Our explorations of the Hudson Valley & Catskills
Sep 1st, 2015, 09:19 AM
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Our explorations of the Hudson Valley & Catskills
This is a wonderful area with so much to do! We visited for a week, in between dropping my son off and picking him back up at skateboard camp in central PA. I’ll start/end from central PA:
Day 1 drive to Harriman, NY
Lots of driving today (almost 8 hours), longer than anticipated b/c of two accidents on I-80. I have a theory, more appropriate for another post/topic, that there are more accidents happening out there. We encountered one that ended up closing up a section of I-80W, and later going east, we hit another one in the Pocono region.
Woodbury Commons Outlets
I spent the evening shopping. This was not your average outlet complex that you’ve probably seen all across the US. This one had stores the likes of: Barneys New York, Prada, lululemon, Tori Burch and Jimmy Choo, in addition to all the stores that you might expect to find at these types of malls. I enjoyed wandering around here. I tried on a few $500 pairs of shoes and some workout wear, but ended up only getting two small handbags. This mall closes at 9pm and it was still buzzing with people later in the evening.
Day 2 Drive to Hyde Park via West Point
US Military Academy at West Point
Here we toured the Military Museum, which was fascinating. Their collection includes swords and pistols that belonged to Napolean, General Custer’s last correspondence and a baton and the guestbook from Karinhall, the home of Nazi Hermann Goering. The guestbook was signed by Adolf Hilter, Benito Mussolini, Charles Lindberg and Herbert Hoover.
After glimpsing the Hudson River from the museum, we tried to drive behind the museum to see some more it. We came up to the guard at an entrance to the West Point campus. We thought the entrance to the campus was only for students/Military Academy personnel, so we apologized and explained we just wanted to see the river. The guard was very nice and said we are allowed to drive through the campus and told us the name of a scenic viewpoint. (And it was a very scenic view!)
It wasn’t long until we approached another security booth and we got in the wrong lane – the one reserved for those with pre-clearance, which was definitely not us. Oh no. We were instructed to get out of the car and open our trunk. We profusely apologized and the guard could tell we were just idiots making an honest but stupid mistake and he was very nice about it. He said “it happens to all of us” and we were detained for maybe 2 minutes tops and allowed to continue our drive through this scenic campus.
Vanderbilt Mansion
We took a guided tour of the mansion and walked around the pretty formal Italian-style gardens.
The mansion tour was interesting. This Gilded Age mansion was one of many the Vanderbilts owned and was only used several times a year (other times of the year, the Vanderbilts stayed at their mansions in NYC or at Newport). It was supposedly the least ornate and most frugal of all the Vanderbilt mansions, which was a pretty incredible statement b/c it was very ornate!
Walkway over the Hudson
On our way to Hyde Park, we passed this bridge and my husband wanted to walk across. A former railroad bridge, it was converted and now is the longest elevated pedestrian bridge in the world. It is 1.28 miles across and we had to walk the whole thing (and back). We got nice views up and down the river. My husband liked this so much, he drove over the next day to run there.
Day 3 Around Hyde Park and Poughkeepsie
FDR Mansion and Presidential Library
We stopped in the Visitors Center to schedule our tour of the mansion. It was not as ornate as the Vanderbilt’s next door. Afterwards we toured the FDR Museum and Library. Wow. What a fascinating museum! This was our first visit to a Presidential Library and we are now thinking we should visit more of these.
FDR was a remarkable man who led our country during an interesting – and very challenging – time of its history. We liked the exhibit on gifts given to the Roosevelts from foreign dignitaries and the American people which we saw prior to the exhibits on his 4 terms. We learned much more about his personal life, his polio and were amazed at how, back then, the media knew he couldn’t walk. This was kept from the general public. His wife was an amazing person, too. We were told it takes about 90 minutes to tour and my husband and I thought we’d go through quicker than that b/c it didn’t appear that big. Nope – we were there 90 minutes and could have stayed longer expect it was getting well into mid- afternoon and we were getting really hungry!
