Daytrip: The Hyde Collection

The Hyde Collection [161 Warren St., Glens Falls, NY] is currently running a beautiful art exhibit with enough warm, sunny landscapes to help you forget the snow, ice, and cold (for a little while...)

California Impressionism: Paintings from The Irvine Museum will include nearly sixty stunning paintings of California Impressionist art. Impressionism found fertile ground in California in the early twentieth century. Known as the "The Land of Sunshine" with its temperate climate and remarkable landscape, California was a popular locale for painters who worked en plein air, or out of doors, seeking to infuse their work with intense light and color.
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“Rarely are paintings of early twentieth-century California scenery exhibited at museums in the Northeast. This exhibition is an unparalleled opportunity for our region to view a selection of the finest examples of California Impressionist art from the largest collection of these works in the world,” said Erin B. Coe, chief curator at The Hyde.

There are fields of wildflowers, scenes of trees, gardens and mission yards, vivid ocean views. We arrived so snow-dazzled that we couldn't appreciate the colors, and had to wander around the historic house museum until our eyes adjusted.

This exhibit is well worth the one-hour drive. It's running through January 18th.

While you're in Glens Falls, I highly recommend Davidson Brothers Brewpub [184 Glen St.]. But be aware that they'll be closed from Jan. 4-11.