Join past board chair George Lennon and the North Carolina Museum of History Associates for a unique and exciting opportunity to experience the spectacular beauty of the Hudson River Valley and to spend time with one of the country’s most noted preservationists, Richard Hampton Jenrette. Hudson River Valley Tours, an experienced and knowledgeable tour operator, is pleased to serve as host for the five-day trip, Monday, September 17–Friday, September 21. Spend a week immersed in architecture, art and history while touring the magnificent sites of the Hudson River Valley. Participants will also have a special opportunity to enjoy “southern hospitality at its best” with an exclusive private reception and
tour of Edgewater, the 1825 house on the Hudson that Mr. Jenrette, a North Carolina native, has carefully restored.
Monday, September 17
The tour begins with an 8:00 a.m. departure from the Millennium Hotel in New York City for the Hudson River Valley. Tour participants should plan to stay at the Millennium on Sunday evening, as the bus will leave promptly at 8:00 (see registration information for hotel reservation details). Upon arrival in the Hudson River Valley we will tour Kykuit, a Classical Revival-style villa, completed in 1913 by John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil Company. In later years, it was home to his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and then to grandson Nelson A. Rockefeller, a four-time governor of New York and vice president under Gerald Ford. After a 2¼ hour tour, we will enjoy lunch at Philipsburg Manor. In the afternoon, we will have an escorted tour of Sunnyside, the home of Washington Irving, author of such classics as “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle.” We will next tour Union Church of Pocantico Hills to view some of the most beautiful examples of stained glass windows by Henri Matisse and Marc Chagall (“The Good Samaritan”). The church still has an active congregation. Hyatt House in Fishkill is our home for the next two nights. Welcome refreshments and dinner at a fine local restaurant will be the conclusion of a wonderful day.
Tuesday, September 18
Following a breakfast buffet at the hotel, we will depart for the Mount Gulian Historic Site for a white glove tour. The interior is filled with artifacts related to the Verplanck family as well as furniture, clothing and gifts by Native Americans. Mount Gulian also interprets the life and history of escaped slave James F. Brown, whose first-person diary of his years spent as gardener at Mount Gulian is one of very few African American written records of that period. The grounds feature a restored English garden, planted in 1804, and an 18th-century Dutch barn. We will enjoy a delicious lunch buffet at Hotel Thayer prior to our escorted tour of West Point Military Academy, including the Cadet Chapel and a “Million Dollar View” of the Hudson River. We will return to the hotel to freshen up before we depart for the Mesier Homestead to have a special evening of dinner and song with the owners of the 1752 Historic Homestead.
Wednesday, September 19
After breakfast, we will check out and depart for the Franklin D. Roosevelt home, museum and presidential library. There will be an escorted tour of the home, followed by free time to enjoy the museum and library on our own. Lunch will be at the Culinary Institute of America. A special afternoon hosted by Richard Hampton Jenrette will include a private tour of his home, Edgewater. We will check in to the Delamater Inn prior to dinner at The Rhinecliff overlooking the Hudson River.
Thursday, September 20
A continental breakfast will be served at the Inn before we depart for Olana, the home of Frederic Church, one of America’s most renowned landscape painters. Today, Olana is considered a landmark of picturesque landscape gardening, with a house at its summit, embracing unrivaled panoramic views of the Hudson River Valley. The visit will be followed by lunch at Coppola’s, and then on to Val-Kill, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt’s Cottage. Val-Kill is the first National Historic Site devoted to a “First Lady of the World.” The tour includes a film and a look at many of her possessions, including photos, mementos of her travels and furniture that was more comfortable than opulent. We will next have an escorted tour of the “Guided Age” Vanderbilt Mansion, a 50-room Classical-style mansion built in 1898 by Frederick William Vanderbilt, older brother of George W. Vanderbilt of the Biltmore Estate and grandson of “Commodore” Cornelius Vanderbilt, shipping and railroad magnate and the wealthiest man in America during his lifetime. The evening will be free for shopping and for dining in one of the many restaurants in Rhinebeck on our own.
Friday, September 21
After our continental breakfast and checkout, we will depart for Boscobel House, one of the finest Federal-style homes in America. The extensive grounds surrounding the home include a rose garden and an herb garden and a reconstructed orangery. After our escorted tour we will depart for Manhattan with an anticipated arrival of 1:00 p.m. It is recommended that airline reservations for departure be made after 4:00 p.m. to allow enough time to get back into the city and to the airport. For those who will stay Friday evening, a block of rooms has been reserved at the Marriott Marquis hotel.
Registration Information
The N.C. Museum of History Associates offers this exceptional tour for $1,495* per person based on double occupancy or $1,795* for single occupancy.
