Road Trip to Woodstock

Today, while the rest of you were busy being art teachers, hubby and I took a road trip, on a genealogical expedition for him. So some time was spent hunting down information in a town clerk's office, and exploring a cemetery, and visiting his elderly distant relative. But he also promised me that if I came along on the trip we'd stop for lunch in Woodstock (NY) and have a nice scenic drive, too. And he kept both promises.

We drove around the beautiful Ashokan Reservoir, but I somehow didn't take any pictures on the trip except for these:

Perhaps you can guess what they are?

If you haven't figured it out yet, maybe the photo on the left below will help. The photo on the right below was my had-to-have purchase in Woodstock. How could I possible pass up these fabulous shoes?!

In the entryway to the restaurant where we ate a delightful lunch, there was a full wall painted with chalkboard paint for you to fill in your bucket list ideas:

There was a great piece of art on the bathroom wall (not hanging on the wall, but PAINTED on the wall), which unfortunately I didn't photograph. It was titled: Woodstock Air Force. Near the top of the graded purple wall, there was a black silhouette of an airplane. But instead of dropping bombs, colorful flowers fell from the plane. As they fell, they turned into butterflies, which eventually turned into white doves. The doves flew back up in a line, and the leader held an olive branch in its beak. Beautiful.

But I didn't take any pictures on the streets of Woodstock, because, well, I didn't want to feel like a tourist in a place that is NOT a tourist destination. It seemed terribly invasive.

It's interesting, Woodstock Vermont is a great tourist spot - an upscale hip artsy place with vegetarian cafes and lovely shops with pricey trinkets. But Woodstock NY is the real deal. There is no upscale pretense - it is an authentic artsy community that is not designed to cater to tourists. The people on the streets are not posers; they looked like they just walked out of the Woodstock Music Festival, which, for you young 'uns out there, took place in the summer of 1969, when I was getting ready for my senior year of high school and aspiring to be cool. (However, it didn't really take place in Woodstock; it was in Bethel; but who's keeping track anyhow?)

Anyhow, if you don't know about the Woodstock Festival, watch the movie Woodstock (be aware, it is quite long and not appropriate for the kids) and get a feel for what the world was like when I headed off to college in New Paltz, just a couple of exits down the highway from Woodstock. Plus you'll get to hear some incredible music by music icons like Jimmy Hendrix, The Who, Joan Baez, Santana, Janis Joplin, and more.

Meanwhile, I promise I'll get back to some art teacher-y posts soon!