>>>Hope you had time for a meal at the CIA, it's one of our favorite places, and Rhinebeck has some nice restaurants too.

Love the report so far!

In NY State supermarkets are not allowed to sell wine and wine stores cannot sell beer.

There is a proposal to change this but who knows if it will be passed.

There's also something called the Blue law, most states don't allow the sale of alchohol before noon on Sundays.

Tuesday, April 6th: Hudson Valley

After the big city, I wanted to show my family a bit of small-town America, therefore the drive to Hudson Valley. In order so save some $$$, we chose not to stay in one of those charming B&Bs, but stayed at Poughkeepsie’s Holiday Inn Express. The night was restful and the free breakfast (a gift horse anyway) surprisingly good, in fact the best we ever had in such motel-type places.

But before breakfast, the first thing what I did in the morning was driving to the liquor store, before it would close again. I bought a bottle of Korbel sparkling wine (in fact the only American sparkling they had), a bottle of New York white, a bottle of New York red (I found the label with a red newt very appealing although the wine was, as we later detected, just average), a bottle of Patron Silver and a bottle of Long Island Ice Tea (we always try the regional specialties when we are travelling).

We boarded our minibus and drove a few miles to Hyde Park. When we arrived at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Home, we were told that we should hurry to join the tour which had just begun. Otherwise, we would have to wait full three hours for the next tour. Sorry, out of season, we do not have that many tours. “Out of season”, I had read that before.

FDR’s home was very interesting. His widow had turned the home into a foundation after FDR’s death. Clearly, she was not interested in living in a place that he had also shared with his mistress. Hence, everything was in original condition. FDR’s self-made wheelchairs were especially interesting, since my brother is bound to a wheelchair due from MS. The house was interesting, and the grounds, too. We saw the grave and his dogs’ gravemarkers, too. A very rewarding experience. http://www.nps.gov/hofr/index.htm

Our next stop, just a few minutes further north, was the Vanderbilt Mansion. The home is a fine example of a tycoon’s home (albeit it is the smallest of 35 or so Vanderbilt homes) and the National Park Service tour guide told extremely funny stories. From the grounds, we had lovely views of the Hudson River. http://www.nps.gov/vama/index.htm

Following a recommendation from a fellow Fodorite, we drove through the tiny hamlet of Staatsburg, that, despite of its German name, is a typical example of an American village with large spaces between houses. The historic architecture was beautiful and, I think, the only ugly building was the post office. We also drove to Staatsburg Manor and some miles on small backroads through Rhinecliff and eventually to Rhinebeck.

Rhinebeck is small-town America at its best. You have just a handful brick building with nice boutiques and otherwise historic wooden residential homes. We strolled a bit through town and peeped into Beekman Arms which claims to be America’s oldest inn and which is, oldest or not, very picturesque. http://beekmandelamaterinn.com/ Rhinebeck also has a historic aerodrome, but it was, you already guess it, closed due to season.

From Rhinebeck, or Garmin GPS led us over most beautiful, winding backroads to our next destination. Guess what was waiting for us? What would attract us, now, right after noon?

You have guessed right: A winery, in fact, Milbrook Winery. http://millbrookwine.com/index.php
Since it was out of season and they were short of staff, the manger herself gave us a tour. And I must say, after dozens of winery tours all over Europe and those commercial wine-tastings in California, this was the very best tour of a winery that we ever had. Our tour guide was extremely knowledgable, charming and entertaining. We toured the vineyards, the barn, the caves and ended with a tasting. In addition to the standard tasting of whites and reds, we were offered several more reserve wines which were “just open” as our guide said. We had a really nice conversation with our tour guide, and it was hard to pull away our ladies from the charming lady.

While New York (white) wines are usually very dry, light-bodied and crisp (what we like), the Milbrook wines are different: medium-bodied, not so dry and very fruity. We finally bought a couple of whites, four bottles of their best pinot noir (at $29, but worth it), a glass of onion jam and a refrigerated bottle for immediate consumption.

At the winery, they have nice picnic tables at the ponds and we enjoyed another good picnic with a chilled New York wine.

We drove back to Poughkeepsie, and our Garmin decided that we should learn that even small-town America has seedy neighbourhoods. We rested a bit and became ready for our evening programme: the CIA.

