One of the things that has been on my bucket list for years now has been to take a solo trip. For many years, the idea of taking a solo trip seemed to me like something only losers do. However, the concept of solo traveling has really taken off in the past few years, especially amongst influencers and content creators. The thought of doing what I want, when I want, going where I want, eating when and whatever the heck I please sounds like heaven. With my wanderlust at an all time high this year, I felt like this month was the perfect time to do this.
I had off from work this weekend while my friends were busy, so I decided that this was the ideal weekend. Plus, not many people travel in January so hotel prices were pretty low. I have also really been into road trips for the past several months, and for my first solo trip I wanted to go somewhere relatively close. I heard that the Hudson Valley is beautiful over the winter and I'm all about cozy winter vibes so I decided this fit the bill for my weekend trip - only 2 hours away, road trippable, cozy winter vibes, and lots to do.
Of course this weekend is 20 degrees but it feels like 10 degrees thanks to the wind chill. So I packed all my cozy winter accessories and took off! First stop -- Good Witch Cafe in Tarrytown. This had been on my bucket list since the summer. I had to take a mini detour to get here but my oh my the scone was delicious and the latte was mighty strong, exactly what I needed at 8am.
I am obsessed with the fact that this cafe is where an old Metro North office used to be. So rustic and cozy! And it faces the Hudson River on the other side so I'm sure it's just as beautiful in the summertime.
I stopped at Newburgh for a half hour. It was so incredibly chilly here for some reason. There were a lot of shady individuals around and the parking meter wouldn't work, so I took it as a sign to just move on to my next destination. There were a few cute shops so I imagine over the summer or during the afternoon it may be more lively and upbeat. But just not on this cold dreary day. I really wanted to check out Washington's Headquarters, but it didn't open until 11am and the grounds seemed quite icy. So...next time!
My next stop was Beacon. I had heard a lot about this cute charming town in the mid-Hudson region. And trust me it did not disappoint. For one, it has a very large Main Street. I was here for 2 hours and only saw maybe 1/3 of the place. There are many cute coffee shops, restaurants, and retail boutiques to occupy the time.
I went to Beacon Bread Company for brunch since it had really great reviews. I decided to dine-in ...aka sit at a table by myself amongst other diners who are there in couples or groups. Honestly, living in NYC, I have started to become a little more comfy dining alone. But it was still a little awkward for me in a new town especially since everyone else was coupled up. But I made the most of my situation and I kept myself busy with a book. The grilled cheese sandwich on sourdough bread was absolutely delicious! One of the best grilled cheeses I have had. The quality of the bread and the cheese....just chef's kiss!
After brunch, I decided to stop by this insanely popular donut spot called Glazed Over Donuts. They let you customize your own donut. I chose glazed/plain donut with maple syrup icing and pretzel bits. Oh my god....heavenly. Just one donut was enough to completely fill me up especially after the hearty brunch I had just had.
Chocolate store. I picked up some chocolates in a heart-shaped box for my mom, and some jelly hearts for myself. Apparently this store/factory has been in operation for 101 years?!
After a lovely 2 hours at Beacon, I decided to take an hour-drive up North to the popular town of Woodstock, NY. The claim to fame of this town is the music festival that (did not) take place here in the 60s. It was a really cute town full of shops, restaurants, and cafes although it seemed a little sleepy to me...possibly because of the weather and time of year. Not many people were wandering around as compared to Beacon. Some of the shops were closed by the time I arrived at 3:00pm as well. I absolutely loved the little "green space" in the middle of the town (pictured above). The church looks so magnificently beautiful adorned with the Christmas tree. Screams old school charm.
I love the winterscape feels in the photo. I think the winter season has the potential to be so beautiful. Icy lakes, snow-topped branches, and snowfall on top of roofs just makes it seem so magical.
This is the popular Mud Cafe location at Woodstock. It looks so cute and cozy! But sadly I was disappointed because it is literally just a take-out window. There is no indoor cafe or seating. There is outdoor seating for the warmer weather but they really lost on an opportunity to make a cute cozy cabin cafe.
Gorgeous views of the Catskills mountain around the Ashokan Reservoir. This was about 20 minutes west of Woodstock. I really wanted to see some mountain-on-lake views, and this did not disappoint. Again, views like this show you just how beautiful winter can be.
Finally got to the Hampton Inn hotel I am spending the night at around 6:30pm. To my surprise this is a recently renovated Hampton Inn hotel. The room has a huge TV, a nice desk, and to my surprise a microwave which was perfect to reheat my Domino's pizza. I had been craving Domino's for weeks but now that I finally got it, it was a disappointment sadly.
I am currently sitting by the fireplace in the lobby sipping some sleepy time tea and writing this post. I feel so cozy and calm. There is nothing more cozy, warm, comfortable, and more peaceful than sitting next to a fireplace when it's frigid cold outside. This may not be a mountain cabin resort I had dreamed of staying at, but these cozy vibes are enough to make me feel happy. I will post my reflections on this solo trip as a whole in a few days once I have time to digest everything. But so far I feel pretty happy, calm, and relaxed. This solo trip has given me some time and space to think and put life into perspective. But more on that later. Off to get some sleep and energize for part 2 tomorrow!
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