Holiday-on-Hudson
Hudson House River Inn
2 Main St // Cold Spring, NY
(845) 265-9355 // hudsonhouseinn.com
Distance from White Plains: 45 minutes
Who needs to travel to New England to see fall foliage? As it turns out, you can drive less than an hour and still catch a spectacular autumnal display over the Hudson River. And the best place to take it all in is the Hudson House River Inn in Cold Spring.
The Inn itself, sitting majestically on Main Street and cozied up to the River, dates back to 1832 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Guest rooms have that comfy bed-and-breakfast feel, with antique-looking furniture, floral bedspreads, and patterned wallpaper. But, opt for a room with a full balcony, and chances are you’ll ignore the rest of your accommodations for a chair out on the terrace, where you can look across the River to the wooded Storm King State Park.
If you can tear yourself away from the view, the quaint downtown Cold Spring is an easy stroll from the Inn. There, antiques shops abound, many of which are set up in 19th-century buildings. A good place to start is the Cold Spring Antiques Center (845-265-5050, coldspringantiquescenter.com), housed in an old bank building that still has the old bank vault intact.
Or, if you’re tired of all the cutesy charm, put some muscle into your getaway. Hudson Valley Outfitters (845-265-0221, hudsonvalleyoutfitters.com) hosts kayaking tours at all skill levels, so beginners can paddle around Constitution Marsh, while vets can head on a three-mile journey that features a hardhat walking tour of Pollepel Island and the ruins of Bannerman’s Castle.
When you’ve worked up an appetite, Riverview Restaurant (845-265-4778, riverdining.com) offers contemporary American cuisine with, as its name suggests, yet another grand view of the Hudson. Or head back to the Inn, where Executive Chef John Guererro (who once worked at the Willett House in Port Chester) oversees two restaurants: the casual Tavern Room and the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence-winning River Room. If the weather holds up, you can request a table outside, looking out on to Cold Spring’s village park and gazebo and, of course, that River again. In fact, if you plan things correctly, you can go the whole weekend without once having to take your eyes off the Hudson’s showy scenery. Now that’s making the most of the season.
The Nitty-gritty: $165 to $250 per night, double occupancy, includes continental breakfast Monday through Friday and a full breakfast on Saturday and Sunday.
—ML