What's happening, friends? As the leaves begin to turn a lighter shade of green, it reminds us that the last days of summer are upon us. This time beckons for you to take a few last warm weather ADVENTURES.
We are doing just that this weekend, and are out and about searching for all the best the Hudson Valley has to offer. A ton of City Dwellers do not have access to cars, so we have colloborated with Metro-North and Grand Central Terminal on this trip to show you that exploration awaits, and can be had without owning a vehicle. Whether you live in New York City or just making a pit stop, there is always the urge to escape the city’s hustle and bustle, and see a more relaxed part of New York State, whether for only a day or longer.
This weekend we are heading up to have a STAYCATION in Peekskill/Garrison/Cold Spring Via Metro-North to find out what makes these river towns so incredibly special. No need to navigate or mess with maps, we let Metro-North whisk us away on this Upstate Adventure. So Just sit back and relax let's get this train moving, All aboard.......
Our journey begins in the iconic Grand Central Terminal in New York City.
We hear that the Grand Central Market has some amazing shops and boutiques, and we're dying to check them out. We wanted to curate a picnic basket that we can enjoy once we reach our picturesque destination, so we hit up some incredible vendors within The Grand Central Terminal to help get our grub on. We had a checklist which included Booze, Food & Chocolate.
We found three perfect spots to pick up everything we needed
1.Central Market New York: 🥪🍺
Central Market New York has a proud, thirty-plus year history in Grand Central Terminal. With their fine-tuned knowledge of the commuter market. Central Market New York is a "sandwich-centric" concept offering grilled sandwiches made to order.
2.Li-Lac Chocolates:🍫🍫
Li-Lac Chocolates is Manhattan’s oldest chocolate house - a New York institution since 1923 selection of fresh chocolate - more than 140 items - is one of the largest selections of fresh gourmet chocolate in America. Every delicious item is made by hand, locally in New York City, and guaranteed for freshness.
3.Central Cellars: 🍾🍷🥂
Look to the right as you enter Central Cellars, the new wine and spirits shop in Grand Central Terminal, and you will see a small display of limited-edition, high-end bourbons: rare bottles of Pappy Van Winkle’s, at $3,500, and such. Lee Tachman, the owner, has a clientele that appreciates such whiskeys. “They buy them to open, not just to collect,” he said. He has also taken a clever approach with his wines. Most of the bottles at eye level on the shelves range from $20 to $35. “That’s the sweet spot,” Mr. Tachman said. “They have six minutes to their trains, and they can grab one of these.”
After that, we will hopped onto Metro-North (remember all passengers MUST WEAR A MASK) and started our trek towards the town of Peekskill which is a roughly 1-hour ride from NYC. Once there we will perused around town to check out some of its shops and restaurants, and take in its magical waterfront. Only a short drive away await the small sleepy towns of Cold Spring and Garrison NY which has everything that makes the Hudson Valley what it is. Quaint Shops, Delicious Eateries, Epic hikes, Hidden Gardens, and Water-front Gems.
Here is a peek at what we have in store for this story, follow along with us through our Instagram Stories @hudsonvalleyhappenings Starting On Friday the 21st, or follow in our footsteps and plan your very own Upstate Getaway.
Day 1 - Peekskill / Garrison
1.Arrive at Peekskill Train 🚅 Station on Metro-North from Grand Central @grandcentralnyc
2. Pick up Zip Car 🚘 (location) ---www.zipcar.com
3.The Peekskill Coffee ☕ House @peekskillcoffee----www.peekskillcoffee.com
After our busy morning a little Pick-me-up so we were in search of coffee. On the quiet corner of South Division and Brown Street, the always-bustling Peekskill Coffee House feels like home, with a comforting mix of eclectic, mismatched furniture and sun-filled space. PCH often offers fun specials, like a cinnamon toast latte for those feeling adventurous, but sticking with classics like the plain latte will not disappoint — it's a smooth brew with perfectly fluffy foam.
