mrsgo

Hi... We are planning to take a West Point tour and drive to Storm King. ( How long will it take us to drive to Storm King from West Point?) Are there any DON'T MISS towns or experiences we should consider? We are active seniors who will be in that area this summer for 3 days. THANKS!!!

Sandy

BigAleinstein

The drive is about 1/2 hour at most. Storm King is one of our favorite palces in the Hudson Valley but the pieces of sculptures are spread out. A very nice town on the other side of the Hudson is Cold Spring.

Boscobel is near Cold Spring
http://www.boscobel.org/

Another beautiful palce is Kyuit, but they have all sorts of time restrictions.

http://www.hudsonvalley.org/historic-sites/kykuit

sf7307

You can take a shuttle around Storm King and get off wherever you want. It's a fantastic place, even for non-art-people like us.

Cold Spring is a charming town, as is Rhinebeck (about an hour's drive farther north). Since you will have 3 days, you might consider driving up to Hyde Park to see the Roosevelt and Vanderbilt properties, as well as lunch at the Culinary Academy (we ate lunch in the casual side - no reservations - and it was fantastic).

J62

There may be Shakespeare play at Boscobel, so be sure to check that out.

Agreed - no more than 1/2 hr from West Point to Storm King.

Across the river is Beacon and the Dia Beacon art museum. If you like LARGE scale modern art, then Dia is a great place to visit.

You could also visit the Culinary institute in Hyde Park, and the FDR and/or Vanderbilt mansions in the same area.

The walkway over the Hudson makes for a nice stroll with great views up and down the Hudson river. You can access it from Highland on the west side, or Poughkeepsie on the east.

HowardR

You are smart in putting Storm King at the top of your list. It is indeed one of top sites in the entire Hudson Valley. And, as previously stated, there is a tram, which makes it so easy to cover the grounds.

Also recommended is the previously mentioned Kykuit, the Rockefeller Estate in Pocantico Hills (adjacent to Tarrytown and about 45 minutes south of West Point). It's magnificent.

As for Boscobel, it indeed does have a Shakespeare Festival. This year's choices are King Lear, All's Well That Ends Well and a non-Shakespeare offering of The Three Musketeers. The splendor of the site definitely adds to the enjoyment of any production. And, if you get there early enough, you'll have the opportunity to experience one of the best views of the Hudson River.

I heartily endorse all of the recommendations of J62. The Walkway over the Hudson that he mentions in in Poughkeepsie.

Here are two sites that give a lot of info about things to see in the area:
www.hudsonvalley.org
www.hvnet.com

abram

LOVED Storm King.
DIA: Beacon, not so much. It reminded us that we are too unsophisticated to appreciate a room full of canvases all painted white or yarn stapled from the floor to the ceiling
Boscobel was interesting, bot fabulous
Liked the history of Washington's HQ
Manitoga was amazing--make reservations in advance
Also liked Walkway over the Hudson
The 2 hour cruise from Kingston ws fun
Loved the Vanderbilt Mansion and Roosevelt sites in Hyde Park

HowardR

The Rooservelt home and museum and the Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park. along with the walkway in nearby Poughkeepsie would make for a good one-day schedule, capped off with dinner at the Culinary Institute.

Vttraveler

There are also bikes to rent at Storm King although they were not available when we were there last week.

Olana is another interesting house on beautiful grounds
http://www.olana.org/

Vttraveler

I should clarify that the bikes were all reserved for a big group of donors and their families who were at Storm King last week. I am not sure how easy it is to rent them on a normal day.

HowardR

If you get to Storm King by late morning, your chances are very good for getting a bike rental. The only time I've ever seen them not available was mid-afternoon.

bspielman

Excellent Italian restaurant in that general area: Il Cenácolo, 228 South Plank Road just above Newburgh. (845) 564-4494.

We live about an hour south in Madison, NJ, and we meet friends for dinner there who live about a half-hour away on Rabbit Island in the Hudson below Poughkeepsie, NY. We've never been disappointed at Il Cenácolo. Ask for a server improbably named Cricket, and tell her the Cullens and Spielmans sent you.

sl2013

If you go the Culinary Institute in Hyde Park, you'll want to make a reservation, highly recommend The Bocuse Restaurant (French). It is just down the road from from Vanderbilt Mansion and Roosevelt so it is nice day without traveling more than a few miles.

sl2013

Mohonk is also a beautiful place to spend the day. The views are spectacular
http://www.mohonk.com/

sf7307

I'm sure The Bocuse is great, but as I said, the no-reservation, stand-in-line cafe is great too!

http://www.ciarestaurants.com/featur...ie-bakery-cafe