy the hiking trails on the grounds. Catskill, Kingston,and Hudson are all great little towns to set up a home base. Fadra stayed in Cocksackie on the water, which has a smaller downtown that is undergoing a revitalization to make it a wedding destination. Cocksackie has a great bottle shop and Chez Figata is a good restaurant to try for dinner. If you go further west in the Catskills you will find more resorts and mountains. It is a great destination for a girlfriend getaway, romantic getaway, or a family vacation. The Kartrite Resort in the Catskills is great for families and has an indoor waterpark. Fadra stayed at an Airbnb called Heron's View. Be sure to plan in advance if you are going to rent a cabin or vacation home. [00:00:00.150] - Kim Where can you find Waterfalls, wine and shopping just a couple of hours from New York City? Stay tuned to find out.   [00:00:18.730] - Announcer Welcome to Vacation Mavens, a family travel podcast with ideas for your next vacation and tips to get you out the door. Here are your hosts, Kim from Stuffed Suitcase and Tamara from We3Travel.   [00:00:33.700] - Kim So, Tamara, we are in February. And, you know, things are starting to change a bit in the travel sector. I feel like we've been in a pretty standard operating procedure. But we recently had some big news come out for people that are planning to fly into the United States, and that is that they are going to require a negative covid test.   [00:00:56.890] - Tamara Yeah, and I think that's a big deal. I'm thinking of people that have done some trips like to the Caribbean especially. I've been seeing a lot of that or Mexico. And now to think about how you are going to get that test on the way back, otherwise you're not going to be allowed home. Tt's something you have to really take into consideration. I think in the past, we've thought about testing to leave, but not testing to come back. So definitely a change.   [00:01:23.920] - Kim Yeah, I think it makes sense. It seems good. I'll be honest where we're at with not traveling at all. It seems odd that people are traveling to the Caribbean and Mexico.   [00:01:34.420] - Kim But I know that some people are choosing to do that and definitely still planning vacations and traveling and stuff. But I think this is definitely going to be an extra layer of logistics that they have to consider. I know you had mentioned some testing might be done at airports or such, but I know I've received a couple of press releases from major hotels such as the Palace Resorts, where we had stayed at one Moon Palace in Jamaica.   [00:02:03.400] - Kim But they are offering free testing to their guests that will help them further. You know, American guests are flying back into the states so that that is one thing that you might consider is checking for hotels that are offering it. I think they know how much they rely on that tourism dollar. And so they're doing whatever they can to make sure that American tourists keep coming down and visiting.   [00:02:27.030] - Tamara Yeah, especially because I imagine they could get pricey. I mean, if you think about some of the private testing that is available tends to be 100 dollars or more a person, so that can definitely add to the vacation cost. I was just talking to friends of ours and we were talking about their 25th anniversary in October, and they wanted to do like a four day getaway to the Caribbean. And I was like, here are some things to think about.   [00:02:49.900] - Tamara And they're like, do you think that's still going to be in place? And I have no idea. And that's the thing is like we don't know how long. So, maybe people are thinking about a spring break trip, maybe they're thinking about summer. We just don't know how long these things are going to be in place. And it's definitely, for a four day trip, you think about the time it takes you away from your little vacation to have to deal with testing.   [00:03:12.130] - Tamara And even before you go, like even though testing is more widespread, I know here a lot of the testing that I can get easily and that they encourage us to get regularly now is the rapid test and the rapid test is not going to qualify for what most countries will we will need.   [00:03:27.640] - Tamara They'll need a PCR test for coming in, so if I try to get a PCR test, it doesn't have the same guaranteed turnaround time. And so then that could really mess up your trip. And so then you have to think about, OK, maybe I have to do private testing. Like when we talked to Amber about her trip to Hawaii, she used a company called Vault Health to do private testing before she left.   [00:03:49.570] - Tamara And so now you might be paying for testing on both sides, plus taking time away from your vacation like I was just thinking about in Mexico when we went to Riviera Maya, it was about an hour from the Cancun airport. And transportation was pretty expensive because we weren't going to rent a car because we were planning on staying on the resort and then, getting back and forth to the airport. If that's where you have to do your testing, that that's going to be time consuming out of your trip.   [00:04:17.830] - Kim So, yeah, a lot of considerations.   [00:04:20.410] - Tamara And then I think also there's things to think about. Obviously, every country has their own rules. And I mean, pretty much most of them are still off limits. But even the ones that are accepting visitors from the U.S., which are a lot of the Caribbean islands and Mexico, Costa Rica. I know I was just following our friend Sarah that talked to us about kind of where the Caribbean was and they're reopening of the islands to go to. And we talked to her back in the summer. She does a lot of reporting from down there.   [00:04:50.020] - Tamara So she's just in Anguilla and it looks like she had to have a PCR test before she left a PCR test when she arrived. And then you're quarantined in your hotel room until the results of that get back, which are supposed to be within 12 hours.   [00:05:04.690] - Tamara But then even beyond that, there's a 14 day quarantine within certain resorts or properties or a restaurant.   [00:05:11.850] - Tamara So basically they've created this little like traveler's bubble so that if you are a visitor and your negative, but you're still have a red wristband that you're in a 14 day quarantine and you can go to certain hotels, certain restaurants, but only on certain days. And then they're accessible to locals on other days to keep the locals and the visitors, I guess, a little separated. And I mean, it seems to be working. They've had no deaths and very few cases.   [00:05:38.650] - Tamara But, wow, that's a huge I don't know I don't want to say restriction on your vacation because, you know, frankly, just being able to travel at all right now is a huge privilege and so but it's really it's not everyone's like, oh, I want to go on vacation. I wanted to be feel normal. Well, you know, maybe not.   [00:05:57.250] - Kim Yeah, I think that's the thing is, it's I mean, we're still not looking at what normal is going to be for a while. And I think that's that's the big thing. I know. You know, we I do feel lucky that we have such great summers here in the Pacific Northwest and we could say, hey, we can, you know, go explore our own area again. But I think everybody is getting kind of sick of that. I know I'm you know, we love California and I'm typically down there a couple or few times a year. And we I just miss, you know, pool lounging and, you know, sunsets on the beach and all of that, you know, palm tree lifestyle. And so I don't know. And, you know, Disneyland is still not open. And I don't think it has any chance of opening for spring break, in my opinion.   [00:06:44.260] - Kim So what that must be doing to that economy and all those workers, I mean, I can't even imagine.   [00:06:49.030] - Kim So it's kind of a crazy, crazy world still. I mean, I can't believe we're coming on one full year of it.   [00:06:55.630] - Tamara And yeah, I know it's it's beyond depressing, but I'm thinking mostly about summer and I just need a change of scenery, like, desperately. And so we're going to go somewhere. You know, our plan was to go to Greece, which we wanted to do last year, this year. And that may just never happen. So my strategy right now is I'm creating backup plans.   [00:07:22.300] - Tamara So I'm just booking things that are cancelable and will go where we can go. I mean, I'm not going to book like airfare or whatever, but like I did for Greece, but it is changeable without a fee and it was a good deal. So I don't know I don't know what it will happen with that eventually.   [00:07:40.870] - Tamara And the hard thing is, like everything is contingent on everything else. And that's what drives me crazy in my life because I am a planner and have a really, really hard time like not knowing what the future holds, not being able to plan for not having anything in my control. So even just talking to Hannah about like her summer plans, like last year, she was going to do this like counselor in training year at the camp that she's gone to and then do this Israel trip.   [00:08:07.090] - Tamara And obviously that was canceled and all she did was stay home and take summer optional classes and face time with friends and go for runs with me. And then we did a couple little trips, but it was just not good. And so she was thinking that this year would be something entirely different. But then the camp said, well, we're just going to kind of push it out a year.   [00:08:30.820] - Tamara So you have another chance. You know, she'd kind of like given up on that hope that she was going to do that. So now the camp is like, well, you know what, we're just like adding an extra year to camp. So now you can do it as a rising senior as well. And everything she's ever heard has been that that's like the best year of camp. And so she really wants to do it.   [00:08:48.610] - Tamara But then we were kind of thinking this year she might focus on something a little bit more like a job or like an academic program or internship, something like that. And so it's like all these things like, is that camp, is it going to move forward? Because if it doesn't doesn't should you do this? And here are these other, like, astronomy related things that she wanted to do. But like one by one, those are getting canceled, too.   [00:09:08.830] - Tamara So they're off the table. And then we are like, if you do that, then you'd be around here. But if you're not doing that, then you wouldn't be around here and maybe you want to do a family trip versus a you know, Glenn and I go on a trip.   [00:09:20.680] - Tamara And then there's also like, well, coming back are there's still going to be quarantines and restrictions in place because like right now, especially with our school, there's very strong rules about, you know, what's allowed.   [00:09:30.460] - Tamara And so it's like, well, if we did something when you came back from camp, but you need to have time to quarantine or whatever before you would have to start up soccer practice in like mid-August. And we're also trying to look at colleges like all over the country.   [00:09:46.510] - Tamara And it's like, oh, gosh, it's just there's so many feel overwhelming. And it just feels overwhelming to get locked in, you know. Yeah. The one thing that I can then like, plan things around.   [00:09:57.220] - Kim I get it. Yeah.   [00:09:58.840] - Tamara And unfortunately it'll be like last year where it will literally be June, you know, like days before something where you finally know what the situation is.   [00:10:07.780] - Kim Yeah. Who knows. We can hold out hope and just see what's going to happen the next couple of months. But I think it's important for us all to just try and like. You said earlier it's it's still a very privileged worry and a lot of ways with what's going on, so long as we keep that in mind that it is a privilege to travel and we all miss it and we will get to it when we can, and we just all support each other and do the best we can to follow rules.   [00:10:33.250] - Kim I think the rules are there to keep everyone safe on both like visitors and locals. So I think just be following rules and make sure that you're educated about rules before you make plans. I think that's the thing to focus on right now, certainly.   [00:10:46.450] - Tamara And I think also, if you are considering doing one of those like Caribbean, Mexico, whatever trips, it seems like Canada is on the verge of telling people like if you go out of the country, you may not be able to come back in. So it's like, who knows? That could happen here as well.   [00:11:01.570] - Tamara Like right now there's bans on travel for people that are not U.S. citizens. But there's a lot of considerations to travel right now.   [00:11:13.360] - Kim Well, I mean, the Tokyo Olympics have completely been scrapped, which is just so sad and hard on that country. And I'm sure. So it's it's affected so much of, you know, I mean, it's not like they can't delay it another year like they did. So it's very sad for all those situation.   [00:11:33.010] - Tamara Yeah.   [00:11:34.000] - Kim Well, we are going to try and not focus on the sad and we are going to talk about a New York state escape. So for many people, depending on, like you've said, travel restrictions and quarantine requirements, it is a possible escape because it sounds like it's a lot of small towns, kind of keep to yourself, go outdoors, hike destination. So we are going to be talking about the Catskills.   [00:11:58.930] - Tamara Yes. Let's let's go to the Land of Dirty Dancing, right?   [00:12:02.080] - Kim Yeah, exactly.   [00:12:12.650] - Tamara Today, we're here with Fadra Nally. Fadra is a blogger and podcast author who focuses on the lighter side of cars, entertainment and travel, her favorite destinations are as close as West Virginia and as far away as Saudi Arabia. So welcome, Fadra.   [00:12:26.660] - Fadra Thank you. Thanks for having me. I'm excited to talk to you today about a location that's pretty close to where I am, but I've actually only been a few times.   [00:12:35.450] - Tamara We're going to talk about the Catskill Mountains, but some of our listeners may have only heard of the Catskills for movies like Dirty Dancing or I think The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, they spend some time in the Catskills. But can you explain to our listeners, like, where are the Catskill Mountains and what are some of the towns in their area if you're going to look it up on a map?   [00:12:53.000] - Fadra Well, I'll tell you, before I went last time, last November, for the first time, I only knew that I knew it from Dirty Dancing. And that was pretty much it. And, you know, it's it was kind of well known back in the 50s. It was a big sort of like a summer location for wealthy, usually Jewish families from New York City. They would head out to the Catskills and it's it's considered upstate New York.   [00:13:16.520] - Fadra It is west of the Hudson River. And it actually encompasses it's about 700,000 acres and takes up four different counties. So it's a pretty large region. It's kind of in southeast New York state. So it's a very big area. It's a mountainous area. It's actually part of the Appalachian Mountains. So there's there's a lot to see and do there. And it's kind of funny that you mentioned the entertainment aspect, because I do cover entertainment as well as travel.   [00:13:45.680] - Fadra And so it was kind of fun just to read a little bit more about it. And just a quick side note on Dirty Dancing. So the resort in that film is called Kellerman's, and it was inspired by a resort called Grossinger's, which is it's now gone. It's long gone, actually. So they actually shot that movie in Virginia and North Carolina.   [00:14:07.850] - Fadra So they didn't even shoot it in the Catskills. But Mrs. Maisel, they did actually shoot there. There's a place called Scott's Family Resort at Oquaga Lake, and it's a family run hotel. I haven't been to the one in the Catskills. I've been to similar type hotels where it's sort of like an all inclusive, rustic, family friendly family activity type place. And that one, they actually chose to film it there because that's remained largely unchanged since the 50s.   [00:14:35.060] - Tamara Yeah, it was funny. You talk about the 50s because I think my husband would get upset because growing up he always went to the Catskills and it was not in the 50s.   [00:14:43.280] - Tamara But I always call him old, so. Yeah, but but he was definitely one of the New York Jewish families that always went to the Catskills. They went to the Concord, was like the big resort then. And he tells me about like some of the comedians that came in. And so, like the whole Mrs. Maisel thing, like definitely ties into that. But it's really funny because one of the first times we went skiing together, his only experience skiing was at the Concord, which I guess is like just a small little hill that you would take like a tow rope up.   [00:15:10.310] - Tamara And so when we were going up the lift, I think it was in Mount Snow in Vermont, he was like, how high are we going? Like, how long is this lift? And I was like, I don't know. I'll take about like 10, 15 minutes. He's like, What? And then I was like, well, how long is it going to take to get down? I'm like, I don't know, like half an hour or so.   [00:15:27.590] - Tamara And he was just like so shocked because it was, you know, his experience was, you know, very much going to the Concord in the winter and skiing there. But skiing was more like, you know, that most five minutes down the hill.   [00:15:39.390] - Fadra So his idea of skiing sounds more like my idea of. So that's good to know. If I want to go skiing, I'm going to go to the Catskills.   [00:15:47.160] - Tamara Yeah, I think there are some some tougher hills or mountains, I should say now. But anyway, it's funny because he definitely always talked about his experience in the Catskills.   [00:15:57.530] - Kim That's funny. So speaking of winter and seasons, you had mentioned that you went in November, which would have been the fall. So it's it seems like maybe it's a seasonal destination. Do you know anything about some of the things that you can do around the different seasons and maybe the best time you think for people to visit?   [00:16:14.480] - Fadra Well, you know, the great thing about the Catskills are that it's really a four season area. So I think it just depends on what you like to do.   [00:16:23.150] - Fadra So I am not a skier, as you might have inferred from like those small little hills. I actually grew up doing some ski trips to Pennsylvania, which are also, you know, nice little hills, and I can handle that. So I'm not a big winter sports fan. They do have skiing there. So if that's something that you like to do, that is something that you can do in the Catskills. But the other three seasons are where you're really going to be able to take advantage of a lot of the outdoor activities.   [00:16:49.370] - Fadra So, for example, I love to kayak and we actually stayed at a place right on the Hudson River. So you do have access to the river and you do have access to the mountains. So depending on what you like to do, we stayed right by the river, which would be great for warmer weather activities. And then, of course, all the mountain activities are, you know, just a short drive away.   [00:17:09.590] - Fadra But I found November was just a bit too chilly for any activities on the river, and when you get into fall in an area like New York and in the mountains, you know, it's kind of hit or miss. You're going to have some warmer days and then you're going to have some really cold days. So I was actually content to just sit on the shore of the river. And for people that don't know, the Hudson River is a major waterway for cargo ships.   [00:17:32.850] - Fadra And so, it's kind of fun just sitting out there. In fact, our first night there, I looked out the window.   [00:17:38.610] - Fadra I'm like, oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. And my friends were like, what's wrong? What's wrong? I said, there's a giant ship on the river.   [00:17:47.730] - Fadra So it was totally unexpected to see them go up and down. So that was kind of fun. But, you know, fall and spring are great for hiking, as is summer.   [00:17:55.270] - Fadra I mean, you could do anything in the summer, but fall, fall or spring. It was perfect for us to do some brisk hiking. And then, like I said, if if you don't mind snow and you like skiing, there are opportunities in the winter as well. So, you know, it really just depends on what you like to do. But I would definitely consider it a four season area.   [00:18:13.560] - Kim Is it really like tree heavy snow would fall be have a lot of fall colors like you hear so much about in the Northeast, or is it a little too far north for that?   [00:18:22.680] - Fadra No, I think it depends. Again, it depends on where you go. Keep in mind that the Catskill region is huge and it goes all the way from the Hudson River, pretty far west. So if you start driving up, I think you're talking about maybe elevation wise, it is it you don't get a lot of trees. No, it was actually most of the leaves were gone by the time we went. We went mid to late November.   [00:18:44.220] - Fadra So, you know, of course, the further north you go, the earlier the foliage season is. But no, the area is definitely popular for fall foliage and they definitely encourage that. In fact, it's still a big area for New York City people, even though it's a couple hours away, you'll get a lot of the leaf peepers in the fall. So, yeah, it's a beautiful area for that.   [00:19:05.050] - Tamara Yeah, I was thinking I was in the Finger Lakes in September, like late September of this year. And so they are not too different in terms of how high up they are. So feel like October would probably be prime leaf season.   [00:19:24.690] - Tamara And I definitely think that the Catskills have a lot of agritourism because when I was there for a family reunion, this was, oh, gosh, maybe 15 years ago almost. We went in the summer and there were like a lot of farms to visit. So I imagine in the fall that could be really, you know, an excellent time to like do all the pumpkin patches and stuff like that.   [00:19:49.200] - Kim I'm betting if it's near the it has a lot of trees and it's near the river, it's probably really good for birdwatching. Not that I'm into that, but I'm thinking spring time would probably be really popular.   [00:19:58.230] - Fadra I actually love bird watching, but I can't say it was something that occurred to me because along the river. So if you're going to stay along the river, you're probably going to stay in a town which is going to be a little bit more developed.   [00:20:10.740] - Kim OK, but it's more I'm picturing like Pacific Northwest Rivers, but that's more like when I lived in Kansas. It's like the Missouri River, like transport river type.   [00:20:19.020] - Fadra Exactly. Exactly.   [00:20:20.680] - Tamara Okay. Yeah. When you were talking about kayaking, I'm like, wow, the Hudson, that's that's huge. And I'm not quite sure I'd want to kayak on that.   [00:20:27.900] - Fadra You know, it's kind of funny because my husband grew up a little further south, but right along the Hudson River and he used to tell me stories of how they would jet ski all the time on the Hudson River. And you just you don't really grasp it until you're there. And you see, OK, it's a pretty big it's a pretty wide river. And then you see these massive ships going up. And I came home and I said, you were jet skiing on that river with these giant cargo ships.   [00:20:52.260] - Fadra And he said, yeah, we used to you know, they would go behind the ships and catch the wake of the ships and jump them. And, you know, I was like, we are different people. He also did black diamond skiing trails. So, you know, he's more of a thrill seeker.   [00:21:06.540] - Fadra I'm more of a I'm going to sit over here with my glass of wine and just, you know, take a look at the the world going by.   [00:21:12.090] - Fadra But, yeah, I would I would definitely do some kayaking. I'd probably be more inclined to keep it, you know, close to the shore. And there are rules on the river. So, you know, they do have buoys, so you don't go out past a certain place and there are shipping lanes. So it's not like you can just cut straight across.   [00:21:28.890] - Kim So, yeah, funny when you said that, it reminds me, I don't know if either of you are. Well I know not on TikTok, but I'm, I like TikTok sometimes and there's a thing and it's like, the best relationships always have one really boring person and one really crazy person because the it works. It's the only it's the only way that matches up.   [00:21:49.110] - Fadra Did you just call me boring?   [00:21:50.670] - Fadra Yeah, I'm, I'm with you. Compared to my look compared to my husband. I like different types. You know, I might try and exotic fish.   [00:22:01.530] - Fadra You know, you live you live large. He's done everything jump out of airplanes. Motorcycles that I'm like, let's stay in a nice luxury hotel.   [00:22:17.900] - Tamara I'm just thinking, I think that we're both the boring ones, which leaves Hannah to be the wild one.   [00:22:23.900] - Tamara But, yeah, so we talked about kayaking and, you know, maybe some hiking, things like that. Are there any other, like activities? Are there attractions that you should see in the Catskills?   [00:22:33.890] - Fadra So, you know, keep in mind that I went in November and we are, you know, in the midst of this thing called a pandemic. So, you know, I didn't get to explore everything that I wanted to see because, you know, there are reduced hours and reduced availability. And also there are some things that are open seasonally. So I would say, you know, the biggest activities are probably open from May to October. So keep that in mind.   [00:22:58.790] - Fadra I was there in November. But with that said, I think the biggest things that I would recommend are waterfalls and wineries. And even if you're not into wineries, they have a lot of distilleries that are pretty well known. They have a lot of breweries. And so we didn't actually get a chance to hit any of those. But there are some you know, there are a couple really well-known distilleries that we were looking to get to. But waterfalls, of course, are, you know, available.   [00:23:24.830] - Fadra That's that's a four season thing as well. I don't know that I would go in the winter, but it was a nice brisk hike to do the waterfalls. And, of course, you know, you have the mountains, you have the water. So you're going to get a lot of waterfalls. One of the places that we went that I absolutely loved, it's called Catskill Falls. And keep in mind that this area was founded by the Dutch.   [00:23:45.380] - Fadra So you'll get that skill like Fishkill and Peekskill and which I think I think that I think Kill actually refers to River. I think that's what I think that's what it means. So it's a Dutch word. But Catskill Falls is a it's one of the largest the highest waterfalls in New York State. It's 260 feet tall.   [00:24:05.000] - Fadra So it's actually higher than Niagara Falls. It's the tallest cascading waterfall in New York State. And it's really popular. And we went and it was it's about a one mile hike to get to the base of the waterfalls. And then you can actually go up a series of stairs to take you to the top of the waterfall. And it's a it's a beautiful overlook. It's a nice hike. And, you know, the only thing to keep in mind, again, during the pandemic, if you look online, it'll say the falls are closed.   [00:24:38.180] - Fadra And what that means is some of the trailheads are closed. So you have to be a little bit more strategic about, you know, where you park and how you access it. But Catskill Falls was really amazing. And if you're not a super outdoorsy person, if you just wanted like a nice relaxing getaway, there are all kinds of cute little towns with shopping and eating.   [00:24:59.300] - Fadra And again, you know, availability during this time is really going to vary by towns. But we found great bookstores and cute little coffee shops and restaurants and just like boutique shops, unique artsy shops. And one of the things that that I like to do when I travel is I like to stimulate the local economy and I like to try and find things that I couldn't find other, you know, in other places. So I do a lot of boutique shopping.   [00:25:26.150] - Fadra And so, yeah, they had some really unique stuff there. So I definitely recommend the shopping as well. It's great.   [00:25:32.310] - Kim It sounds like a kind of the type of place that you'd pick a nice hotel and maybe get a spa treatment and enjoy a lazy breakfast and then stroll around and maybe do a hike or two. And that's the kind of vacation I'm dreaming of right now as a kind of nice for a girlfriend getaway.   [00:25:47.630] - Tamara Yeah, exactly. A romantic getaway. I think you definitely sold both of us on the waterfalls and wine.   [00:25:52.100] - Kim Yeah, exactly. Tamara and I, those are it's like we're sold. We're in.   [00:25:56.330] - Fadra And actually that's why I went in November. So last year was a big birthday for me. And I had decided going into the year that this is going to be my year to travel. And as you know, the world had other plans. And so two of my friends actually said, let's do just a local getaway. You know, it's drivable for all of us. And so we it was three girlfriends and we stayed in a little Airbnb, beautiful Airbnb on the water with three bedrooms.   [00:26:26.870] - Fadra And it was just, you know, it was a perfect getaway for us. And, you know, the thing is right now that you can go out, but you can also, you know, get some takeout and have a girls night in and just be away from home.   [00:26:39.020] - Tamara And it was really, really nice. Yeah, well, I share that big birthday with you, and I was also planning a year of travel, so I'm going to make up for it. We are definitely eventually I kept saying we're going to do in twenty, twenty one. I'm like, uh, maybe the latter half of 2021.   [00:26:55.970] - Fadra So yeah. Still holding out hope.   [00:26:58.550] - Kim So is there any, special area, you know you've, you've just been the one time. But I know with your research and probably what you plan, what about any favorite areas to stay because you said it's a huge region, so. What would you like, what towns or areas do you think are the the winning winning spots? So, you know, I've actually been up that way, you know, quite a few times because my I have family that lives up in Fishkill, New York, which is a little further south of the Catskills, and it's on the east side of the Hudson River.   [00:27:29.620] - Fadra So my husband and I go up there almost every year and we do a lot of day trips. And so I've done things like hiking and biking and brunching at Mohonk Mountain House. I don't know if you're familiar with.   [00:27:41.260] - Tamara Oh, yeah, I've wanted to stay there.   [00:27:42.850] - Fadra Yeah, it's beautiful in New Paltz, New York.   [00:27:45.160] - Fadra So that's a place where normally you can only go there if you are a guest. But, you know, fun little secret. If you make a brunch reservation, then you could spend the whole day there. You know, they'll let you in as long as you have brunch reservations or something. And so they have some great trails that go all the way around the lake. So I've done that.   [00:28:04.960] - Fadra But this time I stayed further north in a town called. If you were to read it, it looks like it's Cock Sakey, which is a horrible name, but they pronounce it Cook Soki. .   [00:28:19.270] - Fadra I thought it was really just the perfect location. It's not too far from Albany. It's a really easy drive. I live, you know, close to Baltimore and drove up there and it was actually a really, really easy drive. I thought it was a good location and it was kind of a good place where we could go to the east side of the river if we wanted to visit. Some towns over there like Hudson is a really cute town there.   [00:28:45.370] - Fadra If we wanted to go as far south to a town called Kingston, we went there or if we wanted to stay closer, you know, there there is actually a town called Catskill. And then, of course, the town we stayed in Cocksackie and just in the little downtown area, there's not there's not a ton there.   [00:29:03.040] - Fadra They're actually doing a lot of revitalization there. They have some investors coming in. And, you know, I think they're going to kind of try and make it a wedding destination. But there were some great restaurants we ate at this place called Chez Figata, and they were open for business. There was a great bottle shop, which we call them wine stores. But I guess up there it's a bottle shop and really great wines and just some small little little shops that we were able to walk to from where we were staying.   [00:29:31.540] - Fadra So I actually really love staying there and I wouldn't mind staying there again, but I would love to explore the areas further west. So the Catskills go much further west, a little bit deeper into the mountains, and that's where you're going to find the resorts and the ski areas and so on.   [00:29:49.450] - Tamara And what about Woodstock, Woodstock's part of the Catskills, isn't it? Or is that further South?   [00:29:53.350] - Fadra It is. Well, it's further south, but it's very close to New Paltz. So, you know, Woodstock, as in the Woodstock is right up there, which was actually just a big, you know, farming area, big farm where they had it.   [00:30:06.400] - Fadra So you'll find that there's pretty, how shall I say, crunchy towns up that way.   [00:30:13.270] - Tamara Yeah, those are fun. Like you said, though, bookstore's like unique boutiques like I love that kind of things.   [00:30:20.710] - Tamara I again I keep going back to like maybe more girlfriend getaway a romantic getaway. But at the same time like I know that we've done family things there and there are definitely I feel like there's like amusement park.   [00:30:32.410] - Tamara I'm trying to think of like all the things my nieces and nephews did when we were on that family reunion quite a few years ago.   [00:30:39.760] - Fadra Well, let me just say that right now, especially to the moms out there, we're pretty much home with everybody almost all the time. And it's OK to take a little time for yourself and do do a girlfriend getaway. I know it's easy to think like, well, if we're spending the time or the money, we should do a family trip. But it's really worthwhile to just kind of refresh and recharge and take that back home to your family.   [00:31:09.310] - Tamara Yeah, I think especially this should be a year where there should be less guilt about that because we're like, oh, I never see them. We're so busy. I'm like, no, you've seen them.   [00:31:18.910] - Fadra So we need to spend more time as a family. No, we don't.   [00:31:24.880] - Kim I have to say, I was, you know, really thankful that we never, you know, embrace the RV or tiny home lifestyle, you know? But then I was thinking of our friend Brianna, who runs Crazy family adventure, and they've been living in their RV with her, you know, kids for six years now or something. And I'm like, I guess this pandemic's really not that different for them.   [00:31:48.280] - Fadra So my friend Andrea Updyke, I don't know if you know Andrea, they recently bought an RV. By the way, RVs are hard to come by right now because because because of the pandemic, everyone's like, let's get on the road. So they bought an RV and they actually just did a trip out to the Grand Canyon from North Carolina. And it was a three week trip and I said, how was it, and she said, actually, you know, it's great, we had a wonderful trip, we all got along really well.   [00:32:15.450] - Fadra But it's funny because when she's home and I think when you're away with your family, it's a little bit different. So she says when we're home, a lot of times they'll plug the RV in on their driveway. And she uses that as her little like oasis away from her family.   [00:32:30.630] - Kim It's like her, she shed. I think it's funny.   [00:32:37.050] - Tamara So, you know, we were talking about that its kind of good for the girlfriend getaway, a romantic getaway. I remember when Glenn and I were dating, when we lived in New York and we went up to the Catskills, we stayed to someplace I wish I could remember.   [00:32:48.570] - Tamara It was like a B&B, but we stayed in like a loft in the barn and it was on a pond that was supposed to be like, I don't know where they filmed on Golden Pond or something like that. And I remember like rowing in a rowboat was so romantic.   [00:33:03.150] - Tamara But there are you know, there are still some family resorts up there. Do you have any that, you know, kind of heard of or know about? I think the one that I've that comes to mind for me is Kartrite, which has like the water park inside, kind of like a great wolf kind of thing.   [00:33:19.170] - Tamara But are there some more of those kind of the traditional like what used to be Catskill family resorts?   [00:33:24.870] - Fadra There are there are about 25 different mountain resort.   [00:33:29.760] - Fadra So if you're looking for a mountain resort in particular, they all have a little bit of a different focus. So some are that family oriented, all inclusive, where it's, you know, three meals a day or whatever it is. And they have all the family activities and everything is right there. Others are casino resorts and some are ski resorts. So I think it really just depends on what you're looking for.   [00:33:53.620] - Kim It's good to know that there's probably a lot of options out there.   [00:33:56.230] - Kim I seem to recall I recently wrote a post and I was referencing like some All-Inclusive in the United States, and I seem to recall one that's there. And I can't think of which one now, but I know it was in that upstate New York area and it's probably in that region, I'm guessing. And it's one of the all inclusive that kind of attracts families.   [00:34:13.360] - Fadra Yeah. And when you when you mention all inclusive, I mean, here's the thing. Depending on the resort, I've stayed at a couple in the U.S., not up in the Catskills. And, you know, the one thing I want people to keep in mind is you're probably not going to get the all all inclusive experience at, say, like in the Caribbean. So it's it's a little bit different. Some that are more old fashioned and more family oriented.   [00:34:37.200] - Fadra To me, they feel more like summer camp for families. Right. And then others, I've been to some I've been to some in the Poconos, and that's more like a cruise ship on land. So it's still not quite that Caribbean feel. But I think it's important to kind of reset your expectations for what an all inclusive is if you're doing something within the U.S..   [00:34:58.290] - Tamara That's true. Very true. It's definitely not a yeah. Not the same. You know, bring me my drink by the poolside.   [00:35:04.820] - Fadra Exactly, exactly.   [00:35:06.870] - Kim It's more of just like a meal package included. Yes, exactly.   [00:35:10.380] - Fadra So it's also a good area for camping. And by camping, I mean tent camping. We talked about RV camping. I got to be honest, for years I wanted that to be my thing. It's not my thing. In fact, I mentioned my friend when she got an RV and it was just very exciting. And I mentioned it to my husband. I said, what would you think about this? And he looks at me and he goes, No.   [00:35:32.850] - Fadra And I said, Really? He's like, Do you really think that's us? We're more like luxury hotel kind of people, which makes me sound sort of snobby. It doesn't have to be a luxury hotel, but I like places like you said, like something that's a little bit unique, like staying in a loft in a barn or something that's just that feels really clean and modern and comfortable. So we actually rented the first time ever that I stayed in an Airbnb and I absolutely loved it.   [00:36:00.570] - Fadra And I'm really worried now because I don't know if all experiences are that good. So we stayed at a place called Heron's View, which is right on the Hudson River in Cocksackie. And like I said, it was an older home. They completely renovated it. So it still had character, but it was modern and clean and I just loved it. So I definitely recommend that.   [00:36:23.610] - Fadra But again, I hate to keep referring to the P word, but in the time of the pandemic, these kind of things actually book up because a lot of people who maybe would have, you know, done their European vacation or gone on a cruise, they're not they're looking for these smaller, family oriented, more accessible type vacations. So these things actually fill up fairly quickly. In fact, the place where we stayed, Heron's view, I think for the entire month of August, it was rented by three working women out of New York City that just wanted to get out of the city.   [00:36:59.460] - Fadra And so it wasn't really a vacation. It was just a place for them to stay while they were working. So you'll find a lot more of those kinds of things. So I definitely recommend planning in advance for whatever it is. That you want to do?   [00:37:10.920] - Tamara Yeah, and we had that when we went to the Adirondacks over the summer and I definitely think it's going to continue. I think people are already looking at some of that this year, even if it's their backup plan.   [00:37:22.580] - Tamara You know, like if other things can't happen, at least they have something. So the better properties, like you said, like the ones that have those unique characteristics or the views or the you know, they're lakeside like that type of thing, if you're looking for that. I agree. They definitely book it up early. Those I think it's going to continue to be a very popular way to travel throughout 2021.   [00:37:44.600] - Fadra I think so, too. And, you know, I want to mention that because a lot of people feel like they can't travel.   [00:37:51.470] - Fadra And, you know, of course you have to pay attention to state requirements and state restrictions and your personal level of comfort as well. But, you know, because we all work in the travel industry, you know, I want to make sure that people know that you can travel, you can travel safely. You know, it just depends on where you're going and how you're choosing to travel. I think we went out to eat maybe once, maybe twice.   [00:38:15.440] - Fadra But we we did takeout and we brought it back. You know, we all made sure that we were safe before we traveled together. We brought takeout back. We brought board games with us. You know, we went to the bottle shop and got bottles of wine. And it was really about spending time with each other in a different destination. So you can do it. I don't think that you have to put off travel. You just have to figure out more creative ways to do it.   [00:38:39.530] - Kim Yeah, that's what we're starting to see. I mean, these these towns and tourist districts, I mean, as travel writers, we're seeing what they how they've been impacted. And I don't know if many of them can go through another summer or even spring into summer facing this.   [00:38:56.030] - Kim So I think it is smart for us to figure out where our level is and make sure, of course, that you're following any rules and restrictions, but then do what works best for your family and help try and support the local economy. I love that you talk about buying from the local shops. And, you know, we've been trying to do that locally, just eating at our local restaurants and getting order out instead of, you know, visiting as many chains and little things like that.   [00:39:21.290] - Kim So I think there are ways that if you're comfortable and you're following the rules and restrictions Tamara do you know, does New York State have any current travel restrictions?   [00:39:31.400] - Tamara They do. They have had for quite a while. So definitely check their website. They had some quarantine restrictions. There's a form that you need to fill out. Yeah. So definitely before you go, make sure you understand what the restrictions are. The good side is that I don't know what your experience was, Fadra, but I know when we were in the Adirondacks, it's like because New York has taken things very seriously, we saw a lot of compliance, you know, like we didn't have many issues.   [00:39:59.420] - Tamara It was it felt like a pretty safe place to go, you know, so that I really appreciate it.   [00:40:06.610] - Fadra I mean, I felt comfortable. But it's one of those things where if you're walking around town, you're having a mask on. Whether you're inside or outside, you just you wear the mask. And when even when we went hiking, there were people that wore masks. We chose not to wear them outside. But you make sure if if that's how someone feels comfortable, you give them a wide berth when you pass them on the trail, right?   [00:40:29.090] Yeah, definitely. We we would usually have something that we would like pull up if you're passing someone. But I definitely appreciated the people that didn't have it and they made sure they stepped far off the trail and that was good.   [00:40:43.670] - Kim So do you have any final tips that you'd like to share for, you know, if someone's thinking of planning a trip to the Catskills?   [00:40:50.840] - Fadra Well, just to kind of recap some of the things we talked about, I'd say planning it in advance, you know, make sure there's availability for where you might want to stay, especially right now. Make sure you know what's open, whether it's something that's closed for seasonal reasons or it's closed because of, you know, pandemic reasons, because you don't want to get your heart set on something. You'd be like, oh, well, we can't do that now and then.   [00:41:13.610] - Fadra You know, you don't know. You don't know what to do. I also want to mention that just because it's outside doesn't mean it's easily accessible. This is true, honestly, throughout the country, there are some trailheads that are closed primarily to reduce the number of people, you know, a lot of the national parks, which drives me a little crazy that, you know, some of the parking lots are closed and the shops are closed and some of the attractions are closed.   [00:41:39.230] - Fadra But more importantly, the bathrooms are closed. That's the only thing that bothers me.   [00:41:44.690] - Fadra But they do that because they want to kind of discourage, you know, large crowds of people gathering together. The other thing, and I sort of hinted at this is be prepared for any kind of weather. Even in the summer, it can get very chilly in the mountains. So we were staying right on the water and it it was actually nice during the day and then it would drop down at night. But, you know, a lot of places are used to having you know, we had a fire pit, we had an outdoor heater.   [00:42:10.760] - Fadra So but we definitely brought layers as well.   [00:42:14.340] - Tamara Yeah, very good point. I mean, even in the summer when you're in the mountains, it gets colder. Well, speaking of layers of question that we ask, all of our guest is, what do you wear when you travel? Do you have any favorite brands or gear?   [00:42:29.400] - Fadra Well, for me, it changes by season. So, for example, in the summer, I love fit flops and I wear them pretty much everywhere I go.   [00:42:39.000] - Fadra If I'm hiking, I'm more of a I wear new balance hiking shoes. If if I'm hiking, I don't do hiking boots, I do hiking shoes. But in the summer I do flip flops. This winter I've been wearing a lot of toms and I don't mean the little canvas toms. Toms makes some nice, they're kind of like sneaker ankle boots and I love them and I also have some wool clogs from earthier. Can you tell that footwear is important to me.   [00:43:05.400] - Fadra I like to be comfortable. And I also did a little shopping in Kingston, New York, which is a little bit south of Catskill, and I bought a shirt from a boutique. Between us, it's the most expensive shirt I've ever bought, but I love it. It's from a brand called Faherty. It's hard to say f h e r t y. And I've heard that it's my new favorite shirt. It's just like it looks like it's a gray wool shirt, but it's just a button up shirt with just the right fit, the right stretch.   [00:43:34.110] - Fadra And so like that's my go to shirt.   [00:43:36.150] - Tamara Now that's what I love about boutique shopping, though. It's I mean, I rarely do it here because I can't afford it on a regular basis. But it's just so nice to have something that's unique and like you said, that has like that special fit.   [00:43:50.130] - Tamara And you're going to remember going to remember where you got it. Going to remember the time that you had it with your girlfriends and all of that.   [00:43:54.870] - Fadra So every time I put it on, I text my friends and say I'm wearing my special shirt today and I know exactly what I'm talking about. That's awesome.   [00:44:02.820] - Kim Well, thank you so much for all these awesome tips. And why don't you let our listeners know where they can find you online? Sure.   [00:44:09.390] - Fadra Well, I have a blog called All Things Fadra, and you can find it at all things Phaedra dot com. It's spelled FADRA and I also produce a lot of videos. So I do have I do have quite a few travel videos on my YouTube channel and that's YouTube.com/allthingsfadra and I'm a sometime podcast store where I talk about TV in movies and you can find all the info on that at StingerUniverse.com.   [00:44:36.510] - Tamara And I've gotten a lot of tips from you guys on things to watch, so I enjoy listening.   [00:44:42.480] - Fadra Pandemic is a perfect time to really dig into entertainment.   [00:44:46.200] - Kim Can you believe how long ago Tiger King was like four years ago? That was still. That was it.   [00:45:12.690] - Kim Yes, but Fadra, you have to make time for Bridgton, OK?   [00:45:16.500] - Fadra Not with my son around though.   [00:45:18.180] - Kim No, definitely not. Well, you know, if you're into entertainment, you can't pass that by.   [00:45:26.790] - Tamara I kind of thought I was a teen drama kind of thing. And then I started watching. I'm like, oh, OK.   [00:45:33.150] - Fadra Isn't it sort of like a period teen drama, though?   [00:45:35.580] - Tamara Well, yeah, yeah it's yeah. It's like what the eighteen hundreds supposed to be.   [00:45:40.350] - Kim Well I mean it's just back to like when I mean I think the problem is the fact that girls used to be married off when they turned 17 and 18 like you come into your first season and you better get married then are you going to be on the shelf, you know, type mentality, then you'll be an old old maid or.   [00:45:56.100] - Fadra Yeah, well, we just got a new elliptical so I need something to motivate me and get my heart rate up so that if I don't work nights.   [00:46:06.360] - Tamara So have you ever watched Reign?   [00:46:09.540] - Kim No, I haven't is it ok? I need to watch that one.   [00:46:12.030] - Tamara If you liked Bridgton then you will definitely like that.   [00:46:15.750] - Kim I've been thinking I need to watch that, but I want to watch Queen's Gambit first and I just started. I haven't watched it yet and I was debating because I was trying to start watching the office, which Paul really liked the office years ago, like when it was out and I never really got into it with him, but a couple of times I would see some episodes. And so I thought I should go back and start it like season one and watch it. Yeah, but then I was just like I loaded it and I watched the pilot last night. I was like, there's like nine seasons and they're twenty some episodes per season. I mean, it's a lot.   [00:46:48.210] - Tamara We've watched all of those with Hannah like a few years ago we went through it. But I will say like I love the office. But the things that Michael did that were cringeworthy then are like a hundred times more cringeworth now. And you're like, how did they ever put that on the air? You know?   [00:47:06.060] - Kim I watched the first one. I'm like, oh my goodness, this is sort of hard to watch.   [00:47:09.640] - Fadra Pretty sure I worked for Michael Scott, so. I think we've seen every single episode about 17 times, so we're well versed in the office.   [00:47:22.480] - Tamara What I want is just a compilation of all of the practical jokes that Jim plays on Dwight like that would just make me laugh, like I would roll over, you know, just like watching an hour straight of all of those.   [00:47:35.920] - Fadra You know what? Let me just give one plug for a little show you guys should watch. Speaking of the office, it's a show on Netflix called We Are the Champions. If you haven't watched it, it's I think like a six or seven is running through my head. Yeah, it's like a six or seven episode docu series by Rainn Wilson, who played Dwight on the office. And, you know, I'm mentioning it because it goes to all different parts of the world and and the country so we can kind of tie it back to travel a little bit.   [00:48:03.820] - Fadra And it's really about unique competitions. It's like there's one and I think it's England, a cheese rolling competition where they roll a wheel of cheese down a very steep hill in this small town. And it's a big competition for who can get to the bottom and catch the cheese first. There's another one about the frog jumping competition in Calberas County, California. So it's just a really fun show. And, you know, even the kids would like it.   [00:48:31.870] Great recommendation. Well, thanks so much, Fadra, for spending time with us. And yeah, we look forward to hopefully chatting with you again soon and maybe eventually we'll see each other again on a vacation or somewhere..   [00:48:49.360] - Kim Well, as always, thanks for listening. And we have something exciting if you go to on Instagram, if you go to Stuffed Suitcase or We3Travel, go to one of our Instagram pages and check out our post.   [00:49:01.390] - Kim We are actually doing a giveaway with a lot of amazing books that will help you at least be inspired. If you are thinking of planning a vacation, it'll help you get some things figured out and started on your vacation planning. So go to our Instagram and check that out.   [00:49:17.620] - Tamara Yep. And stay tuned, because next week we're going to be talking about tips for saving for travel. And I think this is a big one because as we've talked about before, like budget is certainly an issue. And I think we're going to be trying to share as many tips as we can in the next few episodes and from different people about ways to save on travel and for travel. We'll chat with you again in two weeks.  

