First time in Hudson River Valley. Just 2 days. Highlights?
September 5, 2019 6:52 PM   Subscribe

I am traveling for the first time to Hudson River valley in about a week. Just 2 days. Staying in Rhinebeck. Three ladies are looking for things to look at and eat. We like great food in restaurants that aren't stuffy. We love historic homes, art, museums, and beautiful scenery. I've started to look but it's a bit overwhelming. Looking for suggestions so I can start my working on my 2 day itinerary.
posted by beccaj to Travel & Transportation around Hudson Valley, NY (20 answers total) 10 users marked this as a favorite
 
I was planning a trip like this a week ago, I did most of the list below and liked it. Definitely save an afternoon for bumming around Rhinebeck, it's a cute town. Historic homes aren't our thing but I know there's stuff around up there.

Things to do:
DIA Beacon
Storm King Art Center
Walkway Over the Hudson state park
If you like antiques get excited, there's a lot of antiques

Food:
Bread Alone
Cinnamon
Pizzeria Posto
Terrapin
The Amsterdam
Le Petit Bistro
posted by jameaterblues at 7:18 PM on September 5, 2019 [3 favorites]


Terrapin! But if you're willing to drive a wee bit, my absolute favorite restaurant on that side of the bridge is in Poughkeepsie and is called Farmers & Chefs. It's legit amazing.

Check out the FDR estate in Hyde Park, and stop by Oblong Books. They're good people.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 7:37 PM on September 5, 2019 [2 favorites]


Response by poster: Oh! And I should mention we aren't afraid of a good drive! Anyplace within an hour or two is up for review.
posted by beccaj at 8:16 PM on September 5, 2019


Get a tour of Olana - it's great! It was the house belonging to Frederic Church one of the founders of the Hudson River school of painting and done in a Victorian version of "moorish" architecture. It's quite stunning as a piece of architecture and the collections inside are neat.

Val Kill - Eleanor Roosevelt's House is super cool, really more interesting than the FDR house.

The FDR library/museum is interesting and you can see the room where he did many of the fireside chats.

Market Street in Rhinebeck for a nice dinner.
posted by brookeb at 8:26 PM on September 5, 2019 [3 favorites]


Yes, definitely see Olana!
posted by Naberius at 8:40 PM on September 5, 2019


I came in to say Olana too. It's one of the best house museums I've been to.
posted by Jahaza at 8:52 PM on September 5, 2019


+1 for DIA Beacon and the Walkway over the Hudson Park (especially on a clear day).

I would also search for some winery or whiskey distillery tours. Friends of mine from out of town did this for a 50th birthday and loved the ones they visited.
posted by AugustWest at 9:23 PM on September 5, 2019


If the weather is good, I would prioritize Storm King, the most incredible outdoor sculpture museum anywhere. Olana could be your other day. If it's raining then Olana and the Dia.
posted by Elsie at 1:06 AM on September 6, 2019 [4 favorites]


Go to Pakt in Kingston for brunch
posted by pyro979 at 6:21 AM on September 6, 2019


No love for Foster's Coach House? Admittedly I haven't been there in about ten years but it's... uh... it was very .... uh... authentic. And I have a thing for that.

Saugerties Lighthouse is also a really cool thing and worth the effort, I don't know what restaurants are up there these days to combine a meal with a visit, but it was always a nice area.
posted by From Bklyn at 7:03 AM on September 6, 2019


Tuthilltown Distillery in Gardiner and the affiliated restaurant (I think with the same name?).

Kingston's worth a few hours. Duo Bistro for brunch or dinner. Stockade District (the neighborhood around Duo Bistro) has some cool shops, and some historic interest as the revolutionary-era capital of New York. You could visit the Old Senate House - which is exactly what it sounds like - but the hours are wonky, so check first.

+1 to FDR estate in Hyde Park, Walkway Over Hudson and Olana.
posted by breakin' the law at 7:50 AM on September 6, 2019 [1 favorite]


The Culinary Institute of America has their main campus in Hyde Park, with four eating places (one of the pubs is closed, and I don't think the other serves food) open to the public. I cannot recommend them highly enough. For the more serious restaurants, get reservations ASAP. A week will probably not be long enough, but you might get lucky, or you might be able to get in on standby. If not, the (walk-in) bakery would probably still be worth the trouble.
posted by ubiquity at 7:54 AM on September 6, 2019


Storm King -- absolutely. If it's raining, the DIA.

The great estate houses are indeed pretty great, and most of them have trails going down to the river. Olana is a gem. I quite enjoy Staatsburgh, which is still nicely decrepit in places, generally sort of bonkers once you start thinking about things, and very emblematic of the Gilded Age.

The Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome has an astonishing collection of planes, and their little play-within-an-airshow is lots of hokey fun and a glorious day outside this time of year.

Be sure to do a drive-by of the Frank Gehry building at Bard College. Won't take long just to have a quick gawk.
posted by Capt. Renault at 8:01 AM on September 6, 2019 [1 favorite]


Oh -- and the old Huguenot District in New Paltz is fascinating. Check out the 350 yr old buildings, don't miss the graveyard that goes with them.
posted by Capt. Renault at 8:08 AM on September 6, 2019 [2 favorites]


STORM KING.

I went there about a month ago for an afternoon. It was not nearly enough time--I plan to spend a full day there ASAP.
posted by mollymayhem at 9:34 AM on September 6, 2019


Tuthillhouse in Gardiner (the restaurant next to the distillery) closed last year, boo.

Speaking of distilleries, Coppersea in New Paltz is run by some friends and is pretty great.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 10:34 AM on September 6, 2019


Oh, and Rough Draft in Kingston is a delightful bar/bookstore and worth a visit.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 10:35 AM on September 6, 2019 [2 favorites]


Olana is worth a visit (though when we were there last year there was quite a bit of construction underway). The views are amazing either way.

While you're up that way, the town of Hudson is pretty cool for checking out shops and grabbing food.

We also loved walking around the campus of Vassar College in Poughkeepsie.

A walk around Lake Minnewaska takes about an hour and is really scenic. It's a nice drive up there too from New Paltz.

If you're staying in Rhinebeck I'd recommend visiting Poets Walk Park, and walking out to the river.
posted by pilibeen at 11:14 AM on September 6, 2019


diabeacondiabeacondiabeacon
posted by matildaben at 11:43 AM on September 6, 2019


Lil Deb's Oasis in Hudson is great!
posted by tangosnail at 9:22 AM on September 10, 2019


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