Back in September, Lotuff artisan and blog writer Vicky spent a gorgeous weekend in upstate New York and was kind enough to chronicle her trip here! With a few Lotuff bags by her side, plenty of orchards were explored, sandwiches eaten, and local artists met. We think it's worth sharing again, so in her words, here are the details of a few days spent with Vicky and her sweet family in and around Germantown.  

Three hours from Lotuff’s studio in Providence, Rhode Island, among a landscape of willows and open spaces, lies the beautiful Germantown, New York. True to its other Hudson Valley neighbors, the blue-gray silhouette of the Catskill Mountains provide the stunning backdrop to the most fertile foothills and picturesque farmlands. 

The Hudson Valley is one of my family’s most favorite places to be. So for Labor Day weekend, I overpacked us for a fun end-of-summer adventure of “glamping” at the magical Gatherwild Ranch.

This ranch was imagined and opened in August 2016 by Laura Sink, who moved upstate from Brooklyn. She runs it with her partner, Paul Jacobsen, who is responsible for having built the rustic and bucolic gypsy caravan that is used for guests alongside the four yurts on the property. Paul and my husband Charlie met in 2001 in NYC when they were both working for artist Jeff Koons and later for Rudolf Stingel. Many things have changed since then, including Charlie having moved out of Brooklyn and grown a family, and Paul now splitting his time between the city, upstate, and Colorado.

Upon arrival we took in deep, thankful breaths of the country air, hugged our friends, and began exploring the farm and orchard. One of the most favorite spots for our littles was in the rattan and hammock swings that hung from one of the apple trees.

After getting settled into our beautifully appointed yurt—complete with sheep rugs, copious amounts of wool blankets, homemade bunting, and the delightfully stylish sleeping bags by Love Nomadic—we said a much-anticipated hello (in English and goat screams...our children have major skills in this area) to our sheep neighbors, and then headed into town to get some supplies. 

Lotuff’s amazingly spacious Trunk Duffle would have fit all the clothes our family of five would have needed for the weekend, had I not over-packed! What an amazing bag for traveling with a small herd!

To our delight, Otto’s Market had everything we could have asked for, including local eggs and meat, local and craft beers for mommy and daddy, penny candy for the littles, and a creaky wooden floor that caused our eldest, Eliot, to pause in his hunt for snacks, turn to me and wistfully say, “[sigh…] I just love country stores.” A country mouse at heart, like his momma. Otto’s Market proved to be our go-to for almost everything for the next three days, including their delicious sandwiches that we took with us the following day on our picnic lunch to Dale’s Bridge and swimming hole.

For dinner that night, we drove over to Tivoli, NY and walked past one of our favorite places, Hotel Tivoli, and its in-house restaurant, The Corner. Choosing to spare their clientele the growing attitudes of three hungry, travel-weary, s’more demanding children, we opted to not treat ourselves to one of their artisanal cocktails whilst sitting at the bar under my most favorite chandelier of all time. Quick kid dinner it was, and back to the campsite for friends, campfire, and the much anticipated s’more making! 

This is the face of a little girl who never wants to leave the swings.

Early Saturday morning we began our day by cycling through the orchard paths under apple and peach tree boughs. The kids later roasted freshly harvested peaches over the open campfire with Paul. Following the requisite visit to the swings, we drove the mile into the Hamlet of Germantown to explore some more. While Charlie and the boys went into Otto’s to grab picnic sandwiches, Birdie and I wandered across the street and were immediately drawn into Michael Robbins’s furniture studio. 

Robbins is a furniture maker extraordinaire who so kindly spent some time talking with me about his work and process, while Birdie enjoyed some kindred moments with his delightful partner, Olga (a.k.a. Birdie’s new best friend). As they bonded, so did my Lotuff pieces with Michael’s work!

This chair! This bench! This stool! Oh my! I seriously could have relaxed in that chair all day, and it’s currently on my very short list of covetable items.

Leaving our new friends to their beautiful work, we ventured out to Dale’s Bridge and swimming hole to picnic and splash in the water a bit. There and back, we befriended some glorious llamas, or “country giraffes” as the Daddy calls them, and some tiny toads. 

Back at the ranch we so enjoyed a Gatherwild Cob Oven Pizza Party complete with freshly harvested veggies and herbs from Laura and Paul’s enormous garden! Harvest season in the Hudson Valley cannot be beat! Laura and Paul also treated all their guests to a few delicious local brews from Suarez Family Brewery. 

Sunday we relaxed all morning in the yurt to the sound of the rain, and then made our way to Murray’s for brunch. A trip to Tivoli wouldn’t be complete without some trainspotting, so down to the tracks we went as a couple of Amtrak trains flew past us at 90mph, with mommy’s heart in her throat! (Why can’t my children have a safer hobby?)

For the next couple hours of rain, and while I enjoyed a bit of quiet time in the yurt with Eliot playing Scrabble, Oliver and Birdie spent time in the farmhouse with Laura making music and playing with her sheep collection and building with Paul and Daddy in the yoga studio. 

We found Gatherwild to be very special with their evening get-togethers around the communal outdoor kitchen and campfire. Everything was shared, and time was spent with old and new friends. After sharing one last dinner and campfire, we said our goodbyes, packed our jammied littles into the car and headed for home on a long, late drive. For all of our trips to the Hudson Valley, our only regret is that we, again, missed eating at Gaskins!

Gatherwild seems to draw in people who are craving an experience of connection; to the land, to nature, to the sky and stars, and to humanity. We feel blessed to have been able to share space with all we did for the days of our visit. Thank you, Laura, for this very special place that you’ve created. We will be back often.

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