In the Mid-Hudson Valley, Beacon, Red Hook, and Rhinebeck are the best towns for antiquing. Each has a couple of streets lined with good and interesting shops. In Beacon, now home to an exploding roster of antiques shops, gift stores, and galleries, Relic, 484 Main St. (tel. 845/440-0248), is the place for vintage housewares. Beacon Hill Antiques (474 Main St.; tel. 845/831-4577) peddles fine antiques while Past Tense Antiques, across the street at 457 Main (tel. 845/838-4255), offers well-priced antique and vintage pieces. Hoffman's Barn Sale in Red Hook, 19 Old Farm Rd. (tel. 845/758-5668), is an old barn with thousands of old, used, and antique items of varying quality. A particularly fine store in Rhinebeck is Asher House Antiques, 6380 Mill St. (tel. 845/876-1796), which deals in both elegant and country-rustic English and French pieces. Behind the Beekman Arms Hotel on Mill Street is the Beekman Arms Antique Market, with several dealers in an old barn (tel. 845/876-3477). Gold Goat, 6119 Rte. 9 (tel. 845/876-1582), is a small gallery with some cool pieces of American folk art. Rhinebeck hosts the Rhinebeck Antiques Fair, with three big shows annually featuring more than 200 dealers at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Route 9 (tel. 845/876-1989; www.rhinebeckantiquesfair.com). In Hyde Park the Hyde Park Antiques Center, 4192 Albany Post Rd. (tel. 845/229-8200), has 45 dealers and is open daily.
Those with a specific interest in arts and crafts should pick up the free Explore Dutchess County Crafts and Arts Trail brochure (available at many hotels, shops, and tourist information offices), which details more than two dozen craft shops and galleries on the east side of the Hudson, as well as craft shows.
A surprisingly good wine shop -- in a strip mall without much going on -- is Liquorama Wine Cellars, Hyde Park Mall, Route 9 (tel. 845/229-8177), with a number of coveted international wines and older vintages in stock.
