• About
  • Blog
  • Working together
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Girl Gone Travel

Girl Gone Travel

North America, Travel
/
July 21, 2009

Day Trip to Hodgson’s Farm, Walden, NY

Enjoyed this post? Give it some love and share!
Share

Day trips.  These past couple of days this is all NYCity Mama could think of. Her desire to get away from the hot and humid city and go out somewhere, on a day trip with the family.

Luckily, this day, was the celebration of her friends Neeka and Rob son’s birthday, R. He was 3 and in celebration, they had been invited to drive upstate to go blueberry picking.  Mama couldn’t wait.  She hadn’t seen her friends since she interviewed Neeka about her toy shop, and was eager to see her good friends again.

So the family made their way 1.5 hours away from their little apartment in Washington Heights towards the town of Walden, NY. As they drove Mama and her husband couldn’t help but admire all the green that surrounded them.  There was no traffic and it was road as far as the eyes could see.  Mama’s husband commented, as he often does on trips likes these, about his longing for a motorcycle. The boys sat in the back, quietly taking in the breeze from the windows and letting the sun kiss their faces as they stared outside.

They approached a sign welcoming them to the town of Montgomery.  And as they drove by they saw corn fields and horse farms, beautiful farm houses with flowers hanging from the porch where the rocking chairs sat.  They entered what Mama guessed must be their downtown.  They passed little shops with cute signs, and quiet streets before crossing the bridge that crossed over the creek.

IMG_9202

IMG_9199

IMG_9200

IMG_9198For a city girl like Mama, these kind of small towns are always great to visit and drive through.  Unlike her husband, she didn’t really ever live in a small town, so she is always fascinated by them and often finds them to be charming.

They arrive to their destination: Hodgson’s Farm. They have a wonderful U-Pick system for their fruits and vegetables, and have tables next to their fields should one wish to have one set up for party’s such as R.’s. When they arrived everyone was seated next to the blueberry fields getting ready to dig into R’s birthday cupcake treats before heading out for the main activity of the day.  Mama’s boys couldn’t have more excited!

IMG_9195

IMG_9193

IMG_9158

IMG_9156They finished their snacks and were getting ready to make their way into the field, but not before R. ran over to a patch of grass and then ran back to hand his mother some “flowers” he had picked for her.  Mama thought that was probably the sweetest gesture she had ever seen from a little boy.

IMG_9160With that they all headed out into the fields. Unlike R., whose parents actually have an organic farm and with whom he is used to participating in these activities, Mama’s boys had never, ever been berry picking and they did so very carefully, examining each blueberry before they picked them, careful to not let any of them drop.  While her 11 year old kept eating them (and it was hard not too! They are the sweetest blueberries they have ever tasted!), her 2.5 year old and 4 year old were very focused on the task at hand.

IMG_9162

IMG_9164

IMG_9175They actually picked for a longer period of time than what Mama expected.  Granted her 2.5 ear old, along with R., would kind of sray away from the field at times, but they would always manage to find their way back and continue.

IMG_9167

IMG_9169

IMG_9166

IMG_9174

IMG_9172

After awhile, the sun felt warmer, so Mama walked around a bit with one of the boys to check out the site and their flowers.  They had a wonderful, colorful selection of them to pick from.

IMG_9177

IMG_9179The boys had an amazing time.  They loved walking around the farm.  They enjoyed playing with their friends and picking the blueberries. They liked walking into the various greenhouses and smelling the beautiful assortment of flowers and touching the garden displays placed throughout.

IMG_9181

IMG_9185

IMG_9155

IMG_9192It was enough to make this Mama contemplate on moving out of the big city full time.  But alas, once an NYCity Mama, always an NYCity Mama at heart.  But lucky for her, she always has the next berry picking season, as well as her wonderful friends, to bring her and her family back for another Day Trip Adventure!

Check out Hodgson’s Farms’ plants and produce in Union Square Green Market and others here! 

For more information, including location visit their site here.

