First impressions are everything!
Every once in a great while you have an experience that really needs to be shared. My experience at the Hudson River Crest is one of those experiences. Even before I secured a room at this charming bed and breakfast, the owners left me with a great first impression! Lynn was extremely helpful and kind right from the start. She is an absolute delight!
My wife and I were in the process of booking yet another very last minute short vacation. As I frantically called all the places that I found with openings, I came across their website. As I searched for the reservation section I found that there was only a phone number to call. Immediately, I thought that these folks must be old school in their ways, which isn’t a bad thing. A personal touch in this type of business is a good thing.
When I called, I went right to voicemail, so I left a message and continued my search. I hadn’t realized it yet, but Lynn had called me back (I’m terrible when it comes to listening to my voicemail). At one point, my wife asked me, “What happened with the bed and breakfast you called?” I replied they never called me back, then took a look at my phone and saw that they did call me. Ha ha. Oops! I returned the call, and that was my first impression of the establishment.
Lynn was very accommodating and answered all of my questions. She even volunteered to pick us up from the Cold Spring train station. Mind you, going into that train station was also her recommendation because the small village has nice shops and is a cool spot for sightseeing.
We discussed the logistics more in depth, and we agreed that I would come over for the weekend. She was very flexible in the room assignment and let us choose which room we preferred once we arrived.
The location is about an hour and fifteen minutes away from the city riding the Metro-North train. The commute was relatively easy and fast. Since these kind folks were going to give us a ride from the train station, we didn’t have to worry about renting a car. It was very kind of them to give us a ride. These early encounters really set the tone for the remainder of the weekend.
We arrived at Cold Spring ahead of time and decided to have some food at the Cold Spring Depot, a review for that place coming soon. In short, unless you are very hungry, I wouldn’t recommend it. Perhaps it was just the luck of the draw, but we weren’t impressed with that restaurant. Enough of that though, this post is about the awesomeness that is Hudson River Crest! So after eating, we took a walk under a passageway and went by the river for a few minutes.
Shortly thereafter we went over to meet Bill, who was picking us up. Lynn said he was driving a royal blue fully electric Fit. I guess we both stood out to each other, because from a distance, I saw the car, he looked at me, we nodded at each other, and we knew. We just knew. LOL. The scene was straight out of a movie, the way we made eye contact. So we linked up, made our introductions, and a short, scenic drive later we were at the Hudson River Crest.
A bit about the Honda Fit.
By the way, I learned that the Fit performs better in the summer months than in the winter. So if you are trying to save the earth but live in a cold place, keep recycling and leave this car alone for now. That is unless you want to become a slave to the wall power charger, just like me with my phone! Other than that, they both seemed really happy with the car. From a passenger-side perspective, the ride was pretty smooth and comfortable.
The Hudson River Crest.
So we arrived at the Hudson River Crest. The entrance is just off the road. It is nestled in its own space a brief walk away from the traffic. The house is beautiful from the outside, as well as the inside. Once inside, we were greeted by my new friend Lynn. After our introductions, she showed us to the two available rooms. She said that both rooms were open and that we could take either one. She also said that as long as the other room was still vacant, we could use it to get to the porch, or even switch rooms. We chose the room called “The Tara Room” because it was more spacious, although The River Room had an amazing view of the river and a nice porch easily accessible.
We took some time to settle in and then Lynn gave us a nice tour of the grounds.
Her backyard is the Hudson River. It is absolutely amazing! We came out here at the tail end of winter, so the trees were bare. However, I can imagine that the view would be even more breathtaking during the summer when the trees are full. In the backyard, there is also a grapevine setup that goes down and follows the path towards the water. We hung out back there a few times and even met a very friendly cat.
Appreciating the local pride.
One thing that I really appreciated about this town was all the American flags. This town is very close to West Point Military Academy (review coming soon), and there is strong community pride here. This backyard was no exception, with a flagpole raised in honor of their father. It’s a beautiful expression of respect. There is something moving about a town that honors their country and their loved ones with a raised flag. Salute!
The rooms here are very spacious and comfortable. Huge pillows on the bed give a sense of luxury. You can’t help but simply feel royal while here.
A feeling that is just further elevated when you get to the next day and Lynn spoils you with her delicious brownies, muffins, omelettes, and fruit breakfast. This is the type of care that you can only get at a place like this. No hotel or restaurant will ever make food the way Lynn can.
While we drove around, I noticed a Holiday Inn. I wondered if this would affect the business for places like Lynn’s, but upon further consideration and discussing this, we agreed that a person looking for the bed and breakfast experience would probably not choose a Holiday Inn instead. Those of us looking for this experience will simply overlook chain hotels in our searches. I know I did; we all agreed that the bed and breakfast crowd will not be swayed by commercial hotels. I think their business is safe overall.
Throughout our weekend there, Lynn was extremely kind to us. I enjoyed her company as much as I enjoyed the location. I’m sure my wife would agree. The experience here was unmatched. I’ve been to many bed and breakfast houses, and the owners are always lovely. You kind of have to be in that line of business, but Lynn went well beyond the usual. She gave us ideas on where to go during our time there, and she took us to and from all the locations!
Can you believe that? She pampers us with delicious food, showers us with kindness, and then has the generosity to drive our car-less selves around? What kind of magic is this? She is stealing our hearts and our souls! LOL. Can you see why I say we felt royal?
As someone who has had some degree of fame due to TV appearances and the internet work I do, I’m no stranger to people being “nice” to me. They usually think I can do something for them. However, Lynn didn’t know me from anywhere before this. She is just a kind woman who is trying her best to take care of her guests and future friends.
For a relaxing vacation, short or long, I highly recommend this place. The town is quaint. The views from the house are breathtaking, and Lynn along with her husband, Bill, are amazing people. Though the cat kind of surprised me a bit, I guess the random cat visit on the porch was cool too. That is not their cat, it just came over for a treat or something. LOL. They do have some parrots, but they didn’t talk too much. Hahaha. This is the type of place where you don’t even have to lock your doors. I guarantee that you will leave feeling relaxed and refreshed. Highly recommended. We will be going back!
Here is a little humorous picture from our first night there. I’m not very trusting of people, especially when I am sound asleep. Since there were other people at the bed and breakfast, and because I wasn’t familiar with the security routines practiced here at night, I set up a little alarm of sorts to jolt me awake should the door open while we slept. Yes, I know, I’m a little cautious, but it has served me well. Hahaha.
For more information, and to speak with Lynn about planning your vacation, all of the contact information is below.
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