Hi, thought this board might be due something light and informative regarding day/weekend getaways to the upstate NY area around Rhinebeck.So if you are interested, read on~
We drove up the Taconic Pkwy, it took just under 2 hours to get to Rhinebeck NY.It is a lovely town, full of history, great Victorian houses, and some Revolutionary war sites, old taverns, posting houses, it is a good place to spend a weekend, wandering the small towns,antiquing,in the fall it is fantastick with color and festivals, apple picking farms..great NY State wineries all around..and some really good restaurants.
We stayed at the Beekman Arms Inn, the "Oldest Inn in America"..actually the house that comprises the Inn is old but the pub inside the Inn is the oldest part, where G Washington and his troops waited for orders, the area was a staging place for troops, fur traders coming from Canada..It is a very pretty building, the staff is very friendly and helpful.There is an enormous fireplace in the lobby with big sofas so you can come in from the cold,sit and read the paper and warm up.There are no elevators, the staircase winds up to the third floor.Now here is the part that you must remember..do not get a room on the 2nd floor, everyone that goes to their room will walk past yours.
The best room was the one we had, a big 4 poster bed in a large room, very quaint but all modern conveniences.They leave a little bottle of sherry and two glasses for the guests.Prices vary, depending on rooms, ours was about $125-a night..in the winter there is no minimum stay.There is also no a/c in the summer.
Dinner was at the local French restaurant across the street, Le Petit Bistro..sooo good.They have been written up in the NY Times, I believe the write up was good..we liked it~and they are booked pretty far in advance.Two of us with wine and we had the specials, was under $100.00 The staff has been there for years and are top notch and very nice. The owner is right there, working along side them..very nice atmosphere.
Now, the down side...the hotel is not that sound proof,it is after all about 3 hundred years old..so get a room away from the stairs on a high floor. The food in the town is ok, stay away from area diners, yuck. Do go to some of the houses that are open to tours, the Vanderbilt Mansion, FDR's home and library, Olanna, the home of the artist Frederic Church..and the town of Hudson, where every building has been converted into an antique store and it has become one of the biggest areas in the US for that kind of thing.
So-that is my first trip report, please,do not throw tomatoes,cabbages and rotten eggs, I did my best!! Candice

A terrific report. Glad it was so successful. I hope you were able to locate the Brubeck or Garner that a friend suggested. And that the wilds were not too wild. Welcome back, and no, no veggie or fruits coming your way. Very happy you had such a good time, and arrived back safely.

Dearest De Lutece, thank you so much~
Thinking of you and raising a glass*C

I live in Upstate New York and I have never heard of Rhinebeck. Your report sounds great and I would love to know where it is so maybe we can indulge. Thanks

I think you did a great job in portraying the flavor of the area!

Looking forward to your next report.

Mike, it is North of Hyde Park along Rt 9 along the Hudson.North of Poughkeepsie and South of Red Hook.
It is a charming area and lots going on, there is also a huge county fair in August there and they have an aerodrome that it great,with those wacky planes that you wear a leather Snoopy helmet and fly with the top open~

Mike - Rhinebeck is just to the North and East of Kingston. East of the Hudson river I think.

I used to live in "Upstate" NY too, near Schenectady. "Upstate" NY, it seems, extends from anywhere just north of NYC to Canada... So your "upstate" and my "upstate" may differ by hundreds of miles!

Lol, yes,Lisa, I never thought about that! You are probably really UP state~ to us here in the Manhattan area, an hour north is UP.
Although when we go to the Adirondacks and Lake George, I think that is something other than UP..UP-Up?

It's amazing the places in NY I've NOT been to. When I was there, growing up and until I left at about 22, I really didn't appreciate it. Every time I went back home, I'd realize how beautiful "upstate" is. Next time I hope to stop by Rhinebeck. It looks like maybe 90 min - 2 hours from my "home" town. Thanks again for the trip report!

Thanks for this. Brought back memeories as I used to live in Beacon which is about 40 miles south of Rhinebeck. People used to look at me funny when I said that Dutchess was in "upstate". Actually they consider it "downstate". Love the area you went to. Quaint and lovely. The Durtchess County Fair takes place in late August each year ad is a real nice thing to attend. Thanks!

For any of you planning a trip in that general vicinity, you should try to catch a meal at the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) in Hyde Park. The students practice everything from cooking and serving to napkin folding and putting your leftovers in foil shaped like swans etc. It's a great "fine dining" experience without the outrageous price!

You are so right X, I live up upstate. I am now familar with the area. Had to go to Scotia on business two weekends ago and stayed at the most charming place called the Glenville Mansion. We drove through a big snow storm and never arrived at the hotel until 10PM, where we went directly to bed. The rooms were the most charming thing I have ever been in. In the morning I opened up the drapes and found that we were in a winter wonderland right on the Hudson River, it was beautiful. Where I am from we call Rhinebeck downstate. On our next trip we will take a day trip and check out some of the sights. Thanks again for the report.

Scotia...I'm from a tiny town less than 15 minutes away. Never heard of the Glenville Mansion. Maybe next trip "home"...

Candice - that was a great report! So nice to read feedback, rather than the many "How?", "Where?", and "Help ME!" posts one reads in these pages. Yes, that area is beautiful ... bicycled thru there several times on MS150 bike rides. PS to mike ([email protected])
... that was the MOHAWK river outside your room at GlenSanders Mansion!

TTT

I live in Scotia and yes, it is the Glen Sanders Mansion on the Mohawk River. And it's a great place to live.

Can you tell me any other places that might be good to stay in besides the Inn? And how far away is Hudson,I have read about it in magazines.Thank you.

c- you may have to revisit and do an update for the posters - c redux up north. Big Success. I could feel the wind off the river, and see the snow in the trees. But I'll still take NY, how about you? Great report!!

DL,it would be a pleasure to do it again! This time I could make it into a taste test of various upstate restaurants, saving my fellow Fodor friends from the work, I am willing to sacrifice my time and slim figure for the good of my friends~Then I will go on to do the wineries in the area.Clinton Vineyards, Amenia NY has a great vineyard, there are so many good NY State wines,I'll do it! I will go forth and discover new and exciting upstate things to do..to be continued~

Re: Hudson and places to stay-Poughkeepsie has many many hotels along their main highway, Days Inn, Fairfield Inn,Holiday Inn Express, then there are many many B&B's. Farther north, in Hudson there is the Charles Hotel.Also old, but a little more soundproof, not nearly as charming as the Beekman, but they have a pub and a restaurant..and regular hotel type rooms.and a/c in the summer.Hudson's main street runs down hill towards the Hudson, it is lined with these old buildings from the days when it was a port town for the fur traders and whalers from up north.OVer the past few years it has become quite gentrified..and is now a mecca for antique dealers and buyers, and lookers(that's me)and it is still on the Hudson, so you are near to all the attractions, including the Berkshires where you can go to Tanglewood.That will be my next report~ciao

LOL, gt;>>, a risk taker, I see. Didn't you see enough thin ice up north? But, my best laugh of the week. I've totally forgotten what I was going to post. Maybe it was about that noble self sacrifce you've offered for all our waistlines. Take care, and have a great weekend. Away.