When I say, “New York,” what is the first thing that enters your mind?

For most people, it’s THE CITY. 

NYC demands so much attention that she sucks the air from everything around her. Entering her space, we are encased in concrete and steel and glass. Her manmade canyons hold us hostage, while her riotous pulse and bright lights beguile visitors and residents alike to the point we forget . . . that the city . . . THE CITY . . . contains only half of one percent of the land mass of the state of New York.

Climb aboard the train with me in Penn Station, and let’s go explore part of the great Hudson River Valley. It’s not far. A mere ninety minutes from the grit and bustle, we’ll find ourselves in the heart of Dutchess County. And I promise you, that from now on, when someone says, “New York,” you’ll be thinking completely different things.

Once the train leaves the black underground, you’ll find yourself riding along the banks of the Hudson, the river wide on the left side.

The Hudson River runs 315 miles, from the Adirondacks to New York Harbor. Did you know that half of the Hudson is a massive estuary system? Salt water ebbs and flows, typically bringing two high and low tides daily, pushing up into the fresh water as far as Troy, 153 miles away from the Atlantic Ocean. Native Americans called the Hudson “Mahicantuck,” meaning “great waters in constant motion.” A river that flows two ways.

This river that breathes salt and fresh water back and forth provides life to everything surrounding it. The train tracks often run on a raised strip of land between the river and marshy pools full of birds. At one point I looked up to see a bald eagle flying alongside the train before veering off towards a line of trees across one of the tidal pools.

As you get closer to Poughkeepsie, you’ll pass through the narrows of the Hudson Highlands, as mountains squeeze towards the river, holding it close.

Once you pass through the Wind Gate, the head of the narrows formed by Storm King Mountain and Breakneck Ridge, you enter Dutchess County, and the great river spreads wide into an expansive valley edged with the Catskill mountains.

Small wonder that the wealthy families of New York City built homes throughout Dutchess County to enjoy the stunning beauty of the area.

You have arrived in a region full of things to do and places to explore: hiking, fishing, canoeing, bird watching — historic homes — wineries, cideries — world class architecture — antique airplanes — fine farm-to-table cuisine — quaint towns full of shops to explore — winding country drives. What’s your pleasure?

Three Days in Dutchess County

I spent three glorious days in Dutchess County in late October of 2018, and all I can say is that it wasn’t long enough. I’ll share my experiences beginning here, and then continuing into additional articles.

An overview of what I explored during my trip:

• History: visits to Franklin Delano Roosevelt home and Presidential Library, Eleanor Roosevelt’s home, Val-Kill, and the Vanderbilt Mansion
• Aviation: time at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome which has an amazing collection of pioneer era airplanes — that are still flying!
• Great Food: amazing restaurants capped off with a visit to the Culinary Institute of America
• Wine: visit to Millbrook Vineyards and Winery
• Outdoors: hiking in Ferncliff Forest, strolling on Walkway Over the Hudson, and visit to Orvis Sandanona to try clay pigeon shooting and an introduction to fly fishing
• Architecture: Visiting Bard College’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts, designed by Frank Ghery.

Day One: Rhinebeck

My first afternoon in Dutchess County revolved around a short hike in Ferncliff Forest, shopping in the charming village of Rhinebeck, and finishing with an amazing dinner at Terrapin.

Ferncliff Forest and Firetower

Ferncliff Forest Game Refuge and Forest Preserve holds 200 acres of old growth forest with 4 miles of trails — offering visitors opportunities for mountain biking, camping, skiing, and fishing.

We walked quickly, with the intent of climbing the Firetower before the forecast rain set in, but just as we reached it, there was a sharp crack on thunder and the shower started– going up was not in the cards that afternoon. The view from the top is extraordinary, as you can see from the photograph below — it really looks like a drone shot of Hudson River Valley.

Be aware, due to the open nature of the tower’s construction and see-through stairs, people with vertigo should avoid scaling the Firetower. For everyone else, the view is worth the climb!

On to Rhinebeck Village!

