36 Hours in Accord, NY
Accord sits in the Rondout Valley of “upstate” New York, with views of the Catskill Mountains to the north and the Shawangunk Ridge to the south. It is a quiet place, where at night you can hear the wind whistling through the trees and, for the last year and a half, the dulled din of displaced Brooklynites celebrating the night away at Inness Resort. The latter is a nod to George Inness, the American landscape painter, an appropriate choice as the pastoral 225 acre property is punctuated by sprawling views of both farmland and mountains.
You may be wondering why you have been brought here? Certainly Dallas would be quite easy for many of you, or maybe something in New York City where battling Newark or Albany’s airports and enduring the truly demoralizing process of getting a rental car wouldn’t be necessary. And the answer you’re seeking is in one simple fact – we are difficult. Many of you have wondered if and when this day would happen over the last decade and a half, now it’s here and a little bit annoying! Would you expect anything less from us?
FRIDAY
4 p.m.
Settle on in
Escape the city (whatever one you occupy) via plane, car and/or train and arrive in Accord. For those staying at Inness, check-in may be done either through text or by heading to the front desk in the large glass building by the gravel parking lot. You and your luggage will be driven via unnecessarily souped up jeeps to your room by hotel staff.
7p.m.
Trek to the Inness Farmhouse
You’re probably going to be a bit hungry after a long day of traveling to get to an out of the way destination. Dinner will start at 7p.m. at Inness’ farmhouse, which is downhill from the main parking lot along a gravel path. Expect casual fare. Food will be served until 9p.m.- feel free to mosey on over whenever.
9 p.m.
Watch a movie outdoors or take it easy
After dinner, if you’re feeling weary head back to your room or Airbnb to rest up for tomorrow’s activities. Or hang around, the Inness farmhouse will have movie snacks and weather permitting a nice setup for an outdoor movie (if it’s cold bring a jacket!). You may be asking what movie - and we don’t know yet! Unsurprisingly we take a long time to decide on things.
For those less cinematically inclined, feel free to hang out with old and new friends in the farmhouse, where you might get lost in a game of billiards or scrabble, or good conversation by the fireplace.
SATURDAY
9 a.m.
Seeking caffeine
For coffee, breakfast or both drive a few minutes to Stone Ridge and drop into Black Dot cafe. Try the breakfast plate and an almond milk matcha or a flaky croissant and whole milk cortado (one of these is June’s regular order and one is H.T.’s). Extra points if you get croissant flakes on the table. After visiting, hop on over to the antique store across the parking lot to window shop or go next door to Miniature Works where they make miniatures of just about anything.
For those seeking a more elevating morning, Inness’ brunch is not to be missed - try to make reservations ahead of time (so now). The Dutch baby with whipped mascarpone, as well as the egg sandwich served with applewood bacon, receive rave review. But all menu items are worth a bite.
The farmhouse at Inness has coffee and tea if you’re in a pinch.
If you’re up for a hike post caffeination, meet at the Inness welcome area/gift shop by the restaurant (it’s the big glass building, hard to miss) at 9a.m. We (June + H.T.) will be doing an “AllTrails Easy” nearby to get the pre-wedding jitters out and would love for folks to join if interested.
10 a.m.
Get moving
Inness has tennis, golf, walking paths, an obstacle course, an archery area and two pools. If tennis is your speed, reach out to the Inness front desk to reserve a court time. If golf is your speed, reach out to the golf clubhouse to reserve a tee time. If pickleball is your speed, let us (June + H.T.) know and we can see if certain tennis courts may be transformed into pickleball courts.
Sleeping in is always a valid option.
12 p.m.
An Upstate Afternoon**
While you could occupy your time quite well at Inness, for those looking for that classic “Hudson Valley” experience you could grab a quick bite in the funky backyard of Mill and Main, while taking in the beauty of the river flowing besides you. If you find yourself pining for more of a Colorado mountain situation, walk or drive to the outdoor cider bar and restaurant at West Wind Orchard or sustainable brewery at Arrowwood Farms. Also Accord Market is an elevated corner store nearby with fresh produce and other groceries.
Alternatively, if you’re looking to bring the whole family or need to get your christian girl autumn photoshoot out of the way you can always go apple picking. Both Kelder's Farm and Saunderskill Farm are quick drives.
4:30 p.m.
Head to the Ceremony Circle at Inness’ Event Barn
Well you are here for a wedding after all. The ceremony starts at 5p.m. at Inness’ Event Barn at the outdoor ceremony circle. Feel free to head on over starting at 4:30p.m. to grab a drink and seat (not a side). If you’re staying on property and don’t feel up for tackling that hill (or the assigned Inness Jeep shuttle seems to be running awfully slow), text the Inness front desk for a pickup.
5:00PM
Marriage.
…
5:30PM
Cocktail hour
Notwithstanding June and H.T.’s personal predilections, this in fact is not a dry wedding. Do not worry, however, H.T.’s taste will still shine brightly through the vinyl DJ set of New York City based Cousin Cole. If listening to 90 s hip-hop classics is not your thing, you can try and distract yourself by playing lawn games for the hour.
6:30PM
Reception
Food and dancing will fill your time for the majority of the evening. We assume this is not your first rodeo, but if you need a refresher on how not to act - Wedding Crashers is recommended viewing.
10:30PM
S’mores
No upstate weekend would be complete without s’mores. Beginning at 10:30p.m. campfires and appropriate supplies will be set up outside of the Event Barn. Only monsters light their marshmallows on fire but for this special evening all cooking styles are welcome. If you find yourself still in the dancing mood, there is no need to rush as s’mores will continue to be available after music shuts off at 11 p.m.
SUNDAY
9 a.m.
Fond Farewell
For those not planning on an Irish goodbye, stop by the Inness farmhouse between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. for a breakfast. While healthy options will be available, there will also be French toast for those seeking one last good time.
Inness’ check out is at 11 a.m. but the happy couple has already informed management that is terribly aggressive for a Sunday morning post-wedding. Subject to availability, most should be able to obtain a late check out at noon. Either way, text the front desk to get your suitcases brought up to the welcome area (or your car) and take a stroll around the property before you depart.
Recommendations
Food: West Wind Orchard, Arrowwood Farms, Mill and Main, Accord Market
Coffee: Black Dot cafe.
Saturday afternoon, rain plans
**If your upstate afternoon looks like it's going to get rained out, why not put that rental car to good use and explore the nearby town of Kingston? Here is a very long list of tried and true Kingston recommendations:
Shops: Clove & Creek, Exit Nineteen, Hamilton & Adams, Half Moon Books, Kingston Consignment, Newt, Milne, Kingston Wine, Zaborski Emporium
Lunch: Lola, Restaurant Kinsley, Village Coffee and Goods, Kingston Bar & Bread
Bakeries, bites & bars: Rough Draft Bar and Books, Half Moon Cafe, Hole in the Wall Donuts, Rosie General, Boice Brothers Ice Cream, Village Grocery and Refillery, Brunette, The Crown