I am looking for suggestions for a Hudson River day trip from New York City via train. My wife, daughter (19), son (15). Probably leave mid-late morning, travel somewhere to have lunch, shop, relax, explore, etc…and then take train back later in day or after dinner. (They are not train buffs–so keep in mind that I’m not looking for the coolest “train spot”…rather the place that will please the family!)
Or, might consider a visit to West Point for a tour there–not sure if that’s doable or not without a car.
Four of us just recently rode up to Poughkeepsie via Amtrak, walked over to the big bridge and out onto it but without enough time to really get acrosst on it. We left NYP ata 11:45 in the morning getting to Pou. aboutr 1:10 but had to get the 2:40 MNRR to Grand Central so we could get back home before midnight. But this is the perfect trip for railfan and family! Amtrak is only slightly more expensive and slightly shorter ride and gets you up along the west side of Manhatten and across the Spuyten Devil before getting on MNRR track. I reccomend Amtrak to Poughkeepsie and MNRR back simply because of your chance to get a good seat in both directions. The secnery is supurb with lots of former NYC ghosts and CSX on the West Shore above the Terrytown. Barges, castles, jails, the Catskills, the Pallisades, West Point, railroad yards, and Dutch Colonial towns surrounded by 21st Century suburbia and empty factories. There is a sort of lunch counter at Poughkeepsie station or walk up (uphill) to town for other restaurants. You can actually walk across the Hudson on the foremer New Haven RR bridge now set up as a public walkway…200 feet above the Hudson a little more than a mile long and less than a 30 minute walk from the station or ask about the “loop” buses. Architecture of P’kpsee is a lesson in itself. You can take your time doing what you want there as MNRR has trains to Grand Central hourly up to 10:59PM Out of all the trips Ride With Me Henry does, that one is probably the best for the whole family. There are others, like to Oyster Bay on the LIRR to see Teddy Roosevelt’s place, for instance that is family oriented, too. But if it is strictly train and family, no car, Poughkeepsie is it.
I heartly second the recommendation. Try to board the Amtrak Albany train early at Penn Station so you can get seats on the left side, the Hudson River side. On the return Metro North train, again board early and get seats on the right side. Now that there are TV security monitors at 125th Street station, you might wish to leave the train at 125th and walk to the forward, the south end of the platform, and enjoy the show of a variety of equpiment, push-pull diesel electric electric locomotive trains and three or four varieties of mu car trains, and then reboard to continue to Grand Central Terminal.
I hope you have time to cross the bridge completely and get to trackside of the CSX River Division (former West Shore line) and photograph a freight train or two. The Bridge itself is excellent for photographing both lines.
I should add on the MNRR return trip, get to the first car…the cab car…and you might have a good view through the front door. Sitting on the right side, the River side, is important, too, especially this time of year, since the foliage covers up anything on the land side. And yes, 125th St. would be fun, but if you don’t have the time, or don’t want to take the time, remember, GCT at rush hour is a spectical unto itself!
As for boarding at NYP, tell the crew before boarding you are going to Poughkeepsie and they’ll point you to the car they will work for that station (and going up River you want to sit on the left side).
Will do. With my wife and kids, so the train watching part won’t be complete front burner–but I’ll get some in!
(My focused train watching comes next Wednesday–wife gave me Empire Builder trip from Seattle to Milwaukee [where I live] for special Christmas gift–have always wanted to do. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that flooding subsides.)
Lot of art museums in the PK area - not my ‘thing’, but that might be of interest to the others of your family. Poughkeepsie is in the heart of the very scenic Hudson Highlands, which were/ are the inspiration for the “Hudson Valley” school of Impressionist landscape painters. For example, Vassar College - http://www.vassar.edu/about/ (about 3 miles to the east-southeast of the train station) has one - see: http://fllac.vassar.edu/ - and http://www.vassar.edu/visitors/index.html and http://www.vassar.edu/visitors/local_transportation.html Marist College - http://www.marist.edu/ - is also nearby, about 1 mile north of the train station. Perhaps your 19-year old daughter and wife would enjoy a visit to the campus of one or both of those notable schools ?
If you do take a trip on the “walkway over the hudson bridge” - just be advised: it is a concrete walkway. So if it is hot out - that bridge will be REAL hot.
I was there when it was about 80 degrees, and that bridge was almost unbearable.