Down the Shore

The warm(er) weather and Valentine’s Day vibes had us ordering Strawberry Mocha cold brews from Rook as we kicked off our weekend roadtrip to the Hudson Valley. And while our explorations sometimes take us beyond our beloved Shore, we never feel too far from home, especially when we learn of an unexpected Jersey connection.

Case in point: the oldest ice boating rivalry in the country is between the North Shrewsbury Ice Boat & Yacht Club (founded in Red Bank) and the Hudson River Ice Yacht Club in Poughkeepsie (an area we just happened to pass through this weekend).

Read more about the recently rekindled competition, and our recommendations for a winter weekend as we trade one icy river for another, below.

Field Trip: Hudson Valley

Approximate driving time from Monmouth County: 2.5-3 hours

Where to Relax: Mirbeau Inn & Spa, Rhinebeck. This Parisian-style luxury hotel and spa makes a great kickoff or finale to your Hudson Valley trip. You can buy a day pass and get 7 hours of access to the Aqua Terrace, Relaxation Room, steam room and pink Himalayan salt sauna, as well as book spa services separately. We recommend ordering a glass of bubbly and enjoying it from the whirlpool deck.

Where to Stay: The Maker Hotel, Hudson. This 11-room boutique hotel right in the heart of Hudson’s Warren Street is truly an exceptional experience. 

Owned by husband and wife team Lev Glazman and Alina Roytberg of fragrance brand Fresh Beauty, the property is full of unique details like a fragrance library that guests can help themselves to before an evening out, an impressive book library full of hand-picked selections from The Strand in NYC, and a cocktail menu to match each of the signature Maker perfume scents. 

The suites themselves are named after a different type of “Maker,” such as the Architect, the Artist, and the Gardener. We stayed in the Writer Suite, which features book-lined walls (naturally), an old fashioned typewriter, jazz music, and a roaring fireplace perfect for penning the next great American novel. (P.S. check out their featured episode on Bespoke Inns available on HBO Max!) 

Where to Dine: We didn’t stray far from the hotel as we wanted to maximize as much time in our gorgeous suite as possible, so we dined at the Maker. Indulge in a scrumptious meal from the menu that changes monthly and a night cap in their impressive Maker Lounge located in the property’s former Carriage House. “The Dream” makes an excellent dessert beverage: aged rum, creme de cacao, vanilla, cinnamon, and allspice.

Other Hudson favorites include:

• Poured Candle Bar - get a monthly candle subscription shipped to you! 

• Spotty Dog Books and Ale 

• Supernatural Coffee

• La Perche 

• The Rivertown Lodge 

• Hudson Diner

Planning Tip: We have an EV, and the Applegreen rest stop in Plattekill was a dream of a place to charge your car while stopping for a quick lunch and restroom break. 

Shore Points

Here are other headlines that caught our eyes this week:

When It’s Finally Cold Enough to Race Ice Yachts — The New York Times profiled the Van Nostrand Challenge Cup: an ice boating race that has been competed for on only four occasions in the past 140 years!

From Salads to Success — The Evolution of the Blonde Shallot from The Two River Times gives the backstory of a DTS favorite grab-and-go spot.

Anjelica’s named to USA Today’s 2026 Restaurants of the Year — Anjelica’s of Sea Bright was one of thirty nine restaurants recognized in the entire country (and only one of three in New Jersey).

Hundreds line Asbury Park boardwalk for 'Survivor' 50 Challenge — We were at the Asbury Boardwalk yesterday and were wondering what was going on when we saw a long line of fans waiting to get into the Convention Hall.

Weekly Forecast

The Jersey Shore finally started de-thawing this week and it looks like this will continue into next week.

