Nov 30, 2022

My Visit to New York on the SeaStreak

By Julia Mortimer

It was the tail end of autumn, and I needed to take full advantage, so I started my research for the perfect day trip. I stumbled upon SeaStreak’s website and found that the ferry company hosts a fall foliage ride to Cold Spring, New York. The ferry took off at 8:10 am from Highlands and arrived back at 7 pm. Cold Spring is a quaint town nestled in the mountains. It was exactly what I needed to satisfy my vacation itch. 

My boyfriend and I headed to Highlands with coffees in hand. It was a rainy morning, but we were hopeful the forecast would turn around. The ferry was equipped with a bar and snacks for passengers. They had bagels, muffins and coffee. We sat on the top level with beautiful views of the water. We docked in New York to pick up additional passengers and continued down the Hudson River.

There was a tour guide named Heidi who provided interesting tidbits about New York City, West Point and Bear Mountain. Despite going to the city all my life, there was a lot I didn’t know! Heidi also mentioned that a few years ago, a passenger on the SeaStreak headed to Cold Spring loved the town so much that they moved there and opened a cheese shop.

The ride was so beautiful. Riding along the Hudson with the view of New York City quickly turned to a mountainous landscape with fall foliage painting the scenery. It was a breathtaking experience. It was unbelievable to think just how close the mountains – equipped with beautiful views – is from the city. 

Once we docked in Cold Spring, we walked the downtown area. We stopped for a pastry and decided on a brown butter apple hand pie. There were a ton of antique/consignment shops and retail spots. We window shopped and browsed the small businesses. For lunch, we went to an Irish pub. We both got local brews and shared corned beef egg rolls. After we finished lunch, we stopped for a beer at this interesting spot called Barber and Brew. My boyfriend is currently enrolled in barber school, so he wanted to check it out. There were two barber chairs and in the back was a full bar – pretty clever! 

Before boarding the boat, we stopped for coffees once again. We reflected on our day and both agreed it was a much-needed trip before winter began. After taking our last sips, we headed toward the ferry. There was a couple taking wedding photos by the water. That must be such a beautiful place to get married. 

The ferry ride home was quiet, only small chit chat from passengers. We passed Manhattan, which is always a sight to see at night, and finally landed at Highlands. There is nothing quite like getting back home after a long day.