buttermilkfalls inn

for the july 4th long weekend, we returned to the hudson valley for a weekend of beautiful scenery, interesting sites, and delicious farm-to-table meals! our first stop was west point, home of the united states military academy. we went on the 11:30am hour-long tour, which included a drive with through the campus and a couple drop-offs at the west point cadet chapel and trophy point, all fully-commentated by our patriotic tour guide, ed.

though we'd both visited west point in our childhoods, i don't think either of us went on the tour or learned the history behind the academy and some of the most influential leaders in US history who established and came through west point. below is a photo of the hudson river from trophy point.

our next stop on the way up to our b&b was lunch at the hop in beacon. the hop is described as a gastropub, which made me wonder if it was one of those bars which served food during the day, but had the stench of old beer (not a fan). it totally wasn't! in fact, it felt more like a restaurant with a wide variety of craft beers. we shared the chicken liver pate, polenta & egg, and grilled cheese & soup. the chicken liver pate was infused with thyme and was AMAZING ~ it was paired with a hunk of cheese (not sure what kind), brandied prune and raisin jam, and the most delicious toasted bread. definitely did not expect this type of artisanal fare or presentation in the sleepy town of beacon. the polenta and egg was so so so tasty too!

and what a treat ~ directly across the street from the hop is the roundhouse at beacon falls, a hotel which opened a few years ago which i was considering as a wedding venue. this place is definitely on the list for our next trip upstate, whenever that is :)

and finally, we arrived to buttermilkfalls inn & spa in the afternoon. i've been wanting to stay here for a couple years now, so it felt like a mini-dream come true. we were greeted by burros, llamas, and ducks as we entered, and spent the afternoon exploring the grounds. we met the inn's two kitties, watched two male peacocks spread their beautiful plumage in mating dances, and listened to the sounds of the train along the river, resounding reminders that we were just an hour north of new york city.

for dinner, we dined at henry's at the farm, the inn's own little restaurant overlooking the lake and ducks. we went a little overboard with the ordering ~ honey garlic shrimp (farm beehive honey!), braised pork belly over frisee, burrata caprese salad, farm fresh kale salad, and lobster risotto! i would do them all again, minus the honey garlic shrimp. it had too much of a fusion asian flavor to it :p