Monroe & Orange County Trivia
Many people have no idea we exist. When you think about New York, all you think about is New York City. Actually, Monroe is only 50 miles from the City and offers a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of city life. Orange County encompasses over 800 square miles and within that area are towns and villages, villages that were founded in the early 1700s.
Did you know:
Harness Racing began in Goshen. The Harness Racing Museum is located on the main street in Goshen and the track is still used to train the pacers and trotters. They actually have harness racing events every year that coincide with the Goshen street fair held around July 4th.
West Point Military Academy is in Orange County, residing on prime, scenic property along the Hudson River. Outdoor concerts are held on several weekends throughout the summer. Pack a picnic, blanket and/or lawn chairs and enjoy the view while listening to live music on the banks of the Hudson River! It doesn't get much better than that. West Point is open to the public - there are scheduled bus tours and a military museum which traces the development of artillery throughout history.
The home of Velveeta Cheese is Monroe. A Cheese Festival is held every year in September in celebration of its claim to fame!
The Brotherhood Winery, located in Washingtonville, is the oldest continually operating winery in the country. They made church wine during the Prohibition! Not as well known as the California Wine Country, there is a wine trail that you can follow. Special events are scheduled throughout the year including the popular Holiday Event in December. One of my favorite wineries is the Warwick Valley Winery where you'll find a tasting room, a cafe and live music on most weekends. There's also an apple orchard for apple picking in the fall.
You can walk parts of the Appalachian Trail through the village of Greenwood Lake . And Greenwood Lake is the only lake in Orange County that allows motorized boats; it's 10 miles long and half of it is in New York - the other half is in New Jersey!
Home of the ORANGE COUNTY CHOPPERS. Currently located in Montgomery, they have just announced that they'll be building a new $13.4 million dollar factory in Newburgh. The City of Newburgh is located on the banks of the Hudson River and is considered a key site during the Revolutionary War. Yes, George Washington did sleep here!
Goshen holds an annual Jazz Festival in the summer.
