WeddingFilter: Recommend a B&B within 3-hour drive of NYC

October 19, 2008 9:34 AM

Help us find the perfect B&B! Agent86 and I are tying the knot and we'd like to celebrate by spending the weekend at a nice B&B not too far from NYC.

We'd drive out on Friday, probably come back Sunday or Monday, and it would be soon (so, fall or early winter). While we love Vermont, we'd prefer to spend less than five hours on the road, so Berkshires/Catskills seems like a more reasonable distance, but we'd go farther for the perfect place. If the weather is nice, we'd like to hike or do some cycling, if not, bookstores, antiques, markets, odd museums would be just fine. Big bonus points for good restaurants, or for a B&B that has an especially good breakfast. The place doesn't have to be luxurious, but should be clean, quiet. Picturesque is nice. I'd take a hot tub and/or a fireplace, but it's not essential.

Anyone been to a place they would recommend that would satisfy the above criteria? THANKS! (I've taken a look at the similar questions already posted, but none of the answers seem particularly enlightening, so I'm giving this one another shot. Oh, and the Poconos are out.)

posted by agent99 to travel & transportation (10 comments total)

The Country Squire in Hudson NY is very nice. Not stuffy at all. Plenty antiques, interesting stuff to do and see in town/ nearby.
posted by sulaine at 10:14 AM on October 19, 2008

From personal experience, and all highly recommended:

Eco-everything but very luxurious, not as chintz-laden as the name would suggest, inquire about the barn: Thyme in the Country. Columbia County is full of good shopping and hiking and seeing.

Baronial splendor in the mountains, full room and board and amazing grounds: Mohonk Mountain House. Not a B & B, strictly, but worth a look.

Modern in the Berkshires: Silvanus. The cow? I don't know. But the place was very cool and near tons of hiking, small town antique-ing and shows.
posted by minervous at 11:14 AM on October 19, 2008

The Catskills is a beautiful place, especially this time of year. I highly recommend Pine Grove Lodge. I went a couple of years ago with my then partner and we loved it. The owners are a charming couple. When we arrived they were sharing wine and cheese with the other set of guests and invited us to join them. They have a beautiful home set in a woodsy, secluded lot. Hot tub was great! You're right by Woodstock which will likely fill your lazy strolling needs. Other recommendations in the area:

• On the drive up (or down) consider stopping in New Paltz. The exit from the NYS Thruway (87) dumps you on Main Street which is populated with a ton of adorable shops. At the end of Main St. is possibly my favorite brewpub of all time, the Gilded Otter. Order the sampler and the nachos, then walk it off strolling around town. You're also right by The Gunks, a rock climber's mecca but also some great hiking, too.
• If you guys are animal lovers, close by the lodge in Saugerties is the Catskills Animal Sanctuary. They'll give you a tour but you can hang out with the animals as long as you like. Cows and horses and pigs and donkeys and on and on. Check with them first because I think they aren't open to the public from late fall to late winter.

posted by funkiwan at 11:31 AM on October 19, 2008

I don't have a specific place to recommend, since my favorite is closed till next spring, but do consider Lambertville, NJ and sister city New Hope, PA. The area is gorgeous, right on the Delaware, has a lot of the amenities you list, and it is about 90 minutes from Manhattan. There are lots of b and bs and small inns to choose from.
posted by gudrun at 11:34 AM on October 19, 2008

My wife and I really loved The Inn at Green River. It is in the Berkshires in New York, but close to Great Barrington, MA. There are some nice hikes in the area, and plenty of good restaurants in town.
posted by Lazlo Hollyfeld at 12:22 PM on October 19, 2008

Minnewaska Lodge in New Paltz NY is gorgeous. The leaves just started changing, and the drive is beautiful and 2 hours max (I've done it in just over one in optimal conditions). I've stayed at Minnewaska several times, and it's just a bit outside of town, right at the base of the Shawangunk Mountains. If you have unlimited money to spend, I'd recommend the Mohonk Mountain House, it's a little more pricey but AMAZING!
posted by alcopop at 1:37 PM on October 19, 2008

Well, this isn't in the Berkshires, but Cape May would fit the bill nicely I think (only if it's before Christmas, though - the town pretty much shuts down from January through April). It's pretty much the B&B capital of the East Coast. I think the Mainstay Inn and the Queen Victoria are two of the nicest options; the Virginia is sort of a boutique hotel that's also fantastic, and it has a top-notch restaurant as well. There are many other great restaurants in town, including The Washington Inn, Union Park, The Merion Inn, and for a great breakfast, The Mad Batter. If you decide to visit, this place is a great source of information about tours and museums, etc. I lived and worked in the area for a couple of years. Send me a MeFi mail message if you think you'd like more info.
posted by katie at 6:48 PM on October 19, 2008

I've been to loads of B&Bs in the area over the past four years and of them all, the one that sounds like it matches up best with your needs is the Apple Valley Inn, which is in Vernon, NJ, about 3 miles from the Orange County, NY border. It is a short walk away from the Appalachian Trail (since you said you like hiking, it doesn't get much better than this), very close to good food in Warwick, NY (6 miles away--10 minutes by car), and the two women who run the place are also excellent cooks.

Vernon is also very close to Wayawanda State Park (2 minutes by car) and to Greenwood Lake (10 minutes by car), a long finger lake that straddles the NY/NJ border just east of the Apple Valley Inn.

Honestly, the Apple Valley Inn is in a gorgeous location and is just about as perfect a match as I think you'll find. Have fun!
posted by yellowcandy at 8:03 PM on October 19, 2008

No specific B&Bs to recommend, but I love the Finger Lakes region. Sort of toward the outer limits of your driving range, but beautiful.
posted by ocherdraco at 9:32 PM on October 19, 2008

My husband and I stayed at Whistlewood Farm in April and just loved it. We don't have a car, but I think the Metro North journey was only about an hour and a half. It's just outside of Rhinebeck in the Hudson River Valley. We stayed in the Wyoming room, which I think is the only one with a fireplace. Breakfast was fantastic, and they keep a table full of cakes and cookies out all day.

You do need a car once you're there, though. There are some good restaurants in town. Traphaggen Restaurant at The Beekman Arms is supposed to be especially good, but we didn't try it.

Now my dream B&B is Woolverton Inn in New Jersey. The only thing stopping me is the whole car thing. It's a short trip by public transport, but then a 35 minute drive to the Inn.
posted by Evangeline at 1:19 PM on October 20, 2008