The weeks before Thanksgiving break are, albeit, the most miserable I’ve ever been. It’s a long stretch before we get back home before the semester ends, and somehow, the days seem to get longer and longer. As one does, I was scrolling through TikTok one evening when a video titled “Spend A Fall Day in Cold Spring, NY” fell onto my For You Page. I spent the next ten minutes scrolling through the plethora of TikTok hailing the place as “hallmark-like” and “perfect for a weekend getaway.” As an avid hiking enthusiast, lover of vintage shops, and a student desperate for some change of scenery, I succumbed to reserving a weekend to visit the town.
Our journey from Grand Central Station, with a $30 round-trip ticket, was an hour-and-a-half train ride to the small town. Departing from the city early in the morning made my friends and I sleep the entire way through and wake up starving. Eventually, we found ourselves at The Foundry Rose, a small cafe that would suffice our appetites. I had an omelet and a yogurt bowl, but our table ordered a variety of dishes that we finished in under an hour. One tip I would give if you were planning on visiting yourself is to keep track of time, especially if you’re hiking. We wanted to be on the trails by 10 a.m. so we wouldn’t be racing against the sun.Â
The walk itself to the main trails was about 15 minutes tops, and had you walking through the town, reminding me of the videos I watched before Cold Spring was very much straight out of Gilmore Girls.Â
My friends and I initially decided to do Bull Hill Full Loop, however, painstakingly so, we found ourselves way in over our heads halfway through the trail and decided to take a detour towards the Bull Hill Short Loop. The first hour of the trail is an incline, but the views make up for the sore calves later. As you make your way to the top of the mountain the view of the mountain opposite overlooking the river and village is breathtaking.Â
The second half of the trail is all downhill, giving The Hunger Games District 12 vibes. I will say that my playlist consisted of Olivia Rodrigo’s “Can’t Catch Me Now” on repeat. Going down the mountain was by far my favorite part of the trip, we indulged in philosophical conversations to comforting silence, all while being surrounded by trees. It was so refreshing to be surrounded by nature, and not the fast-paced industrial sphere that is New York.
Towards the end, we were met with the ruins of Cornish Estate, a once lively home in the 1930s. Its ruins stand as a historical landmark in the village. There were so many details in the multiple burnt buildings surrounding the entire area that you could get lost in, imagining the past lives of those who lived there. Then having the backdrop of the mountain and river just made for a climactic ending to our four-hour hike.
Our day at Cold Spring ended walking the main street and grabbing a Lemon Pound Square at Angie’s Bake Shop & Cafe. Then, a few moments at the antiquity shops that littered the street. The village truly encapsulates slow living, enjoying a bit of people-watching while we walked through the rest of the town. We met a kind vintage boutique owner who we had a small but intriguing conversation with. We watched as cadets ran to the town hall for choir rehearsals and a girls’ basketball team was having a bake sale.
So, I applaud Cold Spring’s charm for helping me reset from the chaos of going to school in New York City and making me realize how much I miss slow moments at home.