New York State Prize Trip
At our annual Visit USA Thanksgiving celebration in 2023 I
was lucky enough to win a trip courtesy of New York State Tourism, Delta
Airlines and Brand USA. To say I was excited is an understatement. In May I packed off my kids
to my wonderful Aunty, grabbed my husband, a small bag of essentials and headed
off for an adventure in Ducthess County and New York City.
With 4 days in upstate New York we managed to pack in a LOT
with the expert help of Dawn Hopper from Dutchess Tourism. We
landed at JFK, spent a night in Manhattan before jumping on an Amtrak train to
Poughkeepsie. The train hugged the shore
of the Hudson River and was a beautiful journey. Within half an hour we were
whisked up into the sky above the Hudson in an open topped tiny plane – it was such
a brilliant experience, I was literally screaming with joy (forgetting my
husband had a fear of heights and was clinging on to the door for dear life).
We both love history so Dawn indulged us with a visit to the
Vanderbilt Mansion Historic Site, West Point Military Academy and a drive through Woodstock, Bard College, Rhinecliff, Rhinebeck (a gem of a
place) and we even saw the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Museum and Library which I
found very moving, and the grounds were stunning.
Tivoli village captured my heart, located in the
northwestern part of Redhook with plenty of stunning buildings and old-world
charm. Having studied art, Hotel Tivoli was a highlight of our trip, the boutique
hotel is elegantly adorned with the owners perfectly curated art
collection. ‘The Corner’ restaurant has a ‘farm to table’ ethos and the chef is of particular note. I
would return here in a flash! Immediately next-door is a tiny ice cream parlour
offering an eccentric array of flavours that have to be seen to be believed.
We spent a couple of nights at the Inn at Bellefield conveniently located opposite the Culinary Institute of America (where Anthony Bourdain trained). The
institute was fascinating, all the students are encouraged to experience all
aspects of the industry so serve in the restaurants as well as cooking in the
kitchens. We had ice cream made at the table using dry ice and an Amish hand
cranked Kitchen Aid – a lot of effort and the taste was sublime. We also
visited the Dessai Sake Brewery for a tasting, learning about the
process of preparing the rice and how the different types of sake are made. I
was not expecting to find this gem upstate but I am so glad I did.
On our final day upstate, just as my husband was beginning
to relax, we visited the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park. The bridge stands 212
feet above the river’s surface and is over a mile long. The day was sunny, the views spectacular and
my lovely husband stayed in the centre of the bridge concentrating on the
ground so as not to notice how high up we were.
Back to New York City, where we averaged 27,000 steps a day
just wandering and exploring. We took a trip up the iconic Empire State Building – choosing to go in the evening to see the
city lit up. It was drizzling when we
stepped into the building and by the time we got to the top there was an
electrical storm which was as beautiful as it was frightening. I was very
impressed by the slick organising of queues, despite the storm everything ran
like clockwork! The art deco architecture and film references triggered
memories of all the movies starring the building which was welcome distraction
for my husband.
Our final day dawned and the weather was super so we braved
the amazing SUMMIT One Vanderbilt observation deck, and my long suffering lovely husband was VERY brave. Accessed via the Grand Central Terminal you
are taken from below ground level to the light bright heights of the 91st
floor. In contrast to the art deco
Empire State, SUMMIT One Vanderbilt is a vision of modern architecture, combining
a 1,100 foot ledge extending over Madison Avenue and mind bending art
installations. There are sections of glass floor and mirrored ceiling that play
with your perceptions giving you a full body experience, my eyes and mind felt
at odds with each other but enjoyably so. The bird’s eye view of the city was incredible
and the mirrored surfaces reflected all the wonders we were surrounded by. This was the final height challenge for Tom, I
am so proud of him. We scampered back to ground level and straight to Freemans
- one of my favourite restaurants in the world.
The trip was a great experience and I will definitely
return, though next time I would like to take my children as there is so much
to see and do that they would love. I LOVE NEW YORK - the city is amazing, but
there is much more to New York State, easy to access and worth the effort. https://www.iloveny.com/