Culinary Institute of America
Wonderful! I neglected to book us advance reservations, so we were unable to eat in one of their restaurants. But we did have lunch at the Apple Pie Bakery Café which was excellent! I had a great salad and a to-die-for dessert. It was chocolate mousse with a nutella center, with an orange-chocolate coating, topped with some kind of white piped good-tasting stuff. YUM. I enjoyed shopping in their store (I got several spices and some cinnamon extract) and then we drove around their scenic campus.
Antique Shops
This area is also known for antique shops and while I don’t do a lot of this type of shopping, I did enjoy several of the large stores we stopped into. One had many rooms and in the very back was a large room filled with all kinds of clocks. It was crammed with all types of working clocks – from cuckoos clocks, to grandfather, to all kinds of decorative ones. The sound of all those clocks going at the same time was something I have never heard before!
Vassar College and the Francis Lehman Loeb Art Center
A few weeks ago, on FB, I saw a list of the 10 best art museums on college campuses, and it included the one on Vassar’s campus. This is one is not large, but has a very diverse collection – definitely worth a stop! The Hudson River School was well represented. Afterwards, we walked around this attractive campus and stopped into the chapel – which has some beautiful stained glass windows.
Day 5 Millbrook, NY
What a highlight this area was!
Wings Castle
By now, we had seen some pretty amazing mansions, but this home trumped them all, IMO. It is a castle, built from almost all reclaimed materials by artist Peter Wing and his wife. His wife gave us an interesting tour of their home.
Inside was just as remarkable as outside! The living room was filled with eclectic pieces of all sorts. A hull of a wooden boat came out of the ceiling, and also suspended from the ceiling were two painted wooden carousel horses. The one hallway featured items from churches – including stained glass built into the walls.
Peter Wing added an addition to the castle (with gargoyles) that became a B&B. The complex also has a moat, which is a “modern” swimming pool where you can actually swim under a section of the house.
There are so many interesting stories about the houses features – and what they have done here. Peter Wing hosted a children’s Shakespeare theatre camp – and a Halloween haunted house.
There is a wonderful view of the valley below from the site and also a henge (think more Avebury than Stonehenge).
Innisfree Gardens
This was a great place! I was thinking it was more like Longwood Gardens, but if you go (and you should), wear sturdy walking shoes! There is a mile trail around the lake (filled with waterlillies) but along that mile, one is encouraged to branch out to see “rooms” and different features of the gardens. It was designed on eastern garden principles and is a really remarkable place. There are rock type sculptures, mist gardens, terraces, streams and waterfalls.
(Millbrook is a bit off the beaten path from Hyde Park, but just seeing Innisfree and Wings Castle is very worth it (check the opening times!). There is also a winery very close to Wings Castle, but we did not visit that.
Rhinebeck
We didn’t stay long here – we had a great lunch at Terrapin and walked around the small town. I went to the bathroom in the Beekman Arms and Delamater Inn, which says it is America’s oldest operating inn. We also drove by Wilderstein Mansion, but did not tour it. It is very attractive from the outside.
Hudson, NY
Our first impression of Hudson was not extremely positive. Initially, we passed a sign for the nearby Penitentiary, which usually isn’t an indication of a picturesque tourist area. We went up to the Visitors Center through a somewhat sketchy area. Don’t’ get me wrong – it wasn’t unsafe (at all) and no where like, say, West or North Philadelphia. It was just that we saw freshly scrubbed Rhinebeck, Hyde Park and other places before Hudson and parts of Hudson clearly look like it’s seen better days. On the main Street, there are stores, but some have peeling paint and there were a sizable number of vacant storefronts.
Inn at Hudson B&B
We checked into our B&B. We are not typically B&B people, but we were not in an area that had any Hampton Inns anywhere close. The alternative was “family resort” places where maybe we could rent a cabin and I thought a B&B would be a nice alternative. The place was a former mansion and it was beautiful. Later in the evening, I spent a long time relaxing in the living room, perusing the books in a large library. Our room was large and bright and airy and we felt like we were stepping into another, different time and place.
Warren Street, Hudson
After walking along the main street, Warren Street, Hudson started to grow on me. There were many antique shops and some had very interesting stuff. Heads up: Hudson appears to be very much a weekend destination. I would guess only 30% of the stores were open on a Wednesday night – and some stores hours were *only* open on Thursday – Saturday. We had a very casual dinner at a pizza place and walked around a bit more before settling into our lovely mansion for the evening.