Live music at last!  Helen Sung is joined by Gabrielle Stravelli, Miss Maybell, Darmon Meader,plus Dave Stryker, Martin Wind, Scott  Robinson, Matt Wilson and more at Mohonk Mountain House. Keeping Playbills.  Virtual Historic Home Tours. Rye Bread Memories. Sutton Hoo (The Dig).  Remembering Hank Aaron and Don Sutton. Credits: Talent:  Tamsen Granger and Dan Abuhoff Engineer:  Ellie Suttmeier Art:  Zeke Abuhoff

Before diving into S5E2, “The Chris Rock Test,” 'Billions' cocreators Brian Koppelman and David Levien discuss some parallels between ‘Billions’ and real-life billionaire behavior as well as how the location manager and prop master truly shined in Season 5's second episode (0:30). Then they talk to Corey Stoll, who plays Michael Prince, about his character, joining an already established show, learning from his castmates, filming at Mohonk Mountain House, and more (36:40).

Whether she's spinning up above a New Years crowd at BSP while Rubblebucket plays, doing handstands in New Paltz bars, or leading a class of people at Mohonk Mountain House, Lana Heintjes does it with a smile and an energy that just draws you in. If you've seen her perform or taken a class, here's a chance to find out what makes her tick. If this is your introduction, I highly recommend a multimedia experience... load up Instagram while you listen. Welcome to 2020!  Lana's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/acrolana Casey - https://www.instagram.com/caseymoonacro/ Hudson Valley Circus Arts - https://www.instagram.com/hudsonvalleycircusarts Vitality Yoga Flow - https://www.instagram.com/vitalityyogaflow/ Yebba - My Mind - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXwE1G7_U9M  

