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The room I booked for my Hudson Valley getaway last week had its share of peculiarities. It was tiny, cooled by a plastic fan and decorated with a portrait of Jesus. I had to change my own sheets and share a bathroom. And I wasn't allowed to talk.
But all that was to be expected. This wasn't a $300-a-night room at some swanky Rhinebeck inn. This was a $70-a-night room at an upstate monastery.
It isn't for everyone, but one of the best—and cheapest—ways to enjoy a relaxing, bucolic retreat from the city is to book a stay at one of the many area monasteries that welcome guests.
You don't need to be a believer; these places accept devotees and heathens alike. I've stayed with Zen monastics in the Catskills, New Jersey nuns and Staten Island Jesuits. I've seldom paid more than $80 a night, meals included, and always leave feeling a bit less crazy.
More here-
http://online.wsj.com/articles/keeping-quiet-at-the-monastery-1406936983
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