Hello.

I live in NYC and just discovered the Metro North train to Greenwich. Went for work, however, found it quite enjoyable. So, this got me wondering.....

are there any interesting train rides (on any of the NYC commuter trains) up to an hour and a half away from the city with interesting towns to stop in with lovely views, marinas, etc and which would show off the Autumn colours? Or any train rides that seem to pass by good views of many interesting towns, etc?

I'm open and interested in anything.

Cheers,

gtrekker2003

New Brunswick, New Jersey is a very pretty little town.

There are so many quaint pretty towns in New Jersey, I'd be hard pressed to pick.

There is a train that travels north up along the Hudson River. We thought it was called Metro North. Perhaps not. We took it to Cold Springs or Cold Brook. Cold "something" a nice antique and art town.

Metro North commuter trains serve several branches - New Haven to CT, Harlem River Line to Brewster NY, and Hudson River Line up to the Hudson to Poughkeepsie.

Cold Spring would be a good stop for autumn colors.

If you are interested in hiking, the NY NJ trail conf. (www.nynjtc.org) has detailed trail info for the Hudson Highlands trails in the Cold Spring area.

There are some fantastic views of the Hudson river valley from both the the train but better yet from the top of nearby hills.

Thanks for the responses.

J62, you said:
"There are some fantastic views of the Hudson river valley from both the the train but better yet from the top of nearby hills."

Could you tell me more abot this? I.e. specific stops along the train, which lines? Or were you referring to Cold Springs?

Many THanks,

gtrekker2003

Check out Hudson.

sorry that would be Hudson,NY. Lots of antique shops.

Cold Spring up the Hudson -- great hiking too.

IMO one of the best ways to really see the fall colors is to take a boat trip up the Hudson River. Once you past the tip of Manhattan, there are wooded hillsides on both sides. You can also stop at Kykuit as part of this trip, see below. Take a look at Take a look at www.nywaterway.com, click on "Sightseeing Cruises" and "Full Day Cruises". You can go for 1.5 hours, 2-3 hours or a full day. (Some of their shorter cruises are actually listed under "Full Day Cruises", so check all the tours offered.)

I would recommend doing a tour of one of the historic homes along the Hudson, such as the Vanderbilt Mansion or Kykuit the old Rockefeller Mansion. These and other homes of the "robber barons" of the late 19th and early 20th century have acres of gardens and woodlands, would be very pretty in the fall. Take a look at http://www.hudsonvalley.org/web/kyku-main.html. If you don't take a boat, you can take Amtrak or Metro North to many of the nearby towns.

For day trips, I really like the Darien/Rowayton area, esp to ride bicycles or rent a kayak or canoe along the inland waterway areas. Rowayton is a tiny town (its part of Norwalk actually) with a few shops along an inlet but is very cute, like a fishing village, and from there you can ride bikes past some great homes, inlets and parks. I believe you can rent bikes and I know you can rent kyaks right in town, take a look at http://www.rowaytonct.com. A wonderful place for lunch or dinner would be Rowayton Seafood, at 89 Rowayton Ave Phone: (203) 866-4488. They also have a deli that does sandwiches which you can take away for a picnic. You can take Metro North to Rowayton, the train station is about a mile from the inlet/downtown area I describe above but both are on Rowayton Ave, so you really can't get lost walking.

Finally, a trip up to West Point would be another good way to see the colors and then take a tour of the point. Take a look at http://www.usma.edu/. From the main page click on "Visiting West Point" for visitor information. Driving here is probably faster than a train, but you should be able to take Amtrak to a nearby station. The academy is well worth a visit, you can take tours guided given by cadets. If you can get tickets, a football game is a great way to see the campus and spend the day. There is a lot to see and do in this area, including outdoor activities like hiking and canoeing. Take a look at the New York State tourism website at http://www.iloveny.state.ny.us/

Try the North Fork of Long Island. They have a ton of awesome wineries and most are located along one road. Once you get out into the 'country" it's really beautiful1