On our first day, we visited West Point before crossing the Hudson to
see Vanderbilt and Vassar. Ate lunch at the Beechtree Grill in
Poughkeepsie, just off the Vassar campus. It didn't look like much from
the outside, but the food and service were very good. We ended up
staying in Tarrytown at the Springhill Suites, which suited our purposes
just fine. (Although we cancelled the Tarrytown House Estate, we did
drive around the property, and that would have been a fine choice.)
Dinner at Chiboust was quite good, particularly the desserts.
On our second day, we visited Kykuit, which was lovely. If you have just
one mansion to see, this should be it! But definitely make a
reservation, and try to visit early in the day. Tours seem to sell out
quickly (maximum of 18 people per group), and parking (at Phillipsburg
Manor) is at a premium. (You are bused from Phillipsburg to Kykuit.) We
ate Sunday brunch in Tarrytown at Sweet Grass Grill, which was
delicious, and the outdoor patio tables are a nice place to dine.
Afterwards, we visited Union Church to see the Chagall and Matisse
windows, and then toured Blue Hill at Stone Barns. We ate dinner at Blue
Hill in the evening, but because jacket and tie are requested for men,
we thought it best to do our tour of the gardens, greenhouses, and
livestock pens in more casual dress. Our meal at Blue Hill was the most
unique we've ever had in terms of ingredients. Presentation wasn't
overly fussy, but rather rustic and natural. The service wasn't as good
as I had expected, but overall it was worth the cost and the effort
(reserving two months in advance). My best advice for Blue Hill is to
take an early reservation--it takes 3 to 4 hours for a full meal,
depending on whether you choose 5 or 8 courses, and we recount at least
10 amuse bouches were served before any of the actual courses were
placed in front of us. Bring your appetite!
On our last morning, we visited Lyndhurst, which was worthwhile, but
hard to stand up to Kykuit, even though it was very different in style.
We probably should have also stopped at Washington Irving's Sunnyside
before departing for home, but at that point we were somewhat "mansioned
out" as a previous poster thought we might be.
All in all, it was a great 3-day weekend, and next time we'll move a little farther north to see the mid and/or upper Hudson region.
Hotel:
- Springhill Suites Tarrytown Link to my review
- Beech Tree Grill Link to my review
- Chiboust Bistro and Bakery Link to my review
- Blue Hill at Stone Barn Link to my review
- Sweetgrass Cafe Link to my review
- West Point
- Kykuit
- Union Church of Pocantico Hills
- Lyndhurst
