The Great Western Catskills Offers Holiday Shopping with a Country Flair

DELHI, NY (12/04/2009)(readMedia)-- The mountains mean different things to different people. Some are recreation minded and sporting equipment makes a great holiday present. Others love the artisan works inspired by the shapes and colors found in nature here. The best place to get them something that reflects their passion for the mountains is in the mountains.

Main Street Merchants and General Stores

On or just off of State Highway 28 halfway between Kingston and Cooperstown, you'll find great clusters of shopping on the main streets of the Western Catskills. Andes boasts the most retail outlets for any town which you can see on their website at www.andesnewyork.com. Franklin's main street showcases wonderful antiques amidst its stunning collection of Victorian homes. Delhi and Margaretville www.centralcatskills.org continue in their historical roles as commerce centers for the county. The Bookstore Village of the Catskills www.bookstorevillage.com is located in Hobart and provides multiple stores to shop for the always appreciated literary gift.

General stores are turning into more than a place for an emergency quart of milk. Lucky Dog Farm Store in Hamden has wonderful vintage country clothing, unique dry goods, great candy for stocking stuffing. In addition to their own veggies, they offer other local produce items, and are now serving lunch too. Masonville General Store works with area artisans to display their wares and is home to the Crescent Wrench Caf. Bovina General Store showcases Bovine crockery and local music talent such as the Future Farmers of America. Just up the road at Heaven on Main Street you can place an order for boxes of delectable holiday chocolates and on Saturdays and Sundays have a wonderful vegetarian breakfast or lunch. On the way out of town, stop by a Christmas tree farm in Bovina and pick up your holiday tree.

Fiber and fabric

What could be nicer than a basket full of locally raised wool, spun in to delightful yarns for the knitter on your list. Dunk Hill Alpacas in Walton sell yarn from the farm. Yarns and fabrics can be found between Delhi and Delancey at Highland Springs Farm. For those who work with fabrics, Where Quilters Gather in Walton attracts people from all over the region to stock up and explore their amazing quilting supply store and just up the street at the Country Emporium you can find more fabrics and gifts.

For the collector in the family

Art galleries have been popping up all over the county lately. Don't think that a piece of art is out of your price range for a holiday gift. Have a few friends or family members pool their money and you will have a gift that is unique. Roxbury hosts the Roxbury Arts Group, Stamford hosts The Gallery, Margaretville's long time art gallery is the East Branch Art Gallery, now joined by the newly open Longyear Gallery, as well as the Catskill Mountain Artisans Collective store. Andes, long the home to Chace Randall Gallery, now boasts Sixty One Main, Cooperative Art Store of Andes, and Andes Art Antiques. Delhi now boasts its first art gallery at Delhi Art Antiques. For an easy to navigate route to art and antique stores, download the Art and Antique directory from www.greatwesterncatskills.com or call 866-775-4425 and have a copy mailed to you. You can see the complete list of stores at www.catskillsartandantiques.com.

What to get the outdoorsperson who has everything

For enthusiasts of any sport you can never have enough quality supplies. If someone on your list is into fishing then a visit to Hancock is a must stop on your Catskills shopping trip. A new pair of waders, some new flies, a great book on fishing the Catskills will delight and it also makes for a fine lunch stop at the Blue Stone Grill or Hancock House Hotel. The newly opened Walton Variety Store stocks fishing and camping gear, right near great main street gift stores for the rest of your list. If you're tired of buying equipment for your outdoor fanatic, think into the future with a gift certificate for a day with a professional fly fishing guide from Grey Ghost Guide Service, an afternoon's bird hunt at the West Branch Angler, or even a golf lesson with the pro at French Woods or the Golf Course at SUNY Delhi. Stuff that stocking with the biggest little gift there is - a season lift ticket to skiing at Plattekill Mountain in Roxbury. Or try their $59 Value Card that gives you midweek, weekend and holiday discounts.

Shop for holiday meals too

Pack a cooler and ice in the trunk of your car and shop for your holiday meals while you're out and about. The holiday ham or heritage breed turkey never tasted so good when raised on a family farm. These delicious and healthy pasture raised, grass fed meats and poultry can be found most places in the county. The best resource for planning head is to check out the Pure Catskills buy local website at www.buypurecatskills.com and search for a farm like Stone and Thistle in East Meredith where you can buy beef, pork, lamb, goat, rabbit, chicken, as well as organic goats milk yogurt, chevre, and goats milk fudge. Stock up on local cheeses too. Sherman Hills sells off their farm in Franklin as does Harpersfield Cheese. Brovetto's Cheese House in Jefferson does a tour of their cheese cave that is not to be missed. And real maple syrup is always a welcomed gift from Shaver Hill Maple in Harpersfield. Short on time? One stop shop for local products at Lucky Dog Farm in Hamden, The Market Basket in Arkville, and Good Cheap Food in Delhi.

Learn more about the Western Catskills

For more information on all these stores and travel to the Great Western Catskills visit www.greatwesterncatskills.com. For information on events, visit www.delawarecountytoday.com. For a free travel guide call 866-775-4425.