Great American Drives List

[lhbrown]

Not quite as spectacular in scenery as the Icefield Parkway, or Highway 93, in the Canadian Rockies as discribed by Curt, New York's Hudson Valley nonetheless, I would say, qualifies as one of the Great American Drives.



Whether you are an American history buff, a gourmet seeking five-star food and wine experiences, a hunter and gatherer of museum-quality antiques and crafts, or a fan of Broadway-quality theater, you'll find it in the Hudson Valley, within a leisurely and scenic two-hour drive from Times Square.

Philipsburg Manor (914-631-3992, www.hudsonvalley.org) was the home of one of the wealthiest families in Colonial America; over three generations they amassed more than 50,000 acres along 22 miles of prime riverfront. Their farms and mills grew and processed the foods their ships took to the Caribbean, Europe , and the Orient, and furnishings reflect their worldliness. Now a living history farm, with livestock that have been back-bred to 17th century authenticity, guides are in Colonial costume.

Across busy Route 9 from the manor house is Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, named by Washington Irving, who lived barely a mile away and is buried here, as are Andrew Carnegie and numerous Rockefellers. Washington Irving's home, Sunnyside (914-631-8200, www.hudsonvalley.org), features architectural ideas the author of Rip Van Winkle and Legend of Sleepy Hollow brought back from a long European journey, including walk-in closets, skylights, and gravity-fed "running water."

Kykuit is the local Native American tribe's word for "look-out", and the name of the estate atop one of the highest hills in the area. Built by John D. Rockefeller, Sr., and lived in by four generations, the house and gardens are filled with art collected by Junior's wife, one of the founders of the Museum of Modern Art, and their son, Nelson, a four-term New York State governor and U.S. Vice-President. Paintings, tapestries and sculpture by Picasso, Calder, Miro, Moore and others nearly over-shadow the magnificent Beaux Arts building and manicured grounds. Kykuit tours (914-631-9491) are sold at Philipsburg Manor.




Further north is Hyde Park, home of the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site (845-229-9115, www.nps.gov/vama), with a formal dining room paneled in carved walnut with gilt borders and Mrs. Vanderbilt's extravagant Marie Antoinette-style bedroom and sitting room. Vanderbilt's next-door neighbor was Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Jr. His home, Springwood includes the first presidential library - until then, presidents had just taken their papers with them or deposited them in an existing library - including the study he used to deliver his famous wartime fireside chats. The FDR and first lady Eleanor Roosevelt are buried in the Rose Garden (845-229-9115, www.nps.govhofr).


Hyde Park also is famous for the CIA. No, not the spies, the chefs. The Culinary Institute of America (845-452-9600, www.ciachef.edu) is the only residential college in the world devoted entirely to food arts, and its graduates staff and own some of the best dining establishments in the US. There are four student-staffed restaurants, supervised by maitre d's and executive chefs who are also their professors, including the formal French Escoffier. Or, just tour the campus and watch food being prepared behind giant glass windows.

The Hudson Valley boasts more than three dozen wineries, a tradition dating back to the first vines planted by the Huguenots in the 17th century, and most have tours and tastings. The largest, Millbrook Vineyards (845-677-8383, www.millbrookwine) in Millbrook, was founded by John Dyson, a former commissioner of the New York State Dept. of Commerce who helped coin the slogan, "I Love New York". Information on the area's wineries can be found on the vintners' group website, www.newyorkwines.org.

A great way to enjoy the scenery is on a Hudson River cruise. Sail with the wind aboard the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater (914-454-7673, www.clearwater.org), namesake of the environmental education organization founded by folk singer legend Pete Seeger, or motor aboard one of the fast and modern sightseeing vessels operated by New York Waterways (800-533-3779, www.nywaterway.com) from New York City.





No visit to the Hudson Valley is complete without a stop at West Point, the oldest active military base in the United States and home to the US Military Academy.

George Washington chose this rocky promontory for a fortress to defend the Hudson River from the British. The museum here (845-938-2638, www.usma.edu/museum) contains one of the world's largest collections of weapons, flags, uniforms, and other military artifacts in the world, and the campus is polka-dotted with canons and other weapons dating as far back as the 1812 Spanish-American War.

