Thursday, October 25, 2012

Beautiful Rhinebeck on the Hudson River


My husband and I drove upstate last weekend with two dear friends to enjoy the autumn foliage. New York State has a spectacular autumn color just as New England, and I believe the leaf color was at its peak.


The scenery along our drive on the Taconic State Parkway was magnificent!


I have to admit my camera was able to catch some good photos, even though I was sitting in the back seat of our friend's car.


We had no set agenda for the day, other than to enjoy the beautiful weather and scenery, and we decided to stop at the historic town of Rhinebeck for lunch.  There we saw the beautiful Beekman Arms Inn that dates back to colonial times, and is the oldest inn still in continuous use in the United States!


The original part of the inn was built in 1766 by Arent Traphagan.  He was the son of William Traphagen who founded the town of Rhinebeck in 1688.  The inn was originally known as Bogardus Tavern during the last third of the 18th century and helped host the military leaders of the American Revolution. George Washington, Philip Schuyler, Benedict Arnold and Alexander Hamilton all slept here!  In 1775 the 4th Regiment of the Continental Army drilled on its front lawn before the war. During the Revolution, Rhinebeck, a part of the “Breadbasket of Dutchess County,” provided badly needed flour and grain to the American troops who were stationed in the Highlands to the south. In all, Dutchess County provided about one-third of all the grain consumed by the Americans.  More about the fascinating history of this inn can be read on this link.


We also visited the A.L. Stickle Variety Store, which was established in 1946 as an original 5 and 10 cents store. Walking along the aisles of the store was a trip down memory lane as they had for sale many old-time notions, gadgets, thingamajigs, and doodads that are hard to find any longer. It was so much fun to see things I remembered from my childhood. Check out their website to see a few of the products they offer by mail order.


Driving out of the town of Rhinebeck we caught glimpses of the Hudson River rimmed with autumnal colors.


This view of the river took my breath away!


We pulled into Staatsburgh, a New York State Historic Site located within the boundaries of Mills-Norrie State Park. There we saw the Morgan Lewis mansion that was built in 1832 during the "gilded age."

More information from the mansion's website:

"It provides an example of the great estates built by America's financial and industrial leaders during the Gilded Age. A 25-room Greek Revival structure was built on the site in 1832 by Morgan Lewis and his wife, Gertrude Livingston, replacing an earlier house that had burned down. This second house was inherited by Ruth Livingston Mills, wife of noted financier and philanthropist Ogden Mills. In 1895, Mr. and Mrs. Mills commissioned the prestigious New York City architectural firm of McKim, Mead, and White to remodel and enlarge their Staatsburg home. After completion in 1896, the house was transformed into a Beaux-Arts mansion of 65 rooms and 14 bathrooms. Its exterior was embellished with balustrades, pilasters, floral swags, and a massive portico. The rooms were furnished with elaborately carved and gilded furniture; fine oriental rugs; silk fabrics; and a collection of art objects from Europe, ancient Greece, and the Far East."


Some interesting informational placards on the site.  (All photos in this post will enlarge if clicked on once, and then again when they open on a new page. To return to this post use your browser's back arrow)


This elegant mansion, restored to its turn-of-the-century appearance, is open for tours and the house and grounds offer special events throughout the year.


We did not go on the house tour but enjoyed strolling around the beautiful grounds.


Can you see the leaves falling from this tree? It was so peaceful to take a few minutes to enjoy this sight!

Upstate New York is full of pastoral scenes such as these...


...it definitely is a wonderful place to take a drive


We drove down to Poughkeepsie, NY to take the walkway over the Hudson River--a spectacular view you won't want to miss that I'll show on my next blog post--I hope you will come back to join me again then!


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71 comments:

From the Kitchen said...

Breathtaking! The first two photos remind me of a drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. This is the first October that I haven't returned to Virginia to enjoy that drive. I love the photo of the sailboat on the river!!

Best,
Bonnie

Chatty Crone said...

Oh my goodness - that all looked like Heaven there. I enjoyed all the photos of the fall scenery. And that inn is GORGEOUS! And I loved the history lesson. There is much more 'history' up north. Well we were all burned down here in the Civil War...but that is another story.

I enjoyed your post today.