Next, the Catskills.....
Day 1 drive to Harriman, NY
Lots of driving today (almost 8 hours), longer than anticipated b/c of two accidents on I-80. I have a theory, more appropriate for another post/topic, that there are more accidents happening out there. We encountered one that ended up closing up a section of I-80W, and later going east, we hit another one in the Pocono region.
Woodbury Commons Outlets
I spent the evening shopping. This was not your average outlet complex that you’ve probably seen all across the US. This one had stores the likes of: Barneys New York, Prada, lululemon, Tori Burch and Jimmy Choo, in addition to all the stores that you might expect to find at these types of malls. I enjoyed wandering around here. I tried on a few $500 pairs of shoes and some workout wear, but ended up only getting two small handbags. This mall closes at 9pm and it was still buzzing with people later in the evening.
Day 2 Drive to Hyde Park via West Point
US Military Academy at West Point
Here we toured the Military Museum, which was fascinating. Their collection includes swords and pistols that belonged to Napolean, General Custer’s last correspondence and a baton and the guestbook from Karinhall, the home of Nazi Hermann Goering. The guestbook was signed by Adolf Hilter, Benito Mussolini, Charles Lindberg and Herbert Hoover.
After glimpsing the Hudson River from the museum, we tried to drive behind the museum to see some more it. We came up to the guard at an entrance to the West Point campus. We thought the entrance to the campus was only for students/Military Academy personnel, so we apologized and explained we just wanted to see the river. The guard was very nice and said we are allowed to drive through the campus and told us the name of a scenic viewpoint. (And it was a very scenic view!)
It wasn’t long until we approached another security booth and we got in the wrong lane – the one reserved for those with pre-clearance, which was definitely not us. Oh no. We were instructed to get out of the car and open our trunk. We profusely apologized and the guard could tell we were just idiots making an honest but stupid mistake and he was very nice about it. He said “it happens to all of us” and we were detained for maybe 2 minutes tops and allowed to continue our drive through this scenic campus.
Vanderbilt Mansion
We took a guided tour of the mansion and walked around the pretty formal Italian-style gardens.
The mansion tour was interesting. This Gilded Age mansion was one of many the Vanderbilts owned and was only used several times a year (other times of the year, the Vanderbilts stayed at their mansions in NYC or at Newport). It was supposedly the least ornate and most frugal of all the Vanderbilt mansions, which was a pretty incredible statement b/c it was very ornate!
Walkway over the Hudson
On our way to Hyde Park, we passed this bridge and my husband wanted to walk across. A former railroad bridge, it was converted and now is the longest elevated pedestrian bridge in the world. It is 1.28 miles across and we had to walk the whole thing (and back). We got nice views up and down the river. My husband liked this so much, he drove over the next day to run there.
Day 3 Around Hyde Park and Poughkeepsie
FDR Mansion and Presidential Library
We stopped in the Visitors Center to schedule our tour of the mansion. It was not as ornate as the Vanderbilt’s next door. Afterwards we toured the FDR Museum and Library. Wow. What a fascinating museum! This was our first visit to a Presidential Library and we are now thinking we should visit more of these.
FDR was a remarkable man who led our country during an interesting – and very challenging – time of its history. We liked the exhibit on gifts given to the Roosevelts from foreign dignitaries and the American people which we saw prior to the exhibits on his 4 terms. We learned much more about his personal life, his polio and were amazed at how, back then, the media knew he couldn’t walk. This was kept from the general public. His wife was an amazing person, too. We were told it takes about 90 minutes to tour and my husband and I thought we’d go through quicker than that b/c it didn’t appear that big. Nope – we were there 90 minutes and could have stayed longer expect it was getting well into mid- afternoon and we were getting really hungry!
Culinary Institute of America
Wonderful! I neglected to book us advance reservations, so we were unable to eat in one of their restaurants. But we did have lunch at the Apple Pie Bakery Café which was excellent! I had a great salad and a to-die-for dessert. It was chocolate mousse with a nutella center, with an orange-chocolate coating, topped with some kind of white piped good-tasting stuff. YUM. I enjoyed shopping in their store (I got several spices and some cinnamon extract) and then we drove around their scenic campus.
