Travel By-The-Book : Senior Women's Travel : Favorite Cities : Theatre Tours
Travel by Knife & Fork : Unique Trips

Woodstock, Kingston, New Paltz, & Rhinebeck

Four-day, three-night tour.   Available for groups from 4 to 40. 

Dates available in July, August, and September.  Contact us for more information.

The tour features:

• Rhinebeck:  A lovely town with lots to explore and Staatsburgh, a Gilded Age Mansion

• Art-oriented Woodstock

• Historic Kingston:  Visit Stockade area with its fabulous stone houses, old Dutch Church, 18^th century museum. Senate house.  Cruise on the Hudson.

• New Paltz:  A day at the glorious Mohonk Mountain House

Our Itinerary:

Day 1 - Rhinebeck

Staatsburgh, a Gilded Age Mansion

Arrive at Rhinebeck hotel, our base for the next few days. Rhinebeck is reachable by Amtrak from New York City or Albany to the Rhinecliff station, just 2 miles from Rhinebeck. If you arrive early, there is time to explore the town.

Afternoon visit to Staatsburgh, a magnificent mansion with a beautiful view of the Hudson River.

Day 2  - Woodstock

Woodstock gets credit for hosting the famous 1969 Woodstock Festival that was actually held in Bethel, some 60 miles away. We don’t know why Woodstock’s name is synonymous with this rock ‘n roll concert  and we don’t care, just be glad that Woodstock’s today defines itself as an arts community.

They have every right to do so by virtue of Byrdcliffe, the first arts and crafts colony in the United States founded in 1902 by Ralph Radcliffe Whitehead, an Englishman who studied under John Ruskin.  Byrdcliffe flourished briefly until roughly just before World War 1 as a commune, a haven for artists to work, and produce furniture, pottery, metalwork, etc.  Artists described as egoists balked at Whitehead’s restrictions and rules and moved on, many of them elsewhere in Woodstock.  Today we can visit White Pines, the former home of Whitehead and see the some 30 artists cottages that dot the landscape around White Pines.

A selection of the following determined by interest, concert, and exhibit schedules.

• Byrdcliffe is a must.  Byrdcliffe visit and tour of White Pines

• Opus 40, close to Woodstock, is an intriguing sculptural destination on a 6 acre site of an abandoned bluestone quarry. This amazing structure built by one man, Harvey Fife over 37 years, is a maze of platforms, ramps and bridges marked by a 15  foot monolith.  The catskill, Overlook Mountain, is your vista.  (For more information on Opus 40, click here to see an article from the New York Times). 

• Maverick Concert Hall, opened in 1916, was built from trees on the grounds. This National Historic Site, a rustic venue is the longest continuous summer music festival in the United States.  All chamber music concerts.

• Visits to art galleries and an artist’s studio whose work we love.

• Brief stops at Woodstock Artists Association Museum and the Center of Photography, home of nationally-recognized photography workshops and exhibits.

• Time to visit the shops of Woodstock.

Stone House in Kingston

Overnight in Rhinebeck at Beekman Arms or their sister inn.

Day 3  - Kingston

Kingston was important in the early development of our young country.  After the British drove our government out of New York City, Kingston became the capital of New York.  In October 1777, the British invaded Kingston and burned more than 300 homes.  We visit some of the remnants of this early Revolutionary period.  We’ll walk through the historic Stockade District, an area that  gets its name from the large wall that the early settlers built to protect them from marauding Esopus Indians.

There’s plenty to see:

• The Old Dutch Church; the original was built in 1661. The present church dates from 1852 and boasts a Tiffany window.

• The Senate House, where the original 5 senators met.

• The Fred J. Johnstone Museum boasts fine furniture of the 18^th century. Washington was a visitor.

• Crown Street is my personal favorite.  21 original stone houses still exist in Kingston,  many of them clustered on Crown Street.  Some of them have been expanded and remodeled but they still retain their original charm.

• The Rondout is the waterfront district of Kingston, once a thriving port.  This small area also is home to the Maritime Museum, the Trolley Museum, several restaurants and antique shops

Hudson River Mansion on our Cruise

We’ll board a small cruise ship for a two-hour tour on the Hudson River. One guide book describes this trip as “achingly beautiful.”

Rest of day can be spent exploring Rhinebeck, a lovely town with lots of fun places to explore.  Overnight in Rhinebeck.

Day 4  - New Paltz, a day at Mohonk Moutain House

Relax and Enjoy the View of the Catskills at Mohonk Mountain House

Mohonk Mountain House, a mega-resort built on 2200 acres, dates from 1870. Declared a National Historic Landmark, it’s still going strong, thanks to the management of the original family, the Smiley Brothers.  A new spa, just two years old, and the addition of air conditioning to all the rooms last year, are just some of the reasons that make this resort still a very favored destination.

Arrive around 11 a.m.  We’ll take a behind-the-scenes Kitchen Tour, followed by their magnificent luncheon buffet.  Alter lunch, take a hike, visit the greenhouses, or plop into one of the many veranda rocking chairs and survey the glorious views of the lake and the Catskills.  Optional spa treatments are available.

Cost
$1,675 per person includes hotel for 3 nights (single occupancy), transportation by private limousine 3 of the days, 2 dinners, all activities mentioned in itinerary. Price does not include breakfast, lunch, 1 dinner, alcoholic beverages, coffee breaks.

Some price adjustments will be made for double occupancy, more participants.

© 1999-2009 SWT Tours : All Rights Reserved : maryann@poshnosh.com : 1.917.880.6732