Hi, I’m Michella!

Phone mockup featuring an Instagram reel highlighting Old Tavern Farm Tea House and Flower Cafe in Stillwater NY

I’m passionate about celebrating the places, faces, and flavors that make the Capital Region, the Hudson Valley, and beyond so special.

Follow Along on Instagram

As your local insider, I uncover the hidden gems, hometown favorites, and small businesses that give each town its unique character. From unforgettable dining experiences and charming small towns to family-friendly adventures and weekend getaways, I share authentic stories and trusted recommendations that help you explore more, support local, and discover what makes each town worth celebrating.

your local insider

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hidden gems

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hometown favorites

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small businesses

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your local insider • hidden gems • hometown favorites • small businesses •

Part storyteller, part community connector, and always your local insider.

I'm obsessed with helping people discover the small businesses and small towns worth exploring, supporting, and celebrating. Through authentic content and meaningful partnerships, I've built a platform that shines a light on the local aspects of our community that make the Capital Region, Hudson Valley, and beyond such incredible places to live, work, and visit.

Let's Explore Local Together

From hidden gems and local favorites to unforgettable experiences and inspiring entrepreneurs, I believe every community has stories worth sharing, and I'm honored to help tell them.

A person holding a pint of beer in a glass with "PATHFINDER" branding at a bar or brewery.
Phone mockup featuring an Instagram reel highlighting a pilates, pizza, and prosecco event
Phone mockup featuring an Instagram reel of Lake George NY, showing the lake with a white sailboat with mountains and blue sky behind it

Trusted by Local Favorites

These local businesses represent some of the incredible people, places, and brands I've had the privilege of partnering with over the years. Each one brings something unique to its community, and I'm proud to help share their stories with my audience.

