Hudson River trip suggestions?
 

Last night's "No Reservations" got me thinking about a road trip up through the Hudson Valley. Also want to see Seneca Falls and other historic sites. Any recommendations since I don't want to pay to stay a Mohonk Mountain Resort. Also want to see Cohoes (Dh spent time at a relative's house there).

When would you like to travel?
Where? Seneca Falls is nowhere near Mohonk Mountain House. Cohoes is like a suburb of Albany--just for passing through?

For how long? How much are you willing to pay? what kind of accomodations--B&Bs, hotels, motels?
Who are the players--adults, kids, and your interests?

There's much to see and do if you narrow down some choices

Two adults--summer road trip--maybe two weeks. I am a US History teacher. We have some family to visit between Long Island, Albany, and State College, PA. Enjoy B&Bs. There are wineries around these areas as well?

Lots of generic chain hotels in the Hudson Valley if you're looking for utility. Rhinebeck has some B&Bs plus the Beekman Arms hotel. Haven't stayed there but many people recommend it.

Cohoes (falls, that is) is pretty cool after a major spring rainstorm when the water is pouring over the falls - an impressive sight if you time it right. There is a nice, simple, overlook that was built a few years ago. (You used to have to climb through trash & brambles to have a good view.

But Besides the falls Cohoes is a tired, old, forgettable NY State mill town that saw it's prime in the 1900s and has gone downhill ever since the invention of the steam engine. A few years ago a developer had the initiative to convert one of the old, old mill buildings into mid-upscale rental apartments, but I believe he went belly up after completing 1/2 the job. The last time I was through there last summer it was 1/2 done and the other 1/2 still an abandoned building.

There are Erie canal locks (both old (1825) & "new" (1918) ones ) right near Cohoes in Waterford - a pretty cool piece of US History.

There is a lot of history in the area that can be fun to seek out. I don't have time now, but will check back on this post to give some ideas to consider.

There is a lot to choose from. I'd put these three sites at the top of your list:
1. FDR's home and museum in Hyde Park.
2. Kykuit, the Rockefeller estate in Pocantico Hills (next to Tarrytown)
3.Storm King scultures in Cornwall.
For info on these and other sites, check out these two websites:
www.hudsonvalley.org and www.hvnet.com

Best advice is wait til its warmer...

We made a trip to part of the Hudson River Valley a couple years ago on a college visit to West Point with our son. If you are a U.S. history teacher, I would recommend a tour of West Point and a visit to the museum there. We also enjoyed touring FDR's home at Hyde Park and the Vanderbilt Mansion there (so very different!)
I'd also recommend a stop at one of the restaurants at the Culinary Institute of America. We are by no means "foodies", but we had an excellent dinner at the St. Andrew's Cafe. We liked the fact that we could eat gourmet food and pay chain-restaurant prices. (Also, you'll be perfectly comfortable wearing casual clothing. You may feel like you are eating in a fancy restaurant, but they don't expect a coat-and-tie.)

Hi! I live in the Hudson Valley. Spring and Fall are my favorite times of the year here. Fall is spectacular with the colorful foliage. I am a foodie as well and you can find fabulous restaurants - pretty much any type of cuisine is available. The area is rich with history and there are loads of more affordable B&B's. It is a wonderful place. I too watched the No Reservations episode and was a bit disappointed. It wasn't MY Hudson Valley - and personally, I think the CIA is overrated - with the exception of the Apple Pie Bakery- which has great, budget friendly breakfasts!

I have a travel blog and can point you here for some more info

http://mymelange.net/mymelange/category/hudson-valley

I hope you get the chance to visit!

It wasn't really our cup of tea, but the area around Hudson, New York on the east bank of the river has become popular over the last dozen years or so. The town of Hudson has numerous antique shops and the larger area, Columbia County, has become something of an alternate for those not looking for the Hamptons.

While certainly not the most well-known of Presidents, Martin Van Buren's homestead in Kinderhook is nearby. (Would be a lot more interesting to visit if the premise of the book Burr by Gore Vidal is true.)

You're also reasonably close to Stockbridge, Mass and could easily head north from Columbia County to somewhere like Bennington, Vermont. Bennington would be a good spot to turn West towards Cohoes, NY.

There are a host of different itineraries to do in the Hudson Valley, depending on your interests, budget and travel style.
Myriam Bouchard
www.VisitTheHudsonValley.com

Hey, sneaky HVTraveler, no advertising allowed on the forum.

Two historical sites you may want to consider visiting as you drive through the Hudson River Valley are Wilderstein and Olana Historic Sites. Wilderstein, near Rhinebeck, NY, was home to generations of the Suckley family. The home is rustic, still being renovated; but is of great interest because of all of the innovations for its time. Margaret Lynch Suckley, the last of the family line, was personal archivist to Franklin D. Roosevelt and their relationship makes for a most interesting story.
http://www.historic-structures.com/n...ilderstein.php

Olana State Historic Site, home of American landscape painter, Frederic Church is fully restored and contains most of the original contents of the Church family. Architecture has strong middle Eastern influences. There are great views of the Hudson River Valley from one of the porches.
http://www.olana.org/learn_the_house.php

If you visit Cohoes, in addition to the falls, you may want to stop at Peebles Island State Park. Near Cohoes, the islands was the site of a Revolutionary War Battle. It has great views of both the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers, too.
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

Tuthilltown distillery -- first distillery in NY since prohibition. I'll let the upstaters describe how far it is from FDR's childhood home (didn't seem to be very far at all).