Antique Shops
This area is also known for antique shops and while I don’t do a lot of this type of shopping, I did enjoy several of the large stores we stopped into. One had many rooms and in the very back was a large room filled with all kinds of clocks. It was crammed with all types of working clocks – from cuckoos clocks, to grandfather, to all kinds of decorative ones. The sound of all those clocks going at the same time was something I have never heard before!
Vassar College and the Francis Lehman Loeb Art Center
A few weeks ago, on FB, I saw a list of the 10 best art museums on college campuses, and it included the one on Vassar’s campus. This is one is not large, but has a very diverse collection – definitely worth a stop! The Hudson River School was well represented. Afterwards, we walked around this attractive campus and stopped into the chapel – which has some beautiful stained glass windows.
Day 5 Millbrook, NY
What a highlight this area was!
Wings Castle
By now, we had seen some pretty amazing mansions, but this home trumped them all, IMO. It is a castle, built from almost all reclaimed materials by artist Peter Wing and his wife. His wife gave us an interesting tour of their home.
Inside was just as remarkable as outside! The living room was filled with eclectic pieces of all sorts. A hull of a wooden boat came out of the ceiling, and also suspended from the ceiling were two painted wooden carousel horses. The one hallway featured items from churches – including stained glass built into the walls.
Peter Wing added an addition to the castle (with gargoyles) that became a B&B. The complex also has a moat, which is a “modern” swimming pool where you can actually swim under a section of the house.
There are so many interesting stories about the houses features – and what they have done here. Peter Wing hosted a children’s Shakespeare theatre camp – and a Halloween haunted house.
There is a wonderful view of the valley below from the site and also a henge (think more Avebury than Stonehenge).
Innisfree Gardens
This was a great place! I was thinking it was more like Longwood Gardens, but if you go (and you should), wear sturdy walking shoes! There is a mile trail around the lake (filled with waterlillies) but along that mile, one is encouraged to branch out to see “rooms” and different features of the gardens. It was designed on eastern garden principles and is a really remarkable place. There are rock type sculptures, mist gardens, terraces, streams and waterfalls.
(Millbrook is a bit off the beaten path from Hyde Park, but just seeing Innisfree and Wings Castle is very worth it (check the opening times!). There is also a winery very close to Wings Castle, but we did not visit that.
Rhinebeck
We didn’t stay long here – we had a great lunch at Terrapin and walked around the small town. I went to the bathroom in the Beekman Arms and Delamater Inn, which says it is America’s oldest operating inn. We also drove by Wilderstein Mansion, but did not tour it. It is very attractive from the outside.
Hudson, NY
Our first impression of Hudson was not extremely positive. Initially, we passed a sign for the nearby Penitentiary, which usually isn’t an indication of a picturesque tourist area. We went up to the Visitors Center through a somewhat sketchy area. Don’t’ get me wrong – it wasn’t unsafe (at all) and no where like, say, West or North Philadelphia. It was just that we saw freshly scrubbed Rhinebeck, Hyde Park and other places before Hudson and parts of Hudson clearly look like it’s seen better days. On the main Street, there are stores, but some have peeling paint and there were a sizable number of vacant storefronts.
Inn at Hudson B&B
We checked into our B&B. We are not typically B&B people, but we were not in an area that had any Hampton Inns anywhere close. The alternative was “family resort” places where maybe we could rent a cabin and I thought a B&B would be a nice alternative. The place was a former mansion and it was beautiful. Later in the evening, I spent a long time relaxing in the living room, perusing the books in a large library. Our room was large and bright and airy and we felt like we were stepping into another, different time and place.
Warren Street, Hudson
After walking along the main street, Warren Street, Hudson started to grow on me. There were many antique shops and some had very interesting stuff. Heads up: Hudson appears to be very much a weekend destination. I would guess only 30% of the stores were open on a Wednesday night – and some stores hours were *only* open on Thursday – Saturday. We had a very casual dinner at a pizza place and walked around a bit more before settling into our lovely mansion for the evening.
Next, the Catskills.....
Sep 1st, 2015, 09:24 AM
#2
Thanks for the great report. We were just there and sorry we missed the Vassar Museum. Innisfree Gardens were fabulous. I gather you didn?t go to Storm King? Next time, check it out -- it's fabulous.
Sep 1st, 2015, 09:41 PM
#4
What a great trip report! Exploring the Hyde Park area is something I'd love to do. I especially would like to see Val-Kill. I was in the area nine years ago (for a wedding) and was sure I'd be back soon. Your trip report will help me plan. Many thanks!
Sep 2nd, 2015, 07:44 AM
#5
Two other places to visit -- Val-Kill Eleanor's cottage and Top Cottage. You can actually work it out to hike up to Top Cottage if you want. Otherwise, get on the tour. The cottage isn't much of anything, but the ranger sits on the porch for about 45 minutes or so and just talks about the Roosevelts and answers any questions from the smallish group. Heard some great stories. We really enjoyed it.
Sep 2nd, 2015, 12:14 PM
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Hello, all. yestravel - we didn't have time to fit in the Eleanor Roosevelt sites, either. There really is a lot to see in this area!!
BTW, yestravel, have you been to the NJ Grounds for Sculpture? I researched Storm King and we just didn't have the time to do it justice. But it reminds me a little of the Grounds for Sculpture, where you can walk around and turn a corner, and: another sculpture! It's a very cool place.
Continuing....
Day 6 Thomas Cole and the Hudson River School
Thomas Cole is one of my favorite American painters and I have wanted to visit his home in Catskill for many years. In the past when we were in the area, the home was closed. I learned last year that The Hudson River School Art Trail was created – which is a series of stops to viewpoints featured in Hudson River School paintings. Olana (Frederick Church’s amazing Persian style home) and Cedar Grove (Thomas Cole’s home) are also stops on this art trail.
Cedar Grove – the Home of Thomas Cole
The view from the porch of his home is one of the views that Thomas Cole painted. Cedar Grove had some paintings by Thomas Cole and exhibits throughout featuring contemporary artists.
We found the tour disappointing. My husband thought it was boring (he’s not an art person). The tour lasted almost an hour and I was dismayed that of that hour, maybe 15 minutes were about Thomas Cole himself. The guide talked at length about many of the contemporary paintings on display. Some were interesting and I enjoyed seeing several of them, but I paid (a not nominal fee) to hear about Thomas Cole and the Hudson River School, not about the modern art on display there.
The Hudson River School Art Trail
We stopped at over half the viewpoints. Some were simply a viewpoint, others required a hike.
One viewpoint was very close to Cedar Grove, on a bridge. We also drove around the North and South Lake area to see the lakes, but didn’t hike there. (Before arriving, we stopped at a campground general store and bought sandwiches, and ate them on a picnic table overlooking North Lake).
We have a framed poster of Frederick’s Church’s “Above the Clouds at Sunrise” and we took a very short walk to see where that was painted. It was at the site of the former Catskill Mountain House, which no longer exists at the site. The area features a very nice view of the Hudson River and valley below. There were informational signs about the Catskill Mountain House and other hotels in the area which also aren’t there anymore.
Next...Kaaterskill Falls
BTW, yestravel, have you been to the NJ Grounds for Sculpture? I researched Storm King and we just didn't have the time to do it justice. But it reminds me a little of the Grounds for Sculpture, where you can walk around and turn a corner, and: another sculpture! It's a very cool place.
Continuing....
Day 6 Thomas Cole and the Hudson River School
Thomas Cole is one of my favorite American painters and I have wanted to visit his home in Catskill for many years. In the past when we were in the area, the home was closed. I learned last year that The Hudson River School Art Trail was created – which is a series of stops to viewpoints featured in Hudson River School paintings. Olana (Frederick Church’s amazing Persian style home) and Cedar Grove (Thomas Cole’s home) are also stops on this art trail.
Cedar Grove – the Home of Thomas Cole
The view from the porch of his home is one of the views that Thomas Cole painted. Cedar Grove had some paintings by Thomas Cole and exhibits throughout featuring contemporary artists.
We found the tour disappointing. My husband thought it was boring (he’s not an art person). The tour lasted almost an hour and I was dismayed that of that hour, maybe 15 minutes were about Thomas Cole himself. The guide talked at length about many of the contemporary paintings on display. Some were interesting and I enjoyed seeing several of them, but I paid (a not nominal fee) to hear about Thomas Cole and the Hudson River School, not about the modern art on display there.