The main reason why we choose Poughkeepsie as a base and the Holiday Inn Express was because they offered a complimentary shuttle to the Culinary Institute of America. Exactly three months in advance I had called the CIA and reserved a table for eight in the American Bounty restaurant (arriving there we found out that it had not been necessary, since the restaurant was half-empty, before season).

The CIA campus is impressive enough. Beautiful buildings, beautiful grounds, all populated with students wearing chef's toques, and grand views of the Hudson. The American Bounty restaurant has a cozy atmosphere, with vaulted brick ceilings.

It was a very nice surprise that our dinner started with Gruet sparkling wine. Since we are often in New Mexico, we have learnt to praise Gruet winery (near Albuquerque). Their sparkling is one of the best sparkling wines of North America. The wine list contained many interesting wines, including some of the Milbrook wines which were offered at exactly twice the retail price (I had been to restaurants which charged up to eight times the retail price).

How was dinner at the CIA? Firstly, the service is done by students. Of course, the service is not perfect, but they are still learners. And if they forget to bring you the bread, you just say it and it comes.

Secondly, the food is very, very good. It is not top-notch and spectacular as at Aldea in New York City, but spectacular in a different way. While in European restaurants and also at Aldea you have tasting menus with many small courses, American Bounty serves appetizer, main course (I hesitate to write entrée, since this means appetizer in French) and dessert. Three courses, big portions. What was the best? Of course the Hudson Valley foie gras was good and the sea bass and the lobster dumplings. But they were best with the pork belly appetizer and the beef ribs. After eating those dishes, you will forget every Texas barbecue (sorry, Texans). The check ended with $130 per person and I consider this excellent value for money.

To be continued. Next: Amish people and an American home in Washington metro area

I'm really enjoying your report, but didn't you visit Eleanor Roosevelt's cottage at Hyde Park. She didn't live in the main house with FDR. http://www.nps.gov/history/NR/travel...t_valkill.html

SusieQQ, we would have liked to visit Val-Kill, but because of the late rental car delivery we did not make it on Monday and it is closed on Tuesdays.

Echnaton, that's too bad. IMHO Val-Kil was more interesting than the main house....well, maybe next time!
Can't wait for your "take" on the Pennyslvanis Dutch. I am first generation German on my Dad's side and on my mother's 4th generation Pennyslvania Dutch.

Wednesday, April 7th: Pennsylvania Dutch and Amish Country and a Fabulous Home near Washington

It was time to leave New York and to drive to Washington D.C. On the way, we made a break in Pennsylvania Dutch Country. We wanted to see the best museum and followed the recommendation of Fodor’s guidebook and stopped at Landis Valley Museum. The museum’s mission is “Preserving Pennsylvania German Culture”. http://www.landisvalleymuseum.org/

Unfortunately, there were no activities going on on the museum grounds since it was, you guess it, pre-season. Instead, they offered a kind of abbreviated tour. We learnt how to make linen and how to make a rifle. I am sure, I will need this skill sometime. What worries me is that DW now also knows how to make a rifle. Our elders recognized many household tools they still know from their childhood.

Otherwise, there was not many “German” to recognize. We toured the Landis House, where we found a “Haussegen” (blessing of the home) in German. Otherwise, it was a typical American house. In fact, we found many German settlements both in New York and in Pennsylvania with many German names, but the architecture and town planning was 100% American. European villages (including English villages) are totally different from American villages. Obviously, the immigrations not only quickly abandoned their traditions and assimilated, they also developed a way of life of their own, the American way of life with broad roads, rectangular street patterns and scattered settlements.

We noticed this pattern again when we drove through Bird-in-Hand. Fodor’s guidebook describes it as a beautiful village – from a European point of view it is no village at all. Anyway, at the end of Bird-in-Hand, we turned on Ronks Road which lead us to Herr’s Mill and a covered bridge where we took some photos. Then, our Garmin led us over small backcountry roads towards Washington. For almost an hour, we drove through Amish country. Everywhere, we saw bearded men on horse-drawn ploughs in the fields, Amish buggies and scooters and barefooted children in traditional dress. Especially cute was a lawnmower which was drawn by ponies. On a particularly narrow road, I slowed down our vehicle when I approached Amish children who were standing roadside. They raised their hands and, excitedly, DM exclaimed “how nice, they are waving to us!” “They just do not want to get photographed”, I replied.

