Things to Do

This page is going to be the hardest, because there's so much to do!

If you really want to be thorough about it, you can visit any one of the websites named here.  If you're more serendipitous, you can just click the links next to the things that look most intriguing to you.... 

Hiking/Biking/Walking

Belleayre Mountain
Highmount, NY
800.942.6904
www.belleayre.com
Belleayre Mountain is owned and operated by the State of New York and offers miles of hiking andbiking trails in the spring and summer. There is no charge to use the trails, but if you want to bike down from the top, you’ll have to pedal up there, because the chair lifts at Belleayre can’t carry bikes. A hiking trail takes you from the summit to Pine Hill Lake at the base of the mountain.

Hunter Mountain
Hunter, NY
888.HUNTERMT
www.huntermtn.com
During the winter, this is one of the most popular ski destinations in the area. In the spring and summer, though, the snow melts to expose rocky precipices and green hills and skiers and snowboarders give way to hikers and bikers who make use of the miles of trails on the mountain. With a peak that rises to 3200 feet above sea level, the views are outstanding. Be sure to call and make sure nothing is going on at the mountain as they occasionally do some rock blasting after the ski season ends.

Overlook Mountain
Outside of Woodstock, NY
According to many online reviews, Overlook Mountain is THE place in the Woodstock region to test your biking skills. The trail up, which is great for biking or hiking, is long and arduous, but the descent is take-your-breath-away fast with many opportunities to catch some serious air - just watch out or you’ll land on a hiker. The experts say that you shouldn’t try this trail at anywhere near full speed on a bike without shocks. (Remember when bikes had banana seats and foot brakes? Now they have shocks on these things.)

Mohonk Mountain
Outside of New Paltz, NY
845.255.0919
Mohonk Mountain has 40 miles of trails for walking and hiking and 25 miles of carriage trails for walking, hiking or biking. Rock climbing is also available in the park. 

Vineyards & Wineries

The Hudson Valley has dozens of vineyards and wineries, many of which produce top-quality wines. The vineyards and wineries on this list are located mostly between Onteora and the city, so why not take a wine tour on the way home?

Baldwin Vineyards
Pine Brush, NY
845.744.2226
www.baldwinvineyards.com

Brimstone Hill Vineyard
Pine Brush, NY
845.744.2231
www.brimstonehillwine.com

Brotherhood Winery
Washingtonville, NY
845.496.3661
www.wines.com/brotherhood
Brotherhood is America’s oldest winery!

Cascade Mountain Winery
Amenia, NY
845.373.9021
www.cascademt.com

Clinton Vineyards
Clinton Corners, NY
845.266.5372
www.clintonvineyards.com

Millbrook Vineyards & Winery
Millbrook, NY
800.662.9463
www.millbrookwine.com

North Salem Vineyards
North Salem, NY
914.669.5518
www.northsalemwine.com

Warwick Valley Winery
Warwick, NY
845.258.4858
www.wvwinery.com

Whitecliff Vineyard
Gardiner, NY
845.255.4613
www.whitecliffwine.com

Leisure Activities

Hudson River Cruises
Kingston, NY
845.340.4700
www.hudsonrivercruises.com
2-hour sightseeing cruise costs $13 and departs at 2pm
1-hour sunset cruise costs $11 and departs at 6pm

Culinary Institute of America
Hyde Park, NY
www.ciachef.edu
One of the finest culinary institutes in the country, the CIA has a French, an Italian and an American restaurant as well as a casual café and bakery that are all open to the public. But they are only open Monday through Saturday, so you’ll either have to come up early or stay late if you want to sample what tomorrow’s hottest chefs are cooking up today.

Kaleidoworld – The Lodge at Catskill Corners
Mt. Tremper, NY
888.303.3936
www.catskillcorners.com/marketplace/marketplace.htm
That’s right, the world’s largest kaleidoscope is only minutes away from Onteora! It’s made from an old silo (grain, not missile) and costs $9 per person to enter. For sheer kitsch-value alone, this cannot be beat.

Mohonk Mountain House
New Paltz, NY
800.772.6646
www.mohonk.com
See how the other half vacations! As far as we can tell, you are not supposed to go poking around at this grand old hotel, but don’t let that bother you. Built in 1869, the Mohonk Mountain House hugs the shores of Lake Mohonk (translation: lake in the sky). It was also the site of the film "Road to Wellville."

Towns

The hills surrounding Rhinebeck hold a treasure of interesting communities that would make great day trips. From the funky and artsy ambiance of Woodstock to the more refined elegance of Rhinebeck, there is something for everyone. And if you are in the market for antiques, the Hudson Valley is your Eden, because nearly every town - and all of the towns listed here - have their share of antique shops.

Woodstock
Woodstock is across the river from Rhinebeck and offers a great variety of shops and cafes. While the famous music festival actually took place elsewhere, Woodstock is certainly still worth at least a day’s exploring. Most of the action takes place on the main street, along which you can find restaurants, cafes, used book shops and artist’s shops (no shortage of those).