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Hi Pat, So glad that you all were able to get out and enjoy some of the beautiful Autumn colors...On my long list of places to visit is New England in the FALL... One of these days I hope to get there. It's absolutely gorgeous!!!! Love the Inn also.. Wow!!!!

Thanks for sharing.
Hugs,
Betsy

myletterstoemily said...

your photos are stunning! i always tell everyone
that upper state new york is one of themost
gorgeous parts of our beautiful country.

pam said...

Oh Pat, how wonderful to get enjoy the beauty of New York. I'm with you on that river shot....stunning.

Maria said...

How absolutely beautiful!!!! Those fall colors are amazing, beautiful pictures!

Vee said...

Just beautiful and my favorite was near the end...the frame view of the sailboat on the river.

Paula's Postings said...

WOW Pat you have really captured the autumnal colours I also like the one of the river but I also like the one second from last photo, a lovely history lesson too.

RoeH said...

I've always wanted to see upstate New York. *sigh*

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

Amazing color! We've driven up to NY several times in the Fall to enjoy the Autumn colors. My hubby was born in Troy, NY and we love spending time in Saratoga Springs and surrounding areas when we visit. I think the photo you took with the sailboats is one of the prettiest I've ever seen!

ellen b. said...

Oh my Pat! Thank you for sharing all this fall beauty with us. That one view that took your breath away is spectacular for sure. What a fun weekend drive.

Barbara F. said...

Beautiful! Upstate NY is spectacular this time of year, I used to go with my parents as a child. The best apples and cider, evah! (How funny, when I emailed you and used the term "thingamajig" - and now just read your post and you used it too!) xo

Anonymous said...

O my Lord,and sweet Jesus!...these photo's blow me away!!
What a blessed country we live in,now I need to go here for sure.
Thanks Pat!

When yall moving?
Be sure and take us along!tehehe

Lynn said...

Absolutely gorgeous colors Pat! Love the variety store too, that would be a fun trip:@)

Old Kitty said...

My stars - the Morgan Lewis Mansion is amazing! It's nice that it was built as a family home though rather than some person's folly but my oh my what a design!

Moreso, what a setting! A river of golden foliage to swim alongside the Hudson! Beautiful!

Love the Stickles store! Take care
x

Susie said...

Thanks Pat, for taking us along on your day trip. What gorgeous scenery. Glad you had an enjoyable time. Smiles, xo, Susie

Cucina49 said...

I've always wanted to go to upstate New York--what fabulous photos of the fall colors!

Nellie said...

Absolutely beautiful, Pat. This was an amazing trip!

Pamela Gordon said...

I am glad you got out for this lovely drive Pat. It is just gorgeous. And some interesting historical sites to see too. I love the photo looking down the lane at the sailboat. That is a spectacular photo! Can't wait to see the next pics.

GailO said...

New York is a beautiful state! We just spent a weekend in Westchester county...gorgeous!

I love that shot of the sail boat framed by golden trees!

Ciao Chow Linda said...

wow Pat - simply stunning photos. I especially love the light falling on the leaves in the photo of the sailboat. I know where I'm going next year in the fall.

Judy said...

Well, thanks for taking us with you on your most lovely outing. What beautiful colours!

diane b said...

"Take your breath" is an understatement. The colours and scenery is spectacular. The mansion and grounds look an amazing place to visit too. I hope I can get to see this in real life one day. In the meantime I'll settle for your wonderful tours.

Tracy said...

LOVELY to see all the autumn glory, Pat... breathtaking! That inn is beautiful--I can easily imagine a happy overnight there! And fun to see that old variety story. I reminds of going to Woolworth's with my mom & sister before the stores closed where I live. Nice memories. :o) Happy Weekend ((HUGS))

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

Wow, I love me a good road trip and your is fabulous. Great shots all around but the foilage with the boat is my favorite.

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

Beautiful! I love that area. I don't know if I told you, but I lived in Central Valley, on a piece of property that backed up to West Point many years ago, for about a year.

Skye said...

Gorgeous- this really is the prettiest time of year. I love it. We are peak here in NW-NJ as well ... I hope to get out this weekend and take some nice foliage shots before Frankenstorm brings all the leaves down on monday :)

Kris said...

Wow...those trees are just stunning!! I hope to see it in person one day. Thanks for taking us along on your beautiful trip!!
xo Kris

My name is Riet said...

