<p>I second MathMom’s suggestion to see the Frick. Also Cooper-Hewitt (on 91st btw 5th and Madison) – great show on Van Cleef & Arpel jewelry – beautiful stuff. Very manageable. You don’t get that exhausted museum feeling.</p>
<p>Then check out Shake Shack if you want a quick bite. Or walk through the Park – you’re right there. Also Serafina Pizza on Madison – not cheap, but good.</p>
<p>Oh oh oh – parentofpeople – great idea – I love swimming holes – but never dive into water of unknown depth. Spinal chord injury waiting to happen. Jump in feet first.</p>
<p>DB: best weekend to be in the city; everyone leaves but everything is still open; you have some great suggestions…I ditto the High Line and the area around it including Chelsea Market…</p>
<p>You could always check out Friday (the 1st’s) NYtimes for events that weekend…</p>
<p>and I like the idea of Soho rather than bid department stores…</p>
<p>If you decide to spend any extra time in Poughkeepsie…FDR Library and Home is in Hyde Park (not far from Culinary Institute.) Same road that Marist is on (Route 9)…just a little north.</p>
<p>In Poughkeepsie, a walking path has been created across the Hudson on what was once a railroad bridge. If it’s a nice day…it would be a fun, fairly quick thing to do…that would get you out of the car. Only about 5 min from Marist…right along the river.</p>
<p>Wonderful state parks around Ithaca. Also Watkins Glen. While it’s known for a famous car race, there is an actual Glen to hike through. It’s kind of a refined hikes…with stone steps…but very nice. There used to be an evening sound and light show there that was very interesting. Not sure if they still do it.</p>
<p>No need to cross MidHudson Bridge and go to other side of Hudson to go into NYC. Can stay on same side of Hudson. Can also go across at Bear Mountain bridge. A little more interesting ride…</p>
<p>If you’re looking for something that’s not completely CITY…take the ferry to Governers Island. Also…if it’s really hot…and you’re tired…just take the Staten Island ferry over to SI and back. Beautiful views of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island…and Manhattan. A very inexpensive way to relax, but also get in some sites!</p>
<p>^Culinary Institute of America (near Vassar) runs several great restaurants - well worth making reservations.</p>
<p>My favorite current hidden treasures are out of the city, but between Poughkeepsie and NYC: The Dia:Beacon are museum in Beacon, NY (about 10 miles south of Poughkeepsie on the east bank of the Hudson, just that side of the Newburgh bridge). And, especially, the Storm King Art Center on the west bank of the Hudson another 10 miles south of Newburgh, and just north of West Point.</p>
<p>Dia:Beacon is a nice contemporary art museum you can see in a few hours. It has some great Richard Serra sculptures in the basement. When I was there a few years ago, it had a stunning Sol LeWitt show, part of which I think is permanent.</p>
<p>Storm King is absolutely unique and stunning – a huge outdoor sculpture part for (mainly) monumental sculpture by everyone who’s anyone in contemporary monumental sculpture, with Storm King Mountain in the background. I have never seen anything like it. There’s a Maya Lin sculpted landscape comprising 5-6 acres. A giant field patrolled by 30-foot-high Mark di Suvero sentinels. Creeks and lakes that serve as backdrop for, and occasionally part of, other sculptures.</p>
<p>In NYC right now, it’s all about the High Line.</p>
<p>^Second suggestion for Storm King. One of the few places my kids enjoyed the art. Cool stuff there. I can’t believe I still haven’t made the pilgrimage to Beacon.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Great advice which can’t be given enough. I know too well the kind of disasters that can cause. That is exactly why we love this place. The water is very deep, crystal clear and icy cold! The swimming/diving area is monitored by lifeguards on duty so very safe. I don’t think you could reach the bottom if you tried. There are also beautiful hiking trails there.</p>
<p>If you are on the upper east side and have extra cash… have pastry at Cafe Sabarsky at Neue Gallery - feels as if you’re in Vienna…</p>
<p>My daughter and I went once years ago, and shared, and they didn’t object to that.</p>
<p>$8 per slice of cake</p>
<p>And, if your kids are still into candy…</p>
<p>Dylan’s Candy bar at 1011 Third Avenue is… impressive.</p>
<p>Economy Candy Market @ 108 Rivington St between Ludlow and Essex is like a flash from years ago</p>
<p>Belhurst Castle is near Geneva [Welcome</a> To The Belhurst Home Page](<a href=“http://www.belhurst.com/]Welcome”>http://www.belhurst.com/) We meet family there now and then for brunch. Geneva on the Lake [Geneva</a> On The Lake - Finger Lakes Romantic Villa](<a href=“http://www.genevaonthelake.com/villa_rich_in_history.html]Geneva”>http://www.genevaonthelake.com/villa_rich_in_history.html) is a lovely, but rather expensive place to stay overnight. It’s a popular getaway weekend place for those of us in Rochester and Syracuse. They have a ‘things to do’ link off their web page so you can browse that. The area between Ithaca and Geneva is filled with wineries, lovely lakes and country roads.</p>
<p>Wow, these are some great ideas. I’ll be sharing all of them with the family when we get closer to the dates. :)</p>
<p>My family are history buffs. If that’s of any interest, here are a few suggestions:</p>
<p>About 10-15 minutes from Hobart & William Smith is Seneca Falls, site of the historic Seneca falls Women’s Rights Convention in 1848. Visit the Women’s Rights National Park and National Women’s Hall of Fame there. (Seneca Falls is also said by some to be the inspiration for the fictional town of Bedford Fall in Frank Capra’s film “it’s a Wonderful Life”).</p>
<p>Hike or canoe the Old Erie Canal State History Park, a 36-mile stretch that’s been designated as a recreational trail with lots of the original structures still intact. Visit the Erie Canal Village in Rome, NY.</p>