Even so, we’ll continue the countdown to Memorial Day Weekend (14 more weeks to go):

Monday 2/16 - 37°/31° Mostly Cloudy

Tuesday 2/17 - 44°/333° Cloudy

Wednesday 2/18 - 41°/37° Light Rain

Thursday 2/19 - 39°/36° Cloudy

Friday 2/20 - 40°/36° Light Snow

Saturday 2/21 - 42°/34° Light Rain

Sunday 2/22 - 41°/29° Snow Showers

And for the surfers out there, here are the weekly surf conditions in Belmar courtesy of Surf Captain:

Farmer’s Market Roundup

Even though it’s the dead of winter, there are still some farmer’s markets that are going strong. Here is our weekly roundup of farmers markets to check out:

• Holmdel: 2/18 Bell Works FRESH Wednesday Farmers and Makers Market

• Ocean Grove: 2/22 Asbury FRESH Winter Farmers Market

And if we are missing any other markets, let us know!

Happenings Down the Shore

This week’s happenings include live music up and down the Shore, trivia nights, and for families, the Monmouth Moms are hosting a Winter Play and Craft Fair at Bell Works in Holmdel.

If there’s an upcoming event that you’d like us to cover, feel free to pass it along!

Monday 2/16

Oceanport - Trivia Night at Skinny Flowers Brewing (6:30 pm)

Red Bank - Jazz Arts Jam Sessions at Triumph Brewery (6 pm)

Tuesday 2/17

Long Branch - Sip and Paint by Renegade Book Club at Beach Bee Meadery (6 pm) (tix presold)

Wednesday 2/18

Asbury Park - Dinosaur Pile-Up, Honeyknife, Kamenar at Wonder Bar (6 pm) (get tix)

Long Branch - Bingo Night at Beach Bee Meadery (6:30 pm)

Spring Lake - February Book Club: Mona's Eyes at Thunder Road Books (7 pm)

Thursday 2/19

Holmdel - Trivia Night at Bar Bella in Bell Works (6:30 pm ) (get registered)

Red Bank - Skinny Amigo at Jamian’s (8 pm)

Red Bank - Ryan Gregg & Friends at Triumph Brewery (8 pm)

Friday 2/20

Asbury Park - Purple Hazy Rain feat Sharief Hobley at Palmetto (9 pm)

Belmar -We’ll Be Fine at Marina Grill (8 pm)

Holmdel - I Am Curbie at Fox Hollow Vineyard (6 pm)

Long Branch - Mix, Mingle, & Make by LIttles Unleashed at Beach Bee Meadery (6 pm) (tix presold)

Manasquan - From the Ground at Harpoon Willy’s (8:30 pm)

Red Bank - Dead Bank at Jamian’s (9 pm)

Red Bank - Papa John Bug “The Experience” at Triumph Brewery (9 pm)

Saturday 2/21

Asbury Park - Après Ski Party at The Asbury Hotel (1 pm) (get tix)

Asbury Park - MAKE NJ HOUSE AGAIN! at Palmetto (9 pm)

Belmar - Run Away Train at Marina Grill (8 pm)

Holmdel - Monmouth Moms Winter Play and Craft Fair at Bell Works (11 am) (get registered)

Holmdel - Rob b at Fox Hollow Vineyard (2 pm)

Lincroft - Free Weekend Workshop Series at the Monmouth Museum (11 am)

Manasquan - Aloha Monkey at Harpoon Willy’s (8:30 pm)

Ocean Grove - ComedySportz Jersey Shore at Jersey Shore Arts Center (7 pm) (get tix)

Oceanport - Quincy Mumford at Skinny Flowers Brewing (6 pm)

Red Bank - The Moroccan Sheepherders at Jamian’s (9 pm)

Red Bank - Jet Weston at Triumph Brewery (9 pm)

Sunday 2/22

Asbury Park - Billy Hector’s Acoustic Armada at Palmetto (1 pm)

Belmar - Salty Dawgz at Marina Grill (3 pm)

Holmdel - Yvonnick Prene Jazz Duo at Fox Hollow Vineyard (2 pm)

Red Bank - Jonathan Kirschner Trio at Triumph Brewery (1 pm)

Did we miss an event? Let us know.

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