The mark of a great road trip destination is an affirmative answer to the following question: Would you go back and visit again? For the past 8.5 years of this blog, we have visited numerous destinations around the United States. Some of the trips are certainly misses, not deserving of a second visit (I’m looking at you, Hemlock Falls). Others are fun, but get filed away in the “maybe we’ll come back someday” file. For other destinations, however, we leave the town, or park, or museum, and immediately make plans for a return trip.
My wife and I had visited Hyde Park, New York, a few years ago when we toured the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Presidential Museum. Since then, we’ve kept it on our list of places to visit again. So on a beautiful weekend in mid-autumn we headed north to explore this cool town along the Hudson River. Our adventure would include dining at a world-famous culinary school, exploring several parks set among the hills of the Hudson River Valley, eating some awesome food, and having a wonderful time.
Let’s begin:
Historic Hyde Park
Located about two hours north of New York City, Hyde Park sits along the scenic Hudson River.After dinner on Friday night we loaded up our luggage into Grace, my wife’s 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and departed for New York. Leaving after the evening rush, we enjoyed a smooth ride up to Hyde Park, arriving a little longer than two hours after leaving home.Upon arrival we promptly went right to bed, so I had to wait until the next morning to grab photos of our lodging: the Roosevelt Inn! The Roosevelt is a 50-year old motor lodge that has managed to survive in an age of chain hotels and Airbnb. Rustic, clean, safe, affordable, and charming, we were delighted with the accommodations offered!Once the Inn’s cafe, the Coffee Shop is open 24/7 for guests to enjoy some light refreshments. A continental breakfast is served here every morning.On our way to breakfast, we made a quick detour to grab a glamour shot of Grace in front of this very cool mural of Hyde Park.The Find Me Gluten Free app recommended we try out Shelly’s Deli, a deli and convenience store in nearby Poughkeepsie. I’ll be honest: when we first pulled into the parking lot, my expectations were pretty low. Breakfast at a convenience store? Seriously?I could not have been more wrong – breakfast was cooked to order by the deli staff. I had “The Jersey” – a pork roll, egg, and cheese on a kaiser bun. My wife had the “Spin On It” omelette with mushrooms and spinach, and had her choice of two different types of gluten-free toast. When my wife said that she ate gluten-free, the staff asked several questions to make sure they were addressing her dietary needs. Shelly’s Deli gets an enthusiastic two thumbs up from The Open Road Ahead!After breakfast, we made a quick stop at Emy’s Delights and Bites. This bakery specializes in baked goods that are made without soy, wheat, gluten, dairy, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, and mustard. The owner, Emily Cruz, is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America.Emy’s typically only takes orders in advance, but this week was offering a special “pop up” shop with cookies, cupcakes, and donuts for sale.We opted for this monster of a donut… and it was absolutely amazing! No wheat, no gluten, no eggs, and no dairy? I could not tell the difference between this donut and one I might buy at a regular donut shop. If you’re in the Hyde Park area, Emy’s is definitely worth a visit!In need of burning off some calories, we headed to Springside National Historic Landmark. Springside was the estate of Matthew Vassar, a philanthropist who founded nearby Vassar College. The grounds were sculpted by Andrew Jackson Downing, one of America’s first landscape architects.Springside is the only of Downing’s works to have survived into the modern era. Since it passed from the Vassar family’s hands, the property suffered from decades of neglect before a volunteer organization began restoring the site in the mid-1980s.Most buildings on site have been lost to neglect, decay, or fire. These stone piers once marked the entrance to the Vassar family’s private area on the property.The Center Circle meadow once featured a sizable water fountain in the middle. Although long since returned to the wild, it still is visually striking.Of the twelve buildings that once dotted Springside, only the Porter’s Lodge has survived since being built in 1851. Springside is open daily from dawn until dusk, and admission is free. If you’re near Poughkeepsie, definitely stop by to see the last surviving work of one of the most influential landscape designers of the 19th century.Before heading to lunch, we decided to take another hike at Locust Grove Estate. This Italianate-style villa (built in 1850) was once the home of Samuel F. B. Morse, a noted painter who later helped to invent the telegraph and Morse code.The grounds of Locust Grove are free to explore. The mansion is open for tours, but we decided to instead enjoy the beautiful day with a hike through the property. This sundial was pretty cool!In front of the mansion was a small carriage, built by the Kingston Carriage Company in nearby Kingston, New York.The hiking trails are open daily from April 1 – December 30, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. A word of warning: the ground is uneven and rocky, and features some steep elevation changes. Come prepared for a moderately strenuous hike, and dress accordingly.The trails lead to some amazing views of the surrounding Hudson Valley region. I personally enjoyed this overlook of Sunfish Cove.Two hikes certainly worked up an appetite! We headed into downtown Poughkeepsie to have lunch at Alex’s Restaurant. Established in 1911, Alex’s has been an institution in the city for over 100 years. Even President Franklin Roosevelt ate here!I ordered the Big Bang Wrap – breaded chicken, Thai chili sauce, cheddar cheese, lettuce, and onions, served with some excellent french fries. It hit the spot!My wife, meanwhile, dined