Hudson Valley Rover Tours

29/05/2023

15/05/2023

Saturday May 27, 1 pm.
The Historic Hudson walking tour returns for its 5th season! Join our sibling company for our stroll through the historic and architectural wonders of The City of Hudson.
Details and reservations on www.bigonion.com

29/04/2023

Spending the afternoon at on a chilly damp day. Fireplace going. Group having beers and playing Uno!

29/04/2023

Todays pick up - a group of seven at a lovely airbnb in Hunter. Heading to

12/02/2023

Please vote for Hudson Valley Rover Tours!
The nomination round ends on Wednesday!

Check it out now!

29/01/2023

Small businesses supporting each other. Stopped for an amazing dinner at Trotwood Restaurant at Glen Falls House in Roundtop. Thanks to for the suggestion!!

15/01/2023

Sunday morning outing with a family. Combined history/sightseeing with a walk along a logging road. We were just below the ice line from the Friday rain/ice weather. Wonderful walking today. 25F/-4C. Bright sun and no wind.

14/01/2023

Help win the 2023 Readers Choice Award! Last year we were “Runner Up”
Please vote for us in the Guided Tour section of the “Nature and Outdoors” category. Those with the most nominations by Feb. 15 move on to the next round.

Link to Chronogram: https://m.chronogram.com/hudsonvalley/Chronogrammies/Page #//

Hudson Valley Rover Tours is the only tour company based in Greene County! We support numerous local and regional small businesses on our tours!

12/01/2023

Staying at this weekend?
Join me on Saturday afternoon for a Fireside Chat about the history of the Catskills. We will gather in the comfort of the Main Lodge of Windham’s newest hotel to talk about 200+ years of Catskill Mountain tourism (and other topics).
will be there too!

24/12/2022

Sunrise on the mountaintop. The wind has faded but the cold remains. -2F/-18C at the moment.
No outings today. So far just a little coffee, sleeping Labs, and some Chet Baker to start the day.

21/12/2022

As we brace for a polar vortex in the coming days many will start thinking about keeping ourselves, friends, family, and animals warm. It also a good time to think about ice. Now we can purchase is by the bag full, anytime of year. But ice was a luxury in America not too long ago. Here, in New York, there were more than 100 ice “factories” along the Hudson River between Poughkeepsie and Albany in the 1880s.
Tucked away in Stuyvesant, Columbia County, are the remnants of the 1885 R&W Scott Ice Company. Built 1885, the walls were two feet thick and the ice warehouse was 300 feet long. All that remains of the National Historic Landmark Site is the 85-foot brick chimney and shell of the powerhouse. The rest burned down in 1934. The outline of the warehouse is still visible.
Join us on a tour of Columbia & Greene Counties. The towns and cities are lovely, the history is everywhere!

19/11/2022

Todays Rover Tour made a stop at for afternoon beers. The setting was wonderful and the smell of the wood-burning fire pits fantastic.
The real highlight is the beer!

14/11/2022

Today is the last day to vote for Hudson Valley Rover Tours!
We have been nominated for "Best in the Hudson Valley" in the Nature & The Outdoors category.
PLEASE cast you vote today!!

Check it out now!

13/11/2022

Thoroughly enjoyed sharing the history of the Catskills with some guests at this afternoon. The weather cleared and we were able to enjoy the fireside chat around the fire pit.

11/11/2022

I’ll be speaking tomorrow afternoon at the about the history of the Great Northern Catskills. If any of our friends or fans are staying at the Wylder, come join us!
Talk with be fireside - indoors or outdoors depending on weather - hot chocolate and toddies will be served.
I’ve got some great stories and images to share!