4.Early Electronics 💡 @earlyelectrics---www.earlyelectrics.com
Early Electrics is a small innovative lighting company with a twist. Walking into their lighting studio is almost like enter a scene entering "Monster Mash". Their design studio has credentials that go back to Raymond Loewy and Philip Johnson. Here at Early Electrics, you will find antique lighting, original designs using antique parts, and trend-setting limited editions of our own design, plus a slew of the strange and insecure. The showroom is about 5,000 square feet with a workshop behind glass doors. Their products are actually curated, much like a museum, bring your camera and your wallet.
5.Quirk Shop 👗 @quirkshoppeekskill--www.quirkshoppeekskill.com
Upon entering the store, one is struck by the eclectic collection of hand made and vintage items carefully curated as far as the eye can see. Unlike an average consignment or second-hand experience, Quirkshop’s bleached wood interior and carefully selected items produce a sense of spacious ease for browsers and dedicated thrift connoisseurs. Copper and leather pendants hang delicately from an antique antler, hand blow glassware dishes house secret silver treasures and Jeorjia’s signature cashmere creations delicately drape mannequin bodies throughout the store.
6.Manitoga / The Russel Wright Design Center 🌄 @visitmanitoga---www.visitmanitoga.com
Located in Garrison, New York, approximately one hour north of New York City, Manitoga is the former Rome and 75-acre woodland garden of American industrial designer Russel Wright (1904-1976). Manitoga is a National Historic Landmark, an Affiliate Site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and one of the few 20th-century modern homes with original landscape open to the public. Manitoga/The Russel Wright Design Center stewards Manitoga as the embodiment of Wright’s design philosophy and life’s work and celebrates good design for living in creative harmony with nature through tours, programs, events, and free year-round access to woodland trails.
7. Check into the Garrison Inn 🛌@the_garrison---www.thegarrison.com
Craving a rejuvenating weekend close to New York City? Looking for a mid-week getaway chock full of activities that range from golf, kayaking, and hiking, to antiquing, shopping at the local farmer's markets, and visiting museums like Manitoga?
Their intimate four-room Inn offers guests a tranquil oasis from their daily routine. Designed to reflect a relaxed country elegance, the non-smoking rooms are done in soothing shades of sage, cream, and mushroom. Each room features a king-sized bed
8.Dinner at Valley Restaurant 🍷 at the Garrison Inn @valleyrestaurant---www.thegarrison.com/valley-restaurant
Open year-round, Valley has been recognized as a premier dining venue in the Hudson Valley since its opening in 2004. All seasonal American cuisine, which showcases ingredients from farmers in the region, is a tribute to our efforts to include many locally grown, raised, and prepared food products. Valley’s menu changes regularly with the season and according to what is perfectly ripe that day.
Day 2 : Cold Spring / Garrison Landing
1. Magazzino Italian Art Museum 🖌@magazzino---www.magazzino.com
Located in Cold Spring, New York, Magazzino Italian Art is a museum and research center dedicated to advancing scholarship and public appreciation of postwar and contemporary Italian art in the United States. The nonprofit museum serves as an advocate for Italian artists as it celebrates the range of their creative practices from Arte Povera to the present. Through its curatorial, scholarly, and public initiatives, Magazzino explores the impact and enduring resonances of Italian art on a global level.
Meaning “warehouse” in Italian, Magazzino was co-founded by Nancy Olnick and Giorgio Spanu. The 20,000 square-foot museum, design museums Spanish architect Miguel Quismondo, opened its doors in 2017, creating a new cultural hub and community resource within the Hudson Valley.
2.Cold Spring Cheese Shop 🧀@coldspringcheese---www.coldspringcheeseshop.com/
The Main Street space, which is family owned and operated, sells a variety of cheeses and charcuterie from its retro black and white interior. Although the shop offers a spectrum of dairy concoctions, it keeps its main focus on Hudson Valley products, like the Farmers Cheese from Chaseholm Farm in Pine Plains.“We carry about 60 cheeses and we cover most bases,” says co-owner Timothy Haskell.
3.Cold Spring Apothecary and Wellness Store 💄 @coldspringapothecary---www.coldspringapothecary.com
Founded in 2010 as a Hudson Valley-based health and beauty company, our products are thoughtfully created and fueled by the healing power of botanicals and herbs. At Cold Spring Apothecary they seek a balance between functionality and indulgence throughout our entire product line. Cold Spring Apothecary products are crafted in small batches in our manufacturing lab.
