Relax In Nature At This Beautiful Upstate New York House

Have you been itching to get away from the bustling city and get in tune with nature? Are you ready to just slow down a little bit and take a deep breath of fresh air? If you answered yes, then I have the perfect place for you! About two hours away from NYC, rests the beautiful The River House. The River House is a 3 bedroom, 31/2 bath stone house located on the opposite bank of the Willowemoc River, accessible only by crossing a private bridge. 

The River House is an amazing weekend getaway as it contains the perfect mix of exploration and relaxation. Imagine taking a hike starting from the backyard and coming back home to cozy up by the fireplace. 

The River House was clean, cozy, and felt like a home away from home. Plus, they provide everything that you need for a short stay from towels, toiletries, and continental breakfast!

What To Do:

No matter what season you visit, there is always something to do around Livingston Manor. 

All Year Round Activities 

Yoga:

The River House has a go-to yoga instructor, Justine Sutherland. She gives 90 minutes classes at her barn/studio located on Somewhere in Time Farm or can arrange to come on-site. $20 per person, ($135 minimum). 

The Livingston Manor area also has some cool covered bridges in the area. I visited during late Winter but I can imagine they would be stunning during the Fall and Summer months! This is a great spot for photogenic moments. 

• The Willowemoc Covered Bridge/Bendo Covered Bridge, 68 Conklin Hill Road, Livingston Manor spans the Willowemoc

• The Vantran Covered Bridge/Motts Flats Bridge, Covered Bridge Road, Livingston Manor - spans the Willowemoc

• Beaverkill Covered Bridge/Conklin Covered Bridge, 3 Ragin Road, Roscoe

Spring/ Summer Activities: 

Hike: 

Several different trails start right from the back yard of The River House!

• The Loop: one-mile trail. 

• The River Walk Trail: two-mile walk to Beaver Lake Farm and then another 2 miles on the return.  

• The Old Orchard Trail: three-mile hike each way.

• The Mongaup State Park is also nearby and there are several trails to go on: https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/24484.html

• Somewhere in Time Farm is an active produce farm that provides herbs and vegetables to many local restaurants and sells its produce at the Catskill Food Hub. In the warmer months, they have a farm stand in front of Main Street Farm in Livingston Manor. The farm is quite impressive and worth a look.

Winter Activity: 

• Snowshoeing is a cool activity to try if you visit during the winter months. It’s something different than anything you will do in the city. Plus it’s a great workout! 

• Frick Pond is a great place to go snowshoeing and is also nearby: 

Places to eat and drink:

I’m not a chef by any means but I wanted to cook at The River House because the kitchen was exceptional! You can pick up organically grown groceries and prepare a nice dinner with access to a fully stocked kitchen with top-of-the-line products! 

Some local restaurants are: 

TIP: most places close early and do not deliver so check online or call ahead to book a table!

• Northern Farmhouse Pasta - Italian food

• Casa di Longobardi - Southern Italian food

• The Kaatskeller - brick oven pizza

• Yiasou - Greek food

• Piccolo Paese - Italian food

• The Arnold - continental food with an Eastern European twist

Some Local Breweries/Distilleries:

• Catskill Brewery 672 Old Route 17, Livingston Manor 

•  Upward Brewery is located on 171 Main Street in Livingson Manor

• Do Good Distillery/Prohibition Distillery, located at 145 Rockland Road

• Roscoe Beer Company, 145 Rockland Road

Thank you for reading!!

XOXO,

Krity 

Photography by Ashley Gallerani
The stay at The River House was complimentary but my opinions are my own.

Cold Spring

Are you dying to just getaway? Truly relax? While not having to do to much planning? Or spend too much money? Well that's exactly how I was feeling when I decided to take a quick escape to Cold Springs. Living in New York City is amazing but can get quite overwhelming at times. The last time I went on vacation was over six months ago and a truly relaxing weekend away was exactly what the doctor recommended. Just 48 hours in Cold Springs at the Hudson House Inn had me feeling like I had gone on a full week long vacation. I soaked up so much fresh air and let all my muscles finally relax. It was definitely one of the best quick getaways I have ever taken!!

Cold Spring is located in upstate New York, just a quick hour and half train ride away from the city. After work, I hopped on the train at Grand Central and was off to start the weekend. The train ride was so smooth and had the best views. The sun was setting and looked so gorgeous reflected on the Hudson River. 

Where to Stay:

When I got off the train, I felt like I had entered a whole new state. There was not a soul in site and so quite compared to the city. It honestly felt a little weird, but in the best way. It was a short five minute walk to Main Street where the cute hotel on the corner was waiting for me. Hudson House Inn can not be missed in the city of Cold Spring! The minute I walked into the hotel, I felt that warm gushy feeling like I was home. Imagine this- on a cold night, you open the wooden door to walk into a cozy room. The space is lit with a warm light with the addition of candles that fill the area with a relaxing aroma. You're greeted with a big smile waiting for you to check in.

Walking into the room was such a pleasant surprise. It looked exactly like my old bedroom from my hometown of Michigan. It was simple chic with a country style vibe. The pale yellow walls made me feel so calm. Hudson House Inn was built in 1832 and sits beautifully a hundred feet away from the Hudson River. It is truly a part of the interesting history of the Hudson River. While staying at the Hudson House Inn, you'll get gorgeous views of West Point and Storm King Mountain. 

Where to Eat:

Breakfast 

Hudson House Inn is one of the highly rated restaurants in Cold Spring so having a meal here is a must! If you are staying at the hotel, a complimentary breakfast is included. It isn't one of those boring breakfasts you get at other hotels either. Breakfast both days was absolutely amazing!! Hudson House Inn has a great breakfast menu to choose from which includes waffles with fresh strawberries, spinach omelet with homestyle potatoes (which were my favorite), blueberry pancakes, and the big one (eggs, sausage, potatoes, and bread). The bloody Mary and mimosas were the perfect finishing touches to go along with the yummy breakfast. It was the perfect way to start out the day before going for a hike. 