Antique freaks head for the towns of Cold Spring, Rhinebeck, Millbrook and Hudson on the east side of the Hudson River, and Warwick on the west, each with a quaint, historic and tiny downtown. For handmade crafts, head to Sugar Loaf, founded as a community of artisans in 1749, and still home to candle and soap makers, potters, and quilters (www.sugarloafartsvillage.com).

The two newest Hudson Valley attractions are the DIA Center for the Arts in Beacon (845-440-0100, www.diacenter.org), a sprawling center for contemporary art housed in a former factory, and the Performing Arts Center at Bard College in Annandale, an undulating and spacious facility for theater and ballet, designed by Frank Gehry (845-758-6822, www.bard.edu/pac).

Places to stay in the Hudson Valley

Beekman Arms, Rte.9, Rhinebeck, 845-876-7077, www.beekmanarms.com. The oldest continuously operating inn in America, opened 1766.


Bear Mountain Inn & Lodges, Bear Mountain State Park, 845-786-2731, www.nysparks.gov. Comfortably rustic log cabins overlooking a lake


Mohonk Mountain House, Rte. 44/55, New Paltz, 800-678-8946, www.mohonk.com. Sprawling and historic hotel within a 4500-acre mountain preserve.

[curtiejoe]

Hi travelfan



Your latest post re. the Great American Drives is an absolutely fascinating account of the many amazing buildings, attractions and historic places in the Hudson River Valley. I read it with great interest and made a note to visit as many of them as possible when we next drive down from Toronto through the valley to visit New York City (perhaps for the much-awaited VIP gathering to be hosted by LL at The Pierre Hotel). I would also have liked to have seen mention of some of the natural attractions that are found in the Empire State's storied valley. If they are anything like the magnificent views and sights my wife and I experienced on our drive along the New York Thruwayfrom Albany (the state capital)westward along the Mohawk River (such as Cohoe Falls)



a tributary of the Hudson, on our way back home from a short but very memorable vacation in Vermont in the first week of November, 2007, I know that they will be remarkable. Hopefully, these might be the subject of another of your excellent posts. If so, I look forward to reading it here on the LL Community. Thanks.



Curt

[lhbrown]

Hi Curt,
As I had mentioned before, Albany, the Capital-Saratoga region is my backyard. I don't know if you saw my recent VIP Blog on my suggestions for a short break in the Capita-Saratoga region with a long tradition of history, hats, health and fast horse. You might want to have a look at it. In the meantime, I will see what I can put together on the natural attractions of the Hudson and Mohawk Valleys. For one, the Erie Canal comes to mind which once upon the time was termed the "Gateway to the West".

[lhbrown]

Hi Curty,

Here are some of the natural wonders and some of the man-made ones of my area.


The Great Falls of the Mohawk at Cohoes

The Mohawk Valley, west of Schenectady, with its rugged landscape and rich historical associations, does not exceed the attractiveness of the lower valley eastward, with its great falls, its towering cliffs, and its pastoral scenery. Through this latter region the Troy Division of the Schenectady Railway passes. The Falls at Cohoes are of unusual splendor and are visited annually by thousands of tourists from all parts of the world. Below them the river is shut in by precipitous cliffs as it flows onward to its confluence with the Hudson. At this important point, clustering islands mark the union of the Mohawk and the greater Hudson. Here were enacted the closing scenes of the nation's battle for independence. Here were the headquarters of General Schuyler in the retreat of the American forces before the British under General Burgoyne. The fine old Van Schaick mansion, erected in 1735, in which the American officers were quartered, still stands as a monument to those stirring times. On Peebles Island may still be found the American earthworks. General Schuyler and his army advanced from this point to old Saratoga, now Schuylerville, where Burgoyne surrendered to the American forces on October 17, 1777.

The Erie Canal

The Erie Canal, also known as Clintons Big Ditch, is famous in song and story. Proposed in 1808 and completed in 1825, the canal links the waters of Lake Erie in the west to the Hudson River in the east. An engineering marvel when it was built, some called it the Eighth Wonder of the World.

