Poughkeepsie and Hyde Park New York

Such Great Heights

Take a glass elevator up from the Hudson Riverfront, and in just 90 seconds, you’ll be strolling across the Walkway Over the Hudson. The world’s longest elevated pedestrian bridge and part of a state historic park, it also connects to the Dutchess Rail Trail’s 21 kilometers. Hike through the highlands, or to take in the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains beyond from atop three fire towers on Mount Beacon, Stissing Mountain and Ferncliff Forest in Rhinebeck. While in Rhinebeck, check out the area’s Aerodrome Museum, where antique planes fly in air shows every weekend.

Gilded History

See where 400 years of U.S. history happened. Choose an era to explore, from Colonial to Quaker to the Gilded Age. Learn about presidential history at the inspiring Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum. Tour Springwood, FDR’s lifelong home. Experience the Great Estates, the gracious homes of the well-heeled magnates who helped build the USA. Visit Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site and Staatsburgh State Historic Site, both Gilded Age palaces built for entertaining as well as museums that preserve the era’s way of life. For a surprising twist on the area’s history, discover Bannerman Castle, once a 19th century military surplus on Pollepel Island with a curious reputation.

Culinary and Artistic Delights

Have a memorable meal at The Culinary Institute of America’s four student-staffed resta