Hudson River Weekend

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Nancy and I had a spare weekend, so we decided to spend it in New York. Not in New York City, which most people think of, but in the Hudson Valley. Not all in the Hudson Valley; first we went to Sagamore Hill, the home of Theodore Roosevelt. It is in Oyster Bay, on Long Island, the Northwest corner. I’d always wanted to go, but we were disappointed. We weren’t able to get a tour of the house- the tours were all booked. It is a National Historic site, and that is the first time we’ve experienced being turned away from one. We did tour the museum part, though, and that was interesting.

From there, we headed to the Hudson. We stayed overnight in Hampton Inn in Poughkeepsie. We had a hard time securing a room; there is a lot going on in that area. Several colleges are there including Vassar, Marist, and Culinary Institute of America. We dined that evening in a very good and reasonable Italian restaurant in Poughkeepsie, Alloy’s. Apparently not all Italian immigrants stayed in NY city- some made it upstate. There is a “Little Italy” section of Poughkeepsie.

One feature not to miss is the “Walkway over the Hudson”. Many people are familiar with the Palisades on either side of the Hudson. These cliffs, several hundred feet above the water caused the railroad companies to build a high bridge, 1.25 miles long over the Hudson in Poughkeepsie. The bridge dates from 1888. In 1974, the railroad stopped using the bridge. Some bright people thought that walkers, joggers, and bikers would love to cross the Hudson several hundred feet in the air. The Walkway over the Hudson opened in 2009, and is terrific- don’t miss it!

After an early morning walk on the bridge, we headed further upstream. The village of Rhinebeck charmed us. Its about 75 miles from New York City, but one could be 500 miles away. If you like independent shops and restaurants, this might be for you. We bought make- it- yourself doll kit from New Zealand in the A.J. Stickle Variety Store. Nancy bought some art supplies in the Artists Shop in Rhinebeck. The Beekman Arms hotel, claiming to be the oldest inn in America looked charming; but we didn’t stay there.

Further upstream we headed to Olana, Frederick Church’s home. Church is one of the principal artists of the Hudson River School, a style of American painting that featured the wildness of the Hudson. The views from the house were spectacular! The Hudson and the Catskills at this point look a lot like the Rockies- even today there is a rough wildness. From there, we went to visit Thomas Cole’s house, another artist of the Hudson River School in Catskill. Cole’s house was not open, so check before you go. We had a very satisfactory lunch in Catskill in the Luncheonette across from the Courthouse for $12.50 for two. Not New York City prices.

The next art stop was Katerskill Falls. The Falls spring from further up in the Catskills, and are painted frequently. Katerskill tumbles hundreds of feet; the falls are not wide, but they are beautiful. There are several parking areas below the falls, but they were full, so we proceeded to the town of Haines Falls, and from there is an access with good parking above the Falls. Our visit was at the end of April, and there was still a rhyme of snow from spray around the Falls.

From there, we drove to Mohonk Mountain House, an iconic resort dating from the 1860’s. Our visit was a bucket list kind of thing. The setting for the hotel and the scenery is spectacular. The hotel is not worth the price for one night, in our opinion, but the hotel was packed, so plenty of people must think it is. There is a day hiker’s rate of $21-26. If you are interested in seeing the setting and scenery and hiking the trails, I would recommend it. There is a 1.5 mile hike to the Hotel from where you park your car.



There are many more Mid Hudson things to do- we’ve done a lot of them before such as the Franklin Roosevelt Presidential Library, and the Vanderbilt estate. Plan your trip soon!

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