Byrdcliffe Arts Colony
Upper Byrdcliffe Road
845.679.2079
www.woodstockguild.org
Established in 1902, this arts colony was conceived of as an arts utopia by a wealthy Englishman named Ralph Radcliffe Whitehead. It is still a functioning artist colony, with various artists rotating through the space. The name of the colony was taken from the middle names of Ralph (the “cliff” part) and his wife, Jane Byrd McCall. It’s a good thing Ralph’s middle name wasn’t Radbath. Anyway, the colony has everything from a metalworking shop and a pottery studio to classroom space.

The Center for Photography At Woodstock
59 Tinker Street
845.679.9957
www.cpw.org
The center has a rotating collection of photographs from local and national photographers along with a variety of seminars and lectures.

Saugerties
Saugerties is one exit north of Kingston on the NY Thruway (exit 20). For more information about Saugerties and for a map of the area surrounding Saugerties and of the town, follow this link www.getawaythecatskills.com/abouttown/saugerties/default.htm. Saugerties is known for its antique shops, so bring your credit card.

New Paltz
Located one exit south of Kingston on the NY Thruway (exit 18), New Paltz is home to the “oldest street in America,” Huguenot Street, which is a row of original stone houses that have survived since the Dutch settled the area in the 16th century. This is a great little town that is chock full of craft and doo-dad shops, plus restaurants and cafes galore. Also, for those who are so inclined, there is some pretty highly regarded rock climbing in the area. If you’re interested, ask just about anyone in town and they can direct you to the cliffs (or check the Web).

Rhinebeck/Hyde Park
These are two separate towns, but are close to each other along Rte. 9, so we lumped them together.  Rhinebeck and Hyde Park hug the cliffs above the Hudson and offer some spectacular views of the river and valley. And for American history buffs, this may be the place to go.

Rhinebeck Arms Antique Market
Rhinebeck, NY
Over 30 antique and craft dealers

Wilderstein Preservation
Rhinebeck, NY
845.876.4818
www.wilderstein.org
The house on the property is a restored Queen Anne-style mansion that is quite beautiful. The surrounding property includes sweeping views of the Hudson River as well as hiking and walking trails. Tours of the house run every half hour from noon to 4pm, but be sure to call to make sure that the tours are running.

Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Valkill
Hyde Park, NY
845.229.5302
www.ervk.org
This is the house where Eleanor lived out her last years. There is a guided tour and a gift shop plus the surrounding grounds are open for your inspection.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt House
Hyde Park, NY
914.229.9115
www.nps.gov/hofr
Not too far from Valkill is the FDR estate. In addition to the house, there are gardens (which should be in bloom in May) and trails that lead to views of the Hudson and to the Vanderbilt Mansion (see below).

Vanderbilt Mansion
Hyde Park, NY
845.229.9115
www.nps.gov/vama
Now this is living! The house is a breathtaking monolith made of limestone and Gilded Age ambition situated on one of the most beautiful pieces of real estate in the country. Even if you don’t take the tour of the house, you can walk around the grounds and gardens or follow one of the trails down to the river or the FDR estate (see above).

Cold Spring
If serious antiquing is your calling, then perhaps Cold Spring, located about 20 miles south of Poughkeepsie along Rte. 9D, should be your destination. There are over 40 antique and boutique shops along the main street. For a nice river-level view of the Hudson, head down the main street under the railroad tracks to the end, where you’ll find a little park. This is a great place to spend an afternoon and, since it’s about half way between Rhinebeck and New York, it makes a great place to stop for lunch on the way home

Adventures

Some people like to spend their hours away from the office taking in the sights or shopping and others like to turn it up a notch, so we’ve included some activities for the more adventurous of our guests.

Horseback Riding

There are dozens of places to go horseback riding in the Hudson Valley. We’ve included a few to get you started.

Brentwood Stables
Saugerties, NY
845.246.5928

Lucky C Stables
New Paltz, NY
845.255.7599

Mountainview Stables of New Paltz
376 Rte. 32 South
845.255.5369

Hot Air Balloon Rides

There may be no better way to see the Hudson Valley than from the air in a hot air balloon.

Above the Clouds
Middletown, NY
845.692.2556
www.abovethecloudsinc.com
Rides depart at 6am and again two hours before sunset and you should call to make a reservation. The cost for a one-hour flight is $200 per person, which includes champagne.

Skydiving

If there is a better way to see the Hudson Valley from the air, we guess this would be it.

The Blue Sky Ranch
Gardiner, NY
845.255.4033
www.skydivetheranch.com
A tandem jump from 13,000 feet (with a freefall to 6,000 feet) will run you $185, which actually makes this a less expensive alternative than a hot air balloon ride, for those looking to save a few bucks. Reservations are required.