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Take Amtrak to the April 8 Total Solar Eclipse in Western and Northern New York

All aboard for this once in a lifetime event in Buffalo, Rochester, Niagara Falls and more. By Charles Fulco and Amanda Pleper-Wetmore This blog was provided exclusively to New York By Rail by Charles Fulco, NASA Solar System Ambassador and Teacher, Brooklyn Friends School and Amanda Pleper-Wetmore, President, Brooklyn Friends School Astronomy Club in collaboration with other BFSAC students. Hey, …

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Things to Do in New Paltz

New Paltz Restaurants, Hiking and Attractions Editor’s Note: New York by Rail updated this past blog experience to include current information. Picture a groovy small town with mountainous landscapes and a caring community. Right in New York’s Hudson Valley, about a 20-minute drive from the Poughkeepsie Train Station is the picturesque town of New Paltz. Home to the State University of New [...] Continue reading  

Kingston, NY: Touring Ulster County’s Cosmopolitan City.

Editor’s Note: New York by Rail updated this May 2023 blog experience to include current information. KINGSTON, NY:Touring Ulster County’s Cosmopolitan Center By Olivia Abel Everyone focuses on something different when you mention Ulster County, NY. Some people coo: “Oh, the stone houses.” Others immediately think about the county’s stunning natural beauty. The Shawangunk Ridge, home of world-class rock climbing …

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Hyde Park: History at Every Turn

Halfway between Albany and New York City lies the historic town of Hyde Park, New York. Best known as the hometown of President Franklin Roosevelt, and his equally famous wife, Eleanor, the town is actually bursting with interesting historic sites of national importance. When I visited, I learned about the fascinating history of the Gilded Age at the Vanderbilt Mansion, [...] Continue reading  

CATSKILL, NY: Art, the river, a vibrant Main Street—and the best pierogis around.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I headed to Catskill, NY for a recent visit. I knew that the former industrial village, perched on the hilly shores of the Catskill Creek, right where it empties into the mighty Hudson River, has undergone a renaissance in recent years. Of course, former manufacturing hubs morphing into cute, urban-chic tourist destinations …

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Woodstock: A Peaceful Getaway

This blog has been updated to include new information.  A town built on the arts, community and tourism, Woodstock, NY enriches the senses and generates a sense of place with its vast history. With plenty of things to do and sites to visit, Woodstock surely does not disappoint. During a recent visit I made to the Ulster County town that [...] Continue reading  

Walkway Over the Hudson – A Great Day Trip

As a former resident of the Hudson Valley and current resident of New York City, the longing for days of bucolic serenity are encountered more often than not. With Labor Day approaching, I began to research a day-trip getaway to escape the encroaching tourist chaos before coming across an obvious choice.

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A Walking Tour of Poughkeepsie

Poughkeepsie Train Station, home to Amtrak Editor’s Note: New York by Rail updated this past blog experience to include current information. Designed by the same team that crafted Grand Central Terminal, the Poughkeepsie Train Station is a gateway to the history, arts and culinary offerings of the Queen City. Opened in 1918, the station is perched just off Main Street near the Hudson …

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NY Maple Weekend

Editor’s Note: New York by Rail updated this past blog experience to include current information. Visit the farms of New York’s maple sugarmakers during Maple Weekend! During Maple Weekend, which actually takes place over two weekends, March 18-19 and March 25-26, almost 150 maple producers, farms, and sites across New York open to the public to share how maple syrup is made from …

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Rhinebeck Country Charm

Editor’s Note: New York by Rail updated this past blog experience to include current information. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol9wi25CEAw Upstate adventures are a breath of fresh air, especially for those coming from the hustle and bustle of New York City. It is the perfect opportunity to catch your breath and unwind. Let Rhinebeck be your ultimate escape during any season. After a quick hour and …

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Greene County: Fall Fun in the Great Northern Catskills

Greene County of the Great Northern Catskills, is a place for art and scenic beauty. A place the Romantics would easily refer to as the Sublime. You can say it lives up to its name, situated within the Catskill Mountain range, surrounded by greenery. But even Greene County eventually turns red, yellow and orange. I had escaped into the Great …

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Greene County: Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival

Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival in the Great Northern Catskills When I think about highlights from a recent trip I took to Greene County, New York, I struggle to determine which of these favorite things was my favorite, favorite thing.   There was the Reuben Egg Roll at the Old Factory Brewing Company in Cairo; and homemade cinnamon doughnut at the Catskill …

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East Durham: Ireland in the Catskills

The Great Northern Catskills are home to its own little piece of Ireland The rolling green fields, friendly folks and Irish pride can make you feel like you’ve boarded a plane and landed on the Emerald Isle for an extended visit. You have instead found your pot of gold in the Great Northern Catskills—East Durham to be precise. And with …

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Things to Do in New Rochelle: Restaurants, Parks and Attractions

Visit New Rochelle for a fantastic dining experience, gorgeous parks and exciting attractions, all right outside of New York City. If you’ve ever visited Westchester County, you know it’s a perfect, easy getaway destination. With its close proximity to New York City and its sweeping views of the Hudson River or the Long Island Sound, visiting Westchester is convenient and [...] Continue reading  

Breweries and Things to Do in the Catskills

Editor's Note: New York by Rail updated this 2017 blog experience to include current information. Traveling has always been something that I've wanted to do. As a student I was lucky to have traveled abroad, studying English literature and psychology, on top of interning with two independent publishing companies in London, England. Amidst catching the tube to different pubs, museums, and [...] Continue reading  

