I feel a little silly now to think less than half a year ago I didn’t know “upstate New York” was a thing, that such a place existed. And yet here I am now, having been blessed with not one, but two beautiful trips since.
It’s become apparent to me that I’ve become somewhat selfish when trying to write about my travels - I want to keep these memories and experiences for me. But then I think “Becci, half these places you’ve gone to are probably because you saw it on Instagram”, and realised it’s only fair to share. So here we have Beacon, and Middletown. Neither destinations I chose nor heard of before, but I am so lucky to have now seen.
I look back at Beacon so fondly. A few very special days were spent there. Full of exploring and fresh air, it was amazing to me this was only an hour on the train from Grand Central Station, the core hustle and bustle of Manhattan. We stayed at The Roundhouse (and our room number was 212 - the tattoo on my right elbow. Obvz meant to be). It was the cosiest stay; wooden decor, a neautral palette, exposed brick walls, and a mountain window view from bed... urgh yes yes yes. Essentially, there isn’t a lot “to do”, which makes it a great weekend get away. I can completely understand why the city goers escape here over the summer: a staycation vacation. We hiked, napped, got soaked in a night time stroll downpour, dined next to a waterfall morning and night, with a little Dia Beacon art museum chucked in for cultural measure. Summer bliss.
And then there’s Middletown, the perfect location to welcome Autumn. Six couples, two dogs and one dream home with a porch, endless land and wild deer (and a gang of turkeys or geese or whatever they were before the dogs chased them off). There was home cooking, wine drinking, firework celebrations, pumpkin patches, and rock climbing (which Madame Melville has not yet dabbled in, so I took full advantage of reading by a crackling fireplace).
With its nature trails, fresh air, postcard perfect scenery and “come nestle under blankets with a cuppa” homes, Upstate would be my staycation all summer, not just a weekend.