Hi Pat. Your photo's are breathtakingly beautiful. You must have been in Oh and Ah all the time. Stunning sights of all the colorful leaves.. Oh how I wish I could see it.
Have a nice weekend.

Pondside said...

Upstate New York is so much like the Kingston Ontario area - water and trees and lovely old houses. That photo of the sailboat should really be framed - it's gorgeous!

eileeninmd said...

Pat, gorgeous fall scenes! The views of the rivers and trees are just gorgeous. Thanks for sharing your beautiful tour! Awesome photos! Have a great weekend!

Lea Ann said...

Wow, spectacular photos. Thanks for taking the time to share them with us. My favorite is the one with the sailboat on the water.

Cathy said...

Stunning photos, Pat. I would love to come to the east coast in the fall so I could see it first hand. Maybe some day. Thanks for sharing.

podso said...

Breathtaking photos Pat! I can tell you enjoyed this trip! Thanks for the beautiful views of the Hudson. Hope you are having a good weekend and stay safe from the storm.

Yvette said...

Gorgeous, gorgeous, GORGEOUS drive, Pat. I love this area of the world. Upstate New York is SO beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing your day with us.

Years ago, when I was still happily married and thought I would always be so (don't be bitter, Yvette) we used to go up to the Rhinebeck Flea Market every summer. We had such fun. I don't know if the Flea Market (or Arts and Crafts/Antique Show - can't remember which) is still in operation. But I still have fond memories of antiquing in the gorgeous countryside once upon a time.

Anyone who doesn't know this area of the state is definitely missing out.

Thanks again, Pat. :)

Linnea said...

I've never seen such intense autumn color before! Wow! It's stunning.

SavoringTime in the Kitchen said...

Glorious photos, Pat, and what interesting places you visited!

BunnyKissd said...

Beautiful! I love living in NY! I ♥ NY as they say! ^_^

From Beyond My Kitchen Window said...

Gorgeous fall photos. There is something so spectacular about the foliage in October. I look forward to it every year.

Rajesh said...

Beautiful and colorful place, very scenic.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

I can almost feel the falling leaves! Beautiful pictures of a great day-trip.

Thinking about you with Sandy approaching your area .. be safe!!!

Liz said...

Breathtaking! Have a fabulous week.

Liz @ MLC
Liz @ YACB

Ivy, Phyllis and Me! said...

Hello Pat, I have just heard about the storm heading your way on our morning news. I just wanted to send my love and hope you and your husband are kept safe during this terrible storm. I do hope it passes you by. With my very best wishes, Daphne

Mary said...

Glorious fall color Pat! Your photo with the sailboat framed by the trees & foliage takes my breath away too! We've just started to get the first bit of fall color, but the winds from Sandy are likely to strip all the leaves from the trees. Take care and stay safe~ I hope Sandy's path is altered and she takes a turn out to sea.

Tanna said...

Oh, so beautiful!! And, Rhinebeck has a knitting/fiber festival there some time that I would LOVE to attend! Now, I want to even more!! blessings ~ tanna

RNSANE said...

What an absolutely glorious trip you took us on. I haven't seen fall foliage that spectacular since my young Air Force wife years when I lived in the Boston area in Lexington and Concord. It was always so beautiful there in autumn. I loved living at Hanscom Field and taking my toddler on picnics, just the two of us, where some of the historic battles of the Revolution had been fought. It was so quiet and peaceful. I'd meander past all the wonderful homes of poets and authors and lose myself in the history of our country.

Good thing you did this little jaunt when you did. With the storm this week, not a leaf will be left.

I hope you're all bundled up safely, with plenty of provisions, flashlights, some good wine and whatever else you might need. It looks ferocious.

Linda (More Fun Less Laundry) said...

Hi Pat, Gorgeous fall colors and photos! I'll be back to explore your post again--just wanted to stop by and say be careful today! The trees are already bending to the ground here. Linda

Judith @ Lavender Cottage said...

Beautiful autumn scenery in your mosaic.

HansHB said...

Great serie of photos, so much to see. Lovely colours!

Tracy said...

Hi, again, Pat! Just wanted to stop by and let you know I'm thinking of you & yours as you brace for some bad weather coming your way. Prayers that you are safe. ((HUGS))

Sheila said...

