Where To Stay
Hasbrouck House
Step one: Find a charming Hudson Valley inn. We found Hasbrouck House, located in the historic hamlet of Stone Ridge. Named The Americas’ Most Romantic Retreat by the World Boutique Hotel Awards, the hotel offers all the charms of a quaint upstate retreat. At the location of an 18th-century Dutch Colonial stone mansion, this escape is less than two hours from New York City, and just over three hours from the East End (give or take depending on your location), making it the perfect, low-stress weekend getaway.
Brought to us by Akiva Reich, the developer responsible for the Green Building event space in Gowanus, Brooklyn, and Eitan Baron, known for a development portfolio of environmentally-friendly projects, there are 25 stunning rooms throughout four historic buildings. The goal was to preserve the historic legacy of the property while providing a boutique hotel with a vintage, yet modern, feel. The farm-to-table restaurant, Butterfield, is worth the trip alone (more on that below).
Highlights during the stay include 50 acres of land with trails and private lake to explore and s’mores kits waiting for you in the lobby to be enjoyed by a bonfire. There’s an outdoor burger and salad shack, Butcher & Bar, and The Cauldron Bar, an outdoor winter lounge, as well as a 100-year-old pool. On Saturday mornings you’ll find complimentary yoga, as well as options for private yoga or massage. There’s even a game room and outdoor game courts and archery. The property is accented with a monogrammed vintage Ford Model A in the driveway.
At the hotel you’ll also find locally sourced items like Laurel & Ash Farm maple products made in limited batches, and candles and diffusers from Upstate Stock. Each make a perfect gift to bring home.
Art Excursions
Storm King Art Center
Storm King Art Center, located in New Windsor, is a 500-acre outdoor museum, where visitors experience large-scale sculpture and site-specific commissions under open sky. Storm King celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2020. Now among the world’s leading outdoor museums, Storm King has been dedicated to stewarding the hills, meadows, and forests of its site and surrounding landscape since 1960.
Storm King is named after Storm King Mountain, which overlooks the Hudson River in Cornwall-on-Hudson. The center supports artists and some of their most ambitious works. Changing exhibitions, programming, and seasons offer discoveries with every visit. In its collection you’ll find works by Alexander Calder, Roy Lichtenstein, Alice Aycock, and Mark di Suvero, to name a few. While you’re there, rent a bike to cycle your way through the expansive property.
Dia Beacon
Taking its name from the Greek word meaning “through,” Dia was established in 1974 with the mission to serve as a conduit for artists to realize ambitious new projects, without the limitations of more traditional museums and galleries. In addition to Dia Beacon, there is also Dia Bridgehampton right here at home, and Dia Chelsea in New York City.
In Beacon, occupying a former Nabisco box-printing factory, the nearly 300,000-square-foot building built in 1929 is comprised of 34,000-square-feet of skylights and accented with brick, steel, and concrete. The skylights provide natural light creating a “daylight museum.” Located on the banks of the Hudson River, Dia Beacon presents the majority of Dia’s collection from the 1960s to the present.
Find works by Dan Flavin, John Chamberlain, and Lee Ufan. Also on long-term view is Andy Warhol’s “Shadows,” one of Warhol’s most abstract works, where 72 canvases are installed edge to edge.
Where To Eat & Drink
Millstream Tavern, Woodstock
Recently opened by owner Jenny Oz LeRoy, who is no stranger to the East End’s restaurant scene, Millstream Tavern offers a cozy setting with spectacular farm-to-table cuisine. Try the Stracciatella with tomatoes, basil, vinegar, and parmesan crisps. Don’t skip the baguette & butter, it’s well worth it to taste the confit spring garlic butter. Entrée highlights include the grilled 16 oz bone-in pork chop. Finish with the chocolate mousse cake.
Butterfield, Stone Ridge
Butterfield works with local farmers to create a unique and elevated dining experience, where Food & Beverage Director Eddie Pugsley — who was previously the manager of Manhattan’s Smith and Wollensky and has involvement in numerous efforts including No Kid Hungry, Feeding Westchester, The James Beard Foundation, and The Ronald McDonald House — highlights Hudson Valley food, wine, and libations. The restaurant’s Executive Chef Jesse Frederick has lived and worked as a chef in the Hudson Valley for most of his career, bringing knowledge of local farms. Highlights include smoked trout rillettes, a trio of local artisanal cheese served with honeycomb, pilsner-battered cauliflower, and roast chicken breast. For dessert, the mini apple crumb cake. It’s a memorable dining experience indeed.
Hash, Stone Ridge
Hash is the perfect stop for breakfast or lunch, just down the street from Hasbrouck House. Hash offers “a modern take on a traditional cafe serving scratch-made breakfast and lunch.” The restaurant prides itself on working with local farms and organic ingredients. Be sure to try a juice from the juice bar as well.
Ollie’s Pizza, High Falls
Located in High Falls, Ollie’s Pizza serves wood-oven baked, and Roman-style pizzas. The restaurant, which has a large outdoor patio seating area, was started by a group of life-long friends. Try the white pie made with three cheeses, caramelized onions, fresh parsley, and a sesame seed crust. You won’t be disappointed.
Arrowood Farms, Accord
As a Hasbrouck House guest, we were invited for a complimentary Arrowood beer tasting at Arrowood Farms brewery and distillery, located between the Catskill and Shawangunk mountains. At The Apiary, a farm-to-table kitchen and bar, you can sample Arrowood’s craft “beer from the ground up” alongside a food menu. Enjoy on the patio or the lawn — the taproom has over 15 draft beers to choose from. You’ll also find yourself surrounded by animals like free-roaming chickens or pigs, and there’s honey made on premise, pollinated from the farm’s wildflowers.
Stone Ridge Orchard, Stone Ridge
Perfect for apple picking, they have U-pick apples. The 200-year-old Stone Ridge Orchard is located down the street from Hasbrouck House. There’s a farmstand, farm bar, and tasting room open for special events, and woodfire pizza served Friday to Sunday.
For The View
Ashokan Reservoir
At the eastern end of the Catskill Park, the reservoir is one of several in the region created to provide the City of New York with water. It is the city’s deepest reservoir. And it offers beyond spectacular views. See it in all its glory by driving across, or try the two-mile Ashokan Quarry Trail hike, which offers close-up views of Ashokan High Point, or Ashokan Rail Trail, an 11.5-mile recreational trail that runs along the reservoir.
Mohonk Preserve
Complimentary access to Mohonk Preserve in New Paltz is also available for Hasbrouck House guests. The mission of Mohonk Preserve in New Paltz is to “protect the Shawangunk Mountains region and inspire people to care for, enjoy, and explore their natural world.” Mohonk Preserve has five main trailheads — experience the extensive hiking trails while enjoying the views of Hudson Valley.
Shop
Postmark Books, Rosendale
This indie bookstore and florist by Nissi Meadows Floral Design make for a great stop while visiting the village of Rosendale, located on Rondout Creek. Find books, flowers, stationary, and more. It’s a treasure trove for readers complimented by a grab-and-go bouquet cart.
Entertainment
Rosendale Movie Theater
Operated by the nonprofit organization, the Rosendale Theatre Collective, this theater serves as a vital and diverse cultural institution that entertains with film and live performances.
World’s Largest Kaleidoscope
The world’s largest kaleidoscope is located at Emerson Resort in Catskill, made from a silo from the Riseley Flats Farm. It’s designed by award-winning kaleidoscope artist Charles Karadimos. Enjoy the Kaleidoshow.
