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Drive time: 2 hours, 45 minutes.
Accommodations: Inside and out, Glenmere Mansion retains many of the features from the time it was built in 1911 for a real estate heir, including marble statuary, hand-carved mantels, staircases and a fountain. European antiques and an art collection embellish the public spaces and guestrooms. Yet it still has the intimacy and warmth of a private home. Many of the 18 rooms and suites have fireplaces. An overnight stay includes a full breakfast. Room rates are $750-$995; junior suites are $1,295; suites begin at $1,870.
Where to eat: Dine by candlelight on a three-course prix-fixe dinner at The Supper Room at Glenmere Mansion. Recent selections included sea scallops with cauliflower mousseline, capers, citrus and cranberries, and Long Island duck breast with farro risotto and rhubarb marmalade. Sunday champagne brunch is $65. Thursdays feature wine-pairing dinners, also $65.
The atmosphere is casual and the menu diverse at Frog’s End Tavern at Glenmere. Share a tasting of charcuterie, pâté or artisanal cheeses. Go for a sandwich or a rustic flatbread pizza. Or choose an entrée from among the meat and seafood selections, or the house-made pastas and gnocchi ($13-$32).
If you have a favorite Mexican specialty, chances are you’ll find it done authentically at Cancun Inn Restaurant. Or try the Spanish-style, seafood-filled zarzuela de mariscos. Entrées are $11.95-$19.95. 1396 Kings Hwy., Sugar Loaf, (845) 544-1570.
What to do: Five minutes from Glenmere is the Sugar Loaf Art & Craft Village, where you’ll find more than 24 artists’ studios, boutiques and galleries within strolling distance. Be sure to visit the studios of the 10 resident artisans, who live and work in barns and buildings that date back to the 1700s. 1371 Kings Hwy., Chester.
While you’re at Sugar Loaf, also stop at the Seligmann Center to see displays of contemporary works by new and established artists. Admission is free. 23-26 White Oak Drive, Sugar Loaf, (845) 469-9459.
The Hammam at Glenmere is an opulent marble bathhouse offering cleansing and purifying rituals that combine ancient and modern techniques inspired by Turkey, Morocco and Tibet. Rituals are $195-$440.
Stop by Brotherhood Winery—America’s oldest (established 1839)—for a tour and tasting ($10) or a tasting flight ($7). It’s open Friday, Saturday and Sunday in winter. 100 Brotherhood Plaza Drive, Washingtonville, (845) 496-3661.
Go skiing or snowboarding at Mount Peter. Full-day lift tickets are $30/weekdays, $49/weekends. 51 Old Mount Peter Road, Warwick, (845) 986-4940.
Take a guided one- or two-hour tour of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point with West Point Tours, the only way you can access the campus. Hear stories about the academy’s ties to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Dwight D. Eisenhower, George Armstrong Custer and Benedict Arnold. Highlights include the beautiful Cadet Chapel and the Battle Monument. Tours are $14-$16. (845) 446-4724.
634 Pine Hill Road, Chester, N.Y., (845) 469-1900, www.glenmeremansion.com.
