You’re in for a real treat because Luke from Luke Kelly Travels is not only giving us the scoop on the Hudson Valley, where he’s from, but he’s also talking about his upcoming two-month, North America road trip this summer! I’m so excited to follow him along the way. Be sure to keep up with him on Instagram at @lukekellytravels, where he’ll be documenting his journey. Let’s jump right in and find out what Luke had to say.
Tell us a little about yourself and what led you to what you’re doing today.
Well, I grew up here in the Hudson Valley. Up until graduating high school, I’d never been too far away from home. My best friend and I decided to go up to Alaska after our freshman year of college. I’d never done any backpacking before that trip, let alone camping in the wilderness. Seeing the landscape up there, and the way it made me feel—it was really eye opening. I got hooked on traveling and the outdoors after that. I remember vividly having a moment on Deer Mountain in Ketchikan when I realized that this is what makes me happy. And in the 10 years since that trip, I’ve been pursuing traveling and experiences in the outdoors as much and as frequently as I can.
On the earlier trips, I always had a camera with me as an afterthought. But over the years, I realized that photography is something that I really enjoy and had a knack for, too. It’s a great way to document, share, and remember a trip. So I’ve been pursuing that with a lot more energy over the past three years as well. But it was always about traveling and the experiences first.
Your two-month North America road trip this summer sounds amazing! Do you know where you’re going to stop? How long will you stay at each place? What about food, lodging, etc.?
Thank you! I’m really psyched about it. This is something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time—travel across the country for months and really focus on taking some good photos. I feel like I owe it to myself to see how much I can improve and build on my passion for travel photography. We live in a beautiful country, and I’m looking forward to seeing it and experiencing it from the road.
I don’t have any set itinerary. I usually allow for a lot of flexibility in my trips; I like that freedom of being able to travel to different places without time constraints. Also, a big part of photography is having the right light and weather, so I may hang out for a few days in a spot until I can get some shots I’m happy with.
So, to answer your question, my plan is to visit some of the really spectacular National Parks out West. Glacier, Yellowstone, the Tetons, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon immediately come to mind. But I’m sure I’ll visit quite a few more than that. I’d like to spend at least a few days in each park before moving on to the next spot. My plan for lodging is to sleep in the tent (this awesome company called SlingFin is sending me a tent for the journey!), and in the car if the weather gets really bad. I’m sure I’ll have the occasional night at a hostel or hotel. And for food, I have a good camp stove that I’ll use to cook meals from the grocery store. I try to keep it simple on the road—lean protein, veggies, and a carb in each meal. And coffee. So much coffee.
What are your favorite places that you’ve already traveled to?
Southeast Alaska comes to mind immediately. I worked as a fisherman up there and I miss it a lot. It’s a beautiful part of the country with impressive wildlife, too. In addition to Alaska, I studied abroad in New Zealand when I was in college, and that’s a country with some really spectacular scenery. Places like the Himalaya in Nepal, Patagonia in South America, and the Swiss Alps are also some of my favorite places I’ve been. My most recent trip was to Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, and I really enjoyed that too. It’s hard to choose!
Do you have a favorite landscape that you enjoy best?
I think from my last response, you could probably guess that I like mountains best! I’ve always been drawn to them. I spent a lot of time in high school staring out the window at the Catskills, which you could see from the upstairs classrooms. I like climbing them, camping on them, and taking pictures of mountains. They put things into perspective for me. I’m also pretty stoked to get out and explore the desert out West this summer. I like going to the beach once in a while, too, but I’m not one to hang out on the beach or sit still for too long.
Now, onto your town… how long have you lived in the Hudson Valley?
I’ve lived in the Hudson Valley for most of my life. I grew up here in Red Hook, New York, left to go to college in Ithaca for four years, lived out in the Pacific Northwest for a little while, and then came back in 2015.
What do you like best about living there?
I like a lot of things about the Hudson Valley. I enjoy the scenery for sure—it’s a beautiful area with the Catskills and being close to the Hudson River. I like that the towns are small and pretty laid back, and especially that there’s a sense of community. People know and support each other. There are some great local businesses.
One thing I took for granted growing up here is the history—the area has a pretty rich history, and I appreciate the old buildings and the unique character of each town. You don’t get that in a lot of places. It’s also an exciting time to be here—a lot of people are realizing what a great area the Hudson Valley is, and they want to come see it. They love the local restaurants and shops, breweries and distilleries, farmers markets and the outdoor opportunities. (I love all those things, too.) There’s also a pretty cool and quickly growing art scene. For me, it’s awesome to see people taking interest in that. I also appreciate its proximity to New York City. You can kind of get the best of both worlds here—you could start the morning alone on a mountaintop in the woods, and be walking through the heart of Manhattan a few hours later. It’s a good area, and those are the things I like about it. Oh, and the change of seasons! Fall is pretty nice here.
What part of town would you recommend people stay in?
