Destinations Episodes

New York City has the energy, but Columbia County has the air. Two years moving here from just 20 minutes south in the Hudson Valley, host Mat Zucker still feels like a bit of a "cidiot" sometimes—always eager to explore more of the incredible 635 square miles of valley, hills, farms, and villages right in his backyard. In this special episode, produced in collaboration with Columbia County Tourism, Mat serves up a very personal seasonal guide. Whether you're a foodie chasing the ultima...

Just in time for Frederic Church’s 200th birthday, we’re taking you along for a "boots on" tour of the moving landscape he spent decades designing here in the Hudson Valley. I’m walking the carriage roads of the Olana Historic Site with Annik LaFarge, author of the new book Composing Olana: A Journey on Foot Through Frederic Church's Greatest Work of Art. It’s the first book about this thoughtful and artful landscape. You’ll hear the wind in the trees and the crunch of the gravel as we dis...

In this episode of Cidiot®, we explore the literal "connective tissue" of our region: the bridges. Host Mat Zucker is joined by Chris Steber, Public Information Officer for the New York State Bridge Authority, to discuss the five major vehicular crossings—from the "grand-daddy" Bear Mountain Bridge to the Rip Van Winkle. We dive into the fascinating history of these landmarks, including why Franklin D. Roosevelt vetoed the first attempt at a northern bridge, the "engineering epic" of the Mid-...

Do you love where you live? Mat sure does. Already a champion, advocate, even a shill for people moving to the Hudson Valley, Mat takes it to the next level by becoming a Certified Tourist Ambassador in Dutchess County. In this Cidiot® episode, you'll hear about the experience as well as advice for visiting from two other 'graduates.' Plus, there's a un/related story about a spider! Beacon (from Nicole) City of Beacon Bank Sq. Coffehouse Long Dock Park Dia: Beacon Dover Plains (from...

Why do we move here? To either open—or eat at—restaurants like Bimi's. And live in—or visit—towns like Chatham. This episode is about Bimi's Canteen, about Ellen & Chris, about a deliciously quaint village called Chatham, NY. Cidiot visits Bimi's, hears the story, the backstory and visits the restaurant and the downstairs speakeasy. As you'll hear from Ellen, the story of Bimi’s is heartwarming, their journey up here is illuminating, she has advice for people opening a business, why Bimi’s is...

Sometimes the show takes you to new places, and sometimes the way to get there is the destination. U.S. Route 9 is historic—for much of the portion in New York State, it's The Albany Post Road. Join Cidiot® for a very personal driving tour from Poughkeepsie to Kinderhook with sites, stops and history along the way. Be sure to see the surviving markers, a system developed by Ben Franklin, including the iconic 100-mile marker in Rhinebeck. Below are some of the places mentioned w/links for more...

Welcome to Season 6 of Cidiot®! I'm excited to talk about 700,000 acre-big Catskill Park, "America's First Wilderness," with Ryan Penny, owner of Camp Catskill in Tannersville, NY. In two parts, we'll cover what drew Ryan to the Catskills, about starting his store in Tannersville, spotting a cidiot, and about Catskill Park, including his four favorite spots "inside the blue line." We also get into Kaaterskill Falls and the controversy of its claim as the tallest waterfall in New York state. W...

A big part of why we love the Hudson Valley and Catskills is because of the farms and the animals. In this awesome, moving, eye-opening, and hilarious episode, you’ll meet the fabulous Kathy Stevens and hear how Catskill Animal Sanctuary in Saugerties got started and its mission. You’ll learn about Noodles, a blind horse named Buddy, and a cow named Tucker, what Kathy calls 'random acts of callousness' and about the Underfoot Family. “The tours change people,” Kathy explains. You’ll als...

Is there an equivalent for cidiots in Maine? Yes there is! In fact, Mainers have their own dictionary of phrases I was excited to learn on our two-week vacation. It got me thinking about doing nothing and doing everything. I'll share my update on our to-do list and Robinson Greig sends in an update from Greig Farm. Other links: Discover Upstate Art Weekend July 22-24, 2022. Info here. Thanks to our sponsor Hudson Valley Kitchen and Design Center. Mention Cidiot for $500 off your projec...

Let's go further north. Health. History. Horses. And culture. Cidiot has a one-on-one conversation with Elizabeth Sobol, President and CEO of Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC). You’ll hear about Elizabeth’s journey to leading SPAC, her discovery and full on love of Saratoga, what’s on this season, from jazz to the ballet — plus a delicious innovation “Choreographer’s Feast “ — dancers do eat! And in part three, Elizabeth shares her recommended itinerary of where to go for a weekend in Sarat...

The Chronogrammies weren't always reader's choice, but luckily they are now. This episode, Mat reviews Chronogram magazine's 3rd Annual Chronogrammies finalists category by category with his picks for your vote—and why. From Arts & Entertainment and Retail to Nature & Outdoors, Shelter, Health & Wellness, and even People. You'll hear his top picks including Adams Fairacre Farms, Ashokan Resevoir, Bangallworks, Clermont, Citiot, Giobatta, Graham & Co., Greig Farm, Oblong Books, Olana Historic ...

Cidiot is about being new in and acclimating to country life. So what happens if you, say, move to south Florida for a few months and try to fit in there? In this special episode, you'll find out. Mat shares his eight observations comparing life in Florida to the Hudson Valley, including a guest voice: his brother-in-law's brother-in-law Irwin Levy, who is active in the East Hampton Trails Preservation Society. Tune in for some laughs and, of course, warmth. Shout outs to Tim Hurley and cousi...

There are seven remaining lighthouses on the Hudson River. Come with me as we learn about them, their purpose, their vocabulary, and a few stories. We're very lucky to also get some background and history directly from Sarah Wassberg Johnson of the Hudson River Maritime Museum. Thanks for listening to Cidiot, a podcast by Mat Zucker. Winner of Chronogram's 2021 Chronogrammie for best regional podcast and listed among "8 Hudson Valley Podcasts Perfect for All-Day Listening" by Hudson Valley Ma...

In this episode Mat relishes the dedication of a bronze bust of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt in Tivoli and how they now share a hometown. It's also the big move out of NYC and the first weekend as full-timers. Wait til you hear listener Kristin's advice. Cidiot® has been featured on Hudson Valley Magazine's "8 Hudson Valley Podcasts for All-Day Listening," and in Chronogram's "6 Hudson Valley Podcasts You Should Listen To." For updates, visit cidiot.com, join our facebook page at facebook.com...

Mat sneaks off to Kingston and New York City for a hit of culture. Thanks to Chronogram for choosing Cidiot as one of "6 Hudson Valley Podcasts You Should Listen To." Thanks to our sponsor. Be sure to rate us in the podcast store. Want to send a voicemail? Download + send via the Anchor app. Visit our podsite at cidiot.com and contact Mat via goats@cidiot.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/cidiot/message