Hyde Park New York

“Is mid-November too late to catch the autumn season in New York?”

I found myself asking that question for weeks leading up to our trip.

I wanted the reds and yellows I’ve dreamed about as a Texas native trapped in an endless summer.

We drove through woods and fields, on winding roads without a shoulder to speak of to find one of New York’s most famous townhouses Hyde Park.

Built in 1899, it is one of the preeminent examples of Beaux-Arts architecture.

Offering scenic views of the Hudson River and the nearby Catskill Mountains, the gilded age estate features an incredible landscape of its own.

Beaux-Arts architecture was also used at the University of Texas, which gave a sense of familiarity far from home.

A sense of familiarity is great but it’s not like I ever felt lonely.

As I had hoped, we weren’t too late to miss the fall party of color.

Seen here is the estate’s famed ginkgo tree, also known as a Chinese maidenhair. It is one of the oldest living trees of this type in the United States, circa 1799.

As Texas grows colder, sometimes I find myself outside, closing my eyes as I feel a crisp wind and I’m back here, watching as the leaves fall from the tree and she’s smiling.

After a few less than fruitful detours, we made it to Poughkeepsie to check out the Walkway over the Hudson.

Built as a railroad bridge in the late 1800’s, it was damaged in a fire and fell into further disrepair after being sold for only $1! Revitalization of the bridge began in 1998 and opened in 2009 as the longest footbridge in the world.

And I couldn’t have asked for better company.

The views were spectacular.

For dinner, I was treated to incredibly delicious tri-tip sandwich from a local eatery that had been absolutely raved about since we arrived.

More importantly, we also got to play with one of the cutest babies around.

He was quite the after-dinner treat!

All in all it was one of my favorite days but the next day was almost as good.

Stay tuned!