In this NYSAIS-Now Talk at the NYSAIS Brain Conference at Mohonk Mountain House in March 2019, Andrew Watson explains how teachers can think about new advice and research skeptically so that they can avoid getting pulled into the next "common myth."

In this NYSAIS-Now Interview at the NYSAIS Brain Conference at Mohonk Mountain House in March 2019, Dr. Joanna Christodoulou explains some common myths held by educators, including the dangers of believing in preferred learning styles and learning proficiencies. Dr. Christodoulou also discusses developmental difficulties in reading and how implicit bias impacts student outcomes.

In this talk at the NYSAIS Assistant Heads, Division Heads, and After School Directors Conference at the Mohonk Mountain House in November 2018, clinical psychologist and author Lisa Damour addresses the dynamics at play when educators and parents come together to talk about a student. Ms. Damour provides an enlightening discussion on the often unarticulated assumptions that both parties bring to these meetings, overcoming barriers to successful collaboration, and effective strategies for giving feedback.

In this NYSAIS-Now Interview at the NYSAIS Education & Information Technology Conference at the Mohonk Mountain House in November 2018, Cory Doctorow discusses why loss prevention of one-to-one laptop programs, school safety, and John Deere tractors lead to anti-dystopian ed-tech.

In this talk at the NYSAIS Annual Conference for Heads of School at the Mohonk Mountain House in November 2018, Author Dolly Chugh discusses her new book, "The Person You Mean to Be." Exploring the science behind bias, this entertaining and thought-provoking presentation blends stories and science about why being a good person is overrated, what it means to be a “good-ish” person, and how to think of privilege as a positive.

In this talk at the NYSAIS Business Affairs Conference at the Mohonk Mountain House in May 2018, author, education thought leader, and former independent school CFO Grant Lichtman discusses the new challenges facing independent schools and business offices in an ever-more VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) world. Drawing on his new book, Moving the Rock, and data he has collected from over 250 independent schools, Mr. Lichtman presents what he believes are essential changes that schools need to make, including; different approach to traditional strategic planning; markedly greater inclusion of the broader school community at a strategic level; empowerment of distributed leadership throughout the school; and a design-based approach to executive leadership.

