The purpose of Anna Marie’s trip was to take me to Hudson Valley (north of Manhattan) for the weekend. Both Pierre and Grant joined us, so at 2:30 on Friday afternoon, we were at Penn Station boarding the train. How very New York of us!
The native American Indian tribe, the Algonquins, inhabited Hudson Valley. The Algonquins had three subdivisions, one of which was the Lenape Indians. The Lenape Indians would trade goods with Henry Hudson and ended up selling the island of Manhattan to Peter Minuet, who represented the Dutch East India Company, for $24 worth of goods. This totaled about $1,100 in 2020 dollars. Today Hudson Valley is a destination for New Yorkers from city living. The countryside, wineries, and farm-to-table restaurant options make it an incredible getaway. For the past 20 years, the town has been inhabited by artists, antique dealers, and people who have made this city their “home away from home.”
It is rustic and charming. There are many homes beautifully updated and maintained (like the one we stayed at), but there are also some homes in desperate need of repair.
After a short walk from the train depot, we found our treasure to be clean and updated, true to its original state. There were three bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. Comfortable and warm? Without a doubt! The epitome of charming.
We stepped out to pick up food and wine at the local grocery and wine shop:
We picked up lots of wine and returned home to have an idyllic Friday night, complete with a roaring fire. This is how we spent the rest of the night:
Our Saturday consisted of walking up and down the main street. It is such a quaint town! There are a lot of antique stores, shops, restaurants, and bars. Pictures are worth a thousand words:
A “walk” wouldn’t be the same if we didn’t pop in for a drink at Governor’s Tavern.
Dinner at The Maker (in The Maker Hotel) was wonderful and different; the dining room is encased in a glass conservatory. I enjoyed the before-dinner drinks, dinner, and wine so much that I have no photos to share. Per usual, we walked into a completely full restaurant and were the last ones to leave. Our departure was bittersweet because when we went into the lounge for “one last drink,” we were told the bar was closed—even though there were still people there and it really was not that late.
Our original plan was to leave on Sunday evening after having brunch in town. Our reservations were for 1:30 p.m. at the Feast & Floret. The decor in Feast & Floret is every bit as charming as the food is delicious. When we first walked into the dining room, a woman was putting flower arrangements together; in the middle of the dining room, there was a long table filled with these arrangements. What a GREAT idea. After having a lovely brunch, guests can buy a bouquet. Everything was perfect – the drinks, the food, our waiter. We had a leisurely drink, followed by a leisurely lunch. And then the next thing I knew, there was talk about changing the train tickets to early Monday morning and staying one more night. And, what follows lunch? Dinner! We sat at the same table in the same restaurant and had the same waiter from 1:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. I even heard the busboy say that this was a “first” for him. Fairly certain it was a first for me as well!
