A TOUR OF THE HUDSON VALLEY, POST THE MARCH WEEKEND SNOW STORMS

Welcome to Everything Croton, a collection of all things Croton--our history, our homes, our issues, our businesses, our schools, our houses of worship, in short, EVERYTHING CROTON. 

Well the first weekend of March saw the Hudson Valley hit with not one but two snowstorms, both of which thankfully did not have the dire impacts that were predicted.  What the snow did not have in volume however, it made up for by being very heavy, very wet, and very beautiful--although somewhat ephemeral.  

We were happy to see that power outages in our area were minimal, and everything--schools, businesses, trains and roads--were back to normal, more or less.  And so....your editor and the elves headed out in different directions, cameras in hand....click on the photos and links (in no particular order) for....

A TOUR OF THE HUDSON VALLEY, POST THE MARCH WEEKEND SNOW STORMS

Fortified with take-out coffee and danish from Croton Colonial a.k.a. "The Diner"--and a gorgeous view of the Duck Pond too--we headed out on Route 9, following the eagles and hawks--they were everywhere!--along the way. 

The highway had been cleared and salted and it was smooth sailing...unfortunately, some town and village streets, while also clear, were in terrible condition as far as potholes go.  Until hopefully repaired, be on the look-out! 

(Meanwhile, the Town of Cortlandt has set up a pothole hotline in case you missed it for their roads.)

As many of you know, Snow Geese are not common in these parts. 

Since the late fall, however, a juvenile Snow Goose has taken up residence with the mallards and Canadian Geese in the Verplank area.  

And it now travels very happily with the Canadas who--pun intended--seem to have taken him (or her) under their wing.  Quite a vocal goose too....For more about Snow Geese, click here.

Eagle watching season will soon be winding down but as long as there is snow (and river ice) there are still plenty of opportunities to see them throughout the month--at Croton Point, George's Island and Verplanck.  

We got the lucky shot below in Montrose yesterday. p.s. Don't forget your eagle etiquette--pay attention please!  No un-necessary noise, use binoculars or a spotting scope instead of trying to get closer, avoid roosting areas, etc.!

Some of the Everything Croton Elves who were looking forward to pizza and a pitcher of beer at Paradise Restaurant in Verplanck, were disappointed when they forgot it was closed on Mondays!

Rest assured...they'll be back.  

Because Paradise has some amazing food and an excellent thin crust pizza.  It's throwback Italian food that's  unpretentious, satisfying and classic.  

And for those who don't know, the "Paradise" has been in business for over 70 years.  

And it is home to the MOST AMAZING AND VERY TRADITIONAL ITALIAN CREAM PUFFS.   These are the kind you can still find on Arthur Avenue.

See their newly updated--and so much easier to navigate--website at https://www.paradiseverplanck.com/

With the Paradise closed and eagles still to be seen at the Peekskill waterfront, the Elves had lunch at the Westchester Diner.  (Older residents will know it as the Peekskill Diner a.k.a. The Bypass Diner.)  

They were not disappointed--the Louisiana Souvlaki and Tuna Melt Sandwiches are highly recommended.  Excellent service and reasonably priced too. Check out their website here.

As for your editor and company, we headed off to run errands--stopping for the take-out Baked Potato Soup at Giovanni's Italian American Deli--a woman-owned business on Croton Point Avenue that has made the Everything Croton "Must-Try" lists on numerous occasions!

Of course, we couldn't resist the need for something "green"--and yes, SHAMROCK PLANTS and more from Croton's Shoprite.

p.s. Don't forget to pick up Baked by Susan's Irish Soda Bread while you still can!