We are planning to take our 14 year old son on a brief tour of West Point (it's HIS interest)...we will drive to West Point on a Friday, arriving early afternoon, we hope. We need to leave by noon on Sunday to return home. Any suggestions on where to stay, what else to do besides West Point, where to eat?

The Culinary Institute of America (affectionately called the CIA).

You can stay right there at the Hotel Thayer.
As for other things to do, there's a wonderful airshow featuring old-fashioned planes in Rhinebeck about 45-60 minute north on Route 9 on weekends. Your son would probably love it.

We stayed at the Hotel Thayer and really enjoyed the experience. Try for a room at the back, and do have dinner in the hotel's elegant dining room.

There is A Holiday Inn express on rt 9w in Fort Montgomery just 2 mile out side the West Point Thayer gates. It would be easy access to the visitors center that are outside West Point's Thayer gate . Next to the Holiday Inn is Pineapple Steak house, also the Bear Moutain Inn and State Park are just 2-3 miles south of West Point. They have lots to do at the state park like Hiking swimming ,paddle boats , small zoo and diffrent events every weekend. Also in the Area there are lots of local wineries , The Brotherhood winery is the Country's oldest and is about 14 miles from West Point located in Washingtonville. Just 12 miles from West Point on rt 293/rt 6 is the worlds Famous Woodburry Commons outlet stores. The #4 biggest trourist attraction in the state of New York . The Cia in Hyde park would be Cloes on sunday and on Saturday you need advanced resevations also I belive the School is still on Summer Break till the end of this week .

I just checked the CIA is closed for summer break July 10- Aug 3 2004

peggi

If you want your son to pursue a military career through West Point, I strongly suggest you go back in the fall for a football game.

The parade of cadets is inspiring and the experience of the game and surroundings really show off America's finest.

peggi, I live there and you can't tour the grounds on your own anymore because of 9/11. You have to take the West Point Tour Bus (845)446-4724. It stops at key points to let you off and the guide will tell you its history. If your son is interested in attending he can apply to attend an academic workshop at the completion of his junior year in high school. The academy accepts 700 academically gifted students into this one week program named Invitational Academic Workshop. R (Reception) Day was held on June 28th and 1265 (hopeful) members of the class of 2008 were marched to Camp Buckner for an intensive 6 week basic training. You can take 218 over Storm King Mountain and sometimes you'll see the troops marching along the road from one sight to another. Last year about 60 didn't make the cut after basic training. It's quite a sight to see them take the 30 mile march back to the academy in August. Civilians can apply to pretend to be plebes for a day so that members of the senior class can practice their drills before R-Day. LOL! People come from all over the country to be deliberately screamed at! There aren't any very good restaurants in Highland Falls. Andy's is okay for breakfast and there's a Dunkin Donuts on Main Street too. Schade's is okay for burgers and the like. The pizzerias are just okay and I strongly urge you to stay away from the Chinese restaurants. Pineapple's in Fort Montgomery is pretty good. If you have any questions post again.

To clarify some things about West Point the basic training for the new plebes is only a fifteen mile hike to lake Fredrick from West Point, so it is a 30 mile round trip total. The second year class last years plebes do there training at Camp Buckner (cadet field training )from June 19 to August 8th the plebs Beast Baracks( cadet basic Training)starts on R day and the plebe hike they march out to lake Fredrick off rt 293 on August 2 and March back on August 10th If you son is intrested in attending go to the web site for the information usma.edu Note :all tours of the academy start at the Visitors center on RT 218 in Highland Falls New York

The Academy is doing their summer concert series, on various Sunday nights at Trophy Point. You have to have your car inspected at the Thayer or Stoney Lonesome gates, but the concerts are free to the public. Trophy Point is so beautiful - I will be there Sunday night and am looking forward to being there again.

Antiques is probably not your son's thing, but I like the town of Cold Spring on the other side of the river from West Point. Also boat rides down the Hudson (Hudson River Adventures, I think) from Newburgh are nice.

Merrilee - You helped me before with driving directions from DC. Now I have a question about driving from Newark airport to West Point, so I hope you're checking back here.....

I'll be flying into Newark Sunday. You gave me good directions for route 6, 9W, and Highland Falls. I know I have to take the turnpike/95 up to the Palisades Parkway. Would you happen to know what exit that is? Looks to be 72, but on another map, there's an exit 73 closer to the GW Bridge, so I wasn't sure. I just remember it being a little confusing when I did it long ago - although I think I want to get off at an exit that's marked "to 9W/PIP" or something like that. Can you help? Thanks.

Oh, Merrilee - Just went back to my original post, and it looks like you're suggesting that I NOT take the PIP near Fort Lee, even if I'm coming from Newark airport. Is that right? It looks like the most direct way, even though it might be confusing around Fort Lee.

One more question - Is there totally NO WALKING allowed around USMA now because of 9-11? How can they do that, particularly when they have concerts? Sounds weird...and sad. I was recently in VA Beach (Fort Story) and they had something similar, but you could at least walk around a limited area surrounding the lighthouses there.