In order to open the country west of the Appalachian Mountains to settlers and to offer a cheap and safe way to carry produce to a market, the construction of a canal was proposed as early as 1768. However, those early proposals would connect the Hudson River with Lake Ontario near Oswego. It was not until 1808 that the state legislature funded a survey for a canal that would connect to Lake Erie. Finally, on July 4, 1817, Governor Dewitt Clinton broke ground for the construction of the canal. In those early days, it was often sarcastically referred to as "Clinton's Big Ditch". When finally completed on October 26, 1825, it was the engineering marvel of its day. It included 18 aqueducts to carry the canal over ravines and rivers, and 83 locks, with a rise of 568 feet from the Hudson River to Lake Erie. It was 4 feet deep and 40 feet wide, and floated boats carrying 30 tons of freight. A ten foot wide towpath was built along the bank of the canal for horses, mules, and oxen led by a boy boat driver or "hoggee".

In order to keep pace with the growing demands of traffic, the Erie Canal was enlarged between 1836 and 1862. The "Enlarged Erie" was 70 feet wide and 7 feet deep, and could handle boats carrying 240 tons. The number of locks was reduced to 72. Most of the remaining traces of the Old Erie Canal are from the Enlarged Erie era.

In 1903, the State again decided to enlarge the canal by the construction of what was termed the "Barge Canal", consisting of the Erie Canal and the three chief branches of the State system -- the Champlain, the Oswego, and the Cayuga and Seneca Canals. The resulting canal was completed in 1918, and is 12 to 14 feet deep, 120 to 200 feet wide, and 363 miles long, from Albany to Buffalo. 57 Locks were built to handle barges carrying up to 3,000 tons of cargo, with lifts of 6 to 40 feet. This is the Erie Canal which today is utilized largely by recreational boats rather than cargo-carrying barges.

Thacher State Park John Boyd Thacher State Park is situated along the Helderberg Escarpment, one of the richest fossil-bearing formations in the world. Intriguing features include six miles of limestone cliff-face, rock-strewn slopes, woodland and open fields. The park also provides a marvelous panorama of the Hudson-Mohawk Valleys and the Adirondack and Green Mountains.

Howe Caverns - First discovered in the early 1800s, operators say it has become the second-most popular natural attraction in the state after Niagara Falls. Howe Caverns squeezes so many splendid works of natural art into its 3,000-feet-long series of galleries and passageways that it ranks among the top five "show caves" in America. You name it; it's got it, from stalagmites and stalactites to flowstone formations, an underground river and lake.

TO BE CONTINUED

[lhbrown]

Hi Curt,

Here is Part II - The system would not allow more than 20000 characters.....

Here we go...

Hudson River Lock Cruise Enjoy a waterfall excursion or a lock thru excursion with gorgeous scenic views. Champlain Canal Tour Boats, LLC is located on the historic Hudson River/Champlain Canal waterway. This peaceful and scenic area, rich with natural beauty and wildlife, was central to the Battle of Saratoga the Turning Point of the Revolutionary War. 2007 marks the 230th anniversary of the Battles of Saratoga.

All along the cruising range, north to Fort Miller or south to the Saratoga National Historical Park, you enjoy the majesty of miles of unspoiled river scenery and marvel at the history you are cruising by. The journey begins at Lock C5, Routes 4 & 32N, Schuylerville, NY.


Saratoga Springs


For well over a century, Saratoga Springs, just 42 miles north of Albany on I-87, was very much the place to be seen for the northeast's richest and most glittering names. At first, the town's curative waters were the main attraction; then John Morrisey, an Irish boxer, transformed things by opening a racecourse and casino during the 1860s. At one time, the Morgans, Vanderbilts and Whitneys all had houses in the town, and Diamond Jim Brady, the flashiest among the 1920s nouveau riche, was one of its most ostentatious visitors. Saratoga Springs retains the feel of an exclusive vintage resort during the August horse racing season, but for the rest of the summer it is accessible, affordable and fun. Broadway, the main axis, takes in just about every aspect of the modern town from lurid motel signs to the Gothic and Renaissance residential palaces on the northern tip of downtown; most of the town's many good bars are here or in the few blocks just east. The carefully cultivated Congress Park, off South Broadway, laid out for the curistes, remains a shady retreat from town center traffic. Three of the original mineral springs still flow up to the surface here, funneled out into drinking fountains (the water is tepid and salty, but some people swear by it).

