Just an hour outside of Albany lays the quaint little Millerton, NY right on the border of Connecticut.
Millerton is full of kitsch and well worth a visit, especially if you enjoy tea. Our first stop in the town found us in the Harney and Sons [13 Main St, Millerton, NY 12546] store. Harney and Sons is a popular tea brand sold in stores all over the place, but their store in Millerton has many flavors that can’t be found elsewhere! Go to their tasting room and try out the sample teas (three interesting and delicious kinds while we were there),
and then you get to choose your own tea to sample from their vast wall which will be steeped shortly. I tried a delicious fruity and Jeff decided to pick ‘black snail’ which was a strong and interesting choice.
The lady who was helping us explained that the tea was named so by the Chinese because once you pour water over the leaves they look like little black snails. Interesting little tidbit. There are actually many interesting bits of information to read all around the room,
a perfect distraction as you are waiting for your favorite tasting of tea to be bagged up. We scored some loose leaves for a much better price than you get from their pre-packaged tins. Besides the tasting room there is a great little gift shop and a lovely little restaurant. We did have lunch there, but if I could do it again I would simply get a mountain of their house made scones.
The sandwiches were okay, nothing special, but those scones were perfectly flakey, soft, and so divine slathered in jam and cream.
Once you are finished with your tea and scones, if it happens to be a Saturday, check out the local farmers market. We went over the winter when the farmers market alternates Saturdays (be sure to check!), and is inside the Glimor Glass shop [2 Main St. Millerton] full of beautiful glass blown objects. The market is small but chock full of goodies. We loved nibbling on a cup of roasted root veggies.
There are so many neat little shops that seem as though they are suspended in time. Terni’s is a great place to go if you are looking for sporting goods or a drink from an old school soda fountain. Copper Star Alpaca There is a store devoted solely to Alpaca fur goods. Oblong Books has two locations, one for adults and one for children, both are fun to peruse. There are some vintage stores, interesting looking restaurants, a movie theater, a lot to see on this little Main St.
If you feel like giving your legs a good stretch, take a walk on the Harlem Valley Rail Trail which has fifteen miles of paved trails in Columbia County, and more in development soon to extend all the way all the way back to Chatham. It entrance is located right on the main drag. Our trip didn’t take us to the rail trail, but over the Connecticut border to Kent Falls State Park [462 Kent Cornwall Rd, Kent, CT 06757 ]. We visited a few weeks ago while all things were still under the grips of winter. It is not a huge park, though it does boast a pretty magnificent waterfall. Or so I’ve heard! When we went to see it hoping to glimpse its frozen glory, the 250-foot falls was blanketed in snow.
You could tell it was pretty epic though, and we walked the ¼ mile trail to the top and saw some pools with running water. There is a little covered bridge in the park and a few hiking trails that do not amount to many miles.
It was worth it for a quick hop over the border! On the scenic way home we saw some mountains and turkeys running amuck, and drove through one of my favorite Berkshire towns, Great Barrington! Make it a three state day by visiting Millerton, Kent Falls, and Great Barrington – what a full and wonderful day.