DETAILS

Hudson River Valley Mansions

GETTING THERE: Olana, the northernmost of the Hudson River Valley mansions, is about 45 minutes south of the Albany airport. Fares from BWI start at $49 one way on Southwest Airlines.

If you drive from New York City, it's about a half-hour to the southern boundary of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area. Follow the Major Deegan Expressway north to the New York State Thruway (Interstate 87) north toward the Tappan Zee Bridge. To stay on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, take the last exit before the bridge, Exit 9, to Route 9 north. Most of the estates on the eastern bank are accessible from Route 9 and its sister routes (9A, 9G, etc.). To proceed north along the western shore, continue over the Tappan Zee Bridge and continue north on I-87. Several bridges connect the eastern and western banks of the Hudson throughout the heritage area. Several estates are open only on weekends in winter or have limited hours, so call ahead before visiting, or check the heritage area Web site (see below).

WHERE TO STAY: The white-columned, neoclassic Belvedere Mansion (10 Old Route 9, Staatsburg, 845-889-8000, http://www.belvederemansion.com/), appears as elegant as any mansion that you will visit in the heritage area. Rates generally range from about $100 to $275, including a country gourmet breakfast. The mansion is near the Staatsburgh, Wilderstein, Vanderbilt and Springwood mansions.

After visiting the castles on the Hudson, why not stay in one? The Castle on the Hudson (400 Benedict Ave., Tarrytown, 800-616-4487, http://www.castleonthehudson.com/) is an early 20th-century castle that has been converted into a luxury hotel with 31 guest rooms and suites, some with views of the river. Rooms usually range from $350 to $790. The Castle is near Kykuit, Lyndhurst and Sunnyside estates.

WHERE TO EAT: When night falls, you can see the Manhattan skyline from the Garden Room in Equus Restaurant in the Castle on the Hudson (914-631-3646, http://www.castleonthehudson.com/). This is the spot for a special dinner, since the seasonal menu is usually a pricey prix-fixe four-course affair ($75). Reservations and jackets are required.

General George Washington is said to have watched his troops practice drills through a corner window in the Traphagen Restaurant (Route 9, Rhinebeck, 845-876-1766, http://www.beekmandelamaterinn.com/) inside the present-day Beekman Arms, which claims to be America's oldest operating inn (1766). The interior of the Colonial Tap Room still feels tavern-like with wooden booths and exposed brick, but the food served at Traphagen is more inventive and seasonal than anything you'd find in a pub. Entrees such as grilled mahi mahi marinated in ginger and lime and slow-roasted Long Island duckling with blood orange and pomegranate sauce range from $12.50 to $36.50.

Bread Alone is a bakery in the Catskill Mountains that sells its goods in four cafes throughout the region, including the Rhinebeck Cafe (45 E. Market St., Rhinebeck, 845-876-3108, http://www.breadalone.com/). The cafe is a great place to enjoy a homemade chocolate-hazelnut scone with a cappuccino or a sandwich made on one of the bakery's organic, hearth-baked breads. Sandwiches, including house-roasted turkey and applewood-smoked bacon on peasant bread, average $5.95.

INFORMATION: Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, 888-576-4784, http://www.hudsonrivervalley.com/.

-- Nicole Cotroneo