For our last leg of the trip, I had planned to stay in a rental home. In Bethesda, we had found a beautiful 5-bedroom house that seemed perfect for us. http://www.vrbo.com/156323
Please, look here at the pictures of the house: http://www.viettrandesign.com/

If you have looked at the pictures, no further comments are required. We love to cook and since the Fodorites had recommended a nearby Wholefoods market, where be bought some fresh supplies for dinner. The supermarket was quite nice, although I must say that the grocery stores at the West Coast are generally better stocked than those on the East Coast (a climate thing?). However, there was an unpleasant surprise at the cashier. Our cart was pretty loaded, and the check was $386. Surprisingly, my MasterCard which had been accepted a thousand times in the U.S., was declined. Also a MasterCard issued by another bank and a VISA card issued by another bank. My FIL’s MasterCard was also declined. Very strange. Happened never before and never after. A smartass lady who claimed to work for a bank said it was because a certain sign on the backside of the card was missing, but this seemed to be a Wholefoods thing, because every other store accepted our credit cards, missing sign or not. We were almost ready to leave all the stuff at the cashier when it popped into my mind that I had some American Express Traveller’s Cheques in my wallet which I had bought in the last century. Luckily, the Wholefoods people accepted these dinosaurs of payment methods.

At home, we served seared scallops for starters and seared mahi-mahi fillets as a main course. Since I always try local food, I also cooked cayugas, tomatillos and jalepenos as a side dish. Not bad.

However, vacation homes are always adventurous. In our case, the process of cooking was accompanied by the ear-deafening siren of the smoke detector. Obviously, the five-flame oven was not intended for use, because we did nothing but searing the fish in a pan (there were no covers for the pan). On the next day, we would be some adhesive tape and cover the smoke detector (a tip from our sons who knew the trick from smoking weed in English college kitchens).

To be continued: Washington D.C.

Always enjoy reading Europeans view of USA. Thanks 4 sharing. Glad the house in Bethesda worked out. I remember u asking about it. And yes, I agree, West Coasst grocery stores tend to have bettr selections esp fruits and vegs than East Coast store.

Love your report. One note, as a teenager in NYC, when I dined with my parents, I was always served wine. Guess it was because I was with them.

Glad you enjoyed CIA. I loved being served by the students and listening to their explanations of the food and wine. We even got a tour of the kitchen.

And yes, Vall-Kill is a wonderful spot. Maybe next time?

Thursday, April 8th: Washington D.C. – Overview, Capitol Hill and Dumbarton Oaks

Staying at Viet Tran’s vacation home is a bit like living in a Museum of Modern Art. We enjoyed the house and the beautiful morning and had a lazy breakfast in the sun on the terrace under a burst of pink cherry blossoms.

We then did NOT follow Fodor’s advice and DROVE into Washington D.C. The drive from Bethesda to downtown was quick, easy and pleasant. We drove right through Georgetown and saw historic brick houses, National Cathedral and many embassies. My intention was to drive around the Tidal Pool in order to see all the monuments. However, I underestimated traffic congestions in D.C. In fact, traffic was not bad at all. But most streets in D.C. have just three lanes in one direction and the right lane is blocked by parking cars, the middle lane is blocked by delivery vans and the left lane is blocked by cars turning left. This means, you have to change lanes constantly which is quite difficult since the Washingtonians are aggressive drivers. I wished myself back to New York City where driving had been so pleasant!

The result was that we were slower than expected but got great views of the city. Unfortunately, at Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials there was absolutely no chance to find a place for parking, even if you were ready to walk a mile.

Anyway, we kind of circled around and finally drove to Union Station parking garage. Union Station is another beautiful railway station and a sight in itself. From the station, we walked to Capitol Hill, rounded the Capitol and visited Library of Congress which was most rewarding, especially since they displayed of copy of the Declaration of Independence (one of the period copies).

When we were near the Capitol, a guy driving a cart came and offered our seniors a complimentary ride. They declined, since it was pleasure to walk under the lushly blooming white, yellow and pink dogwoods. Back at Union Station, we had a lunch in the food court (big selection of nondistinct fastfood eateries), put our parking ticket in a “validating” machine within the station and paid nothing for parking at all. Really convenient.