Cute illustration of a smiling tomato with a face and a leafy green top on an orange background.
Logo for the Albany Chefs' Food & Wine Festival, titled 'Wine & Dine for the Arts,' presented by Bank of America.
A logo features a brown circle background with two large, stylized white letter 'B's connected at the bottom, with a small white comma-like shape to the left of the linked 'B's.
Logo with the text 'Body Be Well' and the subtitle 'Pilates Equipment Maintenance'
Druthers Brewing Company logo in white, with Druthers written in the shape of a bottle, on a black background
Logo for Bimi's Canteen & Bar with stylized text
Coffee cup with steam, circular badge with tags 'Cappuccino,' 'Espresso,' 'Bagels,' 'Deli,' and 'Broad Street Bagel Co.'
Logo for Buttonball Inn featuring an alien face within an ornate frame on a dark green background.
The text 'BUY IN GREENE' with 'BUY' and 'GREENE' in green and 'IN' in yellow.
Logo for Cannonball Factory in Hudson, NY, featuring a line drawing of a building on an orange background.
Black text on white background reads 'casale gals' with a stylized font.
Logo for Chatham Brewing, a brewery located in Chatham, NY.
Columbia County Tourism logo with icons representing water, food, entertainment, theater, and outdoor activities, and text that reads "Columbia County Tourism, New York, columbiacountytourism.org".
A colorful geometric background with the text "VISIT HUDSON NY.COM" in large white and purple letters.
Discover Saratoga logo, written in white on a dark blue background
Curamia Tequila logo in orange text on a white background.
Logo of Del's Roadside with blue and white text and a red accent.
Logo for Dinosaur Bar-B-Que featuring a green dinosaur holding a spatula, with a red and black circular background and text
Logo for Hudson Valley Distillers featuring a house with the text 'Hudson Valley Distillers, Time Well Spent, Upstate NY, 2014'.
Logo with large black letters 'HCW' and the words 'Hudson - Chatham - Union' arranged in a semi-circle around the letters.
Logo for Isola Wine & Tapas with stylized text and a cream background.
Logo of James Newbury Hotel in Coxsackie, NY, featuring a stylized bird in flight.
Logo with the text 'Julia Jame PILATES' and a butterfly symbol
Logo for La Bella restaurant featuring a green circular seal and red stylized text reading "La Bella" with the tagline "Authentic Italian Cuisine" and the establishment year "2001."
Logo for Lake Bound Bookstore with a sailboat icon, established in 2025
Logo of le Perche bakery and bar featuring two swans on a dark blue background.
Logo for Miranda's Deli with black background, white decorative border, and red text
Logo with a navy blue outline of a triangular shape resembling the state of Maine, a large stylized letter 'N' and a small '1927' inside.
Logo of New York State Brewers Association featuring a beer bottle, hop, and brewing elements
Circular logo with the words "Old Dutch Inn" written in pinkish font inside the circle. The circle has decorative floral designs on the sides.
Logo with circular design featuring text about Sand Lake Merchant, established in 1850 and revived in 2022.
Logo for Saratoga Arms Hotel with decorative emblem and elegant script font.
A circular logo with the handwritten word 'guy' inside.
A black silhouette of a cat lying down with its tail curled over its body and looking up.
Logo of SUNY Oneonta with a black line drawing of a building and the institution's name in bold red text.
Elegant logo for The Field Shop featuring botanical illustrations with leaves and flowers, and cursive text
A large red letter Q on a white background.
Logo for 'The Sip Society' featuring stylized text with a steaming coffee cup illustration and 'Est. 2025'
Sign for Thomas Pest Services with large brown text on a black background
Circular logo with a sun and mountain design, text reads 'Tierra Farm EST 1999 Certified Organic'.
Logo of Upper Depot Brewing Co. with a stylized train steam engine.
Logo for Upstate Wine and Spirits Co., featuring a wine glass with a landscape inside.
Logo for Villa Italia Pasticceria featuring a moka pot, with the text "Villa Italia Pasticceria" and the year "1965".
A circular logo with a black background and a gold outline. Inside the circle, the words 'VILLAGE YOGA' are written in gold, with 'VILLAGE' above 'YOGA'. Below the circle, the words 'KINDRED HOK N' are written in a curved manner. At the top of the ci
Black text reading "wellness on Delaware" with a black infinity symbol underneath, all on a white background.
Farmers & Sons Boarding & Barroom logo with black and gold text
Bear's Cup Bakehouse logo written in black with a bear with a mug, on a white background
Hotel Brookmere & Arbor Spa logo in dark blue, with an owl surrounded by orange foliage
Hudson Boulders logo, with Hudson Boulders written in blue and a stylistic H and B made up of 2 square shapes and 2 half-curved shapes with mountains and a river within them
Kinetic Fitness logo in black on a white background
Kurver Kream Ice Cream logo, with Kurver Kream written in a red script font with a red circle with an ice cream cone behind it
The Aviary Kinderhook logo, written in black
The Yard Hatchet House and Bar logo, with The Yard written on a grass background and two hatchets in a criss-cross pattern above it
Black text on white background reads 'casale gals' with a stylized font.
The text 'BUY IN GREENE' with 'BUY' and 'GREENE' in green and 'IN' in yellow.