20/10/2022

Halloween is coming! Soon!
Did you know that face masks were illegal in New York State between 1845 and 2000. Section 240.35(4) of the New York Penal Law dates back to the often forgotten Upstate New York Anti-Rent War of 1839-1845.
Essentially a feudal lease system dating back to the 17th century, the land tenants of the Patroon system of the Hudson Valley had enough with the death of Steven Van Rensselaer III in 1839. Upon his death his family inherited massive debt, thanks to the Panic & Crash of 1837. The family looked to pay the debt at the expense of the tenant farmers.
The tenants and their supporters protested and, to protect identities, dressed in sheepskin masks, deer antlers, fake tails, and colorful dresses. They armed themselves with farm implement and fi****ms. The dresses were often colorful calico prints, and they were called “Calico Indians”.
Occasionally the protests got violent. In 1845, Sheriff Green More and Deputy Osman Steele were shot and killed nee Andes, NY.
The tenants created a well-liked populist Antirenter Party in 1846.
Governor Silas Wright passed legislation outlawing masks and disguises in 1845. The law was lifted in 2020, to accommodate mask wearing during the Covid pandemic.
Image: “Calico Indians” posing for early photographer, 1845. Origin unknown.
#1845

19/10/2022

A scene from todays drive.
Cloudy, chilly, beautiful day in the Northern Catskills. Weekdays are quiet and peaceful. Great day for an outing!!

10/10/2022

Scenes from a perfect fall weekend! drove throughout The Great Northern Catskills. We took in the foliage, stopped at RSK Farm in Prattsville for pumpkins & gourds, ended the tour for Octoberfest snacks and beers at the creekside fire pits of
My passenger insisted I pose in the photos 😀

02/10/2022

According to the leaf watchers at foliage is starting! The September rains have put a slight dent in the drought conditions and we are all hopeful for some color this year!
Keep an eye out for as we tour the Great Northern Catskills and Hudson Valley over the next few weeks!

16/09/2022

Last night’s sunset, looking East, from Point Lookout. On a clear day it’s a five State view!

03/09/2022

is de-bugged and washed for tomorrows half-day outing of scenic Columbia and Greene Counties!

01/09/2022

Coming to Hudson this weekend? Our sibling company, , is offering a walking tour on Saturday afternoon:
The City of Hudson Almshouse to Asylum to The Hudson Female Academy to private residence to Hudson Orphan Asylum, and, for a while, the Hudson Area Library.
What is the history of this early 19th century, Federalist, building that resembles a Hudson Proprietors Home? Wait…what’s a Proprietor and they had special homes?
Join us on Saturday September 3 at 1 p.m. for our Historic Hudson Walking Tour to find out. We will explore the architecture, history, and evolution of Hudson, a 1785 Hudson River City that was founded by rum distilling, enslaving, Quakers from Nantucket and other parts of New England.
Tour is featured on our homepage!

31/08/2022

Savoring the last day of August.
As we approach September and then Fall is kitted out and ready to roll.
Book your Fall and early Winter adventure soon. Available dates are limited.

29/08/2022

Beautiful sunny day. Excellent espresso. Ready to roll on a day-long tour of the Catskills and Hudson Valley!

23/08/2022

The 1869 Saugerties Lighthouse. Lovingly maintained by the Conservancy. Located on the Hudson, at Esopus Creek.
The “Beehive” Fresnel was replaced by solar-powered LED in 1990. The light is visible for 5 nautical miles.
Easily included on a and accessible by half mile, easy, walk.
Book your late summer / early fall tour now. Available dates are limited.

20/08/2022

brought her humans for lunch at today. We think she wanted to see her cousin Gemma.

15/08/2022

Look for our new advertisement in on the website and online materials. Click the link to our recent article in the history of brewing and distilling.
Book a tour and we can visit some of our favorites!

25/07/2022

When the request is:
A great BLT with local bacon on homemade bread - leads the way to

20/07/2022

It isn’t often we lead a “Greene County Only” outing. Especially for part-time owners who express the desire to learn more about the County and stay off Route 23!
So we passed one is my favorite houses in Durham. “Redbrick”.”, the William Baldwin House. Circa 1812. A majestic example of early 19th century Federal style architecture. Made with local brick, six-over-six windows, and a fanciful fan window over the entry. The facade appears virtually intact from construction.
liked the color of the window shutters.
Our outings are for everyone - locals, part-timers, visitors.

10/07/2022

A big THANK YOU to all our friends and fans! won First Runner Up in the 2022 Readers’ Choice Awards!!!
is ecstatic!
We look forward to seeing many of you as we tour the back roads of the Hudson Valley and Catskills. Look for us at local historic and scenic places or when we visit local businesses.