We drove through beautiful neighbourhoods (many more embassies) to Dumbarton Oaks. This is an unusual place. They open at 2 p.m. and close at 4 p.m. Since we were arriving at 3:55, we had no chance to see the museum. We could stroll a bit through the gardens, but, frankly said, we have seen better gardens. Anyway, the neighbourhood is nice. And, I must add, Bethesda has neighbourhoods (Kenwood) which are equally pretty – it is a pleasure to drive through its residential streets.

Back in our vacation home, we prepared dinner. We started with a buffet, consisting of guacamole, smoked salmon mousse and spinach salad. As a main course, I grilled buffalo steaks which I had bought at Wholefoods on the gas grill on the terrace (no trouble with the smoke detector) and let them rest for half an hour at low temperature in the oven, where we had roasted Idaho potatoes. In the meanwhile, I cooked golden beets with scallions and jalapenos. For dessert, we had Mississippi mud pie (one piece, shared with eight), chocolate fudge brownie (again one shared piece), New York cheesecake (you notice what we like) and strawberries.

The buffalo steaks had an interesting taste. Kind of mixture between beef, venison and lamb. We were glad that we had tried it. The chocolate fudge brownie (90% chocolate) was a revelation for DM. In Germany, she sometimes bakes “brownies” following a recipe she found in the newspaper. “This is a real brownie”, I told her, of course not mentioning calories.

To be continued: Next: More Washington D.C.

Friday, April 9th: Washington D.C.

We thought about taking the bus+metro into Washington but decided to drive again and park at Union Station. However, on the way, we found the 11th/H street parking which was very convenient ($10 parking fee for half a day). We walked over to the White House, took photographs through the fence and watched how a press conference in a corner of the front garden was prepared. We walked round the block and found a lot of activity on the rose garden side of the White House. Sharpshooters, dressed in black, walked on the roof and black SUVs kept coming and going. The international Nuclear Security Summit, which should start the following Monday, was prepared.

After taking photographs of our family with the White House as a background, we walked across the Mall, watching fathers practicing baseball with their sons, loitering teenagers and frolicking families. We admired the buildings and L’Enfant’s design of the city which is still a symphony of white, green and blue, as L’Enfant had intended.

Our group was unanimous to visit just one more museum (after so many museums during our trip) and the choice fell on the museum which is most special for Washington D.C., the Air and Space Museum. Everyone was very impressed by the aircraft, rockets and capsules inside the museum. I also found small items, like the Mercury Flight Operations Manual, with the handwriting of Shepard, very interesting. DS I went into the flight simulator (20 min waiting time, $8) where he acted as the gunner while a teenage boy from Michigan acted as the pilot. Obviously, they were brothers in spirit and had a lot of fun doing mischief (thank god, it was just a simulator). Somewhat greenish in his face, he came back from the simulator with a broad grin. In the gift show, we bought some final souvenirs (astronaut food is a great gift to bring home).

We walked back through the National Gallery of Art’s sculpture garden with masterpieces of contemporary American artists.

On our way home, we stopped at Wholefoods to buy fresh food. Since I had one traveller’s cheque left, we were able to pay. Back in our house, we cooked artichokes for appetizers, grilled ready-made crab cakes and salmon burgers and served seared fennel and pasta as sides. Wholefoods offered to kinds of crabcakes and I took the more expensive “jumbo lump” variety which contained no vegetables or other dilution, so were really great.

To be continued: Next: Philadelphia

Wow, what a great trip report! I can't wait until you get to Philadelphia.

Very enjoyable trip report thus far, with good detail.

A couple things to note:

--different states have different rules when it comes to what kind of stores can sell alcohol, what kind they can sell if they're allowed to, and when they can sell it. Some states prohibit alcohol sales on Sundays, for example, while others restrict sales of hard liquor to state-run stores.

--it's surprising that you encountered no resistance from restaurants regarding selling alcoholic beverages to your under-21 youngsters, especially when their ages were revealed. You clearly got lucky there, as establishments that do so can lose their liquor licenses and most places won't take the chance.

--as another poster mentioned, it's not uncommon to encounter small hotel rooms in New York, even in relatively upscale establishments. Your experience here seems to be typical.

