Rhinebeck and the Beekman Arms.

Our pretty good dinner at Aroma Osteria was sabotaged by amateurish service. I'd recommend Il Cenácolo, on the west side of the Hudson, just north of Newburgh: http://tinyurl.com/r7zhlu

Don't know that you can do this without a car, but you might enjoy the Storm King Arts Center -- all kinds of outdoor sculpture/constructions in a lovely setting: http://www.stormking.org/

Bookmarking. Great suggestions! I need to get out of the city more often (I'm in NYC too).

OK, here's an update on my dinner rec's for after you spend the day at Mohonk Mtn house.

Since you must pass through New Paltz on the way back I say just stop for dinner there.

One of the better places is called the Village Tea room. It's a very casual place (all of New Platz is), but the food is more upscale.

www.thevillagetearoom.com

If you want to just wing it, there are a few restaurants clustered in a several block section on the main road through town. You can just park and stroll through the village and pick one that strikes your fancy.

bspielman, sorry you had a bad experience at Aroma. I've been there many times and the food and service are normally great. Il Cenácolo sounds like a new one to add on my to-try list.

Back to jenny's questions. There are numerous yoga places in the area. I could recommend one but it's not really convenient to where you're staying, and the Sunday am sched is a meditation only, no yoga.

If you are modern art fans then you can stop in the Dia Beacon museum after kayaking (www.diabeacon.org). It's large scale (very large scale) modern art housed in an old Nabisco factory. The Storm King arts center that HKP mentions is on the other side of the river - essentially due west from Cold Spring. It's not a short drive and not on the way from Cold Spring to Hyde Park. You could make that on your way back to NYC sunday without too much detour. The setting alone is worth the price of admission. Quite unique in it's scale.

Finally, a nice restaurant in Cold Spring is Catherine's Tuscan grill. www.tuscangrill.com/Menus/Lunch. Not sure if you want a sit down meal for lunch that day or not.

bspielman: I really LOVE Cena'colo, but also Il Barilotto has always been good for us.
In New Paltz, we've liked the Main course, at 232 Main St. not fancy but good food.
J62, I guess you are a mid-Hudson person as I am. Live out in Millbrook, but work in Poughkeepsie.
Hudson Valley has lots to offer!

taconictraveler, no, actually, we don't live in the Hudson Valley, but, as mentioned earlier in this thread, our very good friends do. We'll be driving up (a little over an hour from our place in NJ) to have dinner with them this week at Il Cenácolo.

thanks for all the recommendations, can't wait for the trip! if anyone has any ideas for yoga, just let me know. we will have a car so as long as it's somewhere in between Fishkill and NYC and not too far off the path, we are willing to drive.
Thanks again!

In Mt. Pleasant, New York city the home of four generations of the Rockefeller family at Kykuit is a place to visit. Also known as the John D. Rockefeller Estate, Kykuit, which means "lookout" in Dutch, is built in Pocantico Hills, the highest point of the area near North Tarrytown. Kykuit is home to a variety of tours of the magnificent estate.
http://www.tripcart.com/usa-regions/...es/Kykuit.html

Bookmarking - these are good ideas!