The Hudson River School Art Trail
We stopped at over half the viewpoints. Some were simply a viewpoint, others required a hike.
One viewpoint was very close to Cedar Grove, on a bridge. We also drove around the North and South Lake area to see the lakes, but didn’t hike there. (Before arriving, we stopped at a campground general store and bought sandwiches, and ate them on a picnic table overlooking North Lake).
We have a framed poster of Frederick’s Church’s “Above the Clouds at Sunrise” and we took a very short walk to see where that was painted. It was at the site of the former Catskill Mountain House, which no longer exists at the site. The area features a very nice view of the Hudson River and valley below. There were informational signs about the Catskill Mountain House and other hotels in the area which also aren’t there anymore.
Next...Kaaterskill Falls
Sep 3rd, 2015, 06:52 AM
#10
No, I'm not familiar with the NJ Grounds for Sculpture. It looks interesting. Will have to remember it on our next trip up that way. Also didnt know about the Art Trail which sounds great. Thanks for metnioning them. We've been to the HV region 4 times now and keep discovering new sites. It's a beautiful area.
Sep 3rd, 2015, 04:08 PM
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Kaaterskill Falls hike
Kaaterskill Falls is featured in many paintings by Hudson River School artists, and this is another site I’ve wanted to see for quite a while. Descriptions of the hike say it is a “moderate 1.4 mile hike”. It is short, but it is very rocky. Once you approach the falls, the trail ends, as it has been closed. People were climbing up the side of the falls, and this has resulted in several fatalities over the years. A trail with a ladder is now being built to address the safety concerns. At this point, you can’t see the falls, and if you want to, you have to climb over, up and around large boulders and over the creek to get closer. So, even though the hike is short in distance, the scrambling takes a while. We did get to a great viewpoint of the falls, which wasn’t terribly full in August, but still attractive.
If you go: Wear very sturdy shoes and try to go during less busy times. There is only one very small parking lot and on a Thursday morning, we got the last spot. Someone actually parked us in – thankfully, they had just parked and we asked them to move their car so we could get out. If we arrived even 5 minutes later, we would have been stuck for quite a while.
Drive to Port Jervis, NY
We started to head back towards PA. Our drive to Port Jervis was uneventful and we arrived early with nothing to do. Port Jervis has definitely seen better days. It’s main street has many vacancies and has a somewhat abandoned feel to it. We did wander into the Erie Hotel, which is a hotel back from the Victorian days, and it looks it (in a good way!) It was like stepping back in time. The wooden carvings above the bar were beautiful and intricate. You can still stay here – their tiny rooms are $60/night. (I am nowhere that adventurous, we stayed at the Hampton Inn across the river in Matamoras, PA.)
We visited the largest working railroad turntable in the US. (Are you booking a trip to Port Jervis yet??) My son used to be a Thomas the Tank Engine fanatic, so I am familiar with roundabouts.
We ate at the Riverside Creamery, which is located along the river. Port Jervis is located on the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway, and boaters can stop by this restaurant. We had an amazing dessert. It was vanilla ice cream, coated with funnel cake batter (!!), deep fried, and then covered in salted caramel and sprinkled with powdered sugar. It was sort of like eating a donut filled with ice cream and it was awesome.
Day 6 Boating and drive to central PA
We arranged to stay near Port Jervis so we wouldn’t be far from Lake Wallenpaupack (in the Poconos), where my husband wanted to rent a boat. We did a 2 hour boat rental and explored the lake. It was a nice day and a pleasant experience.
We then drove to Lewisburg, PA, located about 45 minutes from my son’s camp, where we would pick him up the following morning. My son has been going to this camp for 8 years and it’s pretty much in the middle of nowhere. We always drove through Lewisburg, but never realized there was a historic part. We ate there and then wandered around. It was lovely! The homes had such wonderful and varied architecture - they really were beautiful One was actually called “Tuscan Villa”, which I looked up b/c it was for sale. It has 12 bedrooms and is only $1.2 million. This area was adjacent to Bucknell’s campus (I didn’t realize Bucknell was in Lewisburg). That is another very attractive campus. (We saw more college campuses on this trip – Vassar, Culinary Institute, US Military Academy and Bucknell) than we ever did on any one college tour with our sons. All were very picturesque campuses).
