Escaping NYC: Cold Spring Fever

Sometimes it helps to have a change of scenery; experiencing new things can definitely brighten up your mood, inspire you and get those creative juices flowing.

I’ve always had a big love of travel, but with my current un/employment status, I haven’t been able to hop on a plane much as I’d like to. On top of that, I felt like my life had gotten dull. There are only so many day parties and brunch parties one can go to before it all becomes a blur of the same people, places, and things.

I was looking for a way to invigorate my life AND try something new. I wanted an adventure… I wanted to go to Cold Spring. I had originally planned to go with a small group of friends, but when I remembered that one of the women I personally invited ran an organization called Black Adventuristas, I decided to extend the invite to the group. My line of thinking was that if I needed a change, surely someone else needed one too! I can help shake things up.

Cold Spring is a little less than an hour and a half away from New York City via MetroNorth. That’s right… you don’t need a car to explore this location, which is great since I know so many people here in New York City that don’t own a car or don’t drive.

Once you arrive in Cold Spring, don’t be fooled by thinking this is a just a quaint little town. There’s so much to do and we met quite a few people that had BIG personalities. We arrived in Cold Spring without a plan; getting there was the only thing on our agenda, so went spent our day wandering in and out of shops, getting tips from shop owners on what to do. Here are some snippets of our excursion:

 

Go-Go Pops

The first place we wandering into was Go-Go Pops. It was a sweltering 90-something-degrees outside and the sandwich board outside, promising deliciously handcrafted popsicles inside definitely lured us in. There were a wide array of flavors to choose from. I chose Blueberry Lemon, and while it was a delicious and interesting combination, I didn’t particularly enjoy it because it was cream-based. Next time, I’ll choose something that’s all fruit. After we purchased our ice pops, we made conversation with the woman manning the counter. She noticed that we were wearing “Black Adventuristas” buttons, and told us that if we’re looking for an adventure, that we could hike the area around the West Point Foundry Preserve. “There’s even a little stream you can dip your feet in,” she added. We were sold!

Go-Go Pops is located at 64 Main Street.

 

Cold Spring Candy Co.

We made two more “foodie” stops before our hike. A friend of mine spotted a “free fudge tasting” sign in the window of this place. I like free stuff AND fudge, so this was perfect! All of the fudge in the shop is made by Bobby from Brooklyn— Coney Island to be exact! We had a great time sampling different flavors of fudge from pistachio to chocolate peanut butter to maple walnut. All of the fudge is handmade with all-natural ingredients. To top it off, Bobby’s larger than life personality rounded out the whole experience. I ended up purchasing a small chocolate peanut butter (I love peanut butter cups) and a small pistachio for my mom. The next time I’m in Cold Spring, I will make it a point to be a repeat visitor to this shop.

The Cold Spring Candy Co. is located at 75 Main Street.

 

The Blue Olive

The final foodie stop, The Blue Olive is definitely another place that will have me as a repeat customer. They stock tons of fancy olive oils and balsamic vinegar… and by fancy, I mean infused. The Blue Olive is also a tasting room, so feel free to sample whatever you want before purchasing! I ended up buying the Tuscan Herb olive oil, which tastes great on bread or in pasta. Next time I think I’ll pick up the Blackberry Ginger Balsamic vinegar. It’s an unlikely flavor combination that tastes great! I’m sure it would be perfect in a summer salad, but I want to combine it with another flavor of infused olive oil to dip my bread in. Yum… carbs drenched in oil!

The Blue Olive is located at 125 Main Street.

 

West Point Foundry Preserve & More!

After all of the tasting and nibbling we did, we headed over to the West Point Foundry Preserve for our hike. We walked along a scenic country road (even spotting some deer!) before coming to the entry point. The hike itself was fairly easy, with the trail being wide and mostly flat. We got a bit turned around finding the stream, but once we did find it, it was a wonderful way to cool off!

After our hike, we walked back into town and ate lunch at the Silver Spoon Cafe—recommended to us by Bobby from the Cold Spring Candy Co. Service was fast and friendly, and the portions were a great value for the price.

We capped off the day by sitting by the Hudson River for a little bit and getting ice cream from Moo Moo’s before hopping on the train back into the city.

All in all, I really enjoyed my time in Cold Spring. If you’re boho and bougie like I am, you’ll love that almost everything here as a super exclusive yet off-the-beaten-path handmade/homemade feel.

For the super adventurous, there are more options for hiking (more challenging trails) and even an opportunity for water activities along the Hudson. I know for sure that kayaking is available, but I spotted a few people paddle boarding, and one person setting up to go windsurfing.

If you’re interested in joining me on an excursion, be sure to check out Black Adventuristas on Facebook. If you’re in the New York City area, we will be hosting more trips upstate (camping is on the agenda) and will point you towards other fun activities. If you’re in another part of the country or world, do not hesitate to join and began creating your own events!