hanging out in the Hudson Valley

The Hudson Valley region is one of my favorite places in the world - a seemingly endless network of adorable villages, bucolic conservation walks, organic farms, art centers and farm-to-table restaurants.

plein air painting in the flower garden at Olana.

Hudson

Basically one long high street (Warren St.) Hudson is a Mecca for antiquing, and is the main shopping district for the area, with an array of chic, boujee boutiques, vintage clothing stores, galleries, cafes and restaurants. Make sure to visit Olana, the home of Hudson River School painter Fredrick Church - a tour of the mansion is well worth the entry fee, but a quiet stroll around one of the trails (I like the walk around the lake) is a nice way to spend the afternoon as well and doesn’t cost anything. I usually try to go for two walks a day when I’m in the area - there are so many good ones! I love Overmountain Conservation land, one of the many stunning places to walk as part of the Columbia Land Conservancy, but check their website and try to visit them all if you can.

pastoral paradise at Overmountain

The Greenport Conservation area is stunning, but grab map if there are any at the kiosk — or take a photo of one before embarking — some of those trails go on for miles, as I discovered one day when I accidentally wound up walking to the next town.

a view of the mighty Hudson from Greenport Conservation area

Yet, first thing’s first: On Warren Street, both Rev Coffee and Supernatural Coffee both meet my high standards for good, strong coffee and each make a killer oat milk latte, and you might just run into Malcolm Gladwell working on his laptop or Parker Posey who live in the vicinity - just don't gawk, it’s not cool. Have lunch at either Le Perche, a French brunch/lunch bistro and bakery, or head to the awesome Kitty’s Market located across the street from the train station, especially if it’s a warm day when you can sit on the stunning landscaped garden out back. You could also try the scrumptious wild mushroom scramble at Hudson’s newest addition, Cafe Mutton.

It’s fun to window shop one’s way down Warren Street, but I can never resist popping into the Quiet Botanist, a beautifully-curated apothecary and flower shop where I somehow always wind up leaving with a dried bouquet of flowers to bring to someone as a gift. I also really love supporting Tradewinds, a store that supports artisans from around the world and sells crafts created by people with intellectual and/or developmental differences. The recycled Indian sari placemats and napkins, tea towels and aprons are super nice and also make excellent gifts. After you’ve had enough wandering, relax with an afternoon cocktail at the charming Governor’s Tavern - a great little neighborhood pub where partners can happily linger over an old fashioned while you keep shopping (just be careful not to get hit by a train when you exit as the tracks are literally right outside the door.) The Maker Hotel is another good, if not slightly swankier option for cocktails and people watching.

For dinner, I adore the inventive Asian fusion cuisine at the Hudson Food Studio, but the restaurant at the Rivertown Lodge is also delicious. WM Farmers and Sons also makes excellent food. The famous Club Helsinki is the place to go for nightlife, a lively venue where you can enjoy a barbecue chicken dinner before seeing a live show.

Hudson Valley’s Burtmurder at Club Helsinki

Exploring nearby villages

From Hudson, a drive to Ghent is 15 minutes well spent. Grab a morning pastry and blueberry flavored latte (or order lunch to go afterward) at the stylish Bartlett House and set off for the outdoor contemporary sculpture center Art Omi, just down the street - or pack a picnic and head off for a bucolic stroll through the Siegel-Kline Kill Preserve, an especially pretty conservation area which leads to a stream where you can splash around in summer.

the stream at Siegel-Kline preserve

Philmont is another adorable village near Hudson, home to a cute little health food store and the stunning forest waterfall preserve at High Falls Conservation area. Stay for dinner at the superb Local 111 farm-to-table restaurant, or, continue on your adventure to the charming village of Germantown and eat at Gaskins, one of my Hudson Valley favorites. So. Good.

dinner at my favorite HV restaurant. ‘nuff said.

Or, take a drive over to Hillsdale, and stop in to the Hillsdale General Store before having brunch at the CrossRoads Food Stop downstairs - also a great cafe for getting work done during weekdays (weekends become super busy.) If you’re there on a weekend, you could visit Rodgers Book Barn, or continue on to Copake Lake and do the waterfall walk to Bish Bash Falls at the Taconic State Park - also an excellent campground.

Depending on where you’re staying, you might consider driving to Egrement, MA to dine in the rustic elegance of the Old Mill, a gorgeous restaurant that serves seasonal, contemporary New England cuisine as well as traditional favorites, located on the border of Hudson Valley and the Berkshires.

Chatham

Another lovely part of the HV is the area in and around Chatham, another adorable village with a quaint New-Englandly vibe featuring an array of shops and boutiques to peruse as well as quiet cafes like Our Daily Bread where you can sip tea and work on your novel (or blog!)

My office for the afternoon at Our Daily Bread Cafe in Chatham

Go for a bucolic walk at Ooms Conservation area - an absolutely stunning trail system that is pure happy-making. Drive to Valetie to the Tierra Farms store to buy local coffee grown and roasted in the Hudson Valley, a great gift to bring home.

For dinner, I’m a fan of the People’s Pub — and Thursdays are oyster night! Chatham Brewing across the street always seems to be bustling with visitors, however, I recommend having dinner at the Chatham Berry Farm and Greenhouse Cidery - a super cool open air outdoor organic farm, hard cider press and outdoor pop up restaurant (open during warm tourist season) where you can drink craft cider and eat from a limited menu of expertly-prepared super fresh and local “chef’s whim dinners” at picnic tables overlooking the orchards and berry bushes.

