ROMANTIC
GETAWAYS AND ENCHANTING B&B’S
Dutchess County, New York offers all the necessary ingredients for romance. Here you find sunsets across a majestic river, scent-filled gardens awash with bloom, candlelit restaurants and enchanting bed-and-breakfasts. It is the few uncommon attractions, however, that make intimacy in Dutchess County a singular experience.
Formal gardens, rolling lawns and Hudson River views take on a fairy tale quality when they surround fabulous Gilded Age mansions. The art of cuisine reaches new heights at the world-famous Culinary Institute of America and other award-winning Dutchess County restaurants. An evening is more cherished when spent at America’s oldest inn, The Beekman Arms (www.beekmandelamaterinn.com).
Known for its breathtaking beauty, the Hudson River left early explorers filled with awe. Later it inspired an entire school of artists and writers, including landscape painter Frederic Church and author Washington Irving. Today Dutchess County’s 30 miles of Hudson River frontage provide an ideal backdrop for romance.
The Vanderbilt Mansion (www.nps.gov/vama) in Hyde Park is a favorite spot for couples. Many young men have “popped the question” to their true love while gazing at the sweeping Hudson River view. The property includes the magnificent Beaux-Arts limestone palace once owned by Frederick Vanderbilt and his wife Louise. A national historic site since 1940, the estate’s grounds include the beautiful Italian Gardens (www.marist.edu/fwvga), which are characterized by ornamental fountains, terraces, statues and loggia, with a formal bedding of flowers, trees, shrubs and vines. The grounds provide a perfect backdrop for wedding photos. After a day surrounded by beauty, travel to Poughkeepsie for a stay at the Inn at the Falls (www.InnAtTheFalls.com). It is a luxury hotel, yet offers the personal attention of a B & B. It features large suites and charming hotel rooms, most with a relaxing water view. Every morning a European-style continental breakfast is delivered to each room.
Century-old trees and lavishly landscaped grounds create a “Gatsbyesque” setting at the Staatsburgh State Historic Site (www.staatsburgh.org) in Staatsburg. Once the country retreat of financier Ogden Mills and his wife Ruth Livingston Mills, the property includes an imposing 65-room Beaux-Arts mansion. This site was the inspiration for Edith Wharton’s “The House of Mirth.” The circular stair in the back of the house is a favorite setting for wedding pictures. To make it an unforgettable evening, stay at The Olde Rhinebeck Inn, c. 1745. (www.rhinebeckinn.com) Visitors have privacy in a quiet, wooded setting that makes the night incredibly romantic. There are three rooms in the pre-Revolutionary House. A full breakfast is served to start you off on a day of sightseeing.
Rhinebeck features several gorgeous village Victorians, now bed and breakfast inns. The Veranda House (www.verandahouse.com) is an 1845 Federal house with five rooms listed on the National Registry of Historical Places. The rooms are furnished and decorated with American and English antiques and a painting collection. All rooms have private baths and guests receive a full breakfast each morning. The house also has a library and veranda with beautiful views. Just outside the village is Whistle Wood Farm, offering informal luxury and a hearty country breakfast. The country setting, with a pastoral view of meadows and mountains, comes complete with horses and friendly dogs. In the neighboring town of Red Hook, The Grand Dutchess features formal parlors, two huge porches and spacious, heirloom-furnished rooms.
The choices for elegant and romantic dining in Dutchess County are dazzling. The Culinary Institute of America (www.ciachef.edu), the famed college for professional chefs, is the centerpiece of the Dutchess County food and wine experience. A visit to one of its five celebrated restaurants is an unparalleled experience for the palate. Meals are prepared by students under the supervision of a prestigious international faculty.
Other eateries that have earned Dutchess County its reputation as a culinary center include Harralds Restaurant in Stormville. It holds an AAA Four Diamond designation and is a Distinguished Restaurants of North America Award winner. After eating a wonderful meal at Harralds Restaurant take a ride to Hopewell Junction and stay in the romantic Bykenhulle House Bed & Breakfast (www.bykenhullehouse.com). The 15-room Georgian manor house was built in 1841 on 6 acres and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The 5 guest rooms all have a private bath, and some have a fireplace or Jacuzzi. The double living rooms are adorned with large, imported crystal chandeliers, and a sunroom overlooks a perennial flower garden and swimming pool. A full country breakfast is served on fine china in the formal dining room. The inn can also accommodate groups and parties.
At The Lakehouse Inn (www.lakehouseinn.com) in Stanfordville, guests will feel a long way from the city, wrapped in serenity and privacy. Hidden discreetly on twenty-two country acres, it welcomes guests with its subtle elegance, making it a place for dreams, private moments and quiet times. The Lakeside Quarters, Prince’s Chambers and the Master Suite have lake views while the other seven guest rooms offer views of the woods. All Jacuzzi rooms have fireplaces and luxurious robes. Another B&B in the area is Bullis Hall (www.bullishall.com)in the hamlet of Bangall. The inn’s décor evokes the hunt country scene found nearby. Walk in from the country gardens to choose from five rooms with fireplaces and hot tubs. Guests have their choice of a continental breakfast in house or a more substantial repast across the street at a neighboring eatery. A dining room is available where your host will happily arrange a private, catered meal for you and your guests at any time.
The Old Drovers Inn (www.olddroversinn.com) in Dover Plains was selected by Discerning Traveler magazine as a “romantic hideaway...especially during fireplace season,” and is an AAA Four Diamond Award winner. Candle-burning hurricane lamps provide the majority of light in the antique-filled inn and restaurant that once was a stopover for cowboys, also know as drovers. Choice seafood, seasonal game specialties, a selection of outstanding classic dishes and an expansive wine list make for a memorable experience.
In Poughkeepsie, the Holiday Inn Express (www.poughkeepsiehi.com) and the Best Western Inn and Conference Center (www.bestwestern.com/innconfctrpoughkeepsie), offer guests romantic Jacuzzi rooms. The Holiday Inn offers a magnificent two-room whirlpool suite that will make anyone’s dreams of a romantic rendezvous come true. Guests will find separate living and bedroom areas, wet bar, a step-in shower and an oversized whirlpool for two, which invites romance on any occasion. At the Best Western Inn and Conference Center guests can reserve a room with a heart-shaped Jacuzzi for that special romantic evening. The spacious mini-suites feature kitchenettes and comfortable seating areas as well. Guests can also reserve a Great Comedy Getaway package, which includes overnight stay with dinner for two in the Rock Lobster Café, two tickets to Bananas Comedy Club and breakfast for two.
Le Chambord Restaurant, Inn & Conference Center (www.lechambord.com) in Hopewell Junction adds the charm of a European inn to the elegance of an 1863 Georgian Colonial estate. It indulges guests with four-star cuisine, magnificent dining facilities and sumptuous rooms. Antique Waterford crystal chandeliers, fine art and magnificent French wall coverings surround guests who dine in the opulent Doré Room. Rooms in the inn are appointed with antiques and period furnishings and each morning begins with an elegant continental breakfast.
Troutbeck (www.troutbeck.com), which has received high praise from publications such as New York magazine and Country Inns of New York, is a former country estate on 442 acres in the Berkshire foothills. Oriental rugs, objects d’art, canopied beds, private sun porches and fireplaces create a luxuriant atmosphere. Sophisticated cuisine and homemade breads and pastries make staying at Troutbeck a special experience. The expansive grounds (442 acres) invite long walks in the woods, past the bubbling brook and sycamore tress planted in 1835, or strolls in the flowering walled gardens.
The Belvedere Mansion (www.belvederemansion.com) in Staatsburg offers the poshest of accommodations with million dollar views of the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains. The17-room Greek Revival mansion is lavishly restored and whimsically decorated. The property includes six other units, each decorated in unique motifs, including Asian. An outdoor pool, tennis courts, health club and gourmet dining add to an idyllic scene. Fittingly, the estate was a wedding gift from Captain Pawling to his young bride.
These are just a few of more than 60 accommodations listed in the Dutchess County Travel Guide. There are options to suit every taste and budget. Whether the choice is a cozy Victorian B&B, private guesthouse, quaint inn with decidedly French or English appointments, or one of many motels, suite hotels or major hotel chain properties, Dutchess County will make a visitor feel welcome.