As the afternoon shower became a little more intense, we left our little hike and headed for Rhinebeck Village — what a charming town! Fortunately, the rain abated and I had a great ramble around town.

There are so many wonderful shops to explore here, but my heart always leads me to wonderful indy bookstores — and I particularly enjoyed Oblong Books. What a gem of a place! The thing that is SO special about independent bookstores like Oblong is the curation and selection of books. I was charmed to see so many notes from members of staff on particular volumes that they love — with a description of why. This is a reader’s delight, to find things that you might never have happened upon. I had a very difficult time leaving Oblong. I really wanted to take a stack of several things to one of their comfy chairs and just settle in for an afternoon read.

With so much in the town to explore, I had to push on! Oh, and it was SO hard not to stop and sample the wares at Bread Alone or Samuel’s Sweet Shop 🙁  — but with early dinner reservations at Terrapin, I stayed strong! Paul Rudd and Jeffrey Dean Morgan now own the Sweet Shop; when original owner Ira Gutner passed away in 2014, the two actors, their wives, and a third couple stepped in to be sure the beloved store stayed open.

I finished my day in Rhinebeck with an amazing dinner at Terrapin, which has been named the Best Farm-to-Table Restaurant in the Hudson Valley by Hudson Valley Magazine. All I can say is that Terrapin lived up to its reputation! I enjoyed a flight of locally brewed ale, followed by the most tender and flavorful venison I’ve ever eaten, and my dining companion’s squash soup and gorgeous bone-in pork chop were equally outstanding. Three cheers for Terrapin!

Following this amazing dinner, I headed back to the Rhinecliff Hotel for a long, deep sleep. I needed to rest up for the next morning and the very full day I had planned in Hyde Park!

In my next article in this series on Dutchess County, I’ll be sharing my full day in Hyde Park — visiting the Roosevelt Home and Presidential Library, the Vanderbilt Mansion, and the Culinary Institute of America (you can read about my time at Eleanor Roosevelt’s home, Val Kill, here).

Practical Information: Getting to Dutchess County

I’ve traveled by train and by air to and from Dutchess County, and both are easy.

The train ride from Penn Station in New York City to Poughkeepsie ranges from 90 minutes to 2 hours, depending on whether it’s rush hour. You’ll be aboard the Amtrak Empire Service (don’t confuse this with the Empire Builder route that runs from Chicago to the Pacific Northwest). The Amtrak Empire Service runs from New York’s Penn Station all the way to Niagara Falls, and a one way ticket from Penn Station to Poughkeepsie ranges from $27 to $58, depending on the time of day and whether you splurge for a business class seat.

You will definitely want to rent a car, and you’ll find all of the major car rental companies in Poughkeepsie.

You could also fly into Albany, New York, which is what I did on this last trip. Once I picked up my car, the drive down to Rhinebeck took about an hour and fifteen minutes.

Other thoughts: Amtrak’s Empire Service train makes it easy to put together a seven to ten day itinerary that might include a few days in NYC, two or three nights in Dutchess county, and then a visit to Niagara Falls before flying out of Buffalo.

Where to Stay in Dutchess County

Rhinebeck, Rhinecliff, Poughkeepsie, and Hyde Park offer travelers a range of options, which you may explore in more detail here on the Dutchess County Tourism website.

I spent two pleasant evenings in the Rhinecliff Hotel, an historic property next to the Rhinecliff train stop, next the the Hudson River. The bed and room were very comfortable, and I loved the gorgeous views of the river from my balcony. Morning breakfasts at the Rhinecliff are outstanding — and I would definitely stay here again.

I then stayed at the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel on the final night of my trip — again, very comfortable, and right in the heart of the historic part of the city. There are wonderful dining options in Poughkeepsie, and the Grand makes it easy to explore those, and to spend time on the Walkway Over the Hudson — wonderful for walking or running, and stunning views of the river and all of Dutchess County.

Disclaimer: Many thanks to Dutchess County Tourism for hosting my visit, and for their warm welcome and assistance. As always, opinions and experiences expressed on AnnCavittFisher.com are honest and my own. I’ll never recommend anything I didn’t love myself.