I have let the winter and having a new baby keep me indoors for the past 7 months, so I think it goes without saying that I am ready to get outside and enjoy the nice weather and the beautiful places not far from here.
We lived in a little apartment in Albany for Aadens first 3 years, so I was always looking for some place to explore with him. I am going to share 6 of those places with you, but there are soooo many more than this around here!
First up is Huyck Preserve in Rensselaerville. There is some neat ruins from an old mill that Aaden enjoyed discovering, as well as a couple of hike options, a waterfall, and a creek. The drive there is really pretty, but be sure to bring your bug spray. Every time we have gone there have been soooo many bugs!
Hollyhock Hollow Sanctuary is up next! We love this little spot. You can hike here too, but we come for the swimming. I love finding little swimming holes, and this doesn't dissappoint. There are all sorts of rocks and fallen trees to climb around on, but it is slippery so we always have to take caution. Aaden loves skipping rocks, and this is a great spot for doing that, there are also lots of frogs!
This spot is near and dear to my heart, this was my backyard growing up! This is in Stuyvesant on the riverfront. This place has a long beach area that people will fish, boat, swim and even camp at, but we like to go down to enjoy the sunset, skip rocks and dip our toes in to cool off.
The Albany Pine Bush is a pretty spot to go for a little hike, the sunsets there are beautiful and we almost always see a train go by. I have seen people fish and boat here too!
Across from the Stuyvesant riverbeach is the Coxsackie Riverside Park. There is a paved walkway along the water, a little beach, and an awesome playground as well as a big green area for picnicing and playing sports.
Normanskill Farm is so close to us, this is the spot we visit the most. There is a really cool bridge that is overgrown, a beach, fields, and a community garden. It is also a dog park so people go there often to walk their dogs.
I could easily list 10 more spots, but I'll keep it short and sweet right now. I'd love to share a variety of local spots frequently, so I will save the other places for a future blog post.
I'd love to hear about your favorite places to get out and explore nature. Comment below and let me know! I'd love to discover places I have never been