A good retreat is better than a bad stand.

July 22, 2009 11:37 AM

I'm attending a writer's retreat from Oct. 15-18 in Ancram, NY and need some info on staying around for a few more days.

I think Ancram is near the Hudson River looks from Google like it's near Catskill. I have booked my flight home on the 22nd because I would love to spend a few days somewhere continuing my writing after the planned retreat.

So. I have 4 days in upstate NY. I'm assuming that the leaves will be changing and it will be difficult to book anywhere soon. Where should I stay? Anything I shouldn't miss? Any other good tips I need to know while I'm there.

As a bit of information, I'm not a huge fan of B&Bs - I don't enjoy forced social interactions or floral prints. I'll be alone. I'd love a quiet town with a little hotel, a diner and some shops where I could wander, write, read, knit and watch the leaves turn.

Also, I'm taking a planned bus in from Manhattan so I expect I'll need a car once I get to my destination. If the hive mind has any suggestions for that please include any information.

Thanks!

posted by Sophie1 to travel & transportation (8 comments total)

Ancram is a tiny hamlet that has little beyond a firehouse, a bar, a store, and a paper mill. You should probably stay in Millerton, which has all the amenities. Copake and Hillsdale are also fairly close.

You should plan to visit Bash Bish Falls on the NY-Mass border. Hudson is about twelve miles from Ancram on the east side of the river and has lots of antique shops and art galleries.

Forget renting a car in Ancram. Amtrak goes from Penn Station to Hudson fairly frequently and you might be able to score a rental there. Otherwise rent one in NYC and just drive up the Taconic Parkway.
posted by leaper at 12:47 PM on July 22

Thank you so much! I was afraid I wouldn't get any response but I shouldn't fear. The hive has never let me down in the past.

So Hudson is the town to stay in? I'll google that right now. Any other suggestions are more than welcome!! Thanks!
posted by Sophie1 at 12:57 PM on July 22

Oh, or Millerton.
posted by Sophie1 at 12:58 PM on July 22

Seconding Bash Bish falls. My friend's family owned a house near there, and it is really beautiful.

Copake looks like the place to be.
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 1:24 PM on July 22

Thanks Obscure Reference Man!
posted by Sophie1 at 1:27 PM on July 22

Red Hook (all in the same general area) and Rheinbeck are A-OK as well. Rheinbeck is a little shmancier Further north from Ancram is Berkshire, Mass., which is a slightly bigger town, very comfortable.
posted by From Bklyn at 1:54 PM on July 22

I live nearby and would second Hudson as the place to stay. It's hopping enough to occupy you, but small and cozy enough to allow you quiet wandering and a small hotel, especially during the week.

(I would recommend The Inn at Ca'Mea in Hudson for a non-B & B small hotel vibe. But other non-chintz B & B options abound in the area. Feel free to memail me.)

Have lunch at the Main Street Pub in Philmont and hike to the falls there. Take in a play or film in Hudson and, after, go sip beer and knit at the Spotty Dog Bookshop and Bar and Art Supply. Visit the Shaker museum up in Chatham. Go to Bard and see something at the Fisher Center. Visit some great old houses.

There is an Enterprise office in Hudson, and you can easily rent a car there during the week. It'd be convenient to the Amtrak, as others have noted.

It'll be a beautiful time of year to be in the Hudson valley. Enjoy!
posted by minervous at 9:14 PM on July 22

You all are awesome. Thanks minervous!
posted by Sophie1 at 8:38 AM on July 24