on the Greek Wrap – grilled chicken, lettuce, tomato, an herbed-feta vinaigrette, on a gluten-free wrap. She shared some of her sensible side salad with me, and I may have let her take a fry or two. Lunch was excellent – the food was fresh and tasty, the service was friendly, and the prices were affordable.Our next stop was to Val-Kill, the private home and retreat of Eleanor Roosevelt. Val-Kill Cottage (pictured) now serves as the park’s visitor center. The cottage became Eleanor’s primary residence after Franklin Roosevelt’s death, but prior to that, it served an even more significant role.The cottage was the original home of Val-Kill Industries. In partnership with three friends, Eleanor Roosevelt established Val-Kill Industries as a way to help local farming families supplement their income by working at the factory, producing furniture, cloth, and other crafts. Although Val-Kill was only in operation for about a decade, its ideas served as inspiration for the New Deal (via Wikipedia).All of the furniture on display here was created in the Val-Kill workshop.This loom was a gift from Biltmore Industries in Asheville, North Carolina. Eleaner visited Biltmore as research for opening Val-Kill, and upon learning of her plans, the owner of Biltmore sent this loom to New York.The Stone Cottage was home to two of Eleanor’s friends, Marion Dickerman and Nancy Cook, who helped her oversee Val-Kill. After Eleanor’s death in 1962, the property was slated for redevelopment, but a preservation effort saved it. In 1977, Congress designated Val-Kill the Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site (via Wikipedia).With other commitments on our calendar, we only explored the grounds of Val-Kill and did not take a timed tour through the buildings. I’d certainly love to go back and explore the property further! On the way back to the parking lot, I snagged this glamour shot of Grace, looking resplendent in the autumn sunshine.On the way to our next destination, we made a quick pit-stop at the Hyde Park Drive-In Theater. No films were showing, sadly!Our next stop was to our main attraction: The CIA! No, not the spy agency… we were visiting the Culinary Institute of America, one of the nation’s premiere schools of the culinary arts.The CIA was originally founded in 1946 as a training program for military veterans returning home from World War II. The school now offers associates, bachelors, and masters degrees from its main campus in Hyde Park (via Wikipedia).With an enrollment of over 3,000 students, the CIA trains future chefs, food scientists, and restaurateurs in every aspect of the food service industry.The CIA has several notable alumni, but perhaps their most famous graduate is the late chef, restauranteur, author, and journalist Anthony Bourdain. An entire hallway in Roth Hall is dedicated to his memory.We stopped by the CIA’s bookstore to pick up some souvenirs. I was fascinated by the course textbooks on sale: “Sensory Evaluation of Food,” “Microbiology,” “Principles of Financial Accounting,” and “Night”… the school truly embraces a comprehensive curriculum. We headed back to the Jeep, as we’d be returning in a few hours for the main event of the weekend!A few hours later, accompanied by two family members, we arrived at American Bounty, one of several restaurants and eateries on the CIA’s campus. A farm-to-table restaurant, American Bounty is fully staffed and operated by CIA students and faculty. There is a two-month wait for reservations – my wife booked our table in early September!Since opening in 1982, American Bounty has focused on the foods and cooking styles of the United States.My wife ordered the steelhead trout, which was quite delicious!One of our family members that joined us for dinner dined on the Duo of Duck: duck breast, confit bread pudding, and carrot puree.Our other relative and I both ordered the same entree: scallops, served with coconut Carolina gold rice, squash, and salsa. It was sublime!We saved room for dessert! While one of our relatives ordered the warm chocolate mousse and my wife was given a complimentary gluten-free raspberry tart, I indulged in an order of apple cider donut holes, served with a vanilla creme sauce. It was absolutely amazing!Thank you, American Bounty, for an amazing meal! While the food was delicious, what my wife and I enjoyed most was chatting with the staff – they are all students, after all! It was cool to hear about their educational journeys, their experiences at the CIA, and their plans for the future!The next morning, before driving back to NJ, we stopped for one last meal in Hyde Park: breakfast at the Eveready Diner!The decor of Eveready was spot-on… gotta love that giant cup of coffee!While my wife enjoyed an omelette, I devoured this waffle. The food was excellent – the only negatives we encountered were (a) no gluten-free breads and (b) no non-dairy milks. Overall, though, it was a solid dining experience.Departing Hyde Park after breakfast, we encountered almost zero traffic on our way home. The Mid-Hudson Bridge was virtually deserted.Two hours later, we were back home, and Grace notched another milestone – 114,000 miles! She handled the trip with ease, whisking us to upstate New York in comfort and style. Onward!
Wrapping Up
As we were leaving, my wife and I agreed that Hyde Park is definitely a place we could return to again, and find yet more to explore and discover. If you are looking for history, fun hikes, or great food, Hyde Park has you covered. The Culinary Institute of America is worth a trip to the region, so definitely make it a priority if you are in the area.
Thanks, as always, for coming along on another journey down the open road ahead.
The Open Road Ahead 
What a fun trip! The history was definitely interesting and I always love seeing all the food stops. The CIA meals that everyone ate looked delicious!
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The meal at the CIA was AMAZING! Thanks, as always, for reading – I’m glad you enjoyed the post!
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