HUDSON VALLEY HIGHLIGHTS
ART America’s first “artistic fraternity” began here about 1850, when a group of New York City-based artists set out to capture the wild beauty of the Hudson Valley landscape – virtually unprecedented in American paintings of the time. They made it popular to paint
landscapes out-of-doors rather than inside a studio, a trend that coincided with the proliferation of tourist resorts in the region during the Civil War period, and the newly established idea of the “vacation experience” as a relief from daily city life. Interest in the Hudson River School was revived in the late 20th century, paralleling a surge of interest in the region as an antidote to modern urban life.
HISTORY Henry Hudson sailed some 150 miles up the Hudson River in 1609 before realising that it would not lead him, as hoped, to China. He and his Dutch sailing mates found the area inhospitable with wildlife, mountains and thick forests that made the going rough. They gave
the river’s steep shores and fierce currents nicknames like World’s End and Devil’s Horse Race... Much later, the Hudson River became a hub for leisurely travel by steamboat; by 1850, 150 vessels were sailing up and down the river, offering a faster, more affordable method of travel than by land (with a view)!
Visit John D. Rockefeller’s family home, Kykuit, overlooking the Hudson River
FARM-TO-TABLE bounty thrives in the Hudson Valley, where chefs, markets and restaurants enjoy great relationships with local growers – providing access to the freshest ingredients. Sensational ingredients – crisp organic apples, artisanal
small batch cheeses, hormone-free, free-range chickens and grass-fed, antibiotic-free beef – are right in their backyard. Add in Hudson Valley wines, produced in an area where environmental sustainability and green technology are emphasised, and the dining results have been critically acclaimed. You’ll sample them during your Tauck Exclusive lunch at the Wilderstein Historic Site where you will meet a local farmer and learn about the Hudson Valley’s sustainable farming initiatives (day 5).
7. BOSCOBEL & COLD SPRINGS CRUISE This morning features a view of upscale Hudson Valley life in the 19th century on a visit to critically acclaimed Boscobel Mansion. Completed in 1808, this elegant home was built by a gentleman farmer who outfitted it with furnishings from the most fashionable shops in London. A century later, the house lingered in a state of neglect until local architects and citizens rallied efforts for its rescue in the late 1950s. A tour of the house offers spectacular Hudson Valley views and a Tauck Exclusive lunch on site. Next up is a private boat cruise on the Hudson River leading to a tour of the US Military Academy at West Point. Your guide will share stories of the academy’s role in the American Revolution, what it’s like to be a West Point cadet today, and of some of the cadets who left their mark here – like George Washington, Robert E. Lee and Dwight Eisenhower. Your accommodations tonight are in historic Tarrytown, where Washington Irving’s Ichabod Crane first encountered the Headless Horseman. Meals BLD
8. ROCKEFELLER’S KYKUIT / NEW YORK CITY Named after the Afrikaans word for “lookout,” Kykuit was the name given by John D. Rockefeller to his six-story stone home which looks impressively out over the Hudson River and to the New York skyline in the distance. This morning’s visit takes you through terraced gardens, where fountains, pavilions and sculptures include sculptures by Alexander Calder and Henry Moore, and through the main rooms of the home to four generations of the Rockefeller family. Hear the stories of their lives and their contributions to philanthropy, business and the arts. After lunch on your own in Main Street Tarrytown, depart for the final leg of your Hudson Valley experience: a two-night stay in the heart of Manhattan, steps
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