Try Visiting Nyack and Piermont

Are you looking for some new scenery to enjoy with your family? If so, why not take the 1.5-hour trip up north to the village of Piermont and the town of Nyack, which are both situated on the west bank of the Hudson River just north of the New Jersey-New York border.

My family and I traveled there over the Memorial Day weekend and spent quite a memorable day there. First, we took an approximately 2-mile walk along the Piermont Pier, which juts out into the Hudson River. The pier has spectacular views of the Tappan Zee Bridge and is flanked by gorgeous (and pricey) townhomes. Along the way, we caught spectacular views of the river and the railway across the river, watched some fishermen and saw families of ducklings and goslings. We also saw the 21-foot-high bonfire-in-waiting at the end of the pier that the town had in preparation of a Memorial Day watchfire in honor of our country’s fallen veterans.

In Piermont, there are several art galleries that are fun to peruse (my favorite is the , from which I have two prints), and several restaurants. Happy Dog is founded by artist Lisa Grubb whose colorful artwork and graphics are recognized around the world. She has even written some children’s books.

After our walk, we decided to hit the in Nyack, where my husband and I had shared many a meal B.C. (before children). The colorful eatery has many healthy menu options, a penny candy rack and an ice cream counter. There, we shared dinner with our kids, got some frozen dessert at the ice cream counter, and finished out our visit by letting our kids pick out some candy from the penny candy rack. (Our candy bill came out to a very reasonable $1.25.)

We also visited , which is a funky mix of great toys for kids mixed in with ecologically friendly products and rock memorabilia. We didn’t have time to visit more stores, but in Nyack there are plenty of clothing and gift shops and art galleries.

On the way home, we were tired, but the kids were happy with what they said was quite a fun day.