Columbia County Tourism logo with icons representing water, food, entertainment, theater, and outdoor activities, and text that reads "Columbia County Tourism, New York, columbiacountytourism.org".
Logo for Cannonball Factory in Hudson, NY, featuring a line drawing of a building on an orange background.
Logo for La Bella restaurant featuring a green circular seal and red stylized text reading "La Bella" with the tagline "Authentic Italian Cuisine" and the establishment year "2001."
Logo of Del's Roadside with blue and white text and a red accent.
A colorful geometric background with the text "VISIT HUDSON NY.COM" in large white and purple letters.
Logo for Hudson Valley Distillers featuring a house with the text 'Hudson Valley Distillers, Time Well Spent, Upstate NY, 2014'.
Curamia Tequila logo in orange text on a white background.
Logo for Dinosaur Bar-B-Que featuring a green dinosaur holding a spatula, with a red and black circular background and text
Bear's Cup Bakehouse logo written in black with a bear with a mug, on a white background
Logo for Buttonball Inn featuring an alien face within an ornate frame on a dark green background.
Logo for Chatham Brewing, a brewery located in Chatham, NY.
Cute illustration of a smiling tomato with a face and a leafy green top on an orange background.
Logo for Isola Wine & Tapas with stylized text and a cream background.
Logo for the Albany Chefs' Food & Wine Festival, titled 'Wine & Dine for the Arts,' presented by Bank of America.
A logo features a brown circle background with two large, stylized white letter 'B's connected at the bottom, with a small white comma-like shape to the left of the linked 'B's.
Logo for Bimi's Canteen & Bar with stylized text
Druthers Brewing Company logo in white, with Druthers written in the shape of a bottle, on a black background
Coffee cup with steam, circular badge with tags 'Cappuccino,' 'Espresso,' 'Bagels,' 'Deli,' and 'Broad Street Bagel Co.'
Logo with the text 'Body Be Well' and the subtitle 'Pilates Equipment Maintenance'
Logo with large black letters 'HCW' and the words 'Hudson - Chatham - Union' arranged in a semi-circle around the letters.
Hotel Brookmere & Arbor Spa logo in dark blue, with an owl surrounded by orange foliage
Logo of James Newbury Hotel in Coxsackie, NY, featuring a stylized bird in flight.
Logo with the text 'Julia Jame PILATES' and a butterfly symbol
Logo for Lake Bound Bookstore with a sailboat icon, established in 2025
Logo of le Perche bakery and bar featuring two swans on a dark blue background.
Logo of SUNY Oneonta with a black line drawing of a building and the institution's name in bold red text.
Logo for Miranda's Deli with black background, white decorative border, and red text
A large red letter Q on a white background.
Sign for Thomas Pest Services with large brown text on a black background
Circular logo with a sun and mountain design, text reads 'Tierra Farm EST 1999 Certified Organic'.
Logo of Upper Depot Brewing Co. with a stylized train steam engine.
Logo for Upstate Wine and Spirits Co., featuring a wine glass with a landscape inside.
Logo for Villa Italia Pasticceria featuring a moka pot, with the text "Villa Italia Pasticceria" and the year "1965".
A circular logo with a black background and a gold outline. Inside the circle, the words 'VILLAGE YOGA' are written in gold, with 'VILLAGE' above 'YOGA'. Below the circle, the words 'KINDRED HOK N' are written in a curved manner. At the top of the ci
Black text reading "wellness on Delaware" with a black infinity symbol underneath, all on a white background.
Farmers & Sons Boarding & Barroom logo with black and gold text
Hudson Boulders logo, with Hudson Boulders written in blue and a stylistic H and B made up of 2 square shapes and 2 half-curved shapes with mountains and a river within them
Logo of New York State Brewers Association featuring a beer bottle, hop, and brewing elements
Logo with circular design featuring text about Sand Lake Merchant, established in 1850 and revived in 2022.
The Yard Hatchet House and Bar logo, with The Yard written on a grass background and two hatchets in a criss-cross pattern above it
Kurver Kream Ice Cream logo, with Kurver Kream written in a red script font with a red circle with an ice cream cone behind it
Circular logo with the words "Old Dutch Inn" written in pinkish font inside the circle. The circle has decorative floral designs on the sides.
Logo for Saratoga Arms Hotel with decorative emblem and elegant script font.
Kinetic Fitness logo in black on a white background
A black silhouette of a cat lying down with its tail curled over its body and looking up.
Elegant logo for The Field Shop featuring botanical illustrations with leaves and flowers, and cursive text
A circular logo with the handwritten word 'guy' inside.
Logo with a navy blue outline of a triangular shape resembling the state of Maine, a large stylized letter 'N' and a small '1927' inside.
Logo for 'The Sip Society' featuring stylized text with a steaming coffee cup illustration and 'Est. 2025'
Discover Saratoga logo, written in white on a dark blue background
The Aviary Kinderhook logo in black text
Fall in the 518 just hits different. 🍎🍂 Apple picking, corn mazes, cider donuts, local cider, haunted hay rides… give me ALL of it! These are some of my favorite fall activities that I’ve personally done and would genuinely recommen