Up to Upstate: One Day Getaway
Crisp cool temperatures and scenic falling leaves provide two opposing sentiments: the need to nestle indoors and the want to get outdoors.
The drawback of Fall is Falling Back. Summer habituated daily outdoor living because the days were longer and the temperatures warmer.
With the end of daylight savings comes the seasonal end of enjoying the sunsets and scenery until 9p. The rush is on to pack in short sunlit hours during weekends away from the office. And, get in all the holiday shopping, cleaning and prepping for the week to come.
Though not far from the city, Beacon provides rejuvenating nature in a bustling town. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
There is a solution. Getting away from it all, even for one day, can limit negative thinking cycles and improve cerebral circulation. Experience nature without having to pack up for a camping trip. Hello Beacon!
The $cience
One day away to enjoy Fall foliage can be all the rest your brain needs. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
One day away feels better than one day at home or work. The visual, somatosensory and auditory cortices respond positively to experiences that are away from daily responsibilities and in countryside surroundings.
Arround an hour north of the city, Beacon covers all the basics from food to art. Not exactly the woods, but this upstate location offers beautiful foliage views within a bustling town.
Chocolates + Sandwiches
Enjoy your chocolates at Hakan on their sofa or the few small tables. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
Watch chocolates be made and order a sandwich! Forget melting, Hakan Chocolatier’s chocolates burst on the taste buds. They suggested to eat the passion fruit truffle in one go. We did. They were right. So delicious! We also shared their made-to-order cucumber muenster sandwich, which was a light takeaway treat.
Chocolate covered almonds in case of emergency. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
Chocolates to take home (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
“By amounts higher than red wine and green tea, chocolate has neuroprotective and psychoactive flavanols. Cocoa powder’s epicatechins is more bioavailable and has more than twice the amount of flavanols than dark chocolate. Drinking cocoa decreases bad gut bacteria, increases brain vascular flow, and decreases neurodegeneration.”
On Tap
Just across the railroad tracks sits the Hudson Valley Brewery. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
Taste-test microbrews in a micro-forest at Hudson Valley Brewery. Pick a beer or cider on tap and head out to their backyard area that is a minimalist forest. The option of 4oz tasting volumes and the variety of unique flavors are highly favorable. We sampled the Peach Silhouette and the Glimmer Botanical Pilsner (both 5%). The former distinctly tasted like peach with a hint of cardamom. The latter glimmered with lemon and caraway. They had a food vendor onsite in October, but bringing your own food is allowed.
Hang out in their micro-forest. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
Get the small ounce tastings. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
“The drive up may increase reward system activity toward social and emotional functions. From anticipation to tasting, a beer session stimulates the medial PFC, orbitofrontal cortex and amygdala. ”
Not-so-Sour Grapes
Sit up at the bar, a booth or a window table at Paul Brady Wines. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
A tasting of wine and regional cheese at Paul Brady Wines was quiet and hospitable. Sit up at the bar, grab a booth or window table. An outdoor space would have been welcomed. We liked: Melody Harlow sparkling white (2021), Low Action Loud dry rosé (2023) and Skinny Dip Delaware orange/skin contact (2023). Shop for the wines your palate preferred in the adjacent retail space. Just do not grab the first bottle in the row- they are price-markers and apparently the chalk goes missing.
Our tasting of 6 PBW. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
They offer cheese plates. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
Art
Dia Beacon offers more than their locations in the city and is set on the Hudson River. Ron English is prominently displayed in the town as he may still live in the area. Check museum and galleries hours before you go.
Ron English’s work displayed outside of a store. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
Bottom Line
Further up, the Adirondacks and Wildflower Farms offer beautiful destinations. For the last minute and short-on-time, this is a reasonable itinerary.
