Find Farm To Table Food, Antiques & Endless Nature In The Hudson Valley

For as long as New York City has been a bustling metropolis, New Yorkers have been looking for places to escape to. The Hudson Valley, with its proximity, natural beauty, and decidedly unrushed pace of life, is a longstanding favorite. The region, which spans 150-miles from Westchester to Albany, has always had breathtaking fall foliage and plentiful hiking trails. In more recent years, it’s emerged as a hotspot for design and a leader in the farm-to-table food movement. Antiques and artisan goods abound, while restaurants take advantage of the region’s abundant farms, offering seasonal menus shaped by local ingredients.

Whether you’re there to scale mountains, hangout in microbreweries and bookstores, or shop for bespoke furniture, the Hudson Valley has something for everyone. 

Just 90 minutes outside of Manhattan, Wildflower Farms, the newest property in the Auberge Resorts Collection, may as well be in another world for all the serenity and seclusion it offers. Guests are introduced to the beauty of the surrounding area via the open-air lobby, which perfectly frames the stunning Shawnagunk ridge on the horizon.

Free-standing cabins are scattered throughout the 140-acre property, which is integrated so carefully into the landscape that you feel entirely one with nature, even as a nightly turn-down service reminds you that you’re far from camping. The property is selectively mowed, so even the walk from the lobby to the rooms, down a path winding through a field of wildflowers and knee-high grasses, feels immersive. Walking trails peek out from beside cabins, inviting guests to explore the area further.

Those who prefer their exercise indoors can visit the fully outfitted gym or participate in one daily complimentary yoga, pilates, and breathwork classes. At the namesake farm, guests can sample sweet and spicy radishes and collect eggs for their omelets. Other activities are abundant: take a guided forest immersion walk, try your hand at making a mandala from foraged fauna, or pick produce on the farm for a private cooking class with the executive chef. Indoor and outdoor pools, a botany inspired spa, and seasonally inspired restaurant are the cherries on top.

Editors Note:

Wildflower is a Fine Hotels + Resorts property, meaning Amex platinum card holders can enjoy extra perks during their stay (think room upgrades, complimentary breakfast, a $100 property credit, and early check-in & late checkout.) 

This boutique hotel is all style - dark woods, leather sofas, antique light fixtures and built in bookcases abound. Located on Hudson’s main drag, Warren street, it’s the perfect jumping-off point for window shopping or a trip to the farmers market down the road.

It features only 11 rooms, designed with painstaking attention to detail. Each of the four suites is an architectural and design marvel revolving around a central theme—a 1940s architect’s studio, a late 19th century garden pavilion, a bohemian artist’s hideaway, and a writer’s room complete with a curated library. The lobby is tucked away in an all-day cafe, while brunch and dinner are served in the glass conservatory (weekends only).

Plus, they have one of the best drink spots in town - more on that later. 

1.

Hike around the Minnewaska state park preserve

2.

Window shop on Warren street

3.

Get a drink at the maker lounge 

This decadently decorated hideout serves craft cocktails and small plates inside a converted 19th-century carriage house. An understated entrance gives way to a room rich with dark wood, deep velvet armchairs, leather-lined walls, and roaring fireplaces. The cocktail list is similarly styled, featuring ingredients like wile thyme liqueur, heirloom creme de flora, pink peppercorn, and palo santo. 

Learn more here

4.

Pick your own fruit at Mead Orchards

Located just 25 minutes outside of Hudson, Mead Orchard has been shipping apples down the Hudson since 1916. Today, the family-owned farm welcomes visitors to pick their own fruit - blueberries, peaches, and cherries in the summer, and apples and pumpkins in the fall. Entrance is free, just pay for what you pick. 

Learn more here.

5.

Wander around the Kingston farmers market

The largest of its kind in xyz, Kingston’s farmers market operates year round. It features more than 70 vendors spanning produce, meat, cheese, bread, alcohol, and artisan products, many of which have justice-minded missions related to food sovereignty, animal welfare, regenerative farming, and education. Live music is a plus. 

Learn more here.

6.

Visit the Storm King Art Center

At this 500-acre outdoor museum, the natural landscape is as much a piece of artwork as the large-scale sculptures. The rolling hills, meadows and wetlands that make up the property were carefully designed by the late landscape architect William A. Rutherford. Installations are largely site-specific, made to frame the surrounding vistas so that they become part of the piece, rather than just background. Walking and tram tours are available daily. 

Learn more here.

7.

Sample local wine & spirits

Feast & Floret serves cozy, modern Italian food inside yet another former carriage house and blacksmith shop. Tables are scattered throughout a maze of rooms with roaring fireplaces and local dried flowers cascading about the walls. A garden out front allows diners to eat under the seclusion of twinkle light illuminated foliage. But ambiance aside, vegetable-forward Italian fare stands on its own.

Many (if not most) ingredients are sourced from local farms, bakers, and cheese mongers. Homemade pasta and classic mains (with a modern touch) like chicken Milanese are go-tos, while a selection of inspired vegetable dishes (wood fired radishes, delicata squash with mint & harissa) make a case for shared plats. Don’t miss the grilled flatbread.