relaxing in the hudson river valley?

October 20, 2005 9:12 AM

I am hoping to get out of Brooklyn at the end of this month and do nothing nearby in the Hudson River Valley. Does anyone have recommendation for a good place to stay that is close by the Hudson, not so far north that it is past peak, and that may have reservations.

Also I don't really get into the whole Victorian frilly shebang that goes on in the bed and breakfasts. Does something laid-back, maybe even a little, er, hip, exist?

Thanks

posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat to Travel & Transportation around New York (7 answers total)

You’ll have to be a little more specific in terms of where in the Hudson you’re considering to stay. Are you referring to the Rockland-Westchester county area? Orange-Ulster? The Dutchess-Putnam section of the Mid-Hudson? Or even the long train ride/Taconic Parkway run to Columbia-Greene, and/or the Capital Region? It’ll be easier to recommend some spots with more focused bearings.
posted by Smart Dalek at 9:29 AM on October 20, 2005

Oh, yeah–“past peak”–Bear Mountain? Minnewaska? Pallasaides?
posted by Smart Dalek at 9:30 AM on October 20, 2005

Woodstock, NY is your friend.
posted by sandking at 9:52 AM on October 20, 2005

I live in Westchester, so I might be able to help with something down thataways. Let us know the specific area, as Smart Dalek said.

(Woodstock is really cool, incidentally.)
posted by danb at 10:00 AM on October 20, 2005

Mohonk Mountain House, if ya gots tha ducats, is very well worth it. You are past the season to be able to rent a KOA cabin in Woodstock, which is too bad as that is cheap as hell and very fun and lovely. Phoenicia, which is about 15 miles north of Woodstock is tucked away on the Esopus at the base of the Catskills and is a good jumping off point, although it's not near the Hudson. That's another thing to remember about Woodstock...it's not particularly 'close' by the Hudson..although it's easily drivable, it's not what I would consider 'close', unlike Cold Spring, which is smack dab on it. You may be able to rent something at West Point, which is up on the cliffs over the Hudson in Orange County. Rhinebeck also offers closeness to the river along with a town, although Victorian frilly shebang is pretty much what that town is about.
posted by spicynuts at 1:16 PM on October 20, 2005

Response by poster: we were looking at rhinebeck, the mohonk (but yeah pricey, i would save that for a longer trip), red hook, lazymeadow.com (which is near woodstock),

we're pretty much open, just near water, trees, away from horns, light pollution, air pollution, noise pollution, etc.
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 2:10 PM on October 20, 2005

Check out Fleischmanns, New York. It's a reasonable drive from NYC, very pretty. My wife and I (and our dogs!) stayed at this bed and breakfast a few years back and had a lovely time.
posted by enrevanche at 3:09 PM on October 20, 2005