This was such a lovely autumn post Pat. I love the glimpse of what's for sale in the variety store and feel like a trip down memory lane right now - thanks for the link! Like Tracy I was thinking of you this morning and hoping the storm will not hit with full force or do much damage. Keep safe!

Kerri Farley said...

Oh my .... they are all fantastic!
And PERFECT framing of the sail boat ..... that is one awesome shot!

Ingmarie We said...

Absolutely fantastic photos. Such colours.

Unknown said...

Beautiful colours and an interesting post!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

Chubskulit Rose said...

I love the Fall scenery!

Visiting from Mellow Yellow Monday.
Pile of Leaves is my entry.
Have a safe week ahead!

Happy@Home said...

That sounds like a wonderful way to spend the day. Your photos are breathtaking.
Now, as I am watching the coverage of Hurricane Sandy, my thoughts went to you and the other bloggers I have come to know in that part of the country. Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.
Be safe.

The Quintessential Magpie said...

Pat, just dropping by to say I'm thinking of you and hoping that all is well.

Love,

Sheila

P.S. My BFF lives in NYC (a prof at Columbia) and is keeping me posted for as long as she can. Be safe!!!

Lisa @ Grandmas Briefs said...

Oh, that river view. I can imagine how it did indeed take your breath away. This entire post has such a warm and peaceful feel to it, along with the lovely colors. Thank you for sharing the beauty, so different than what I see here in Colorado.

I hope you and yours are safe and sound while Sandy batters your area. Hugs to you.

Cindy said...

It looks like you had a really beautiful day, you always find the most interesting places to visit.
I pray that you are safe, my dear! You are probably really looking forward to moving farther inland now for certain, eh?
Hugs, Cindy

Annesphamily said...

my friend ea always told me, no matter where she traveled across the world,the fall foliage was most spectacular in the USA and the East Coast. Your photos are just breathtaking. I am praying for you and all the East coast with this horrific storm in progress. The gentleman who manages our office building is in the Caribbean with your wife! No word on them currently. My co worker, from Georgia, said her sister just safely arrived home from her honeymoon also in the Caribbean! Prayers are being said here. Much love to you for always thrilling us at your beautiful blog. Hugs Anne

Annesphamily said...

my friend ea always told me, no matter where she traveled across the world,the fall foliage was most spectacular in the USA and the East Coast. Your photos are just breathtaking. I am praying for you and all the East coast with this horrific storm in progress. The gentleman who manages our office building is in the Caribbean with your wife! No word on them currently. My co worker, from Georgia, said her sister just safely arrived home from her honeymoon also in the Caribbean! Prayers are being said here. Much love to you for always thrilling us at your beautiful blog. Hugs Anne

Betty said...

I came by this morning just in case you had an update on the storm. I've been watching the news and concerned about you, but realize you probably don't have electricity. I'll keep coming by and checking just in case. Stay safe! I tried calling my sister-in-law in NJ this morning, but just got her voice mail. I'm assuming she can't make or receive calls.

I certainly enjoyed the beautiful fall photos. In a way it makes me sad. I miss having beautiful fall colors! You made me homesick.

Take care and stay safe.

Anonymous said...

Those colours are amazing.

Hope you and yours are safe after the hurricane.

Latane Barton said...

I don't believe I have ever seen such magnificent autumn colors! Thanks for posting these so we all could enjoy.

I hope that you and your family are safe. Things look bad in NY

Janet said...

Simply breathtaking! What a beautiful autumn. Hope you are safe in NYC today!

Unknown said...

Pat how are you all in Manhattan? I know it is a mess up there. I did not see any mention in your post. Have you moved yet? Now Rhinebeck is one place I have been. When our son lived up there we were up many times. Visited many of the places you mention. He ended up living in Kingston after he married. He went up there with IBM. Now they live in Austin and that is a beautiful place also.
QMM

joy said...

What a wonderful colorful trip. Awesome!

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

Thank you for this beautiful tour...the photo with the sailboat between the golden trees is glorious.

Mary Howell Cromer said...

I feel like I just took a journey with you, and all so lovely~

lencilicious said...

It's my first time to see your blog and absolutely not my last. All of the photos are lovely but the river view photo is truly amazing. Great compositions.

Anonymous said...

I'm in love with fall season. I am sure about it. Wish Ph could have this season.
Nice job Patt. Thank you for the lovely photos of fall as of now, I am falling in love about it.