Bannerman Castle: Exploring Pollepel Island

Editor's Note:  New York by Rail updated this Aug. 2020 blog experience to include current information. There are many sights from an Amtrak window seat. Whether passing by the Palisades or West Point, the eye-catching views constantly remind passengers how amazing train travel can be. For example, riding Amtrak, between Croton-Harmon (CRT) and Poughkeepsie (POU), the train passes the famous Bannerman Castle, [...] Continue reading  

Visiting Hudson’s Olana State Historic Site

High above the Hudson Valley, in Columbia County, New York, sits a mansion that encapsulates so much of what defines the region, draws people to visit and keeps them here to live. With commanding views of the Hudson River, Olana State Historic Site is towering in its presence and inspiring with its design. A landmark like no other, a point [...] Continue reading  

Exploring the Great Outdoors: A First-Timer at Windham Mountain Bike Park

Editor's Note: New York by Rail updated this October 2018 blog experience to include current information. On Saturday, June 20 Windham Mountain opened its bike park for visitors again, after a long few months at home. Windham Mountain is closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation with increased protocols to ensure the health and safety of guests. The bike park is only open [...] Continue reading  

Traveling on Amtrak Amid COVID-19

Please note: Mackenzie Martinelli is the daughter of New York By Rail publisher, Tom Martinelli. Traveling during a pandemic would provoke uncertainty or even fear for most, but when it is your supposed graduation weekend and you do not have a suitable car, traveling via Amtrak is still a good and safe option.   My college graduation from the University at Buffalo [...] Continue reading  

All Aboard the Polar Express!

Children of all ages can now experience the same Christmas spirit as the children in the animated masterpiece “The Polar Express.” The movie that was inspired by Chris Van Allsburg's classic book has now come to life! These trains offer a lot more than just cocoa, cookies, and Christmas carols, they offer Christmas cheer for the whole family. Across New [...] Continue reading  

Enjoying the Ride at Rye Playland

Playland is the ideal park for a fun family day and everyone else. With the variety of child and thrill rides, on-site and waterfront dining options and attractions like the beach, pool, concerts and Friday fireworks, Playland is unlike any other New York amusement park.

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Escape to Southern Ulster County

Ulster County is the perfect getaway from New York City. Just 90 miles north and a 1.5-hour Amtrak train ride from Manhattan, this 250,000-acre rural playground has it all. With opportunities to bike and hike across the Walkway Over the Hudson or along the county’s 350 miles of trails, rock climb at Shawangunk Ridge, sample farm-to-table restaurants and shop at [...] Continue reading  

Train Pals!

Picture a crowded commuter train, everyone absorbed in their phones, tablets and newspapers. Not so on the Empire Line’s 5:47 p.m. train from Penn Station to Rhinecliff! It’s party time with your train pals!

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Happy 50th Anniversary Empire Service!

The Empire Service has not only survived the ups and downs of the last half-century but also become a mainstay among New York rail-travelers. What the future holds for intercity service in Upstate New York is hard to predict, but hopefully, the high-speed rail service will continue to serve the public.

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Discover New York’s Museums with Don Wildman

Greetings, fellow travelers! Thanks for joining me on my sprawling journey to New York’s amazing collection of museums. I’ve embarked – with the generous help of New York By Rail and I Love New York – on a statewide odyssey to explore the astonishing depth and breadth of a distinctive collective community — New York’s museums, learning a few of the remarkable things they have to teach along the way.

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Bald Eagles on the Hudson

Watching the world go by your window is part of what makes riding Amtrak so pleasurable. This is especially true when the scenery includes the Hudson River and surrounding woodlands. It’s such a relaxing view that it can lull you into dreaming—unless you’re searching for Bald Eagles on the Hudson. Surprising to many train travelers, Bald Eagles live along the …

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Amber Waves – Craft Beverage Industry in NYS

Craft beers, cider and spirits return to New York State. Think of American alcoholic beverages, and chances are your mind wanders West, to Colorado’s mountains, Kentucky’s pot stills and St. Louis’s breweries—toward endless Midwestern fields of grain. But it wasn’t always that way. In the early 1900s, New York State was a leader in brewing cider and beer and distilling spirits. …

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9 Things to do Around Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day is right around the corner, and even though it lands on a dreaded Monday this year, there are still plenty of New York State events ready to kick off the summer with a burst of American Spirit! From celebrations of American music and its icons to locally sourced food at top-tier restaurants and breweries, this Memorial Day should be a time to remember!

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9 Ways to Celebrate the Arrival of Spring

With the wacky weather this year, it looks like the warm weather is finally here to stay. Tulips will be seen peeking from the ground and the sun making its way from behind the clouds. It’s time to head outdoors and embrace all this newfound beauty. Fortunately, there are a number of events throughout New York State accessible via Amtrak …

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Baseball Stadiums reachable via Amtrak

Whether you’re a hardcore sports fanatic or someone who is simply looking for a fun outdoor event, baseball games are an exciting experience for the whole family. You’re not tied down to only sitting on the bleachers, however. You may also enjoy some of the other recreational activities offered by the stadiums, or visit the Baseball Hall of Fame in …

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Your March Madness Survival Guide

March is known as a month of “madness.” Luckily, we’re here to help you escape this maddening time of year! New York isn’t totally overwhelmed by the fever of basketball this year, so there’s no shortage of things to distract you from the constant barrage of tournaments! There are many fun, eclectic events this March—all accessible by Amtrak. Get ready to enjoy days filled …

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Amtrak’s “Great Dome” Car Returns!

Ride Amtrak’s “Great Dome” Car This Fall! For a limited time this fall, The Amtrak Great Dome car has returned to New York. This annual tradition allows passengers to see the leaves change, the beautiful bodies of water flow and the major cities of New York all while comfortable in a train car. PHOTO FROM ELEVATION MAP LOGS Amtrak Great Dome …

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