Local Lovelies: my countdown list (and a bonus trip to the Vanderbilt Mansion!)

Oh, March.  We are very fairly into 2010 now, and I've been shirking my new years resolutions long enough, at least as far as my petite blog is concerned - remember when it used to be about my adventures?  Yeah, me too.  As is turns out, the in-like-a-lion-out-like-a-lamb month also brings another milestone:  I'm officially entering the middle point of my final semester (I'm still counting time in semesters...) in the Hudson Valley and our little on-campus apartment. There's still so much to do!  Places I want to visit, things I want to see, adventures I want to go on...my Local Adventure to-do list has been stewing in my mind for the past several months, and I've narrowed it down to the following, at least for now...

1. Tour Olana just one more time
2. Early summer berry picking.  It's a must!  How often will I live 5 minutes from a fabulous you-pick berry patch?
3. Go for a walk at Burger Hill park.  Right down the road, why haven't I been there yet?
4. Hike to the top of Mt. Overlook.  We made it to the top two years ago in September and the view was spectacular, it's about time for another trip.  I think we'll wait for slightly warmer weather on this one.
5. Visit Herman Melville's Arrowhead in the Berkshires.  Only open Memorial Day through Labor Day.  I'll have to plan this one ahead!
6. An afternoon trip to Wilderstein.
7. Finally check out that antique shop just a couple of miles down the road.
8. Walk (or run) the rail trail across the river?  I've had a strange interest in rail trails ever since I ran one every day during our Cape Cod vacation a couple summers ago.  Aren't trains and railroads facinating?  Especially old ones.
9. More hikes in the woods on campus this Spring.  Hopefully this one will come easy.
10. Another visit to the Eric Carle Museum Picture Book Art...not exactly local, I know, but still within day-trip distance.

And a few things I've already checked off:

• An October trip to Sleepy Hollow and Legend Nights!  I love the story of Sleepy Hollow.
• Apple picking in the area - I don't think I've gone a single fall in the past 10+ years without going apple picking somewhere, but this was my first time in this area.
• Taking photos of my favorite local spots.
• And of course, this brings me to "visiting Vanderbilt Mansion at Christmastime," a goal we reached this past December!