Within easy travel from the big city hubbub of New York City is the Mid Hudson Valley in New York State. When you arrive, you won’t believe you are still in New York. There are beautiful mountain and river views, great restaurants, historical sites to tour, wineries, and did I mention great restaurants?
To get to the Mid-Hudson Valley you can take the commuter train or Amtrak from NYC to get to Beacon, Poughkeepsie, or Rhinebeck. The train ride takes about two hours and travels along the Hudson River. The further away you get from the city, the more scenic the Hudson gets as you begin to pass riverside mansions, mountains, and you can even get a view of West Point along the way. It is about two hours by car from any of the NYC area airports as well. For assistance in planing your travel to the Mid Hudson Valley, you can click on the link below.
You will notice the beautiful natural scenery when you arrive at the Mid Hudson Valley (especially after spending some time in NYC). The Catskill Mountains can be seen along the west side of the Hudson River and they provide opportunities for hiking and sightseeing and skiing in the winter. Some beautiful parks for hiking, biking, and having an afternoon picnic are Lake Mohonk and Lake Minnewaska in the New Paltz area.
Hyde Park is home to the Culinary Institute of America which has trained the world’s greatest chefs for years. One of the great things about the Mid Hudson Valley is that many of these great chefs stay in the area and open up restaurants. There are romantic restaurants for all tastes. The Culinary Institute has 4 restaurants with Italian, French, and Regional cuisine and the Apple Pie Bakery (a great coffee shop/bakery) but make sure to make reservations in advance.
For history buffs, visits to the Franklin D Roosevelt Home or the Vanderbilt and Staatsburgh Mansion in Hyde Park are both educational and have beautiful grounds for scenic walks and picnicking. If you are in the area around Christmas be sure and check to see if any of these mansions offer Candlelight Christmas tours as these mansions are beautifully decorated and the candlelight definitely sets a romantic mood.
There are some great wineries throughout the valley as well which offer tours, wine tastings, and some have restaurants. One of our favorites is the Cascade Mountain winery in Amenia which has a really nice restaurant (see above) and a variety of wines with interesting names. A good website with a list of 21 wineries with brief descriptions of their offerings is found at A Visitor’s Guide to Wineries in the Hudson Valley.
The Mid Hudson Valley has a lot to offer a couple looking for a romantic getaway. The food, history, and scenery all contribute to its appeal. One final note, there is probably no more beautiful time to visit the Mid Hudson Valley than in the fall. The colors of the leaves are breathtaking and rival the colors seen in Vermont and New Hampshire!
If you can’t make it to the Culinary Institute, there are great restaurants throughout the valley for a romantic dinner and night out. Here are some of the real romantic ones for you to try.