Closer Than You Think
22 Upstate Saturdays of Farms, Orchards, Cideries & Small Towns
Twenty-two day trips built from the Almanac's Farm Trails: where to stop, what to buy, and where to eat along the way.
Hudson Valley Almanac · About the editor
Books by the Almanac's Editor
I'm Devlin Foster, and I put the Almanac together. Along the way I've written guidebooks to this part of New York, many built from the same research. The Almanac itself is free and always will be; these are here for anyone who wants to go deeper.
Choose Your Own Saturday
15 Themed Trails to Cideries, Sugarhouses, Orchards & Makers
The companion to Closer Than You Think: themed trails for cider, maple, apples, cheese, and makers.
Catskill Waterfalls
A MeanderNY Field Guide
An honest field guide to Catskill waterfalls, with real hiking times, safety notes, and which ones are worth the drive.
The Catskills Fire Tower Challenge
A Completion Guide
Everything you need to climb all eight towers and earn the patch: round-trip times, a drive-and-cluster planner, and a printable log.
Trails That Say Yes
An Honest, Verified Guide to Wheelchair- and Low-Stamina-Friendly Trails in the Hudson Valley and Capital Region
Trails checked for surface, grade, and distance, for anyone who uses a wheelchair or just can't go far.
Hudson Valley Finds
A Real Guide to Antiquing Across Six Counties
Antiquing day trips with the stories behind the shops, plus a full directory.
Free & Legal Backcountry Camping North of the Catskills
A MeanderNY Field Guide
Where you can legally pitch a tent for free on the state land north of the Catskill Park.
Free
A Guide to Rambles from the Catskill Mountain House (1863)
Restored local history
A restored 1863 guidebook to the walks, waterfalls, and lookouts around the old Catskill Mountain House. Free to read.
Coming soon
Coming soon
Freezer Full
How to Buy a Half Cow, Quarter Beef, or Whole Hog from Hudson Valley Farms
How buying meat by the share works, what it really costs, and the farms that sell it.
Coming soon
Freezer Full: Mohawk Valley Edition
How to Buy a Half Cow, Quarter Beef, or Whole Hog from Mohawk Valley Farms
The same guide, with the farms and prices of Oneida, Herkimer, Madison, Otsego, Fulton, Montgomery, Schoharie, and Schenectady Counties.
Coming soon
Beyond the Eight
The Towers They Left Standing
Fire towers to visit after you've earned the Catskills patch: the ones in transition, the ones you can climb, and the ones that are gone.
Coming soon
Bad Weather Guide
Rainy-Day Things to Do in the Hudson Valley, Catskills & Capital Region
Tasting rooms, makers, museums, and bookshops for the days the weather doesn't cooperate.
Coming soon
Shelf Life
Indie Bookshops of the Hudson Valley, Catskills, and Capital Region
A guide to the region's independent bookshops, new and used.
Also by Devlin Foster
Cookbooks
The World Kitchen on a Budget
Global Recipes for Short Nights and Shorter Budgets
Household
When the Numbers Change
How to Keep a Household Going When Resources Get Tight