Dinner

If you're looking for a great meal (one of those where you go "omg, this is so good" with every bite), have dinner at the Hudson House Inn!! In between every bite, I was complimenting how good the food was. 

Dinner started off with fresh bread with a tomato and bean topping. The menu is filled with so many delicious options. I wanted to try everything! For appetizers, I tried the homemade Maryland crabcakes made with fresh jumbo lump crabmeat with a side of dijon sauce. The outside was nice and crispy and the inside was filled with fresh crabmeat flavor! I also tried the arugula salad with tossed radicchio, caramelized pecans, cranberries, balsamic vinaigrette, topped with blue cheese. It was the perfect salad- light and flavorful. For the main dishes I went all out. I got the Surf and Turf- a plump broiled lobster tail on an eight ounce dry aged sirloin served with roasted peppercorn brandy sauce, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, and carrots. Yummmm! I also got the Hudson House Ribeye marinated in fresh rosemary and extra virgin olive oil topped with caramelized onions and blue cheese. This was one of the best ribeyes I have ever had! The meat was tender, juicy, and perfectly cooked! Hungry yet?

Drinks

Make sure you also try some of the amazing crafted cocktails at the Hudson House Inn or even wine from their large selection. You can curl up on the comfy leather couches by the fire and read some of their amazing coffee table books over drinks.

Things To Do:

While you are in Cold Spring, New York there are a few things you must do!

1. Walk along the Hudson River and gaze out into the mountains. Just listen to the water crash and take a deep breath. I promise it is so relaxing! After all, this is what you came here to do. Read the history of West Point and make sure to take some great pictures!

2. Take a walk through the quaint little town of Cold Spring. Coming up from NYC, I was in the mindset to walk around for several hours but It won’t take you that long. Make sure to check out the cute antiques shops. They have some really amazing hidden gems. There is everything from furniture, clothing, jewelry, dolls, toy cars, and records just to mention a few items. Along the way, step into one of the restaurants and grab a cup of coffee or even an ice cream cone. 

3. Hike! One of the reasons I came up to Cold Spring was to hike. I had heard amazing things about the many trails and the pictures looked beautiful. It was so worth it! I took a 4 hour hike on the Breakneck Trail. The name reflects the mountain pretty well. One step the wrong way and there was a good possibility of actually breaking my neck. However, don’t let that scare you! The hike was absolutely amazing! The hardest part was getting up the mountain and climbing over large rocks. There are different points along the trail so you can choose how far you want to go. The walk down is nice and easy so go for it!

Additional Things To Do:

Take the Metro North (or a cab/ Uber) up to the next city of Beacon, New York. The Dia Beacon Museum is a must see while upstate. It a HUGE modern art museum in a revamped old warehouse. The art here is really interesting and quite different than many other modern art museums I have been to. There are several floors so be ready to walk around. 

3 Beekman St, Beacon, NY 12508
(845) 440-0100

$15   General
$12   Students and seniors
Free for Dia members and children under 12

January–March
Friday–Monday 11 am–4 pm
April–October
Thursday–Monday 11 am–6 pm
November–December
Thursday–Monday 11 am–4 pm

Thank you for reading!!

XOXO,

Krity

*This was a sponsored post for Hudson House Inn. However, all opinions are my own.*

Governors Ball NYC Music Festival 2016 Recap

Earlier this June (June 3rd and 4th), I had one of the best weekends ever! I went to Governors Ball music festival with a few friends- listened to amazing live music, danced my butt off, and ate delicious food.

Here is what I learned and maybe can help out future Gov Ball goers:

• Gov Ball is incredibly organized and send you helpful emails leading up to the concert days and throughout the whole festival
• You get a wristband in the mail a few weeks prior to the festival- this is your entry into the festival
• The Gov Ball app was super helpful! You could make your own lineup and it gave you alerts to remind you about the upcoming performance
• Phone service sucked! I think it was because of the amount of people there. Not sure, but posting on social media or even texting was a pain.
• Definitely take a portable phone charger!!!
• Things to take:
  • Sunscreen
  • Empty water bottle- free water inside the festival
  • Portable phone charger
  • Tylenol or other pain relief and band aids- never know if you'll get a headache or hurt yourself.
  • Deodorant or body spray- you'll be dancing, and sweating. No body wants to smell that
  • Cross body bag or backpack. Somehow things add up and you need the space
  • Light jacket. At night, the temperatures dropped. It was also nice to have when I got soaked
  • Umbrella or poncho. Mother nature can be a bit moody and just decide to downpour 
• Governors Ball was really great about compensation for the third day being cancelled. So do not worry about getting ripped off
• For more info go here

See some festival inspired posts here

NYC: Shanghai Mermaid Casino de Paris Event

Casino de Paris really captured the mood of the 1920s from the lighting in the venue, performers, music, and the crowd. Party goers were dressed to the nines! The women were draped in beading and furs. The men were polished in suits and bow ties.

The music took me back as if I transported back to the 20s. The Bailsmen started off the night playing amazing Jazz and gypsy swing. The Love Show , 3 women trio, put on a fun dance show with champagne and skirts flying everywhere! Later in the evening, Myriam Phiro sang the night away as men and women took the dance floor. I loved how the old glamour came to life! You don't get to see that now-a-days. There was endless entertainment all night which was my favorite part! 

If you're looking for a party to attend and you want to get dolled up, this is definitely the event for you to attend. More information on Shanghai Mermaid for the next event.- click here. 

See the outfit I wore here.

Photography by Ashley Gallerani