• About Me

A Brooklyn Affair

Tag Archives: Hudson River

Upstate Escape

04 Thursday Feb 2016

Posted by erinjsimpson in Upstate New York

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

adventures, Historical preservation, Hudson River, travel, Upstate New York

A few weeks ago, Charlie and I escaped to one of our favorite spots in upstate New York. If you follow the Hudson River north (bonus points if you take Amtrak!) you’ll eventually run into the sleepy, quaint town of Saugerties, just south of Albany. There’s a beautiful old lighthouse right on the river that’s been turned into the most tranquil, hospitable bed & breakfast. If you’re planning to be in the area, I highly recommend it. Reservations book up fast, but you can also visit the lighthouse during the daytime to learn about the history and take in the spectacular views of the river.

The lighthouse was first built in 1869 and, after falling into disrepair during the second half of the last century, local residents undertook a major restoration in the 1980’s to preserve the historic landmark. To reach the lighthouse, you have to hike a short trail along the marshy coastline. We learned the hard way that it’s best to arrive before high tide hits. The last part of the trail becomes submerged in about 6 inches of water once the tide rolls back in. Luckily for us, the inn keepers met us with knee-high galoshes to trudge through the water. I’m sure they were silently shaking their heads at our Brooklyn naivety.

DSC_0015

We visited on a blustery, overcast weekend and, while I normally wouldn’t be thrilled by the typical upstate NY dreariness, it gave the river a mysterious, ethereal quality that I’ll always remember.

DSC_0025 DSC_0031 DSC_0042

Here are views of the front of the house, with inviting yellow doors, and a view of the back, below, where you can see the old lighthouse. The innkeepers actually live in the house year-round and I’ve spent way too much time pondering their amazing good fortune. While I can imagine that living here presents plenty of challenges (planning your grocery store runs around the tidal schedule, being exposed to all kinds of unfavorable weather) I also think about how incredible it must be to care for such a unique piece of history. Next time, I plan on taking better pictures of the interior which has been beautifully decorated with simple, antique furnishings to honor the building’s history. Each room has a coal-burning stove as a secondary heat source and the kitchen is outfitted with antique appliances.

DSC_0009 (1) DSC_0014DSC_0010 DSC_0009 DSC_0008

The view from our bedroom window was surreal. When you wake up in the morning, the first thing you see is the water and you feel like you’re suspended in the middle of the Hudson. For city dwellers like us, it’s the most relaxing way to start the day. Now that I’m back in Brooklyn, I’m trying to imagine that there’s a river right outside my bedroom instead of the incessantly noisy Atlantic Avenue.

Advertisement

Recent Posts

  • Winter Doldrums
  • Upstate Escape
  • An Overdue Update…Featuring Woodwork!
  • Autumnal Remnants
  • Ghostly Renovations

Archives

  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • December 2011

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 29 other subscribers

Blogs I’m Currently Reading

  • Invasionista
  • Bucket List Publications
  • The Best Remedy
  • hula seventy
  • Red Otter Creative
  • Unruly Things
  • Butter Me Up Brooklyn
  • Hither and Thither
  • A Bloomsbury Life
  • Honey Kennedy

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Invasionista

Bucket List Publications

Indulge- Travel, Adventure, & New Experiences

The Best Remedy

hula seventy

Red Otter Creative

Unruly Things

Butter Me Up Brooklyn

baking makes friends.

Hither and Thither

A Bloomsbury Life

Honey Kennedy

Sail Away to Fancy

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • A Brooklyn Affair
    • Join 29 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • A Brooklyn Affair
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...