Online Traveler: Hudson River Valley heights Posted on July 22nd
History runs deep in New York’s Hudson River Valley, from Dutch settlers to modern families of the rich and famous, and the region also offers a wealth of scenery and activities to fill your next vacation trip.
Plan on visiting the town of Hyde Park - www.hydeparkchamber.org/tourism.htm - where President Franklin Roosevelt and others had stately homes. Scroll down the page past the map to reach links to the Web sites of the Roosevelt National Historical Site and the Vanderbilt Mansion, plus the prestigious Culinary Institute of America (visitors welcome). Fill your picnic lunch basket at the Hyde Park Farmers Market, Saturdays until October, and look next to the market’s link for a Hyde Park Visitors Guide that you can download and print.
The Rockefeller family also had an estate in the valley. Go to Historic Hudson Valley - www.hudsonvalley.org - and click on Kykuit to learn about the estate built by John D. Rockefeller, where you can see the gardens, six-story house, and art collection. Look for links to other historic sites, including Van Cortlandt Manor, home of a prominent family in the years after the Revolutionary War, and Sunnyside, the estate of Hudson Valley author Washington Irving.
Learn about other homes to tour by visiting Hudson River.com - www.hudsonriver.com - and looking for “Estates.” This Web site also has a handy collection of Web links for Historic River Towns, river cruise companies, museums, fishing and lighthouses. Check under “Environment” for a link to the Hudson River sloop Clearwater and photo contest entries.
Temper your tours of historic mansions with something more active.
Aug. 12 to 17, you can join the Great Hudson Valley Pedal - www.ptny.org/hudsontour - a six-day excursion covering 200 miles. Click on “Rider Handbook” for lots of essential details, and “Brochure” for a registration form and itinerary. Then click on “Home” in the upper left corner to learn more about other tours and trails available around the state.
If you plan on some heavy shopping, consult the antiques shop directory at Hudson Valley Sojourner - http://dir.hudsonvalleysojourner.com/Antiques - which lists more than 50 stores, and Hudson Valley Antiques - www.hudsonvalleyantiques.com - which has auction houses and offers some basic advice on valuing antiques and buying at auctions.
You might also shop for something new and more refreshing. The Shawangunk Wine Trail - www.shawangunkwinetrail.com - takes you to a collection of wineries between the river and the Shawangunk Mountains. According to this Web site, you can find wineries offering sparkling wines and French-American varietals, along with places in the countryside where you can camp, fish, paddle a canoe, and try hang gliding. The Bounty of the Hudson Food & Wine Festival is coming up July 26 and 27. And scan the wine trail lodging directory, especially for spots like the Mohonk Mountain House - www.mohonk.com - perched spectacularly on a mountain lake.
There’s lots more information to be had from the county tourism agencies in the valley and from other Web sites. Hudson Valley Resources - http://midhudson.org/gateway/hvresources.htm - has links to the five counties under “Recreation,” along with links to information on hiking, kayaking and biking.
And Hudson Valley Voyager - www.travelhudsonvalley.org - has directories of places to stay, including bed-and-breakfasts and country inns, plus more attractions.
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