Little Homes on the Prairie

  |  January 28, 2015
HoP

As much as we love our lush woodland views here at Upstater, we understand that some getaways call for wide open space and blue sky as far as the eye can see. As lovely as they are, our trees do get in the way – like an incredibly attractive celebrity who is constantly photobombing our vacation photos. So we went out in search of the Hudson Valley’s version of home on the range, and we found these three Airbnb rentals that are not as heavy on the forest factor, yet very, very easy on the eyes.

 1) Windrock Farm

HoP2

Price/night: $210
Accommodations: Full house, 2 bedrooms
Max guests: 8
Min stay: 1 night
House description:
Previous guests to Windrock Farm agree – the views at this rental are unlike anything you’ll find at most Airbnb locations. We’re not even sure where we would even begin our tour of the grounds at this stunning country home, but we can assume that Cari’s Icelandic sheep dogs could give us some excellent pointers on the prime places to romp around. As for the interior, the guest cottage at Windrock has been decorated with taste and a keen eye for color (we can’t take our eyes off that lovely, sunlit kitchen). To conclude, we present future guests with an investigative challenge – the hosts don’t do any name dropping on the Airbnb site (thank goodness), but it would appear from the photos that Jennifer Garner, Russell Brand, Colin Farrell, and Russell Crowe have all made an appearance at Windrock. If you can get a confirmation of these sightings, we’ll bet the related stories would be ten times more entertaining than the enormous TV in the living room.

Sample reviews:

“This was a beautiful spot in the midst of incredible horse country – a glimpse into a world most visitors would just have to drive by…A really nice pair of upstairs bedrooms with large bath, and a nice foldout couch downstairs with access to a 1/2 bath on that floor.

Cari was very welcoming – and as horse people we enjoyed being among the barns and paddocks. Do be aware that shopping (such as it is) is a distance away – so best to bring food with you if you want to eat in.

Best of all was the incredible views over the hills and fields all around the place – really worth going out of the way for…”

“This was everything I expected and more. Cari and David Swanson where fantastic hosts and very accommodating. The cottage was beautiful and the farm was even prettier. Woke up every day and walked over to the chickens and grabbed fresh eggs while enjoying the 20-25 friendly horses, a mule and a donkey. We also cant forget the sweet dogs running around. We truly look forward to returning and we will. Thank you Cari and David for making our weekend memorable. Until next time…”

2) Farmstead Cottage

HoP1

Price/night: $160
Accommodations: Full house, 1 bedroom
Max guests: 2
Min stay: 2 nights
House description:
This incredible cottage is definitely one for our “why is this home not in Dwell.com????” book. We love everything about the design of the interior, from the cathedral ceilings to the rustic hand-hewn columns that serve as a unique partition. Lisette has years of experience as an architect under her belt, and she hopes to put her skills to use in preserving old farm structures like this one before they all disappear, and as a guest to her Stone Ridge cottage, you can be a part of her mission! Given that the home has just over seventy reviews and a perfect rating, we’re pretty sure we don’t have to do much digging to figure out if this rental is really worth a weekend trip up the river. That’s good news for us, because we can’t stop cycling through Lisette’s amazing photos.

Sample reviews:

“Our Labor Day Weekend retreat at the Farmstead Cottage was truly tranquil and idyllic. The cottage was exactly as pictured, the grounds were lovely and very well kept; we awoke to breakfast on the porch both mornings and spotted hummingbirds visiting the flowers. After hiking adventures in nearby towns, we enjoyed coming back to the cottage where we had everything we needed – including a fully stocked kitchen to prepare a snack of local wine and cheese. Lisette’s “Guide Book” was incredibly helpful; we stopped for lunch and groceries based on her recommendation before we arrived, and went to a local restaurant she recommended. Would definitely come back any season to enjoy the Hudson River Valley in the comfort of the Cottage.”

“Spent four perfect days at Lisette and Reinhold’s charming property recently. Cottage feels both modern and rustic with every amenity we could have asked for, including a very (appliances, condiments, utensils, etc.) well-stocked kitchen that allowed us to cook most meals (there’s a great food co-op just down the road and plenty of farmers’ markets around). Nearby High Falls or Rosendale are great for a quick meal, some coffee, or just to explore but we found that the best adventures were around 30-40 minutes away. I’d recommend Kingston for its shops and food or head to Minnewaska State Park for some beautiful hikes. Lisette was always reachable via text and would quickly respond with several suggestions to every query, but we always felt like we had the entire place to ourselves. An easy drive from NYC, once in Stone Ridge we felt like we were a world away from the city. I highly recommend taking a bottle of wine out on the deck and just watching the sun go down over the barn. Would absolutely come back and wish we had stayed longer.”

3) Cozy Mountain Hideaway in Sullivan County

HoP3

Price/night: $180
Accommodations: Full house, 3 bedrooms
Max guests: 6
Min stay: 2 nights
House description:
Sharon knows what she’s doing – at this time of year, there is no way we could say no to a wood-burning stove and sweeping views of the Catskills. While Sharon does an excellent job of highlighting the cozy factor of the farmhouse, we noticed that previous guests have also enjoyed the lava lamp and disco ball, and these funky elements make us love this location even more. No TV here, but who needs it when you’re right in the middle of prime hiking territory?

Sample reviews:

“Sharon is the best and her property is little slice of heaven. We stayed at her place in the WInter and it served as a perfect holiday retreat. We thoroughly enjoyed using the wood-burning stove to provide our heat. And even built a couple small bonfires in the outdoor firepit. We brought our 2 dogs and they absolutely loved exploring and hiking around the property. Sharon gave us some great bakery and restaurant suggestions. Don’t miss the Rolling River Cafe or Floyd & Bobo’s Bakery! If you’re into the outdoors there are lots of hiking and exploring options. We hiked the Red Hill Fire Tower which boasts an amazing view of the Catskills. Can’t wait to come back!”

“Sharon and her home were AMAZING. The house itself is a fabulous place to visit. Clearly loved and lived in, with tons of character, super tidy and clean. The grounds around the house cannot be praised enough. We came with 2 dogs who will be sleeping for the next week, they ran around so much. The “yard” (so much more than a yard) is amazingly cared for without being overly manicured. Sharon is super chill and laid back, not many house rules, allowing you to truly enjoy your time at the her home. Parksville is a charmingly rundown, typical Catskill town with a few things that you must do – waterfall down by Rolling River Cafe is in a gorgeous lil grotto, Rolling River Cafe was super charming and very tasty. Sharon knows all the locals and is a wealth of information about other stuff to do. And by “do” we’re talking lakes, ponds, the waterfall I mentioned etc – this is definitely a trip worth taking without the expectation of a big itinerary. We will be back without a doubt!”

 

About Elizabeth Wilson

Elizabeth Wilson is an Upstater born and bred with a generalist’s education and a specialist’s passion for the Hudson Valley. Ask nicely and she’ll make you a bagel sandwich. Ask really nicely and she’ll accompany that bagel sandwich with a Bob Dylan impersonation.

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