Taughannock Falls State Park, Trumansburg, NY
Taughannock Falls State Park's namesake waterfall is one of the outstanding natural attractions of the Northeast. Taughannock Falls plunges 215 feet past rocky cliffs that tower nearly 400 feet above the gorge. Gorge and rim trails offer spectacular views from above the falls and from below at the end of the gorge trail. Campsites and cabins overlook Cayuga Lake, with marina, boat launch and beach nearby. A multi-use trail--hiking, cross-country skiing--winds past sledding slopes and natural skating ponds. Boat Launch Site not suitable for any type of sailboat. The park also offers organized activities including tours through the Taughannock Gorge and summer concerts along the lakefront.

Message Edited by lhbrown on 11-14-2007 06:13 PM

[curtiejoe]

Hi travelfan



Your posts on the Hudson River and Mohawk River Valleys are rich in detailed information, interesting facts and fabulous photographs. As usual, you share travel information and experiences with the LL Community in a wonderful manner that enrichens everyone's knowledge base and appreciation of the rich history, wonderful natural beauty, and considerable architectural treasures of the area of the world you happen to be describing in your posts. Thanks.



Curt

[lhbrown]

Hi Curt,
We are lucky to live in such an attractive and historic area. The Hudson and Mohawk Valleys are beautiful in any season and there is so much to see and to do. I love to report about it, and I am glad you and the Community are enjoying my posts.

[imbues]

Hey lhbrown, You did a great job including all the highlights of the Hudson Valley. I appreciate all the time you put into your posts on various topics. I don't know if I'd agree with you that it's "one of the great drives", but we do have many areas of interest. Unfortunately Route 9 is now full of strip malls in most areas. I know that many years ago it was considered a gorgeous drive.

Hopefully you don't mind that I'm going to add some local flavor to your subject.

A place LL might try to acquire is the Belvedere Mansion. It's an Inn with the most exquisite Hudson River views and dining around.

Rhinebeck, Redhook and Tivoli have some of the best restaurants in Dutchess county.
Le Petit Bistro best french food,
Mill Panda House best Chinese food,
OSAKA best Japanese food
Luna 61 the best Vegetarian
Santa Fe one of best Mexican
Several of the best Bistros:
Terrapin, Calicos, Beekman Tavern


Keep in mind that at the culinary you may need reservations up to 3 months in advance.

Rhinebeck has become a bit boutiquie, while Redhook has kept some of it's quaintness. Tivoli is a village where main st is a restaurant row near Bard collage. I'd recommend checking out the curatorial museum at Bard if you enjoy contemporary art ( I love it and it's free). There's also the Bard Fisher center for evening entertainment (you can try for rush tickets if your not picky), in season. A great time of year to come here is for the Woodstock film festival in September, but i's crowded. Make reservations for everything and every where well in advance. It shows at the Upstate films theater in Rhinebeck as well as in Woodstock and Bearsville, across the Rhinecliff bridge.

Here's a more comprehensive list of places to go around here.
The best time to visit the Vanderbilt is when the roses are blooming in spring. The best spot for a picnic is bard rock at the Vanderbilt park, it's right on the Hudson river. There are several other historic sites and mansions to visit in the area as well. This is a great area to visit for those interested in American history.

These are all places I've been and enjoyed many times.

Antiquing is also huge here, there's isn't a town without at least few antique shops in the county.

Here's a site that offers free brochures for the Hudson valley region.

There's a lot of potential for possible LL properties in this area. I noticed the Dover Inn is missing on LL's list and I wonder if it's because of the fire there.

I may post some more thoughts about Dutchess and Westchester counties later. There's too much to wright about...








Message Edited by imbues on 11-19-2007 02:44 AM

Message Edited by imbues on 11-19-2007 02:44 AM

Message Edited by imbues on 11-19-2007 01:44 PM