Welcome - Already a member? Sign in

 Site Map My Trips My Profile Customer Support Feedback
TRAVELLER TOOLS
Airport Guides
Arrivals/Departures
Flight Timetables
Currency Converter
Destinations
Weather
Get deals via email
Health & Safety
Passport/ Visa

The World  
North America  
New York  
Hudson Valley

  New York, Hudson Valley

Hudson Valley: -

The Hudson River Valley spans 225km (140 miles) from the Battery in Manhattan to New York’s State Capitol in Albany, encompassing New York City and a ten-county region to the north (Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam, Duchess, Ulster, Columbia, Greene, Albany and Rensselaer counties). As the Hudson River flows northwards, its landscape becomes more subdued and turns from rugged shorelines to gentle, rolling hills. The Catskill Mountains, located to the west, provide a stunning backdrop. Away from the river itself, the Valley contains rich, fertile lands that were originally farmed by the many Native American Algonquin tribes and the early Dutch settlers. Although some of it is being converted to non-agricultural uses, these lands remain the largest agricultural area in the State.
The Hudson River Valley was originally inhabited by Native Americans over 3000 years ago, before being settled by the Dutch in the early 1600s. Important decisions involving the early development of the USA were made throughout the region and it was the centre of the Revolutionary War. Today, approximately three million people live in the Hudson Valley. The Hudson River Valley corridor serves as a major transport and commercial link between the ports of New York City and Albany. The Erie Canal, constructed in 1852, linked New York City to Chicago before the development of the railway in the late 1880s made barges obsolete.
The scenery of the Hudson Valley inspired the works of early US writers, artists and designers and contributed to an appreciation of the natural environment. The Valley was the birthplace in the mid-19th century of the Hudson River School of painting – the largest, longest and most influential movement in American art history. James Fenimore Cooper (The Leatherstocking Tales) and Washington Irving (The Legend of Sleepy Hollow) used the unique landscape and folklore of the Hudson Valley as the backdrop to their literary works. The Hudson Valley is also scattered with the works of famous landscape architects Andrew Jackson Downing, Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted as well as a wide array of historic and archaeological sites and museums associated with Native Americans, the Dutch and English settlements, the Revolutionary War and the Hudson River School.
The Hudson Valley has a long tradition as a holiday destination. In the mid-to-late-19th century, it served as a retreat for wealthy industrialists from New York City such as the Vanderbilts and Rockefellers, who built the elaborate estates along the shores of the Hudson known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’. City dwellers have also sought refuge at the many resorts located in the western mid-to-upper Hudson Valley region. Today, the area continues to offer year-round opportunities for many outdoor activities such as boating, camping, hiking, hunting, skiing, bicycling, rock climbing and canoeing. Tourism is the Valley’s largest employer.

Westchester County: Known as the ‘Golden Apple of New York State’, Westchester is located just 24km (15 miles) north of Manhattan and is the gateway to the Hudson Valley. With ties to both areas, Westchester benefits from the two different worlds. The county is bordered on the west by the Hudson River and on the east by the Long Island Sound, offering plenty of opportunities for boating, sailing and watersports. The county is home to 40 private and public golf courses and top-name department stores, discount malls and exclusive boutiques. The city’s historic roots go deep and are reflected in the many museums, historic sites and other attractions. These include the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, where paintings by the famous Hudson River School of artists are on display. At Tarrytown is the restored home of writer Washington Irving, and nearby is Lyndhurst, the estate and Gothic-style mansion formerly owned by the 19th-century tycoon, Jay Gould. Visitors can also tour the recently opened Rockefeller estate, Kykuit.

Orange County: This is the only county in the State located between two rivers, the Delaware River on the west and the Hudson on the east. Founded in 1683, Orange County was named after England’s House of Orange, and the county has played a major role in US history. George Washington lived and had his headquarters here until the Revolutionary War ended.
Today, Orange County has the greatest number and the most diverse assortment of attractions in New York outside Manhattan: West Point, where visitors can observe impressive military parades by cadets at the United States Military Academy; Storm King Art Center (the largest sculpture park in the USA); Woodbury Common (the largest discount designer outlet in the world); Museum Village (the largest living history museum in New York); Sugar Loaf Art and Craft Village, with working craftsmen and more than 60 shops, and the New York Renaissance Faire. At Washingtonville is the Brotherhood Winery. The country’s oldest winery, it also boasts the largest wine cellars in the USA. Orange County is also known for the beauty of its rolling farmland, and features apple orchards and picking farms that have farm stores, hay rides and seasonal events throughout the year. With 56km (35 miles) of the Appalachian Trail and several large State Parks, hiking is popular in Orange County, as is canoeing or rafting the Delaware River, one of the ten most ecologically healthy rivers in the USA.

Duchess County: Named for Mary, Duchess of York and later Queen of England, this county was home to Franklin D Roosevelt, who is buried with his wife, Eleanor, at Hyde Park. Here, on the Hudson River, is the Vanderbilt Mansion, a striking 54-room Italian Renaissance structure, furnished elegantly in marble and mahogany. The Culinary Institute of America, three miles north of Poughkeepise, is one of the world’s great cookery schools. Visitors can sample the cuisine at one of the three restaurants on its campus, the Escoffier Room, American Bounty Restaurant or Caterina de Medici, as well as two cafés. At Rhinebeck, the Old Rhinebeck Aeordrome houses an extensive museum of native warplanes, including several World War I models.

Special Events: Feb 15-17 George Washington’s Birthday Celebration, Newburgh. Mar 12th Annual Orange County Boat Show, Middletown. Apr Annual Food and Wine Festival, North Salem. May-Jun Westchester County Fair. Aug Duchess County Fair, Rhinebeck. Sep-Oct Fall Pumpkin Festival, Red Hook. Sep International Food and Entertainment Festival, Middleton; 9th Annual Cheese Festival, Monroe. Oct 31st Annual Fall Art and Craft Festival, Sugar Loaf Craft Village; Oktoberfest, Bear Mountain State Park; Applefest, Warwick; Fall Foliage Festival, Highland Falls, Port Jervis. Dec Holiday Festival, Bear Mountain.