The CIA

Vanderbilt House, CIA, Hyde Park, Small Town, New Shoes

After being home for a few days, it was time to head out again. It was VERY nice to do laundry and rest a little. Some small country drives were made and a forced trip to the mall. Although cranky I left with some comfy shoes (that will hopefully not blister me) and a few new winter sweaters.

I had always wanted to eat at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. I checked their hours and made a day of it with mom and a friend. Having passed on the Vanderbilt House earlier in the month I thought it would be perfect to combine to the two activities.

Luckily for all of us I had a National Parks Pass and we did not have to pay entrance for the tour. We spent awhile in the gift shop (they had a great selection of fun books) and took the tour. Like all Vanderbilt houses it was gorgeous. Our Ranger guide Uncle Bob had an interesting way of speaking and presenting information but I liked how we got to explore. If I had a detailed question he would answer it instead of having to hear a lot of facts I didn’t care about. We all enjoyed the tour and grounds very much but it was time to eat.

The American Bistro was closed that day so I chose the Apple Pie Bakery Café over a fancy Italian Restaurant. The Hyde Park area has some beautiful college campuses and this one was no exception. After waiting in line we ordered our feast and then went to enjoy. Some food was amazing like the potato salad and other food was just really yummy, like my sandwich. All in all it was definitely worth the drive. I don’t know if the two hour drive for food alone is worth it but it helps that there are two National Parks nearby.

We ended the day winding through gorgeous back roads of New York. We stopped briefly in Rhinebeck to walk around and see “America’s Oldest Inn.” We’ve decided they all say that so how can you actually know? I guess it doesn’t matter that much. The history and oldness of the buildings are cool to see.