Our Hudson Valley Experience

We have a very personal experience that we repeat every year as an annual tradition. It's become a great experience for us, something that we look forward to every year, and I'd love to share it with you.

Every October, we take a road trip up the Hudson Valley. For those of you not familiar with New York geography, the Hudson Valley is the string of small towns that dot the Hudson River, just north of New York City, along the eastern side of the river. Some towns are quite big, some small, some very rural, some getting a bit commercial. Each one a little bit different.

The Hudson Valley is beautiful, particularly as the weather gets cooler and the leaves start to change (although not this year - too warm!). We do some antique shopping, have lunch, and often visit a vintage estate or two from the Rockefeller or Vanderbilt families.

Our Hudson Valley journey has become a tradition for us. An experience that we look forward to every year, that is uniquely ours. And the best part is that we always have dinner at what has become my favorite restaurant in the world.

This restaurant is not in Paris or Rome or even Manhattan. It's in Rhinebeck, NY of all places and it's called Gigi Trattoria. The place is awesome. Can't even tell you why, it's just the total experience. The food is freshly prepared, the service is warm and attentive, the scene is buzzing with excitement, and they always seem to remember us from year to year.

The Gigi experience is completely ours and it is incredibly consistent not only from year to year and entree to entree, but also incredibly consistent with the Hudson Valley. It's hard to separate the two in our minds. Fresh local ingredients, wait staff from the local culinary school, locals who tell you all the hots spots to visit -- that kind of thing. The Hudson Valley has become a brand to us, adding value to our lives unlike any other experience. With Gigi's Trattoria at the center.

The key is to get your brand to give your consumers the same level of meaning!

What's your experience? Jim.