Hudson Valley & West Point, New York

DAY 1

"Fall" in love with the Hudson Valley's glorious scenery with a trip to enjoy the breathtaking views, as well as fascinating and historical sites to visit. Following meal and rest stops, mid-afternoon enjoy a sightseeing cruise with panoramic views of historic Hudson River lighthouses, waterfront mansions and other notable sites as pointed out by the knowledgeable crew on board. Be sure to have your cameras ready. Next, you travel to your host hotel for the next two nights, the Hilton Garden Inn Poughkeepsie/Fishkill (845-896-7100). The hotel features a heated indoor pool and whirlpool, fitness center and business center with complimentary Wi-Fi. Dinner this evening is included at a local restaurant, followed by returning to the hotel to relax and unwind for the rest of the night.

DAY 2

Breakfast is included at the hotel before you meet your local guide for a day of touring. Your first stop is at the Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site where admission is included to visit the home, Springwood, as well as the Presidential Library and Museum. This site is the birthplace, lifelong home, and burial place of the 32nd president of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor Roosevelt who is buried alongside him in the rose garden. Springwood is a striking simple residence where worldly decisions were commonplace and is situated on 300-acres amid elaborate gardens and trails. The Presidential Library and Museum offers exhibits that look back at the lives of the Roosevelt family and how they survived the world's explosive nature and grave challenges of the American people. Following your visit, you depart for the Walkway Over the Hudson, an abandoned railroad bridge turned into a beautiful pedestrian walkway over the Hudson River. The bridge was opened in 1889 as the Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge to transport western raw materials to eastern industrial centers. Following a storied past and a fire in 1974 that destroyed the tracks, the Walkway Over the Hudson was rebuilt and reopened in 2009 for pedestrians to enjoy a 1.28-mile linear park that is 212 feet above the Hudson River and boasts scenic views north to the Catskills and south to the Hudson Highlands. Bring your camera for a magnificent photo opportunity. Next, lunch is included at the Terrapin Restaurant, voted best farm to table Bistro in the Hudson Valley. After lunch, enjoy a maple tasting and hayride at Soukup Farms a third-generation family farm that produces and sells pure New York Maple syrup. What started as a hobby in the early 1950's, has grown to more than 3,000 taps. Learn about the maple sugaring process and enjoy the scenery around the farm on a hayride. Visit the gift shop and purchase some maple candy, syrups and sauces to take home for yourself or share with family and friends. You begin to make your way back to the hotel, but not without a stop for dinner included along the way. You then return to the hotel for the night.

DAY 3

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before checking out and departing for a guided tour of the oldest continuously occupied military post in America, United States Military Academy West Point. Your guided tour will be both informative and inspirational as you take a look back at West Point's history and learn about its mission to educate, train and inspire the Corps of Cadets and instill the values of duty, honor, and country in our future leaders. West Point's role in our nation's history dates back to the Revolutionary War, when both sides realized the strategic importance of the high ground overlooking the Hudson River. General George Washington considered West Point to be the most important strategic position in America. Other notable historic figures that walked these grounds and contributed to our country's history are Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, Douglas McArthur, Dwight Eisenhower and even Benedict Arnold. (Note: All passengers 16 years old and above are required to bring government issued photo ID to enter West Point on the tour. You also need to provide Wolf's with your name as it appears on your photo ID, date of birth, gender and type of ID being used to add to the manifest required for entry by West Point.) At the conclusion of your visit, you depart for home with a meal at your expense and rest stops as needed.

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner