If I had a dollar for ever person who asked me over the past few months why were were going to upstate New York… well lets just say I would have a lot of dollars!
Though seemingly unconventional, the decision to travel to the Hudson Valley, NY area to tour amazing gilded age mansions was an easy one for me, and Megan. We were quick to pull the trigger. The conversation basically went,
Collins: “One day I really want to go to New York, and tour all these old mansions.”
Megan: “Me too!”
Collins: “Really, no no one ever wants to go with me when I pitch the idea.”
Megan: “Oh, I’ve always wanted to do that. Let’s go!”
Me: “What about this November when the leaves are changing?”
Megan: “Im in! We should start planning… today.”
And the rest was history, ha! I should start by explaining what is so magical about the places we visited. The gilded age in the United States was one of great change, and for a small percentage of the country large opulence. These New York societal families all had summer homes. Yes, thats back when people used the word “summer” as a verb. These homes were largely clustered along the Hudson River, and up in Road Island. Luckily a handful of the homes have been preserved, and are open to the public to tour. So our journey begins.
We flew into LaGuardia. Grabbed our renal car (thanks Enterprise!) and headed out on the open road. Though we flew to New York, our journey could much more easily have been clarified as a “road trip” than anything else. We hit the pavement and drove all over upstate New York.
We made it out 20 minutes until Megan found the first Starbucks. Travel tip: I think flying into Newark would possibly be easier. It’s about the same difference from both airports however I think the traffic, and getting to a rental car would be easier form Newark.
Our first stop was Woodburry Outlets. It is in my opinion the nicest/best outlet mall in the country. So you can imagine what it was like the Saturday after Black Friday. If you watched our insta stories you saw the 50 person line just to get into the Gucci store. We spent several hours shopping the deals then headed back out on the road.
We pulled into Cedar Lakes Estate located in Port Jarvis, New York at 3:45 pm. To describe the property at golden hour would almost be impossible. I think it might be comparable to where Snow White and the 7 dwarfs live, combined with touches of every cute pinterest camping moment you’ve seen! We walked into “check in,” I use that term loosely because that consisted of the sweetest employee (Jessica) meeting us at the “General Store” with wine and cheese upon arrival. Ummmmm yes! That is real!
She showed us around the property, gave us the history, and took us to our cabin. Walking in was like going to adult summer camp, but with a lot more emphasis on the chic then the rustic. We changed quickly, and headed back out for our hour and forty five min trek to our first tour of the trip.
Boscobel was a great mansion to start the touring off with. Originally built in 1804 the estate was home to loyalist States Morris Dyckman. Dyckman made his fortune working for British quartermasters during the Revolutionary War. We were lucky enough to make it in time for their holiday candle light tour. Your were guided around the house by candlelight as to get the feel of how it would have been in the 1800’s.
After the tour we took a recommendation from the property manager, and headed down Main Street to grab a bite to eat at Cathryn’s Tuscan Grill. The atmosphere was charming, the food delicious, and the Main Street location was definitely a spot to see.
Being that we were almost up for 24 hours by the time we got back to Cedar Lakes, showered and got into bed… we decided to have a long morning in our PJ’s, watching Hallmark Christmas movies, while eating the pumpkin spice bread that was in our room upon arrival. Surprisingly we had warmer then normal weather for that time of year. During the day it was in the low 50’s and very sunny. Taking advantage of this burst of sunshine we set out to hike around the property.
Surprisingly we had warmer then normal weather for that time of year. During the day it was in the low 50’s and very sunny. Taking advantage of this burst of sunshine we set out to hike around the property. 
We enjoyed the sunset over the lake, packed up and headed on to our next stop. Driving through rural New York was one of the most fun parts of this experience. We drove through so many fun towns and enjoyed the landscape. An hour and fifteen minute drive north east, and we came upon Hasbrouck House. This pretty Inn was such a gem. You can see my full review of Hasbrouck House quaint magic here! High point might have been the doughnuts and apple cider by the fire in the library, or my hour long bath in the soaking tub in our room!
After enjoying some down time we packed up around lunch, and hit the road again heading south to our next mansion tour. Lyndhurst is something out of a fairy tail, and is one of the only remaining gothic revival mansions in the United States. We booked the last tour of the day at 4:00 pm. I heavily recommend this. The entire tour was during sunset/golden hour. As we ended it became dark outside and the house literally sparkled form the Christmas lights. Our tour guide was incredible. It ended up only being the three of us, so we basically had a private tour. He even took us in a couple places the public isn’t allowed access to.
Sometimes on trips you make un expected pit stops… I’m about to share ours with you. We left Lyndhurst and were on route to our rental house we were staying in for the next three nights. We were maybe three miles into the hour drive when Megan spotted a Starbucks. If you’re seeing a theme here you’ve caught on quickly ha! This particular Starbucks was the corner unit of the quaintest little shopping center. And would’nt you know it, on the other corner was Xing Long’s Asian Massage. After coffee we quickly detoured for an amazing hour long massage. The ladies that did mine and Mary Kate’s couples massage (haha!) were a life saver after being in the car for so many hours the past several days.
Our The Art of Building rental house located just a few blocks away from downtown Rhineback, and was a very cool change from the first two locations we stayed at. It was a modern cabin in the woods. The contemporary decor, and open window design, added a sleek feel to the end of our journey. We spent three nights in this little piece of paradise. It was our home base for the majority of our mansion tours.
As amazing as the mansion tours are, and they are AMAZING, we wanted a little break from the opulence to get to know the area a little better. Most of upstate is surprisingly rural. When invited to experience Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa for the day we decided to jump on it. Getting a tour of the self-sustaining property, the animals including lamas, chickens, bees, peacocks, goats and much more was a trip. We had a delicious dinner at Henry’s at the Farm and then headed back home. If you are looking for a peaceful place to stay that is quaint and country but which and upscale at the same time Buttermilk Falls is the place for you!! Great weekend getaway!!!
One can only imagine that being a Vanderbilt during the gilded age would have been something out of Downtown Abbey. Visiting one of the more opulent of their many summer homes did not disappoint. It might have been the peak of my trip. It is a do not miss! Our guide was so knowledgeable and gracious. He took his time telling us stories and details about the house, family, and time during when the house was lived in.
If you are into history and architecture, and having a little adventure I think this would be the perfect trip for you. I would allow a week to really see all the mansions and get to have a little time to enjoy the area. I hope you enjoyed following along on our road trip as much as we enjoyed it ourselves! Until next time!!
xx
CTS
No Comments