Day 7
We picked up son from camp. He had a fabulous time (as he always does) and we drove the 3+ hours home.
Next: logisitics
Kaaterskill Falls is featured in many paintings by Hudson River School artists, and this is another site I’ve wanted to see for quite a while. Descriptions of the hike say it is a “moderate 1.4 mile hike”. It is short, but it is very rocky. Once you approach the falls, the trail ends, as it has been closed. People were climbing up the side of the falls, and this has resulted in several fatalities over the years. A trail with a ladder is now being built to address the safety concerns. At this point, you can’t see the falls, and if you want to, you have to climb over, up and around large boulders and over the creek to get closer. So, even though the hike is short in distance, the scrambling takes a while. We did get to a great viewpoint of the falls, which wasn’t terribly full in August, but still attractive.
If you go: Wear very sturdy shoes and try to go during less busy times. There is only one very small parking lot and on a Thursday morning, we got the last spot. Someone actually parked us in – thankfully, they had just parked and we asked them to move their car so we could get out. If we arrived even 5 minutes later, we would have been stuck for quite a while.
Drive to Port Jervis, NY
We started to head back towards PA. Our drive to Port Jervis was uneventful and we arrived early with nothing to do. Port Jervis has definitely seen better days. It’s main street has many vacancies and has a somewhat abandoned feel to it. We did wander into the Erie Hotel, which is a hotel back from the Victorian days, and it looks it (in a good way!) It was like stepping back in time. The wooden carvings above the bar were beautiful and intricate. You can still stay here – their tiny rooms are $60/night. (I am nowhere that adventurous, we stayed at the Hampton Inn across the river in Matamoras, PA.)
We visited the largest working railroad turntable in the US. (Are you booking a trip to Port Jervis yet??) My son used to be a Thomas the Tank Engine fanatic, so I am familiar with roundabouts.
We ate at the Riverside Creamery, which is located along the river. Port Jervis is located on the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway, and boaters can stop by this restaurant. We had an amazing dessert. It was vanilla ice cream, coated with funnel cake batter (!!), deep fried, and then covered in salted caramel and sprinkled with powdered sugar. It was sort of like eating a donut filled with ice cream and it was awesome.
Day 6 Boating and drive to central PA
We arranged to stay near Port Jervis so we wouldn’t be far from Lake Wallenpaupack (in the Poconos), where my husband wanted to rent a boat. We did a 2 hour boat rental and explored the lake. It was a nice day and a pleasant experience.
We then drove to Lewisburg, PA, located about 45 minutes from my son’s camp, where we would pick him up the following morning. My son has been going to this camp for 8 years and it’s pretty much in the middle of nowhere. We always drove through Lewisburg, but never realized there was a historic part. We ate there and then wandered around. It was lovely! The homes had such wonderful and varied architecture - they really were beautiful One was actually called “Tuscan Villa”, which I looked up b/c it was for sale. It has 12 bedrooms and is only $1.2 million. This area was adjacent to Bucknell’s campus (I didn’t realize Bucknell was in Lewisburg). That is another very attractive campus. (We saw more college campuses on this trip – Vassar, Culinary Institute, US Military Academy and Bucknell) than we ever did on any one college tour with our sons. All were very picturesque campuses).
Day 7
We picked up son from camp. He had a fabulous time (as he always does) and we drove the 3+ hours home.
Next: logisitics
Sep 5th, 2015, 02:56 AM
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Thanks for doing all the work planning our trip! This has always been a "we ought to" for us, but you have made it easy.
We have poked our noses in (Hudson, Olanna ) but never gotten in deep? This should move it up our list of priorities.
We have poked our noses in (Hudson, Olanna ) but never gotten in deep? This should move it up our list of priorities.
Sep 9th, 2015, 04:18 PM
#13
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There really is a lot to see in this area.
Here's where we stayed:
Night 1: Hampton Inn/Woodbury Commons. This was next to the outlets, a convenient location.
Nights 2 and 3: Hampton Inn/Poughkeepsie. This was a little down the road from Hyde Park, but it didn't take long to drive up that way. Not the closest location, but certainly not a bad one, either. There was a great restaurant in a strip mall close to here (Crew) where we ate one night.
