If you want to escape the dirty, slushy snow of the NYC streets this winter, we recommend you head up to Buttermilk Falls Inn & Spa, where you can stomp through the pure, white powder in some snowshoes.
In the warmer months you can borrow bikes, in the colder months it's snowshoes. (Courtesy Buttermilk Falls Inn)
The Hudson Valley retreat, located just outside of Poughkeepsie in Milton, is a special spot all year-round, but we dare say the prime time to go isn't colorful Autumn, it's during the winter months when the 70-acres are blanketed in snow.
The centerpiece of the property is a restored 18th century 10-room Inn, which has a bed & breakfast feel, but there are also seven individual guesthouses which offer larger, more private quarters.
The Inn is secluded, but you won't find yourself tapping your fingers out of boredom in front of the fireplace all weekend—there's a full service spa overlooking the river (tip: they sell $30 bottles of wine in there), and a fantastic restaurant called Henry’s at the Farm, which draws right from Millstone Farm, one of the property’s main attractions complete with fresh eggs courtesy of chickens, fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices and even a few goats, llamas and alpacas. The restaurant is cozy, and we recommend going ahead of your reservation for a drink at the bar.
Here's a huge bonus: Along with your room, you'll also get a free breakfast each morning in the main house dining room. This isn't your standard continental breakfast, either—they serve up freshly baked goods, tea, coffee, and have several special sweet and savory items daily that you can order from the waitstaff.
They're always offering new specials, so be sure to check their website for those before booking—currently there's a winter deal that will get you one free night if you book two, and if you want a Christmas getaway, the restaurant will be serving a special dinner that night.
To get there, all you need to do is hop on Metro-North and get off in Poughkeepsie—from the train station, it's about a 7-minute drive to the Inn. The cheapest, most reliable taxi service we found while visiting was B & B taxi, but come prepared with a few different numbers. On your way back, the Inn will call a cab for you.