<p>As a side excursion from Saratoga Springs, drive along scenic Lake George (one of the artist Georgia O’Keeffe’s favorite spots) and visit Fort Ticonderoga, with commanding views of the southern end of Lake Champlain, a key strategic point in both the French and Indian War and in the American Revolution.</p>
<p>West Point, at a strategic point along the Hudson, also played a key role in the American Revolution, and is the oldest continuously-occupied U.S. military base. It’s also quite beautiful. You can visit the West Point Museum just outside the gates; guided tours depart from there, the only way to visit the grounds.</p>
<p>Some other Hudson Valley sites: Kykuit, the Rockefellor estate; Sunnyside, Washington Irving’s home in Tarrytown; Philipsburg Manor, a historic Dutch colonial farm in Sleepy Hollow, across the road from the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery of Headless Horseman fame which you can also visit. There’s also some lovely hiking at Bear Mountain State Park and at various other Hudson Valley locations. </p>
<p>In Hyde Park north of Poughkeepsie, visit Franklin D. Roosevelt’s mansion and Eleanor Roosevelt’s cottage.</p>
<p>I am assuming that you are spending the night in Ithaca before heading to Hobart. Ithaca is a really nice college town - take time to walk the Cornell campus because it is truly lovely as is the surrounding area. Saratoga Springs has gorgeous older homes right near the campus. Both Cornell and Skidmore do have nice art museums so you can check out that info. You have already been given a lot of advice for both NY and the Hudson Valley. Other NY suggestions, either take the subway or if the new ferry service is up to Brooklyn-the newest spot is Brooklyn Bridge Park which is so nice and you can get online for Grimaldi’s Pizza, the reputation for the best in NYC and there is always the Brooklyn Heights Promenade with the incredible view of Manhattan and NY Harbor and the Heights neighborhood, the original brownstone historic district…another option, take the L train to Bedford Ave, and be in hipster heaven-so many boutiques and restaurants and you can walk down to the waterfront among all the new condo high-rises-there are great places to eat and have a drink.</p>
<p>Lots of Falls in Ithaca, no one gave you Taughannock Falls. It is easy to drive to them and get to the viewing areas to take pics and you can park and walk to the bottom of them - walk takes about 20-25 min. Easy walk. On the way up, there there is a nice restaurant on the right overlooking the lake with ample viewing. Not sure what it is called but you will not miss it as you drive up to the falls from Ithaca. </p>
<p>Walkway over the Hudson (the bridge you walk on to get from one side of the Hudson to the other) is one of our favorite spots. Bring water. I believe there are plans to make an elevator on the Poughkeepsie side to go up to the bridge but the elevator is not there yet. Walk is about 20-30 min - depending on how many pictures you take. There are eateries with scenic views on the Poughkeepsie side, not the Highland.
Storm King Mtn (about an 45 min to an hr south) and Mohonk (in the vicinity of SUNY New Paltz) are both nice places to go but do you have all that time? It takes at least 2 hrs to walk Storm King and take pics. They also put you back again on the other side of the Hudson river. You do not need to cross the river again to get to Manhattan. </p>
<p>Just my bit.</p>
<p>While you are in Ithaca you should really checkt out the gorges. Tour guides will tell you how beautiful Ithaca is in the summer and you’ve got to believe them. Check out the Buttermilk Falls which is pretty close to IC’s campus (< 2miles). The address is 112 Buttermilk Falls Rd E, Ithaca, NY 14850. You essentially go up 96B and see signs fairly quickly.</p>
<p>Make sure to have a meal in the commons. Thought it is non-traditional check out Wafflefrolic. BEST WAFFLES EVER. But ask the tour guides and they can usually point out some unique places to eat. Some people will recommend Moosewood but it has a lot of natural food so if you are a meateater it might not work out.</p>
<p>If you are Harry Potter fans, there is an exhibit of actual props from the movies, that is a must see. My daughter was just there a couple of weeks ago and loved it. I’m not sure exactly where it is, but I imagine you can search for it and find it. I think it was a bit expensive, but if you are HP fans, it will be worth it. I will be going later in the summer with my younger daughter, and my older will see it for the second time. It’s only there until early September. </p>
<p>If you are a fan of Cake Boss, Carlo’s Bakery opened a cafe, somewhere very close to Times Square, in the Discovery building, I think, you can munch on cupcakes or whatever, without waiting on a long line outside their bakery in NJ.</p>
<p>Just got back from a NYC trip with my daughters. Their favorite was Ellis Island… spent three hours going through the museum… some of it with tears in our eyes.</p>
<p>Also spent a morning at the Cloisters and then after a leisurely lunch went on to the Met. Tickets were good for both locations if used on the same day. (Didn’t realize that the Cloisters was home of the Merode Alterpiece - younger D wrote a three page paper about it for art history class. 
)</p>
<p>In NYC go to the Central Park Zoo and afterwards get a caricature done while walking out of the park towards The Plaza.</p>
<p>Great idea to do some fun things during your trip!
In NYC, there is a tour of the U.N… check and see if it is running when you are there. It is of a very reasonable length and educational for all ages. Definitely something you can only do in NYC!
Museums in NYC can be pricey - but - correct me if I am wrong someone - isn’t the Metropolitan Museum of Art “pay what you are able” on Saturdays? You can go in for ONE exhibit - kids seem to love the Egyptian exhibit.
For restaurants near your Broadway show - check out Ninth Avenue - lots of very reasonably priced ethnic restaurants.</p>
<p>I second or third the Gorges on the Cornell campus in Ithaca. Taughannock Falls and Buttermilk Falls are both great. I think I always preferred the former. Will you be heading near Corning? If so, the Corning Glassworks has a great tour and museum well worth seeing. Sounds like a fun trip.</p>