One of the bucolic views at Ooms Conservation Preserve

Rhinebeck, Red Hook and Tivoli

An equally charming part of the HV is the area containing the posh village of Rhinebeck and the more laid back charming villages of Tivoli and Red Hook.

Tivoli is home to many Bard College students and has an artsy feel - stop for a cone and enjoy one of the many inventive flavors at Fortune’s Ice Cream, or grab lunch at the beautiful Hotel Tivoli, owned by power painter couple Brice and Helen Marden, a stylish hotel and upscale Mediterranean restaurant. At the bare minimum pop in just to see the stellar collection of art hanging on the walls.

A view from the hiking trail at Tivoli Bays.

Do not leave this area visiting Tivoli Bays, a BREATHTAKING river side natural area with hiking trails and a place to launch a kayak. Walk the trail system or just pull up and get out of the car to look, a truly stunning view.

more breathtaking views at Tivoli Bays

Red Hook is home to the famous Poet’s Walk Park, a pretty spot where you can hang out and read on a blanket or walk the loop trail that traverses a light-filled forest with many stunning view of the Hudson River and Catskills Mountains in the distance. The village is a sleepy cross section of streets with lovely health food market, specialty boutiques and vintage clothing stores. In the autumn, Montgomery Place Orchard Farmstand is local institution for apples, pumpkins, honey and other delights, but especially fun to educate oneself about the numerous rare apple varietals on display. Flatiron is a decent bistro in Red Hook to satisfy anyone’s craving for steak frites.

But Rhinebeck has an abundance of options for dining out, and is the cultural hub of this part of the HV - the place to go for shopping and a meal with many options including Cinnamon, a delicious Indian restaurant or Le Petit Bistro for a fancier French meal.

Kingston, Stone Ridge, New Paltz

I’ve only recently begun to explore the area surrounding Kingston and more southern parts of the HV, and have discovered a world of natural beauty, locally sourced goodness and fun places to eat and drink at night.

Kingston is a lively, urban, diverse and architecturally fascinating city with a lot of history. The oldest standing pre Revolutionary stone houses in the country can be found at Kingston’s Four Corners, in its historic Stockade District, a fun place to wander around, popping into book shops like Rough Draft Bar & Books, clothing boutiques, wine sellers, art galleries, and an array of cafes, restaurants and pubs.

One of my favorite things to do in Kingston is the Kingston Point Rail Trial Walk, which meanders for 13 miles — starting out along the shore of the Hudson before winding inland through parts of Hurley, Stone Ridge and High Falls. I also love indulging in a morning latte from one of the cafes in the old town, and taking it down to Kingston’s waterfront area on Rondout Creek and watching the boats make their way out toward the Hudson. I love the maritime feel of this part of town, and the landscape here during warmer weather feels downright tropical — lush with vegetation bordering the creek and the mountains to the south bursting with greenery.

From here, you could walk or bike to the charming village of Stone Ridge on the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail, or just drive there - whichever means you take, you’ll encounter a stunning drive with dramatic vistas passing through the sweet creekside village of Rosendale where you might stop to explore, before arriving at Stone Ridge - a town known as the climber’s capital of the HV. This winter during the pandemic, I stayed in Stone Ridge after a day of skiing Plattekill and found to my delight an outdoor apres ski Cauldron Bar set up behind the historic Hasbrouck House, voted one of the top ten most romantic inns in the country. Have a crisp glass of Sauv by the fireplace at Butterfields Restaurant and you’ll see why - or stay for dinner in one of the magnificent dining rooms or outside in front of your own private cauldron firepit.

The Cauldron Bar at Butterfields

You could adventure further into the town of New Paltz, a cute little collegetown home to a SUNY school with lots of fun shops and restaurants. I ate at the A Tavala Trattoria - the first place I had dined out after 8 months of covid lockdown - an adorable Italian restaurant located in a converted house on Main Street. My friend and I shared a pappardelle dish and local kale salad and it was delicious.

A big draw to the area is rock climbing, and Mohonk Preserve is a top choice if that’s what floats your boat. There’s also the Minnewaska Preserve area and Lake Minnewaska for walking, hiking and picnicking.

A visit to Warwick must include a masterful cocktail (and photoshoot) at Baird’s historic tavern.

Warwick

Venturing even further south, at the southern end of the Hudson Valley near the border of New Jersey, is a town called Warwick - home to a head-spinning array of natural areas, hiking trails, and preserves such as the dreamy ‘stairway to heaven’ Appalachian Trail elevated boardwalk or Sterling Forest trail system, or the woodsy loop trail around Cascade Lake — to name only a few. After a strenuous day of hiking, stop by Bellvale Farms Creamery and enjoy an ice cream cone with a stunning vista view of the valley. Their website notes they are among the top 10 ice cream parlors in the world! Not sure how you measure that, but the white chocolate ice cream with raspberry swirl and dark chocolate chunks was pretty darn good.

a scoop with a view (and sprinkles!) at Bellvale Farms Creamery

There is no shortage of delicious local restaurants in the area such as the highly acclaimed farm-to-table spot The Grange or the contemporary rustic elegance at the Landmark Inn. Or up your game and dress for dinner at the Supper Room of the Glenmere Mansion. Wherever you decide to dine, make a point to stop by Baird’s Tavern for a pregame beer or cocktail where once upon a time George Washington allegedly did the same.

The platform boardwalk on the Appalachian Trail

A waterfall on the Cascade Lake Trail in Warwick