The Hudson Valley 2017

Day 1 Arrive Montreal

Tour begins: 5:30 PM, Hotel Bonaventure Montreal. A transfer is included from Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport to the Hotel Bonaventure Montreal. Please join us for a welcome reception and dinner at the hotel this evening.

MEALS : D

LODGING : Hotel Bonaventure Montreal

PORTOFCALL : Montreal, Quebec

Day 2 Montreal, gateway to the Adirondacks

From gleaming skyscrapers to the timeless charm of 17th-century cobblestone lanes, a city tour introduces highlights of this dynamic bilingual city, a medley of European and North American influences. View McGill University's downtown campus, which prides itself on its purposeful blend of university life with the real world, and Mont Royal, the iconic park that stands watch over the city. Take a guided stroll through Old Montreal, between the St. Lawrence River and downtown skyscrapers, with free time to explore Old Port Montreal before lunch. Depart the city on a drive through Québecois farmland to the U.S. border crossing and on through countryside that satiates with mountain views, foothill farms and orchards. A short stop for a walk at Ausable Chasm reveals nature's power in the roar of waterfalls set deep within towering cliffs. Your final destination, the village of Lake Placid, finds you checking into a classic Adirondack resort on the quiet shores of Mirror Lake; enjoy dinner on your own tonight.

MEALS : B, L

LODGING : Mirror Lake Inn Resort & Spa

PORTOFCALL : Lake Placid, New York

Day 3 Lake Placid cruise, an Olympic ski jump & John Brown's farm

The day begins serenely with a private boat cruise on Lake Placid, a "clear, cold jewel" in the Adirondack wilderness and then steps up in pace at the Lake Placid Olympic Training Center with a thrilling ski-jumping demonstration during lunch on the observation deck at the top of a jumping ramp. Visit the John Brown Farm, the historic home and burial site of the abolitionist who fought at Harpers Ferry before returning to your hotel for time at leisure. A walk along picturesque Mirror Lake, the views from an Adirondack chair, and the restaurants of Lake Placid village are all at your easy disposal. Have dinner at the hotel this evening.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Mirror Lake Inn Resort & Spa

PORTOFCALL : Lake Placid, New York

Day 4 Blue Mountain Lake, the Adirondack Museum and Lake George

Known as a year-round playground for outdoor enthusiasts, the Adirondack mountains and forests have also long been home to lakeside villages and quaint towns. A morning drive through the region ends at Blue Mountain Lake, home to the renowned Adirondack Museum, where modern galleries and historic buildings tell the unique story of the area's residents - how they have worked in logging, mining and on the railroads, and played, from hiking to rock climbing, skiing and snowshoeing. After lunch, stunning scenery continues on a drive to your accommodations, a gorgeous Adirondack-style lodge on the shores of a private island at Lake George.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : The Sagamore Resort

PORTOFCALL : Lake George, New York

Day 5 The hip Hudson Valley, Wilderstein Historic Site & Lake Mohonk

From Lake George, your Hudson River tour heads south through rolling countryside that is home to small farms, wineries and villages, with a stop in the hamlet of Annandale-on-Hudson, home to Bard College on the east bank of the Hudson River. Next up - a visit to the Wilderstein Historic Site in Rhinebeck, New York, where you will tour the 19th-century Queen Anne-style country house that was home to Margaret (Daisy) Suckley, a close confidante and cousin of Franklin Roosevelt. Ms. Suckley was featured prominently in the Ken Burns film "The Roosevelts: An Intimate History" - along with a tour of her home, you'll also enjoy lunch and a talk on sustainable agriculture by a local farmer. Your final destination is Mohonk Mountain House, a Victorian "castle" set on forested cliffs above Lake Mohonk - a resort once frequented by presidents, celebrities and turn-of-the-century industrialists.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Mohonk Mountain House

PORTOFCALL : Rhinebeck, New York

Day 6 FDR's Hyde Park and old Rhinebeck

Leave your views of Mohonk Lake behind for those of the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains on a drive to the Roosevelt National Historic Site in Hyde Park on the Hudson, the lifelong home of Franklin D. Roosevelt. A guided visit to Springwood, the family mansion, offers a window into an American way of life modeled on an English country estate; learn the story of the home and staff and role they once played in the local community. Afterward, a stop in Rhinebeck on the bluffs of the Hudson River, leaves time for exploring on your own and a chance to wander through a town designated as a National Landmark District with an au courant reputation for arts and culture. Return to Mohonk Mountain House late afternoon; have dinner at the hotel.

MEALS : B, D

LODGING : Mohonk Mountain House

PORTOFCALL : Hyde Park, New York

Day 7 Boscobel Mansion to West Point and Tarrytown

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 U.S. 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 have 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 : B, L, D

LODGING : DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Tarrytown

PORTOFCALL : Tarrytown, New York

Day 8 Rockefeller's Kykuit to New York City's heart

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 time 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 from Fifth Avenue.

MEALS : B

LODGING : Le Parker Meridien

PORTOFCALL : Tarrytown, New York

Day 9 New York, New York... it's a glamorous town

Feel the energy of Manhattan on this morning's New York City tour, accompanied by a local expert who maps out landmark sights and the stories behind them. Head to Lower Manhattan to view St. Paul's Chapel and the 9/11 Memorial, honoring those who were lost - and expressing hope for the future; in a Tauck Exclusive, meet an NYPD detective who interprets the poignant events of September 11th and the subsequent recovery efforts. See Rockefeller Center, Times Square, Radio City Music Hall, and the Chrysler and Empire State buildings. Next up is an unobstructed view of the city's sensational man-made peaks and valleys, from 70 floors up; a visit to the Top of the Rock atop a Rockefeller Center skyscraper includes the story of its construction, which put thousands of people to work just after the 1929 stock market crash - an initiative credited to John D. Rockefeller. Tonight, please join us for a farewell reception and dinner at the hotel.

MEALS : B, D

LODGING : Le Parker Meridien

PORTOFCALL : New York, New York

Day 10 Journey Home

Tour ends: New York City. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from Le Parker Meridien to La Guardia, JFK or Newark International Airport. Please allow a minimum of two 2 hours for flight check-in.

MEALS : B

PORTOFCALL : New York, New York