On the Road: Catskills & the Hudson Valley

As often as possible, Jeff and I like to escape the city and spend some time in nature. We’ve become very fond of the Hudson Valley after two recent trips. Now that we have a car, I think we’ll be going even more. What I love about the area is that it offers both remote country getaways and charming small-town destinations. A few weeks ago, we drove up to Saugerties and rented a cabin deep in the woods. Last fall, we stayed in an apartment in Hudson a block from the main strip.

I’ll begin with our trip from last fall.  Our first stop before Hudson was in Phoenicia, a very small town in the Catskills (only 381 residents according to Wikipedia). It’s pretty deep in the mountains, enough so that we got lost on our way because there was no service for our GPS apps. After some slight panic on the dark roads, we were indeed half of a mile from the restaurant we were trying to find, Peekamoose. Inside, the space was warm and inviting. The restaurant is split into a formal dining area and a more casual bar. We opted for the bar. After pumpkin soup, a burger, and some beer, we got directions to where we were staying from the bartender, which was luckily not too far.

The bar at Peekamoose

We stayed at the Graham & Co, a motel owned by four Brooklyn designers. We were immediately impressed with the room. It had just the right blend of a vintage mountain theme. We dropped off our bags and went to a newly opened restaurant/bar next to the motel. We drank whiskey and chatted with the owner. He was from Florida and had heard about the Catskills revival happening and wanted to be a part of it. He and his brother had just finished renovating the space. I’d like to go back and have a meal there next time.

In the morning, we explored the grounds of the motel. There was a swimming pool and a circle for bonfires and storytelling. We borrowed bikes from the motel and rode into town for breakfast on the porch at Mama’s Boy. When we got back, the friendly staff at Graham & Co recommended a trail for hiking. We packed up and drove out towards Woodstock and Overlook Mountain.

Room at Graham & Co.

Jeff enjoying coffee at Mama’s Boy

Breakfast sandwiches at Mama’s Boy

The hike was pretty challenging but enjoyable. It was steep, but we took a break when we reached some ruins of what appeared to be an old hotel. I later learned it was the Overlook Mountain house, which first opened in 1871 and was destroyed by fire in 1875. The stone frame is all that remains. When we we reached the top, we had gorgeous views of the entire region and climbed a fire tower for an even better vantage point. The whole hike was about 5 miles.

Catskill Mountain House remains

The view from Overlook Mountain

We ate lunch in Woodstock at Oriole 9 before continuing north to Hudson. We had dinner reservations at the Crimson Sparrow that evening for Jeff’s birthday. It’s one of the many highly-acclaimed restaurants in the area with chefs preparing creative dishes featuring local fare. We had the tasting menu and beverage pairing and were delighted with each course. We also loved that the restaurant was walking distance from the apartment.

We spent the rest of the weekend discovering the town. We browsed the antique furniture stores and quaint boutiques that line Warren Street. We picked up cheese, charcuterie, honey, and bread from Olde Hudson, another supporter of local farmers, to have as a snack Saturday afternoon. That evening, we drank New York brews at The Spotty Dog, a bookstore and bar that occassionally has live music performances. Before heading home Sunday morning, we got coffee from Swallow, which serves Stumptown and Grumpy and displays artwork from members of the community.

Giant sunflower at Swallow

Hudson felt similar to Brooklyn…full of creative people, great food, and vintage shopping, but had a welcoming small-town vibe that was refreshing. It was this uniqueness that drew us back a few months later. On our next trip, we rented a cabin in Saugerties for the weekend. We found the cabin through Airbnb. It was small with a loft for sleeping. There was a screened-in porch and a shed with mountain bikes and a grill. It was perfect and we spent most of our time in or around it.

We drove up on a Friday evening straight from work and made it in a couple of hours. In the car, I made reservations at the Red Onion in Woodstock, about a 10 minute drive from the cabin. The restaurant is like a big old house and we ate on the front porch. My favorite dish of the evening was the house-cured sardines.

The cabin

The next day we went to the Saugerties farmer’s market with plans to cook the rest of the weekend. For lunch we bought cheese, pickles, and bread. For dinner, we got oysters and rabbit. The farmers were so friendly and had tips for how to prepare everything, especially the rabbit.

After lunch, we took the mountain bikes out for a ride. We found a trail close by that went into the woods and around Rip Van Winkle Lake. It was so peaceful and the weather was perfect. We burned enough calories that it was time to eat again.

Jeff made us bourbon cocktails with muddled peaches when we got back. We grilled the rabbit, which had been sitting in a  marinade we bought from the farmers market. We also grilled the oysters and drizzled them with an herb olive oil dressing. We feasted, drank wine, listened to music, and watched as the sky turned black just as the last of the coals cooled. We went out in the yard and saw a shooting star. It was the longest day of the year but the night was pretty special too.

The bike trail

Rip Van Winkle Lake

Jeff’s bourbon-peach cocktail

On the way home on Sunday, we stopped in Beacon. It’s a town on the east side of the Hudson River, accessible by Metro North. We’d been there before to visit the museum, Dia:Beacon, and had eaten at The Hop, a craft beer store that also serves delicous food. This time, we wandered through a flea market and then went to Poppy’s for lunch. It’s a burger joint where all the meat is from local farms. I had mine topped with a fried egg, which was just what I needed afer all the porch-drinking from the night before.

We got back to the city with plenty of time to still enjoy our Sunday afternoon. We spent that evening researching cabins for sale up north.