Presents:
Historic Hudson Valley Tandem Tour
August 15th through August 23rd
The tour package includes:
Seven (7) days of riding
Eight (8) nights lodging
Five (5) dinners
Eight (8) breakfasts
Five (5) afternoon 'Happy Hour' get-togethers
Maps and cue sheets
Baggage transfers
The tour will be limited to eleven (11) couples on tandems.
Total cost per Couple is $3400
Registration and Waiver forms
Historic Hudson Valley Tandem Tour
The New York Hudson Valley is a lively area; filled with American history, country living, upscale towns, art, and great food! This is where Europeans grew into Americans. Enjoy Dutch stone cottages from the 1600's; elegant tours of mansions from the American Revolution; the 1900's summer homes of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, as well as the Vanderbilt Estate with its amazing Hudson views.
The gorgeous Hudson River inspired an entire era of painters. You can see this beauty, biking through the Hudson Valley and viewing its art exhibits. Visit Olana, the Persian inspired mansion of Fredrick Church, one of the most famous American painters of that era. Fredrick Church even designed the landscaping to accentuate the Hudson views.
You bike along winding farm roads and can tour the homes of two presidents and shapers of American history. For two nights, we stay at the oldest inn in America. See awesome river views from dedicated bike/pedestrian bridges (railroad trestles converted to bike paths, including The Walkway Over the Hudson).
There are great restaurants with talented chefs, inspired by the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). You can stop at the CIA for lunch. Whimsical food and drinks in the area, including local wines and beers, hard ciders, and crafted sheep cheeses. Elegant horse farms and even an alpaca farm are on these country roads!
Come and enjoy this tandem vacation through a gorgeous part of America.
Arrival Day in Kingston, NY
The tour starts in Kingston, New York, (circa 1652) with its Dutch heritage, which was the original capital of New York State. Come early and visit the waterfront along the Hudson River. Hudson River Cruises ~11:30 & 2:30 departures, 2 hours You can choose a cruise on the Hudson River, including a stop at the Rondout Lighthouse, or tour colonial stone homes. Browse through numerous museums and visit boutiques, galleries and antique shops. The tour begins at our Happy Hour and dinner, allowing you to meet other tour members.
Day 1: Kingston
Ride the valley roads along the foot of the Catskills Mountains, through farm country to New Paltz; where you will find vibrant little shops and family run restaurants. Ride through the famous Huguenot National Historic Landmark District, first founded in 1678. A 10 acre area, the Huguenot district includes a Visitor Center, seven historic stone houses and a reconstructed 1717 Huguenot church. Return to Kingston and enjoy its historic district, including the original NY Senate building.
Day 2: Kingston to Hudson
Ride up and across the Hudson, over a bridge with wide shoulders. Cycle along stone walled roads, winding through farms and homes from the American Revolution. Visit Clermont, the estate of seven generations of the Livingston family. The British burnt the original home to the ground, after burning Kingston, at the start of the Revolution. Robert Livingston was one of the drafters of the Declaration of Independence. An expansive lawn overlooks the Hudson and gardens surround this historic mansion. Stop by Montgomery Place, a famous estate with gardens, a waterfall, and views of the Hudson. Visit Olana, the Persian style mansion of artist Fredrick Church, with his artist inspired landscaping. Olana is a climb, well worth it, with a beautiful house tour (reservations recommended one month ahead). We are in Hudson, well known for its wonderful downtown with antiques, shops, restaurants, and cafes. We stay in a historic hotel on the Hudson Park. Catch up with other riders at Happy Hour and at dinner in an amazing restaurant that focuses both on food and music.
Day 3: Hudson
This is a beautiful ride. You can bike to two waterfalls, through orchards, horse and sheep farms, and even past an alpaca farm. Tour the home of our 8th President, Martin van Buren. Stop by the Old Chatham Sheepherding Company, to see their dairy and buy sheep cheese and yogurt. Chatham, with its historic downtown and restaurants, makes a great stop. Visit the Omi Field Sculpture Park with its 80 contemporary sculptures and Visitor Center, as well as the Omni Café for snacks and drinks. Return to Hudson and enjoy strolling downtown.
Day 4: Hudson to Rhinebeck
Ride east of the Hudson River through farms and orchards. Stop in Tivoli for lunch and see the Watts De Peyster Fireman's Hall a 3 story brick building from the 1800's. We stay at the Beekman Arms, the oldest inn in America and where Franklin Roosevelt kicked off all of his political campaigns.
Day 5: Rhinebeck
You have a second opportunity to visit Clermont and enjoy its beauty. Enjoy Bard College, another possible stop for food. Stop to look at the Fischer Performing Arts Center, an astounding piece of architecture.
Day 6: Rhinebeck to Poughkeepsie
Choices, choices, choices. Choose the historic route and visit Eleanor Roosevelt’s Val-Kill Cottage, then Franklin Roosevelt's home at Hyde Park . Then you can go to the famous Vanderbilt Mansion.
The Walkway Over the Hudson was built from the longest bridge in the world at time of its construction (circa 1873) and is now the longest pedestrian park. For fun, at the end of the day, ride part way across and back before heading to the Grand Hotel on the east side of the Hudson.
Day 7: Poughkeepsie to Kingston
We ride the Walkway Over the Hudson on our way to New Paltz and on to Kingston. A dedicated bike/pedestrian path takes us through forests and by-passes city roads. Revisit New Paltz shops, restaurants and then the famous Huguenot Street (from 1678).
Happy Hour and final group dinner.