Nostalgia And More
Peace, Love, Music, Camping
In August 1969, a crowd of 400,000 to 500,000 young people came together for a music festival on a farm in Bethel, New York, that ended up being written into the story of their generation. In a time of uncertainty and conflict, the Woodstock Festival was promoted as “Three Days Of Peace and Music.”
Today, Bethel Woods Center For The Arts, located at the site of the historic festival, hosts live musical concerts and events and recently added camping as an option for those attending performances.
The camping facilities were unveiled in January 2024 and include RV sites among the offerings. Camping is available during the concert season, which runs from May to October, and spots can be reserved as an add-on to admission for any performance or event when purchasing tickets. You must have a valid concert ticket to purchase a camping space. The RV camping area is located less than half a mile from the event pavilion, and shuttles are available for guests who require transportation assistance. Spots with and without hookups are available, depending on the package chosen.
The center has multiple event venues. The Pavilion amphitheater is considered one of the best outdoor concert venues in the Catskills. It has covered seating for 5,000 and lawn seating for 11,000 more. A second location, the Event Gallery, provides an intimate indoor setting for performances.
The Museum at Bethel Woods serves to preserve the original festival site, which is now on the National Register of Historic Places, and to educate visitors about the music and culture of the Woodstock era. The museum is open daily from April 1 through December 31 between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Various tours of the historic site are available as well; dates and times for those vary.
Details
Bethel Woods Center For The Arts
200 Hurd Road
Bethel, NY 12720
bethelwoodscenter.org
(845) 583-2000
Music
Martin Guitar Museum
By Josephine Matyas, F468364
The legendary Woodstock Festival is celebrated with museum exhibits, concerts, and now camping at Bethel Woods Center For The Arts.
Bethel Woods Center For The Arts
Strummed by Civil War soldiers, musical icons, and everyday players, Martin guitars and other instruments are crafted in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, where a museum tells their 200-year story.
From the guitar-making workshop of a single craftsman in the mid-19th century to the one millionth guitar sold by 2004, the worldwide popularity of Martin instruments multiplied. The fascinating story is told at The Martin Museum in the small Pennsylvania town of Nazareth. When Christian Frederick Martin left Germany and immigrated to America in 1833, he brought with him the family traditions of cabinet making and woodworking. Martin quickly established a reputation as a quality guitar maker, and his small factory was doing a robust business hand-building several dozen instruments each year. He mechanized the workshop in 1887, a significant step for a company that had only used hand tools for 54 years. The museum’s display cases — rich with instruments and archival photos — follow the hops and jumps of the past 200 years. Guitars and ukuleles, being much more portable than pianos, grew quickly in popularity.
The museum tracks a timeline from the 1800s through the golden era of the 1930s and ’40s when Martin guitars took center stage with old-time ballad, blues, and cowboy singers such as Gene Autry. In the early 1950s, Elvis blasted into fame with his leather-covered Martin dreadnought (featuring a percussive rhythm and powerful acoustic design) and a musical style that melded blues and country to launch what we now call rock and roll. By the mid-1960s, Martin production was backordered by almost three years. Sales soared again when Martin guitars found their way into the hands of music legends such as Simon & Garfunkel, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, and Willie Nelson. Their iconic instruments pack the glass display cases that line the museum walls.
If you find yourself lusting for a look into the marriage of state-of-the-art engineering and the beauty of nature, sign up for the hour-long factory floor tour. It’s the perfect follow-up to a stroll through guitar, banjo, and ukulele history in the museum. During the tour, visitors get a close look at craftspeople next to their workbenches, using everything from computer-designed laser cutting to meticulous hand sanding. It’s a 21st-century fusion of Old World, time-honored techniques with supersonic, ultramodern technology. And a pleasure for the senses.
The Martin Museum
510 Sycamore St.
Nazareth, PA 18064
martinguitar.com
(888) 433-9177
Hammocking
Just Hanging Out
What could be better than relaxing in a hammock, enjoying time outdoors with your favorite book or person?
If you’re looking for a relaxing way to spend time while RVing, try “hammocking,” also known as “mocking.” Hammocks have been around for hundreds of years, but more recently they’ve been part of a trend among young people, a hobby to be enjoyed solo or with friends. Hammocking can be pursued by folks of all ages, of course, and you don’t need much equipment. Like RVing, it’s a fun activity for a group of friends or family members. You can even purchase a multiperson hammock for cozying up with someone — or to make room for your furry friend.
Lightweight, portable hammocks are available. They can be set up anywhere, regardless of terrain. You’ll first want to make sure the campground or area you are in doesn’t have any rules prohibiting hammocking. The easiest way to hang a hammock is to find two trees sturdy enough to hold the weight of anyone who’ll be using it. And you’ll want to take care not to damage the trees. So, you’ll need tree straps made for this purpose. Follow the instructions that came with the hammock or the straps for hanging. Make sure it’s secure before trying it out.
When you hang the hammock, you won’t want it to be stretched straight. The rule of thumb says that your bottom should be 18 inches or so from the ground — about knee height. If no trees are available, you might want to invest in a portable hammock stand.
Some people like to sleep overnight in a camping hammock. RV owners may not want to go that far, but a hammock sure makes a nice spot for hanging out or resting during the day. Read a book, listen to music, watch a movie, chat with friends, take a nap . . . At night, a hammock makes a great spot for stargazing. But don’t feel obligated to do anything while you’re “mocking” — the real goal may be to take some time to do nothing at all.