UPDATE: 7/21/09  Blueberry Bonanza

NYCity Mama finally baked some goods with the blueberries they didn’t eat or use for pancakes.  They were the sweetest berries and the best treats ever!

IMG_9215

IMG_9217

IMG_9221


Related

Enjoyed this post? Give it some love and share!
Share
Pin this Post
Share this Post
Carol Cain

Brooklyn native Carol is happiest when on an adventure, whether close to home or farther away. She is a small business owner and travel writer. In addition to creating Girl Gone Travel, she is the Founder and Principal of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. She's mom to three wonderful sons and wife to a handsome Irish/Scot. She lives, works, and plays in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of NY.

You May Also Like...

Christmas Tree Hunting in Long Island, NY

December 12, 2008

Fort Tryon Park, Washington Heights, NY

December 10, 2008

Winter afternoon in the Bronx Zoo, NY

December 16, 2008
3 Comments
  • Liz@thisfullhouse
    July 21, 2009

    Mmmm…blueberries…what AWESOMELY beautiful pictures. I love finding out about new road trips to add to our summer fun. Thanks for sharing them!

    Reply
  • Rob
    July 21, 2009

    Did you also know that Montgomery, NY is also the "Original" home of the famed Orange County Choppers?

    The baked goods look great, btw.

    Reply
  • Carol
    July 22, 2009

    Hi Liz: Thank you! Yes, check out their site for what's in season, you'll love it.

    Hi Rob: Thanks! I'll tell Trav, he'll get a kick out of that : )

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Previous Post
Rockefeller Center, NY
Next Post
On The Road To Madison, WI

About me

Hi! I'm Carol! I am an award-winning travel blogger, a keynote speaker, and the Principal and owner of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. I a wife to a handsome Irish/Scot and a mom to 3 sons and 2 puppies. Welcome to my blog where I share stories of my travels and professional public relations insights and advice. Thank you for reading and for your support!

Carol Cain

Categories

  • Asia5 Post(s)
  • Caribbean17 Post(s)
  • Central America4 Post(s)
  • Europe53 Post(s)
  • North America316 Post(s)
  • Oceana1 Post(s)

Contact

  • carol@girlgonetravel.com

Follow @girlgonetravel

If you are a foodie traveler, Madison, WI is a des If you are a foodie traveler, Madison, WI is a destination for you. This list of good eats were all within close proximity to each other and spots we made time for during our short weekend visit. So definitely note that this doesn’t even begin to cover the tip of the iceberg, but makes a good starter list!

📍@ShortStackEats in the heart of Downtown Madison is clearly a UW favorite. Loved their pancakes! We thought it was a pricey for breakfast, and only offered drip coffee, but the scene was fun, food was good, and service was friendly.
📍@SardineMadison is a waterfront French bistro that has stood the test of time (we’ve been coming here since we lived in Madison!). It can feel very corporate some nights, but their Happy Hour and brunch are definite highlights and it’s a really nice dining experience overall.
📍@EatattheAudrey impressed us! It’s not your usual “hotel restaurant” and I would say it easily stands alone as an eatery worth checking out in Madison. Great breakfast options, cozy vibes, nice bar, and good service!
📍@RamenStation1124 good, affordable ramen.
📍BlindShotSocialClub We really loved this spot for brunch (sorry, was enjoying the company and totally spaced out on capturing food images!). Golf fans will love hitting the putt here (you can reserve a private room too), and what I though was most cool was the delicious and wide selection of non-alcoholic cocktails to choose from. This place is a total vibe!
📍@StringsRamen is a chain, but I have to say it is some of the best ramen I have had in a long time. I especially loved how you can choose your ramen but heat level but also by Japanese region which allowed us to taste a couple of new flavors!
📍@Parthenongyros has been around awhile (hubby recalls coming here during his college years!) and was voted #1 take out in Madison! Though we indulged inside and away from the snow. A delicious, quick bite when strolling around State Street.

And again, this is just a starter list. There is so much more to eat and enjoy in this top foodie city! What other spots would you add to this list?

