Cold Spring, N.Y.: Geo. Washington Drank Here

The Brawny Sherpa and I headed to the Hudson House Inn in Cold Spring, N.Y., for a weekend away from the stress of our daily existence. The Inn, built around 1832, overlooks the Hudson River, and features a cozy formal dining room with porch, a tavern and fireplace downstairs, and about a dozen or so rooms up—. Our perch for the weekend was on the top floor, overlooking the village’s gazebo and the river. As the inn’s web site promised, arriving was stress free. We checked into our room and into a romantic weekend away.

Fortified with some tea and cookies, we set out for a walk before dinner. The Clearwater, a sloop owned by musician Pete Seeger’s nonprofit promoting a clean Hudson River, happened to be docked there, so we watched the crew, fantasized about being young idealists, and chatted with a few members about the boat’s mission (educating new generations about the importance of preserving the river) before heading to the restaurant for dinner. I liked the butternut squash soup with a bit of apple the best.

Too full for dessert, we headed back to the water afterward and watched some Clearwater deck hands help dock the River Rose. The paddle wheeler and one-time floating casino moored in New Orleans turned tour boat in the Hudson was having a bit of difficulty in the shallow water near the shore.

After blueberry pancakes in the inn the next morning (our room fee included breakfast), we headed out for some window shopping. Our walk led us to a band, and then some impromptu dancing, at a small park next to the Cold Spring Depot Restaurant, a place I like to visit in the hope of siting the ghost purportedly still waiting at the former train station. In the park, I learned how the village had gotten its name: George Washington, during the Revolution, was in town and apparently thirsty, so he had a bit of water, pronounced it from a “cold spring,” and the rest is history.

I’d have liked to learn a bit more about the inn’s back story.  There have got to be some good tales, and maybe even a ghost story or two, about a place that’s been around for so long. An information sheet in our room gave a quick rundown about the ownership of the inn, but I’d still be interested in more embellishments.

What I liked about our visit: the friendliness of the staff at the Hudson House Inn and our meals there. The guest room we stayed in could have used a bit of a makeover and a more thorough cleaning. Someone else’s dry cleaner bag and old hangers remained on the floor of our closet; the bathroom vent was extremely dusty and drip stains from it remained on the wall; and our windows would have benefitted from a playdate with Windex. Otherwise, the weekend helped us accomplish what we set out to do: escape, and relax.

© Lori Tripoli