It’s not a summer in New York City without a road trip upstate! With the current situation, road trips are now the safest way to travel and to explore your own backyard. This summer, we spent a quick and cozy weekend in Hudson, NY. Check out our 3-day weekend Hudson, NY itinerary below!
Day 1:
For a trip upstate, traveling by car is the best way to get around. However, renting a car in NYC can be expensive so I’d suggest going on a weekday to avoid weekend surge prices. It’s only a 2.5 hour drive up to Hudson from there – barring traffic – with plenty to do as you drive up the Hudson River!
Hike Anthony’s Nose
Our first stop was Anthony’s Nose, which is a short hike (about 1.2 miles) that leads to some pretty spectacular views! It wasn’t super crowded when we did this hike since we were there on a weekday. The beginning half is pretty steep and rocky but then it levels out to mostly a flat dirt path. The hike is pretty suitable for beginners, children, and pets as long as you take it slow.
We had some amazing views of the Hudson River and the Bear Mountain Bridge along the trek up.
Arrive in Hudson, NY
We had a late start so missed lunch, and were starving after this hike. We drove the rest of the way to Hudson and found a random Mexican restaurant to eat at. It’s important to remember that business hours are super weird here, especially on weekdays and even more so because of COVID. Don’t expect NYC hours where you can find something to eat at all hours of the day.
We checked into our Airbnb, a little traditional row house just behind the main street in town. The two-story house was built in the 1870s and had lots of country house charm. Here’s the link to the Airbnb (as an Airbnb affiliate, I’ll earn a bit of money if you book with this link).
Sunset at Hudson Riverfront Park
That evening, we went to the Hudson Riverfront Park to watch the sunset. There was live music playing and people having picnics. We managed to find a bench with great views of the sun setting across the river and behind the mountains.
Drinks in town
We then walked back into town and visited Back Bar for a glass of natural wine and some kombucha ice cream from Culture Cream. They had a cute outdoor setup with lights and wooden tables, perfect for a cool summer night.
Day 2:
Breakfast at The Maker Hotel
The plan for this day was to explore a bit of the town. We started with breakfast at The Maker Hotel, a charming boutique hotel with a cafe and lounge. Our breakfast was delicious, albeit in the price range of what you’d find in the city. The whole meal gave me a very “English-countryside-high-tea” vibe. By chance, the social media manager noticed we had tagged the hotel on Instagram and came out to greet us. She was lovely and gave us a tour of the whole property. It turns out the hotel was owned by the founders of Fresh Cosmetics, who lovingly restored the historic building into a charming and elevated hospitality
Every room and piece of decor is so thoughtfully planned. Much of the history of the building is still intact, and new furnishings flowed seamlessly into the design. The courtyard with its all glass walls and ceilings was my favorite part. We even got to see one of the studios that had the most luxurious clawfoot bathtub I’ve ever seen.
Window shopping on Warren Street
After the tour, we explored the town a bit to admire the charming architecture and window shop. Warren Street is full of shops that would make any philocalist’s heart skip a beat.
A cozy dinner and drinks
When the rain stopped, we made our way back to The Maker Hotel to check out their lounge and grab a cocktail. The lounge has a speakeasy-esque feel and is actually a restored 19th century carriage house. The high ceilings, plush velvet furniture, and beautiful light fixtures transported me to the 1920s. We tried some of their signature cocktails and food. The spinach artichoke dip was quite literally a life changer!
After drinks, we went back to the Back Bar for dinner. We were super excited to try the Malaysian-inspired food but was sadly a bit disappointed. I had the crispy rice with shrimp and eggplant which was overly salty.
Luckily, we had a second dinner planned at Baba Louie’s, another highly recommended spot. They’re known for their creative toppings, so we tried the Dirty Brutto (topped with potatoes) and a classic margarita. We grabbed these to go because their dining room was closed. Unfortunately the pizza was disappointing as well! Our food experiences might have been lacking due to COVID. If we had more time we would have loved to try a number of other restaurants around town.
Day 3:
We woke up early on our last day so we could check out a few places and give us enough buffer to get back to the city before traffic hit. We grabbed breakfast sandwiches at Nolitas Cafe then drove over to High Falls Conservation Area about 15 minutes east of town.
Hike High Falls Conservation Area
A short hike on the Green and Blue trail led us to the lookout point for High Falls, which is aptly named for being the tallest waterfall in Columbia County at 150 feet high.
We then walked back the way we came and looped down the lower falls trail because we wanted to get to the base of the waterfall itself. Before long the trail ends at the base of a waterfall, but it looked nothing like what we had pictured and see online. I ventured down the creek across some slippery rocks and noticed a “No Swimming” nestled between some trees. Then suddenly, I heard the sound of rushing water and saw the edge of High Falls! I called over for everyone and we scrambled across the rocks in excitement. Since it was a weekday, we were the only people here!
Exploring the gardens at Blithewood Manor
After spending some time enjoying the nature and snapping some pictures, we headed back to the car. The next stop was Blithewood Manor at Bard College in Red Hook, NY.
The Manor and Garden sits on a 45-acre estate built in 1901. The garden was inspired by the Italian style, with breathtaking views of the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains. It’s now a famous spot for wedding photos. We were also the only ones here aside from a gardener mowing the lawn.
After the Manor, we stopped in Red Hook for some lunch at Taste Budd’s Cafe. This is a cute little college town with lots of food options and some shops.
Three days can barely begin to cover all the things to do and places to see around Hudson. Here are some other places I came across during my research that you should add to your list!
Hikes:
- Kaaterskill Falls
- Breakneck Ridge
- Bull Hill
- Lion’s Head
- Stissing Mountain Fire Tower
Sights:
- Olana Historic Site
- Wethersfield Estate and Gardens
- Vanderbilt Mansion
Places to Eat:
- Le Perche
- Hudson Brewing Company
- Wm. Farmer and Sons
- di’Vine Wine Bar