With a strong commitment to luxury, only the highest quality ingredients go into our products. That means no drying sulfates, harsh parabens, or harmful chemicals.armful fragr We believe that products should be both mindful and luxurious without compromise
4.Chapeau Retail Store 🕶@chapeaucoldspring---www.chapeaucoldspring.com
One of the most eclectic shops on Main Street is Chapeau, but don’t expect to see hats on display. Ask Archie Broady, and he’ll tell you that “chapeau” can also be translated as a hat tip, meaning “well done.” As for what’s on sale, it’s all about what strikes the owner’s fancy, be it fashionable camouflage pants or Richard Haining’s modern bent-wood furniture.
5.Lunch at The Depot 🍔@cold_spring_depot---www.coldspringdepot.com
The Cold Spring Depot is a short walk from the Cold Spring Metro-North Train stop. In fact, the Hudson River line added the Cold Spring depot in 1893, serving both passengers and freight companies, and remained a train depot until 1954. The old train station at the bottom of Main Street. Large outdoor gardens for drinks, dinner, or parties. Clam bar, 2 fireplaces for cozy winter dining, and a big rectangular bar. Hangout for hikers, bikers, and New Yorkers checking out Cold Spring.
6.Little Stoney Point Beach ⛱ (location)
This area is such a special place and feels as if you have traveled to a secluded tropical island. The beach has lots to explore; littered with stumps of smooth, beautiful driftwood and soft pebbly sand. Layout a blanket and dip your feet into the gentle lapping waves from the passing barges. Depending on the day and time of year the beach can feel like a party with anchored boats and music or if you happen on a quieter day then you could have the whole place to yourselves, a peaceful slice of paradise.
7.Dollys Restaurant 🍹
Named for the film’s leading lady, Dolly’s Restaurant opened this past May, in the former location of the iconic Guinan’s Pub on Garrison Landing. Working with local farms of the Hudson Valley, delicious dishes are created here in the restaurant like Mac and Cheese, Raw Oysters, Seafood Chowder, Steak, and Fries... If you are looking for great food with a view, this is your spot. Our favorite part about our visit here was the incredible cocktails that were served up making our night just that much better
Day 3 : Cold Spring / Peekskill
1.Constitution Marsh Hike 🚶♂️🏃♂️(location) ---https://constitution.audubon.org/
Constitution Marsh Audubon Center and Sanctuary is a unique and beautiful tidal marsh located in Putnam County, New York, and serves as vital natural habitat in the Hudson River Estuary. It is located in Putnam County, New York on the east shore of the Hudson River, just south of the village of Cold Spring. The marsh is an Audubon New YorkImportant Bird Area, a New York State Bird Conservation Area, and is designated as a Significant Coastal Fish and Wildlife Habitat.
2.Tour of Stone Crop Gardens 🌺 (location) https://www.stonecrop.org/
Perched in a dramatic setting in the Hudson Highlands, just sixty miles north of New York City, Stonecrop Gardens has become an important destination for garden visitors and plant enthusiasts since opening to the public in 1992. Stonecrop began as a private garden. In 1958, Garden Conservancy founder Frank Cabot and his wife, Anne, built their home on sixty hilltop acres of fields and woods outside Cold Spring, New York. The land was a gift from Anne’s grandmother, Evelina Ball Perkins.
Inspiration may be found in all seasons, from the spring show of bulbs and the explosion of color on the cliff ledge to summer’s profusion in the flower garden, and the subtleties of fall foliage and fruit throughout the garden.
3.Lunch at La Cabana Restaurant 🌮@lacabanapeekskill
Ready to try some of the BEST Ecuadorian food of your life! Many visitors of La Cabana Restaurant note that mouthwatering soup, roasted chicken, and garlic shrimps are served here. Taste good tostones. This place is famous for its great service and friendly staff, that is always ready to help you.
4.Return Zip Car 🚙 (location) ---www.zipcar.com
5.Jump on Metro-North and Head back to NYC https://new.mta.info/schedules
