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West from Kingston, Hwy-28 meanders into the Catskills, looping past
the lovely Ashokan Reservoir where Hwy-375 branches off to WOODSTOCK . The village, carved out of the lush deciduous
woodlands and cut by fast-rushing creeks, was not actually the venue of
the famed psychedelic picnic of August 1969. That was some sixty
miles southwest in Bethel, where a monument at Herd and West Shore
roads marks the site on the farm owned by Max Yasgur where the first
festival was held. However, Woodstock has enjoyed a bohemian reputation
since the foundation in 1902 of the Byrdcliffe Arts Colony (which runs summer residency
courses; tel 845/679-2079, ), and during the 1960s it was a favorite
stomping ground for the likes of Dylan, Hendrix and Van Morrison. It
still bears signs of its hippie past: shops sell crystals and tie-dyed T-shirts and
crystals, and there's even the odd commune out in the woods, but in the
cafés you're just as likely to bump into a successful Manhattanite who
owns a second home here as you would a long-haired beatnik-type.
Woodstock's galleries and craft shops command a regional reputation and
the village is also a hub for the performing arts: the Maverick Concert series (late June-Aug; around $15 per
concert; tel 845/679-8217) has played host to some of the world's
finest chamber musicians since 1916. Just west of Woodstock in the
small town of Mount Tremper, the Kaatskill Kaleidoscope claims to be the world's largest,
created by a local hippie artist and now knee-deep in psychedelic
souvenirs and T-shirts. The kaleidoscope, in reality a 60ft-high
converted grain silo, plays ten-minute sound and light shows throughout
the day, and makes a tacky but entertaining roadside stop. (Wed-Mon
10am-7pm; $5; tel 1-888/303-3936).
Woodstock is a great base for exploring the Catskills, and the best option for
accommodation
is the cozy
Twin Gables Guest House
(tel 845/679-9479; $100-130), in the center of the village at 73 Tinker
St. If this is full, as is often the case, the higher rates at Woodstock Lodge on Country Club Lane (tel 845/679-2814;
$75-160) will get you a cabin and breakfast. Alternatively, there are
chain motels like Howard Johnson
, 2764 Hwy-32 (tel 845/246-9511; $50-75), ten miles northeast in Saugerties. Between Saugerties and Woodstock are the
Rip Van Winkle
(May-Oct; $23.50 per tentsite; tel 845/246-8334) and
KOA
(May-Oct; $25 per tentsite; tel 845/246-4089)
campgrounds
, both of which have full facilities for both tents and RVs. The best
places to eat
are a little way out of the village: the menu at the
New World Home Cooking Company
, 882 Rte-12 (April-Oct; tel 845/246-0900), has Caribbean and
Creole-influenced dishes for under $10, while two miles west of
Woodstock on Hwy-212 in tiny Bearsville
, the
Bear Café
(tel 845/679-5555) serves French bistro food unparalleled in these parts with prices to match. Several
buses
each day take two and a half hours to reach Woodstock from New York
City's Port Authority Bus Terminal (Adirondack Trailways; tel
1-800/858-8555). Sturdy bikes
can be rented from Overlook Mountain Bikes, 93 Tinker St (Wed-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 11am-6pm, closed Tues; tel 845/679-2122).
For more
information
visit the Chamber of Commerce booth on Rock City Road just off the
village green (hours vary; tel 845/679-6234), tune into the local radio
station, WDST (100.1 FM), or pick up the weekly Woodstock Times
.
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Woodstock 
