Page 26 - AAA Every Day – AAA Hudson Valley – May/June 2021

TRAVELER’S GUIDE
6 Nearby Spots
for a Perfect Picnic
Shutterstock: Monkey Business
There are few things better than a glorious, sunny day. Why not pack up a picnic and soak up the sun in one
of the many beautiful parks in the Capital Region and Hudson Valley area? Picture yourself grazing on a spread of your favorite foods, a warm breeze on your face surrounded by nature. Sounds dreamy, right? We live in a region filled with countless sprawling parks and artfully planned gardens to ideal for a picnic. Here are some of our favorite spots.
Washington Park
Located in historic Downtown Albany, Washington Park offers a refuge from the surrounding metropolitan area. Washington Park covers 81 acres, so there’s plenty of room to spread out. Before you lay down the picnic blanket, there’s a lot to see and do. Sights and monuments include the King Memorial Fountain, the Soldiers and Sailor’s Monument and the Washington Park Lakehouse. Go for a stroll on the meandering paths through the park, play Frisbee on the gently rolling hills and admire the historic homes lining the outside of the park.
John Boyd Thacher State Park
Washington Park: Martin Gnacik
areas, multiple children’s play areas and more than 25 miles of trails. With plenty to do, your picnic can turn into a full-day adventure. The park is open from sunrise to sunset, so take your time to bask in the gorgeous vista.
Jackson’s Garden at Union College
Pass through the ornate iron gate
and you’ll be transported to the paradise that is Jackson’s Garden
in Schenectady. One of the oldest college campus gardens in the United States, it touts a ginkgo tree from Japan, hundreds of splendid blushing peonies, a section just for wildflowers and so much more. As flowers bloom at varying times, the colors and landscape change frequently. Set up your blanket and relax by the babbling brook that passes through this veritable sanctuary.
15 miles southwest of Albany is
Thacher Park, the ideal place for
a picnic with a view. Soak in the jaw-dropping vistas from 1,300 feet above the Hudson and Mohawk valleys. This family-friendly park has both open and covered barbecue
John Boyd Thacher State Park: Jack Bebb
Fun Fact: The 1973 movie The Way We Were with Barbara Streisand was filmed on the Union College campus and features Jackson’s Garden.
26 I MAY/JUNE 2021