ok, call me the last to know, but Queens is home to the oldest continuously operating farm in New York state, appropriately called The Queens County Farm! and you can go there! feed the sheep, take a hay ride, buy local eggs, honey and WINE! check out the cows and watch the peacocks sneak peaks of themselves in your hubcaps. AND IT IS FREE!!!!!

in celebration of everything green, we headed over that way with a motley crew of kids, and our buddy Alison Lowenstein – writer extraordinaire (City Kid New York, City Baby Brooklyn and a frequent contributor to Time Out NY Kids).

we also headed to her favorite post farm hang, Eddie’s Sweet Shop – an authentic old timey ice cream store on Metropolitan Ave in Forest Hills. banana split so big and messy it took 5 kids (and me!) to devour it – and everything is home made from rum raisin ice cream to decadent whipped cream and caramel.

so, check out the show tonight @ 9pm on NYC Life! you will also get to check out my new electric Chevy Volt. just plug ‘er in and gooooooo! say buy-bye to paying at the pump! being green was never this cool!

This week we packed up the Traverse with my crew, some girlfriends and the kids and spent an incredible day in small town America.

Nestled in the heart of the Hudson Highlands, Cold Spring is less than an hour from NYC. It is the perfect place for city folk to flirt with 19th Century Americana, whether you are into antiquing or the natural beauty of the Hudson Valley. It is where hiking and kayaking are way of life. It’s also a place where the food is as good as the views. But before we get to all the fun, let’s get our facts straight!

On the East bank o the Hudson River just 50 miles north, the quant village of Cold Spring sits across the river from the United States Military Academy at West Point in the most scenic region of the Hudson Highlands. Now, in the 19th Century, this is where many well to New Yorkers called home. In fact, just 3 years before the village was established in 1846, Emily Roebling was born here to an upper middle class family. Back then the town enjoyed a booming industrial economy with the success of the West Point Foundry which became famous for the manufacture of the Parrott Cannon of Civil War fame and other munitions.

These days the community has shifted from its industrial past to tourism and Main Street is the focal point of this well-preserved National Historic District. And if you are looking to get you hands on a piece of the past, you have come to the right place, as antiquing is serious sport around these parts.

Now come the warmer weather, hikers come from far and wide to take on Break Neck Ridge, voted one of the best trails in the country. It is over 5 miles o challenging rock terrain for even the most seasoned Eagle Scout. The 4 or 5 hour hike is not recommended for height fearing folk prone to vertigo (like yours truly!!!). SO, if you are like me, you may want to take in the beauty of the Hudson Valley from the River instead.

That’s where Hudson Valley Outfitters comes into play. Located on Main St, they have the gear for everyone whether you are a beginner or advanced. They also lead magnificent guided kayak tours where you can check out the Wild Life or tour Bannerman’s Castle!

If you live in Connecticut or Westchester, you may already know of The Leatherman, a 19th century wanderer and vagabond who traveled a 350 mile route by foot appearing in the same town and same villages like clockwork. He wore a 60 pound suit made of leather scraps and this spring his body, buried in Ossining will be exhumed and his remains will be tested. Some say he had mercury poisoning, some say he was autistic, but scientists will answer the mystery this summer. Stay tuned…..

Where did Sammy Davis, Jr and Richard Nixon store their wine? In the secret underground vault at the 21 Club. We were given access to the very very private dining room and wine cellar located behind a secret door one flight below the kitchen.

These days you will pay a mint to rent the private dining room, but just when you walk in you can feel the party vibes of yesteryear. Check it out on the show tonight! 9pm, NYC Life.

Ok, so once again i have a house full of out of town relatives and being that the hubs can’t get time off of work…what’s a tv host to do? Take ‘em on a ROAD TRIP! I was working on my Rock And Roll Episode so, we loaded 7 of the Senecal/Shea clan into The Traverse and took off, heading to Bethel, NY to visit the site of the most famous concert of all time. You may not know that Woodstock did not actually happen in Woodstock. Originally, the idea was to create a retreat like recording studio in Woodstock, but then the idea eventually morphed into a live show. But….the questions remained….Why were The Beatles not invited? And why did Joni Mitchell drop out? Why did Led Zeppelin turn down an offer to play? Well, you are going to have to check out the show tonight to find out!

Also tonight, we are 1 on 1 with my Rock icon Joan Jett. Now, I think of her as a tough cookie, but what other Rock legend was she totally nervous to share the stage with? And who used to open for her when she was in The Runaways?

We sit down with our very own Little Steven who tells me about when he teamed up with The Boss, who at that time, believe it or not was a folk singer who was not experiencing much success….until that famous week of showcases at the legendary Bitter End. Well, you have to hear Stevie explain it himself, but let’s just say after those shows Bruce was on the cover of both Time and Newsweek with headlines proclaiming “Rock’s New Sensation” and “Making of A Rock Star”, respectively.

So check out the show tonight @ 9pm on NYC Life….Channel 25 unless you have Cablevision, then it’s Channel 22 xos t

    Ok, this week we had a great day trip…packed up the traverse and headed to Coach Farm where they make amazing artisan goat cheese. The farm manager rene put me to work and i found myself in perhaps the only situation in which one can say “massage the teet” and not get in trouble with the FCC!   

Then we headed to Rhinebeck which was just a short drive away. I wanted to see Beekman Arms – not only the oldest operating hotel in america, but also the highly publicized location of the biggest wedding of the year. You  may have heard of her, Chelsea Clinton.

After we soaked up the history of a town founded in the late 1600’s, we needed a sugar rush to power us for the ride home. we literally stumbled upon Samuel’s, a kitschy, nostalgic candy and coffee shop.

But when it comes to hand made chocolate,the owner Ira is serious! cranberry almond chocolate with grey sea salt sealed the deal. If it were just a wee bit close to the city, I could see myself setting up shop in Rhinebeck!

If you want to see where the headless horseman hung out, then head up to Tarrytown and visit The Old Dutch Church for yourself! built in the 17th century, time has stood still – you can wander the graveyard – and even see the burial ground of the famous Washington irving himself who wrote perhaps the most famous ghost story of all time. If you’re a techie, download the ipad tour app!

There is no cooler halloween to do then to check out The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze in Westchester County. 5,000 hand carved pumpkins light up the 19th century landscape at the historic Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-On-Hudson. We have made it a family tradition as evidenced by these photos with which I will one day able to blackmail my child with. For more info, click here!