Sadie is with us, fresh from Mohonk Mountain House.  Ref chatter, New World Chess. Changing the criteria for the Cy Young.  The Minotaur hits France!  Dog Hikers!  The 30 minute show is back.  Amazing unknown comic book art. Sounding off about PIE. Credits: Talent:  Tamsen Granger and Dan Abuhoff Special Guest:  Sadie Abuhoff Engineer:  Ellie Suttmeier Art:  Zeke Abuhoff

Here is one of the few remaining homes of the nearly vanished Trapps Mountain Hamlet. Its small size and simple, unadorned lines were typical of the Hamlet. The cabin is a plank house built in 1889 or 1890 by William Hagen and bought by Eli Van Leuven in 1898. Eli’s family occupied the house into the 1920s when the Mohonk Mountain House bought the property.What was family life in the Trapps like during the late 1800s? A typical family was large, with many children all living in a house as small as the one you see here. Trapps men worked at a variety of jobs, including stone-cutting, charcoal-burning, cutting cord wood, and shaping hoops for barrels; they worked, too, as day laborers for the Minnewaska and Mohonk Mountain Houses. Trapps women also worked at a variety of occupations, both at home and at the local mountain hotels. At home, they made butter and cheese, raised chickens, and cultivated kitchen gardens with the help of the children. Some women had hand looms on which they wove a variety of fabrics. Summertime blueberry- and huckleberry-picking was an activity for the entire family, with the sale of berries being another source of cash.Like most Trapps houses, the Van Leuven Cabin lacked plumbing of any kind. There was no electricity, so candles and kerosene lamps were used when required. Electric and telephone lines did not reach parts of the Trapps Mountain Hamlet until the 1950s or later! In the photo, we can see how the Van Leuvens made use of the large boulder located next to their home. Using millstone-cutting methods, a large, crude shelf was fashioned, thereby producing a useful, outdoor, working surface for washing and cooking.

Here is one of the few remaining homes of the nearly vanished Trapps Mountain Hamlet. Its small size and simple, unadorned lines were typical of the Hamlet. The cabin is a plank house built in 1889 or 1890 by William Hagen and bought by Eli Van Leuven in 1898. Eli’s family occupied the house into the 1920s when the Mohonk Mountain House bought the property.What was family life in the Trapps like during the late 1800s? A typical family was large, with many children all living in a house as small as the one you see here. Trapps men worked at a variety of jobs, including stone-cutting, charcoal-burning, cutting cord wood, and shaping hoops for barrels; they worked, too, as day laborers for the Minnewaska and Mohonk Mountain Houses. Trapps women also worked at a variety of occupations, both at home and at the local mountain hotels. At home, they made butter and cheese, raised chickens, and cultivated kitchen gardens with the help of the children. Some women had hand looms on which they wove a variety of fabrics. Summertime blueberry- and huckleberry-picking was an activity for the entire family, with the sale of berries being another source of cash.Like most Trapps houses, the Van Leuven Cabin lacked plumbing of any kind. There was no electricity, so candles and kerosene lamps were used when required. Electric and telephone lines did not reach parts of the Trapps Mountain Hamlet until the 1950s or later! In the photo, we can see how the Van Leuvens made use of the large boulder located next to their home. Using millstone-cutting methods, a large, crude shelf was fashioned, thereby producing a useful, outdoor, working surface for washing and cooking.

On this week's show, I'm celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Liz's Healthy Table podcast. Time flies by quickly when you build something new, so I'm taking a breath today, looking back on my food adventures from the year, and thanking all of you with a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card! I have a new recipe to share for Arugula, Apple & Brussels Sprouts Salad, and my husband Tim joins me for his annual "cameo" to tell you how he survived the year and to share highlights from our recent vacation in Riviera Maya, Mexico. It's a fun show, so I hope you'll stick around and tune in.  GIVEAWAY: To thank you for listening to the first session of the Liz's Healthy Table podcast, I'm giving away a $50.00 Amazon gift card to one lucky winner. To enter, post a comment at the end of this post and tell me about your favorite LHT episode in Season 1 and/or a topic or guest you'd like me to tackle in Season 2. Anyone anywhere can enter, so post your comments below!   Show Highlights:  I look back on the Instant Pot episode with Melissa Clark, one of my favorites! Jenny Chandler’s episode on pulses was an inspiration for more plant-based eating. Leanne Brown’s budget episode was incredibly popular, because after all, doesn't everyone want to save money at the supermarket? Pati Jinich was one of my favorite guests to interview, and having just visited Mexico, her show really hits home now. The best burger I've ever made comes from, From Freezer to Table. Hear all about it on the Freezer Cooking show. Tune in to episode 3 for picky eater tips. I answer your questions about go-to snacks and my typical food day. Food stories from my year of travel. Adapt and play with my favorite salad recipe made with arugula, apples, and Brussels’s sprouts. How to gain the confidence to tweak a recipe. Mohonk Mountain House memories. My husband, Tim, is back on the show to talk about this year from his perspective. Why our vacation in Riviera Maya, Mexico was a food lover's dream.   Resources: - Arugula, Apple & Brussels Sprouts Salad: https://www.lizshealthytable.com/2018/04/17/arugula-apple-brussels-sprouts-salad-lemon-shallot-vinaigrette/ - My trip to El Dorado Casitas Royale in Riviera Maya, Mexico: https://www.lizshealthytable.com/2018/04/17/week-mexico-el-dorado-casitas-royale/ - Homemade Chex Mix recipe: https://www.chex.com/recipes/original-chex-mix/ - Shaya restaurant:  http://www.shayarestaurant.com/menu/    - New Chefs on the Block: http://www.newchefsontheblock.com/ - Paris a Dream - food tour: http://www.paris-a-dream.com/ - Groed in Copenhagen where they make porridge: http://groed.com/en/ - Substituting Ingredients  https://www.amazon.com/Substituting-Ingredients-Z-Kitchen-Reference/dp/1564407411

On this week's show, I'm celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Liz's Healthy Table podcast. Time flies by quickly when you build something new, so I'm taking a breath today, looking back on my food adventures from the year, and thanking all of you with a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card! I have a new recipe to share for Arugula, Apple & Brussels Sprouts Salad, and my husband Tim joins me for his annual "cameo" to tell you how he survived the year and to share highlights from our recent vacation in Riviera Maya, Mexico. It's a fun show, so I hope you'll stick around and tune in.  GIVEAWAY: To thank you for listening to the first session of the Liz's Healthy Table podcast, I'm giving away a $50.00 Amazon gift card to one lucky winner. To enter, post a comment at the end of this post and tell me about your favorite LHT episode in Season 1 and/or a topic or guest you'd like me to tackle in Season 2. Anyone anywhere can enter, so post your comments below!   Show Highlights:  I look back on the Instant Pot episode with Melissa Clark, one of my favorites! Jenny Chandler’s episode on pulses was an inspiration for more plant-based eating. Leanne Brown’s budget episode was incredibly popular, because after all, doesn't everyone want to save money at the supermarket? Pati Jinich was one of my favorite guests to interview, and having just visited Mexico, her show really hits home now. The best burger I've ever made comes from, From Freezer to Table. Hear all about it on the Freezer Cooking show. Tune in to episode 3 for picky eater tips. I answer your questions about go-to snacks and my typical food day. Food stories from my year of travel. Adapt and play with my favorite salad recipe made with arugula, apples, and Brussels’s sprouts. How to gain the confidence to tweak a recipe. Mohonk Mountain House memories. My husband, Tim, is back on the show to talk about this year from his perspective. Why our vacation in Riviera Maya, Mexico was a food lover's dream.   Resources: - Arugula, Apple & Brussels Sprouts Salad: https://www.lizshealthytable.com/2018/04/17/arugula-apple-brussels-sprouts-salad-lemon-shallot-vinaigrette/ - My trip to El Dorado Casitas Royale in Riviera Maya, Mexico: https://www.lizshealthytable.com/2018/04/17/week-mexico-el-dorado-casitas-royale/ - Homemade Chex Mix recipe: https://www.chex.com/recipes/original-chex-mix/ - Shaya restaurant:  http://www.shayarestaurant.com/menu/    - New Chefs on the Block: http://www.newchefsontheblock.com/ - Paris a Dream - food tour: http://www.paris-a-dream.com/ - Groed in Copenhagen where they make porridge: http://groed.com/en/ - Substituting Ingredients  https://www.amazon.com/Substituting-Ingredients-Z-Kitchen-Reference/dp/1564407411

In this talk at the NYSAIS Assistant and Division Heads Conference at the Mohonk Mountain House, danah boyd examines the ways in which our personal and professional lives are shaped by experiences interacting with and around emerging media. boyd describes the process of diversification and mainstreaming that has transformed participatory culture. She advocates a move beyond individualized personal expression and argues for the benefit of “doing it together”.

