Would like to take an 11yr old for a little 4 day road trip from NYC to the upper parts of the state. Any suggestions or places to visit? I am not familiar with the state at all. One place I found that is a must is Howe Caverns, to the West of Albany. Farmer's Museum is also near there and looks fun. Another point of interest is maybe West Point Military Academy? What about Lake Champlain? Boldt Castle/1000 Islands? Anything in Albany or Syracus?

Need help!!

People of all ages--including children--love the Storm King Arts Center in Cornwall. It's a glorious 600-acre sculpture garden. A Google search will give you plenty of info about it.

Is he a baseball fan? If so, the put the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown on your list.

I'd head straight to Niagara Falls, stopping at some of the interesting sights along the way. Just be prepared to spend at least one night at the Falls.

It is a long drive from Albany to Syracuse. And Cooperstown is not easy to reach and sometimes it is very hard to get hotel room.

If I only had four days, I wouldn't venture as far as Niagara Falls. You'd spend two of the days driving back and forth. (It's a good 7-plus driving hours between NYC and Niagara Falls.)
There is so much to see in the loer and mid-Hudson Valley that I'd spend the four days there, perhaps going as far as the Albany area.
Your mention of West Point and Howe Caverns are good ideas for an 11-year-old boy.

so this is what I am thinking:

Day 1: leave in AM, 2hr to West Point, couple of hours there and then 2hrs to Lake George
Day 2-3: Lake George Activities (lake, kayaking/canoing, miniature golfing, rafting, etc..)
Day 4: Howes Caves & maybe Farmer's Museum, 3hr drive home

OR
Day 1:2hrs to West Point and then 2hrs to Howes Caves
Day 2-3: Niagara Falls
Day 4: 7-8hr drive home

Option 2 otherwise your 11 year old will only get know the rest stops on NY Thruway.

Lake George area, North creek, Adirondack museum, white water rafting is calm right now so he could enjoy that. You can take the ski lift up to the top of Gore Mountain and hike. Great Inns and dining. You can also do the Saratoga Springs train to North Creek, they have a great train depot museum.
https://www.sncrr.com/

Niagara Falls only if you want to hear "are we there yet a million times a day" ...its 8 to 10 hours from NYC.. those who will tell you less are either speeding all the way and never tell you about the tickets they get from the state troopers, never stop for a meal or a restroom, or have multiple drivers and are still lying!!

better option would be NYC to WestPoint, a drive of about an hour then West Point to Lake George about 2 and a half hours.
Howe Cavern is 40 miles west of Albany. Albany is about 1 and a half hours from Lake George. Howes Cavern is about 3 hours from NYC.

Must miss: Howe Caverns... it's just a hole in the ground, where limestone formations have grown. The management there tries to spice it up by using colored lighting and imaginative names, but, to me and my group, it was completely boring after 10 minutes. If you want to bore your 11 year old, this is the place.

gb944: ha! you are the first person I've read that Howes Caves aren't interesting! I need to do more research. The photos look lovely.

I went to Howe caverns as a skid and found it funky and interesting.

Of course, I was not a skid, that was the type marks I left.

http://www.whitewaterchallengers.com...whitewater.asp
This is a good company

Zip lining is fun also.

I went to Howe Caverns as a young child (en route to vacations at Lake George) and it left a strong impression on me...they must have had some kind of heart-shaped impression in the ground because for years after my visit, my parents reminded me that I had declared that I wanted to be married at Howe Caverns...

And here we go, for those similarly inclined today:

http://www.howecaverns.com/weddings-caves.php

Thumbs-up for Howe Caverns! The 11-year-old and you will find them very grabbing. They have expanded the site in the last couple of years so there's a lot more to see. I am from the area and can vouch for the coolness. Pitch your tent in Albany (Wolf Rd area hotels/motels) and from there you can do both Lake George and H Caverns - if you go with the second itinerary. Do HCaverns in the morning, return and visit LGeorge late afternoon/eve. Do take the kid to Ben & Jerry's there.

Boldt Castle is also fun but it is serious time commitment. I don't think you have the time but a rewarding trip is to drive north from Albany to Lake Placid and then go through the Adirondacks via Saranac and Tupper Lakes (lovely B&Bs there) to Alexandria Bay (Boldt Castle). (There used to be a floating restaurant there that had tables whose windows were at the water-level). Then drive south via Watertown en route to Niagara Falls. Good luck on your trip.

If your kid is a son, in Albany do check out

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio..._New_York.html

If you're into architecture, a walk on the Empire State Plaza is excellent - check out The Egg.

Fort Rickey Discovery Zoo in Rome NY? If he loves animals this place is fun for all ages. Fort Stanwix is there also.