Le Chambord
​Hopewell Junction
Though it looks like a stately antebellum mansion from the outside, Le Chambord is actually a cozy spot with all the charm of a quaint Vermont inn. Luckily, it’s just a few minutes from the Taconic and will save you a weekend’s worth of travel time. It even has leaf-peeping on its 10-acre grounds. Built by a country doctor in 1863, the main building (there are six other, newer buildings and an original carriage house) is sprinkled with antique sideboards, armoires, and oil paintings. The nine guest rooms in the main building (supplemented by 16 additional in the Tara Building) have old-fashioned tester beds; oversized stone fireplaces crackle away during the chilly season. “Guests really feel like they’ve entered another time,” says innkeeper/owner Roy Benich.
But you don’t have to stay at the inn to experience its charm: You can come for an appetizer — Blue Point oysters? baked Brie with plum chutney? — and enjoy a glass of wine on the veranda. Or head to the Marine Lounge: All polished brass and cozy wood, it’s decorated with nautical artifacts and features the original bar built by the good doctor. It’s a great place for a casual bite for slightly more than you’d pay at a diner. Some favorites served up by Chef Leonard Mott, a CIA graduate who has been with the inn for 30 years, include molded wheatberry salad and Colorado rack of lamb roasted with a pistachio crust. Lo and behold, there is even a ridiculously inexpensive children’s menu, too. 845-221-1941; www.lechambord.com