#madisonwi #foodiegram #foodiedestinations #goodeats @destinationmadison
I love to travel. It has always been important to I love to travel. It has always been important to my family. My parents got my first passport weeks after I was born. They couldn’t afford to travel like I do now, but they understood, as immigrants, the absolute privilege that comes attached to having that shiny blue American booklet and they wanted me to have it.

I was yet again reminded of my privilege when my travel back home on this last trip was delayed over 24 hours. I have a village in place to make sure my kids were ok. Having my own business meant I didn’t have to report in to anyone, and was still able to work remotely so none of my clients were inconvenienced by it. Though the airline covered our hotel and food, we never worried that we couldn’t do it ourselves otherwise. While we were annoyed, we weren’t stressed.

So while I love to travel, and I love sharing my travels with you, I acknowledge that being able to do so, and dealing with the consistent travel disruptions so prevalent today without worries is a privilege…one that started with a little blue booklet that gives me more access to the world than some others do.

And I want us all in this travel space to be reminded of this. Of how lucky we are. Of our privilege to access and time and money.

So let us travel with grace and awareness. Let us remain rooted in reality and perspective. Acknowledging that our escapism isn’t one so easily accessible to others. Understanding that this is also why local stories have as much value as those to exclusive destinations, if not more. And, never forgetting, especially in the travel influencer and media space, that were it not for hosted campaigns and paid-for travel opportunities, most of us wouldn’t be able to afford the lifestyle we so beautifully curate online.

It doesn’t matter how often you travel, or how far. Just that hopefully you will be able to gift yourself the experience of doing so and experiencing something new.

#travel #travelmedia #travelinfluencer #wheretonext
As I work on compiling all the good eats I experie As I work on compiling all the good eats I experienced in Madison, WI, I have to ask: what is your favorite meal of the day, and where did you experience a highlight of the same?

I am a huge fan of breakfast. This beauty was a blueberry pancake order from @shortstackeats. Pancakes are not a big thing for me, but these were pretty perfect. I am craving them still. 🥞♥️

#madisonwi #goodeats #travelingfoodie @destinationmadison
We got back on a plane! Here are scenes from a qui We got back on a plane! Here are scenes from a quick trip to Madison, WI - my first time back in 14 years! Though we were here for family matters, we did take a moment to explore a bit of what used to be a place we called home.

We couldn’t do anything else until we drove around Lake Monona, where we once had a home, and took in the wintery views (there is an epic 13.2-mile trail that loops around the lake that is worth exploring if you visit!). Though our time was limited, we were able to enjoy some of it along State Street exploring the shops, eateries, the FREE @mmocamadison, and the beautiful architecture of the WI State Capitol Building (the Dane County Farmers Market will soon pick up again - Saturdays, April 15 thru November 11, 2023 around the Capitol Building and it is one of the best farmers markets anywhere!). 

We booked a room at the @hiltonmadison Monona Terrace to be within walking distance of all the downtown fun (tip: for a room with a lake view make sure to book at the upper levels above 10th floor for an unobstructed view of Lake Monona). 

Madison, WI is a skip and a hop from the Finger Lakes so this short and sweet visit didn’t feel difficult at all. And we absolutely loved the winter scenery and seeing what has changed (a lot) since we lived here.

Stay tuned for my list of where we ate!

Have you ever been to Madison, WI?

#madisonwi #weekendgetaway #wisconsin @destinationmadison
The joy of that first sip of the day. #randommom The joy of that first sip of the day. 

#randommomentsarethebest
I think my husband enjoys it, but still can’t be I think my husband enjoys it, but still can’t believe how easily I’ve been waking up in the early mornings since our last trip. Not sure how to shake it, or if it’s temporary, but here it is: the rare sighting of me up and moving early in the day. Am I a morning person now? Has travel ever permanently changed any of your habits?

#morningperson #lifeinthecountry #newme <-😂

Copyright © 2023 Girl Gone Travel | Privacy Policy | Copyright Notice