In this talk from the NYSAIS Advancement and Placement Directors Conference at the Mohonk Mountain House, Andrew Solomon, a writer of remarkable talent and intellect, discusses his latest work, Far From the Tree: Parents, Children & the Search for Identity. This riveting talk is an examination of the means by which families accommodate children with physical, mental and social disabilities and how these unusual situations can be invested with love.

In this talk at the Tri-State Conference for Heads of School at the Mohonk Mountain House, Timothy Snyder discusses his new book, "On Tyranny." “The Founding Fathers tried to protect us from the threat they knew, the tyranny that overcame ancient democracy. Today, our political order faces new threats, not unlike the totalitarianism of the twentieth century. We are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to fascism, Nazism, or communism. Our one advantage is that we might learn from their experience.”

Jillian Pransky, Author of “Deep Listening: A Healing Practice to Calm Your Body, Clear Your Mind, and Open Your Heart” has taught mindfulness, yoga and meditation for more than 20 years. She is the Director of the Restorative Therapeutic Yoga Works and a guest teacher at many renowned holistic learning centers including Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health and the Omega Institute, Mohonk Mountain House and Blue Spirit Retreat Center.

World-renowned restorative yoga teacher Jillian Pransky came to the practice of yoga to heal herself. But before that, she avoided her feelings by burying them under a relentless “work hard, play hard” schedule. It wasn't until a devastating personal loss took her through the dark halls of anxiety and into her own health crisis that she was forced to stop racing around. Since then, Pransky has been devoted to studying and teaching mindfulness practices, deep relaxation, and compassionate listening.  She serves as the Director of the Restorative Therapeutic Yoga Teacher Training for YogaWorks, and a guest teacher at many renowned holistic learning centers including Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health and the Omega Institute, Mohonk Mountain House, and Blue Spirit Retreat Center. Jill's new book is entitled Deep Listening:  A Healing Practice to Calm Your Body, Clear Your Mind, and Open Your Heart. Visit www.JillianPransky.com Donate to the America Meditating Radio Show at goo.gl/0Biu7S Get the Off the Grid Into the Heart CD by Sister Jenna.  Like America Meditating.  Visit our website at www.meditationmuseum.org.  Download our free Pause for Peace App for Apple or Android

Jan Johnsen discusses the serenity in the garden. She covers: -The surprising role that shapes, water, place, trees, and color play in transforming our state of mind outdoors -The three primary features that are needed for a serenely inspired landscape -Why north is the direction for contemplative viewing gardens -How well-placed stones can add a sense of calm to a setting Jan Johnsen is a professional landscape designer and is a principal, along with her husband, of the established design/build firm, Johnsen Landscapes & Pools, in Westchester County, NY. She is an adjunct professor at Columbia University and an award-winning instructor at the New York Botanical Garden. For the last several years, Johnsen has written the popular garden blog, "Serenity in the Garden." She is also a contributing editor for Garden Design Magazine. Ever since she lived in Japan as a college student, Johnsen has been an advocate of the transformative power of nature upon our wellbeing. Her initial experiences of walking through ancient Japanese gardens made her aware of the power that serene outdoor spaces have to calm and refresh us. She went on to study landscape architecture at the University of Hawaii and was further influenced there. Her travels took her back home to New York State, where she worked under a Versailles-trained French gardener at Mohonk Mountain House, learning the secrets of French horticulture and its rigorous all-natural standards. A speaker for botanical garden and garden show audiences, Johnsen loves to share her insights in the beneficial effects of informed garden design with others. Her unique approach, incorporating ancient practices with contemporary makes for fascinating presentations. She combines the "why" with the "how-to" in an engaging manner. And as always, she adds a large dose of stunning "eye candy" to make everyone realize that heaven is indeed a garden. For more information, visit www.johnsenlandscapes.com.

Jan Johnsen discusses the serenity in the garden.She covers: -The surprising role that shapes, water, place, trees, and color play in transforming our state of mind outdoors -The three primary features that are needed for a serenely inspired landscape -Why north is the direction for contemplative viewing gardens -How well-placed stones can add a sense of calm to a setting Jan Johnsen is a professional landscape designer and is a principal, along with her husband, of the established design/build firm, Johnsen Landscapes & Pools, in Westchester County, NY. She is an adjunct professor at Columbia University and an award-winning instructor at the New York Botanical Garden. For the last several years, Johnsen has written the popular garden blog, "Serenity in the Garden." She is also a contributing editor for Garden Design Magazine.Ever since she lived in Japan as a college student, Johnsen has been an advocate of the transformative power of nature upon our wellbeing. Her initial experiences of walking through ancient Japanese gardens made her aware of the power that serene outdoor spaces have to calm and refresh us. She went on to study landscape architecture at the University of Hawaii and was further influenced there. Her travels took her back home to New York State, where she worked under a Versailles-trained French gardener at Mohonk Mountain House, learning the secrets of French horticulture and its rigorous all-natural standards.A speaker for botanical garden and garden show audiences, Johnsen loves to share her insights in the beneficial effects of informed garden design with others. Her unique approach, incorporating ancient practices with contemporary makes for fascinating presentations. She combines the "why" with the "how-to" in an engaging manner. And as always, she adds a large dose of stunning "eye candy" to make everyone realize that heaven is indeed a garden. For more information, visit www.johnsenlandscapes.com.

Jan Johnsen discusses the serenity in the garden.She covers: -The surprising role that shapes, water, place, trees, and color play in transforming our state of mind outdoors -The three primary features that are needed for a serenely inspired landscape -Why north is the direction for contemplative viewing gardens -How well-placed stones can add a sense of calm to a setting Jan Johnsen is a professional landscape designer and is a principal, along with her husband, of the established design/build firm, Johnsen Landscapes & Pools, in Westchester County, NY. She is an adjunct professor at Columbia University and an award-winning instructor at the New York Botanical Garden. For the last several years, Johnsen has written the popular garden blog, "Serenity in the Garden." She is also a contributing editor for Garden Design Magazine.Ever since she lived in Japan as a college student, Johnsen has been an advocate of the transformative power of nature upon our wellbeing. Her initial experiences of walking through ancient Japanese gardens made her aware of the power that serene outdoor spaces have to calm and refresh us. She went on to study landscape architecture at the University of Hawaii and was further influenced there. Her travels took her back home to New York State, where she worked under a Versailles-trained French gardener at Mohonk Mountain House, learning the secrets of French horticulture and its rigorous all-natural standards.A speaker for botanical garden and garden show audiences, Johnsen loves to share her insights in the beneficial effects of informed garden design with others. Her unique approach, incorporating ancient practices with contemporary makes for fascinating presentations. She combines the "why" with the "how-to" in an engaging manner. And as always, she adds a large dose of stunning "eye candy" to make everyone realize that heaven is indeed a garden. For more information, visit www.johnsenlandscapes.com.

Jan Johnsen discusses the serenity in the garden. She covers: -The surprising role that shapes, water, place, trees, and color play in transforming our state of mind outdoors -The three primary features that are needed for a serenely inspired landscape -Why north is the direction for contemplative viewing gardens -How well-placed stones can add a sense of calm to a setting Jan Johnsen is a professional landscape designer and is a principal, along with her husband, of the established design/build firm, Johnsen Landscapes & Pools, in Westchester County, NY. She is an adjunct professor at Columbia University and an award-winning instructor at the New York Botanical Garden. For the last several years, Johnsen has written the popular garden blog, "Serenity in the Garden." She is also a contributing editor for Garden Design Magazine. Ever since she lived in Japan as a college student, Johnsen has been an advocate of the transformative power of nature upon our wellbeing. Her initial experiences of walking through ancient Japanese gardens made her aware of the power that serene outdoor spaces have to calm and refresh us. She went on to study landscape architecture at the University of Hawaii and was further influenced there. Her travels took her back home to New York State, where she worked under a Versailles-trained French gardener at Mohonk Mountain House, learning the secrets of French horticulture and its rigorous all-natural standards. A speaker for botanical garden and garden show audiences, Johnsen loves to share her insights in the beneficial effects of informed garden design with others. Her unique approach, incorporating ancient practices with contemporary makes for fascinating presentations. She combines the "why" with the "how-to" in an engaging manner. And as always, she adds a large dose of stunning "eye candy" to make everyone realize that heaven is indeed a garden. For more information, visit www.johnsenlandscapes.com.

Recorded at the NYSAIS NEIT Conference at the Mohonk Mountain House and featuring a panel of fabulous technologists.