Things to do / Travel Guide
Catskills Family Vacation Spots
The Catskills and the Hudson Valley region contains a good amount of family-friendly activities and attractions that will be sure to leave you satisfied and ready to plan your next vacation back. The fact that distances between attractions are relatively short and the areas are well-suited for weekend trips bodes well for families. The Hudson Valley is often very nature-based, with a big emphasis on agriculture. As such, county fairs and festivals play a big part in the communal aspect of the area, and there are always kids activities there. Hiking is big in the Catskills as, despite the terrain being somewhat rocky, the mountains are not very tall and can be tackled in a day. Many, therefore, are perfectly suited for family outings.
Built out of an old grain silo, the world's largest kaleidoscope is located in Shandaken, in the Catskills. The kaleidoscope is 37 feet tall, and once inside, you and your family can watch what appear to be 254 hexagonal images 50 feet across, dancing in perfect and symmetrical tandem. The venue is open from 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Hudson Valley Family Vacation Ideas
The region's southern state parks like Harriman or Bear Mountain are great places to take the family on a hike or two on a day trip from New York City, or another nearby region. Views in these parks of the Hudson and the rolling hills will keep children of all ages enthralled, and the area is pretty safe, as well.
This region specializes in interesting and offbeat museums. Try out the American Museum of Firefighting, located in Hudson. The Hudson Valley Maritime Museum is located in Rondout Landing, Kingston, and the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame is in Goshen, west of West Point. The latter boasts the world's only 3-D harness-racing simulator.
Another great family-centered affair is an afternoon at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome. This air show, located in Rhinebeck off State Road 9, features old World War I-vintage planes, and takes place every Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. from mid-June to mid-October. Saturday's show is great, but Sunday's show is more specifically geared toward children, as the planes interact in a styled melodrama, featuring characters such as The Evil Baron of Rhinebeck and Sir Percy Goodfellow.
Catskills Family Vacation Spots
Farther west, sports fans young and old shouldn't pass up the National Baseball Hall of Fame, in Cooperstown. Cooperstown itself is the place of myths, and eternal questions in this town will never be answered, just dreamed about: Was baseball invented in Cooperstown on Elihu Phinney's cow pasture by Abner Doubleday, in the spring of 1839? Whether so or not, the Hall of Fame is a major draw in the region for families and baseball fans of all teams. Well over a quarter of a million people visit the facility each year, exploring its cavernous halls and observing the encased memorabilia. There are baseball movies and a theater, art shows, the plaque gallery honoring all the Hall of Fame's inductees, and rooms dedicated to some of the greatest names in baseball: Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron.
Howe Caverns for Families
There's also the fantastic Howe Caverns near Schoharie, which is both kid-friendly and kid-loved. Howe Caverns is open every day of the week, all year round. There's an 80-minute tour which showcases the majority of the natural caves, ending with the otherworldly Lake of Venus. Actually, from end to end, the whole underground expanse looks like something out of this world. Huge stalactites and stalagmites (your kid will probably be able to tell you the difference if you don't know) crowd every one of the many rooms, and vast “pipe organs” play music that can only be characterized as extraterrestrial.
Both Cooperstown and Howe Caverns are located northwest of I-88.
Family Vacation Ideas in Woodstock, Cooperstown, New Paltz, Catskills and Hudson Valley
Family-Vacation-Ideas
|
|
|