--no idea about the guy with the cart near the Capitol who offered you folks a ride, and it's likely a good idea you declined his offer. The offer may have been perfectly safe and genuine, but one never knows.

--although there are some exceptions, my experience suggests that attractions located outside of urban areas rarely have evening hours. And some attractions that used to offer them, both in urban and non-urban areas, have stopped doing so because of budget concerns. In addition, it's common for non-urban attractions in the northeastern US (especially New England and upstate New York) to have fairly restrictive seasonal hours -- and that's especially true of historic houses and the like (open only from May to October, for example).

Saturday, April 10th: Philadelphia: U.S. History and Large Steaks

Our transatlantic return flight was scheduled for Sunday, and, to be on the safe side, we had originally planned to spend the last night in Newark. However, after some research, I found Newark not at all appealing, so we chose Philadelphia as our last base before the return flight.

We left our beautiful vacation home at 10 a.m. and drove to Philadelphia. Arriving at noon, we started with a bus tour through the city. We especially liked the historic architecture of Society Hill and Washington Square. Fodor’s guidebook writes that Rittenhouse Square is Philadelphia’s most beautiful square but from a European point of view we found Washington Square most appealing, especially because of the surrounding buildings.

Then we drove to our hotel. At Loew’s we had got another great Hotwire deal ($110). We liked the hotel very much: great rooms, good location, good fitness center, even a lap pool. The valet parking people told me that they would charge over $50 and advised self-parking in a garage across the street.

They rooms were ready and after a picnic lunch, we hired to taxis to drive us to Independence Hall (there is a station for a shuttle bus directly in front of the hotel, but the shuttle bus was nut running before season). We stood in line and passed the security to checks in order to see Liberty Bell and DF, who has an artificial hip and uses a walking stick, was treated rather badly by security staff (it happened several times during our trip, a 78-year-old with an artificial hip seems to be the prototype of a terrorist).

Then we strolled a bit through the historic district, seeing Independence Hall, the First Bank and the Second Bank (Old Philadelphia’s most impressive buildings) and a statue of the most important person of the American revolution, the financier Robert Morris. We saw the building of the Philosophical Society and the revolution’s most important building, the historic tavern, where the revolutionists drank their beers and made the plans to get rid of the British. DS II was fascinated to be the places where history was made.

We then walked over to Penn’s Landing (a somewhat barren place), but enjoyed looking the historic ships which are docked there. On the way back, we paid homage to the Korean War Memorial, which is very impressive, and walked northwards through Old Town. Cocktail hour was approaching and the bars got crowded with young people. Obviously, the area around Market Street / 2nd Street is a hot spot for nightlife in Philadelphia.

We walked towards Elfreth’s Alley which is a very picturesque street of historic rowhouses. It is still populated by “ordinary” people, although tourists are crowding the pavement. I was amazed that mass-tourism had done no further damage: there were no souvenir shops and restaurants in the historic homes. Obviously, the authorities of historic preservation had done a pretty good job here.

We hired a taxi and rode to Reading Terminal Market. There is a nice market inside, with vendors selling and displaying all kinds of groceries including seafood, meats, chocolates etc. We felt like in a market hall in Europe, except for the bright neon signs inside the hall. Then we walked over to Macy’s department store in the Wannamaker Building. The building has a beautiful façade, but the real show is inside. There is a great court in art nouveau design with a large organ like in a church. Out again, we glanced at the imposing City Hall (unfortunately closed, since it was Saturday).

After a nice swim in the hotel pool (why can Americans not swim? Do they not learn swimming in school?), we got ready for our last dinner in the U.S. We wanted to splurge a bit and we wanted to eat steaks. The only steakhouse, where I had been able to get a reservation for eight at a convenient time, had been Morton’s and so we dressed up a bit (the website suggested “business casual”). The walk from Loew’s Hotel to Morton’s was very pleasant, since downtown Philadelphia is nicely illuminated at night and Walnut Street is buzzing with nightlife (at least on a Saturday night).

Morton’s is a conservative, dark place, looking a bit like an old-fashioned gentlemen’s club. We were seated right in front the open kitchen where, from time to time, flames were bursting like in hell. We ordered Manhattans and Cosmos and wines and a good-humoured waitress came with a huge tray with a display of meat cuts. She also hat a large live lobster and DW had a lot of fun petting the creature. We ordered several servings of fresh and baked oysters and different steaks.

The oysters came and they were good. Especially the oysters Rockefeller were the best we ever had. Then the steaks came. DS I was lucky to get the last center piece of prime rib and it was huge and it was divine. Others had ribeye, porterhouse or filet mignon (“because I want a small steak”) and the portions were huge. Also the side dishes (I ordered just a few servings of potatoes, pasta and vegetables for the table) were big enough to fill a sumo wrestler after a week starving. Definitely not a place for vegetarians. Believe it or not, we ordered desserts and, after a look on the bar menu, Woodford Reserve. On the way home, Walnut Street had become even livelier and we enjoyed our last evening in the U.S.

Next morning we had a non-distinct breakfast buffet at the hotel’s restaurant Solefood. We were lucky that we had been out for dinner. We drove to EWR and the rental car return was like takeover. The driver was not at the terminal (as confirmed by a telephone call two hours prior to arrival) and I called him and he told me to park the vehicle on a parking lot and leave the key inside the car.

Inside the airport, DF was bullied by security for the last time, we boarded our plane and flew back home. Did I mention that on the flight to the U.S. we were served the best food we ever had in economy class? Now, we were served the worst food we ever had in economy class (and that means something). Thank god, there was no ash in the air and we arrived again half an hour ahead of schedule in Düsseldorf.

This is the ending of our trip report. I will be happy to answer any further questions.

Just loved reading all of this. I think that all of us Americans find it interesting and amusing to read a Europeans "take" on our country. Comments like Americans not knowing how to swim and Pennsylvania Dutch villages not like European Villages are quite funny. By the way, the reason the Germans didn't settle villages, but instead spread out is because for most of them, the main reason for immigrating WAS to be able to own large pieces of land.

SusieQ: This was my revenge for the American Fodorites' trip reports on Europe (you know, the thing with no ice in the drinks)!

Regarding Germans in the U.S.: According to census data, the largest group of immigrants came from Germany (far more than from England!), but even in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, few traditions remained. Of course, the immigrants wanted to create a new style of living (except the Amish), and they succeeded.

Echnaton, the germans, as did other nationalities, blended into one culture known as American, but there are many subtlities still there. I am Pennsylvania Dutch and consistently use grammar more associated with the German language,and my speech is a mixture: for example my grandmother was Grossmummy, etc. Mass media did a lot to integrate everyone. My family who immigrated in the 1840's functioned entirely in German (schools, newspapres, etc.) until the early 1900's. By the way, I think you will find more German traditions if you get away from the tourist areas of PA. We are from the Appalachian Mts. and far away from the Eastern, touristy area.

Thanx for your insights. I even found some German-speaking people on our last trip to Texas.

What really puzzles me is that you don't find German-style bread in the U.S. (the only exception was a grocery store in San Antonio, Tx.). In the meantime, you find French-style bread and Italian-style ciabatta in America, but absolutely no German-style bread - although American visitors to Germany seem to like our crusty, dark, non-sweetened rye bread.

Another interesting case is beer. The American beers, which come closest to German beer are Shiner (again from Texas), Anchor Steam (from San Francisco, founded by a German brewer) and Yuengling (same pronunciation as in German, but funny spelling) while Budweiser is closer to Heineken than to German beers. O'Doul's non-alcoholic beer is pretty much German-style and probably the best product of the whole Anheuser-Busch (can't a name be more German?) corporation.

As far as breads, IMHO it is only within the past 10 years or so that "good" Italian and French breads have become available in grocery stores largely because of the popularity of Italian restaurants.
Beer, is another story...have no idea on that one.

I've enjoyed your trip report very much. We spent 2 weeks in Germany last summer and it is interesting seeing a German's take on the USA. After being in Europe for a month I do find myself making drinks without ice.
I don't understand the beer either. Our house has no American beers in it, only German and Italian.
Do people on the East Coast not swim? I'm from Kansas and everybody I know swims. We did not learn it in school, no pool in my schools, but I learned it when I was younger from my parents.
As for the drinking age, in Kansas they pretty much card everywhere and it doesn't matter who you are with. I spent 6 months in Illinois/Missouri when I was 20 and was never turned down for a drink, so I guess it depends on the state.