Night 4: Inn at Hudson B&B, Hudson NY. Like I said upthread, this was a very attractive B&B, in a former mansion, our room was huge and beautifully furnished. Breakfast was delicious and I enjoyed hanging out in the large living room/library room the evening we were there.
Night 5: Hampton Inn/Matamoras, PA. We stayed here to get a jump start on our drive back to central PA and to be closer to the Poconos lake my husband wanted to rent the boat at. There's nothing in Matamoras. Seen-much-better-days Port Jervis, NY is next door and we kept occupied wandering around there for the late afternoon/early evening.
Night 6: Hampton Inn/Lewisburg, PA. This was the closest major hotel to my son's camp. WE enjoyed the small historic area of Lewisburg that evening.
Do you notice a pattern? We have never stayed in so many of the same brand hotel as we did on this trip, and it actually was a little disorienting b/c some of them were remarkably the same. I got a late start on making our reservations, and I went with "safe" instead of doing more research on more quaint places to stay. The B&B in the middle of all that sameness was a really nice break!
Here's where we stayed:
Night 1: Hampton Inn/Woodbury Commons. This was next to the outlets, a convenient location.
Nights 2 and 3: Hampton Inn/Poughkeepsie. This was a little down the road from Hyde Park, but it didn't take long to drive up that way. Not the closest location, but certainly not a bad one, either. There was a great restaurant in a strip mall close to here (Crew) where we ate one night.
Night 4: Inn at Hudson B&B, Hudson NY. Like I said upthread, this was a very attractive B&B, in a former mansion, our room was huge and beautifully furnished. Breakfast was delicious and I enjoyed hanging out in the large living room/library room the evening we were there.
Night 5: Hampton Inn/Matamoras, PA. We stayed here to get a jump start on our drive back to central PA and to be closer to the Poconos lake my husband wanted to rent the boat at. There's nothing in Matamoras. Seen-much-better-days Port Jervis, NY is next door and we kept occupied wandering around there for the late afternoon/early evening.
Night 6: Hampton Inn/Lewisburg, PA. This was the closest major hotel to my son's camp. WE enjoyed the small historic area of Lewisburg that evening.
Do you notice a pattern? We have never stayed in so many of the same brand hotel as we did on this trip, and it actually was a little disorienting b/c some of them were remarkably the same. I got a late start on making our reservations, and I went with "safe" instead of doing more research on more quaint places to stay. The B&B in the middle of all that sameness was a really nice break!
Sep 9th, 2015, 04:50 PM
#14
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" We have never stayed in so many of the same brand hotel as we did on this trip, and it actually was a little disorienting b/c some of them were remarkably the same. I got a late start on making our reservations, and I went with "safe" instead of doing more research on more quaint places to stay."
I could have written this myself, Phillyfan! I also got a late start planning and then got overwhelmed with which lodging was close enough to which sight and available on which night at which price. Yikes.
We have five sleepovers and ended up with three Hiltons (Garden Inn, Homewood Suites and a Doubletree) and an inn (Barclay Heights Smythe House for two nights).
Late in the game, one of the inn people gave me a great website: www.hudsonvalleylodging.com
It shows the inns and b&bs in the area and their availability on any given date.
I could have written this myself, Phillyfan! I also got a late start planning and then got overwhelmed with which lodging was close enough to which sight and available on which night at which price. Yikes.
We have five sleepovers and ended up with three Hiltons (Garden Inn, Homewood Suites and a Doubletree) and an inn (Barclay Heights Smythe House for two nights).
Late in the game, one of the inn people gave me a great website: www.hudsonvalleylodging.com
It shows the inns and b&bs in the area and their availability on any given date.
Sep 15th, 2015, 05:01 PM
#17
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That website would have been very helpful to me, GTG.
Another great place in this area is Mohonk Mountain House. My husband didn't want to do detour for us to go there - we have been there many years ago and enjoyed their hiking trails - great views. I *think* that's not far from New Paltz.
Another great place in this area is Mohonk Mountain House. My husband didn't want to do detour for us to go there - we have been there many years ago and enjoyed their hiking trails - great views. I *think* that's not far from New Paltz.