So, there are definitely some cool towns to check out here. Hudson, Beacon, Kingston, and Rhinebeck are all popular right now, and I’d recommend checking out any of those. (I’ll say Red Hook too, but I’m biased!) If I was coming to the area and looking for a place to stay, the first thing I would do is hop on Airbnb and find a cool cabin. There are some really awesome places to stay around here listed on Airbnb. The Barn in Tivoli comes to mind. I know Scribner’s Catskill Lodge is a big destination now. Mohonk Mountain House is also an amazing place to stay, and even if you don’t stay there, it’s a pretty cool spot just to go up and spend a day. It’s situated on a lake with hiking trails all around it. Also, the Beekman Arms in Rhinebeck is the oldest continuously operated inn in America, which I would also recommend checking out!
What are your favorite restaurants in the Hudson Valley?
Well, I have to be honest — my go-to is the Historic Village Diner in Red Hook because it’s such a classic American diner. I plan every trip I go on from there. $1.50 bottomless coffee. Can’t beat it. I also love J&J’s in Red Hook for breakfast and lunch.
The Hudson Valley has some great restaurants. We have The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, which has some amazing places to eat. Gaskins in Germantown has some seriously good food. The Mill House Brewing Company in Poughkeepsie has excellent food and beer. Santa Fe, which has three locations now—in Tivoli, Kingston, and Woodstock—you can’t go wrong there. I like to go to the Gilded Otter in New Paltz after a day of hiking in the Gunks, or the Hyde Park Brewery if I’m on the east side of the river.
Honestly, If I’m going out to eat, a lot of the time I’m going to Rhinebeck. For such a small town, it has so many quality restaurants. Terrapin is probably my favorite. But The Amsterdam, Gigi’s, Le Petit Bistro, Market Street—they’re all fantastic. If I’m getting coffee I’m going to Samuel’s or Bread Alone. If you’re looking for a good ice cream place to take the family after a meal, check out Holy Cow. It’s the best.
Where are your favorite outdoor spots in the area?
There are some really great spots to enjoy the outdoors in the Hudson Valley. The Catskills immediately come to mind. Some of my favorite trails are Overlook, Hunter Mountain, Giant Ledge, and Kaaterskill Falls. I have to say, though, as this area increases in popularity, I’ve noticed a big change in the amount of litter and trash on the trails. If you visit, please carry in and carry out, and leave no trace! It’s so important.
Other great places in the outdoors that come to mind are the Shawangunks and Minnewaska State Park. It can be a lot of fun to get out on the Hudson River itself to boat or paddle. Ferncliff Forest is my favorite spot to go after work for a quick walk in the woods and to take some pictures. You also have to check out U-Pick Flowers at Brittany Hollow Farm on Route 9! Great spot in the spring and summertime. Greig Farm is also one of my favorite outdoor spots. You can pick your own fruits and vegetables there in the summer, and they also have a farmers market and art gallery.
How about if the weather is bad — what indoor places do you enjoy?
It’s been a really rainy spring here, so I’ve actually been spending a little more time indoors than usual. BC’s New Paltz Climbing Gym and the Gravity Vault in Poughkeepsie are two great indoor rock walls for climbing that are a lot of fun. Upstate Films is a good place to catch a movie.
And then if breweries and distilleries are your thing, we have some solid ones around here. Keegan Ales in Kingston and Hudson Valley Brewery in Beacon are really popular. Sloop is one of my favorites, too. Hudson Valley Distillers in Germantown is an awesome little distillery with really delicious drinks. Definitely recommend all of those.
If you had visitors coming to town, what’s the first place you would take them?
When visitors come to town, the first place I take them is to the Historic Village Diner in Red Hook. Then we would probably drive across the Hudson River and go hike up Overlook Mountain or Hunter Mountain, because both of those have a fire tower at the top with fantastic panoramas of the area. On the way back, we’d stop in Woodstock for coffee at Bread Alone or lunch at Yum Yum Noodles. Cool town for sure. End the day at Poet’s Walk Park in Red Hook or fishing on one of the small farm ponds around here. That’s my idea of a good day around here.
What are your favorite spots to hang out or meet up with friends?
Well, I already mentioned a lot of my favorite spots, but some that I haven’t are Taste Budd’s in Red Hook or Grand Cru in Rhinebeck, which is reopening in a new location. Flatiron is one of my favorite local bars and restaurants, too.
Let’s say you want to take a day trip. Where do you go that’s nearby?
One thing I love about this area is that it has New York City to the south, and the Adirondacks to the north. Culture and wilderness. So if I’m taking a day trip from the Hudson Valley, I’m usually going to one of the two. I recently started going up to the Adirondacks in the past few years to hike, and they’re really gorgeous and rugged. Marcy and Algonquin have been my favorite hikes so far. Lake Placid and Lake George are cool towns to check out while you’re up there.
The other place I’ll go for a day trip is the Finger Lakes Region in central New York. Beautiful area. I went to college in Ithaca, and it’s still one of my favorite towns anywhere in the country. Go to Ithaca if you have the chance, it’s awesome.
A huge thanks to Luke for all of the great information he provided about the Hudson Valley! I never realized this area had so much to do. Now I want to go visit! I feel like I could stay busy for a whole week with all of the places Luke recommended! I can’t wait to see where he ends up on his trip this summer! It definitely sounds right up my alley, too! Thanks again, Luke, and safe travels!