*Price includes Hudson River Valley accommodations for 4 nights (including luggage handling and all taxes); transportation from New York City to the Hudson River Valley, all touring in Hudson River Valley, and return to New York City; tickets and guided tours to attractions in brochure; and all meals in brochure. Excludes airfare, transportation to and from airport, and New York City accommodations. A block of rooms has been reserved at the Millennium Hotel Broadway at a rate of $289 (King) or $309 (Twin) plus 14.75% tax and $3.50 occupancy each night. It is strongly recommended that you stay at the Millennium, as the bus will depart promptly at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, September 17. Reservations must be made by August 16 to guarantee rate. Call 212.768.4400 or 800.622.5569 for reservations. Group is under NC Museum of History Associates. A block of rooms has been reserved at the Marriott Marquis for Friday, September 21 at a rate of $399 plus $14.75% tax and a $3.50 occupancy tax per night. Call 212.398.1900 and ask for the Museum of History Associates group. All charges on your own. Reservations must be made by August 24 for this rate. There is a mandatory porterage gratuity of $7.50 per bag for all group arrivals. A portion of the trip fee will be considered a donation, and a receipt will be provided for tax purposes. The reservation deadline is July 30, 2012. Space is limited.
Registration. A signed and completed Registration Form, honored as received, along with a check providing full payment or payment by a credit card, is required to hold a place. Reservations may be taken by phone subject to the return of a signed registration form. Registrations are not transferrable unless written notification is made to Billy Wilson and is jointly agreed upon.
Responsibilities. The N.C. Museum of History Associates accepts no responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to sickness, weather, strikes, or other causes. All such losses must be borne by the participant. Personal effects are the sole responsibility of the owner. The Museum reserves the right to make changes in the published itinerary whenever, in the sole judgment of the tour leaders, conditions warrant or the leaders deem it necessary for the comfort, convenience, or safety of the tour. No refund will be made for unused portions of the tour. The Museum reserves the right to decline, accept, or retain any person as a member of the tour. Any person requiring extraordinary assistance must be accompanied by someone who can and will be totally responsible for providing all required assistance. Refunds are not applicable and are not recoverable for no-shows. A signed registration form indicates that the terms of this agreement have been read and accepted.
Past Tours 2011
Charleston Art and Antiques Forum
Are you interested in art and antiques? Thomas Day? George Washington? Charleston? Excellent speakers? Great food and drink? All of the above?
Join the History Associates for the Charleston Art and Antiques Forum, featuring renowned experts and wonderful tours, March 16-20 (Wednesday through Sunday) in Charleston, South Carolina.
The Associates is sponsoring a lecture on Thomas Day to be presented on Friday at the Forum in memory of our own Patricia Phillips Marshall. Pat was scheduled to speak on Thomas Day at the forum; David Ackerman of MESDA will be speaking on Day in her place and the lecture sponsored by the Associates will be given in her memory. Pat's book will also be on sale.
In addition to the lecture on Thomas Day, James Rees, president of Mount Vernon, will be speaking on George Washington--a subject near and dear to all our hearts! The keynote address on collecting tapestry in America will be given by Thomas P. Campbell, director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Other lecture and tour topics include:
- Furniture of Southeastern Pennsylvania
- Archeology at Jamestown
- Newport's architecture and interiors
- Philadelphia portraits
- an evening at the Roper house
- Charleston coin and sterling
- ...and more!
Called "the best fine and decorative arts program in the country today," the Charleston Art & Antiques Forum is a history lover's dream trip. And the programs on Thomas Day and George Washington make it all the more suitable for an Associates tour.
Our hotel will be the Mills House Hotel at 115 Meeting Street, a three-minute walk from the Forum venue at the Old Courtroom, which is part of the Confederate Home. The Mills House will also be host to all the Forum speakers and guests.
Your package will include four nights at the Mills House, the keynote address on Wednesday evening and all lectures, plus
- receptions before and after the keynote address with full bar and hors d'oeuvres
- coffee, fruit, pastries and juice each morning
- Roper House Study Tour and reception on Friday with full bar and hors d'oeuvres
- Forum connoisseur party at private home on Saturday evening with wine, prosecco and hors d'oeuvres
Optional events include walking tours on Wednesday, the grand opening of the Historic Charleston
Antique show on Thursday evening, and daily tickets to the antique show and café. The Associates will work with the Forum organizers to arrange private tours on Saturday as well.
Because of the generosity and flexibility of the Forum, we are able to offer this tour to Associates members at a special rate of $1500 per person, double occupancy; $1750 single. For more information, contact Lyn Maness at lmaness@ncmuseumassoc.com or 919-807-7855.
Past Tours 2009
Associates take exclusive Washington, DC trip
More than 25 Associates enjoyed an exclusive and unique tour of Washington, DC September 24-27, 2009. Former Senator Jim Broyhill and his wife, Louise, led the group on a round of private dinners, tours, and behind-the-scenes visits to the centers of power and culture in our national capital. Activities included:
- A private reception hosted by Senators Robert and Elizabeth Dole at their Watergate residence
- A tour of the newly renovated National Museum of American History with director and UNC grad Dr. Brent Glass
- A tour of the United States Capitol with Senator Broyhill and a presentation by the Senator on US Presidents
- A visit to the State Department Diplomatic Reception Rooms, some of the most historic and beautifully furnished rooms in the country
- A preview of the Real George Washington exhibit at Mount Vernon, scheduled to travel to the North Carolina Museum of History in September 2010
- Visits to the Smithsonian Castle, and the Air and Space Center at Dulles
- A tour of Washington’s monuments and Arlington Cemetery
- The opportunity to inspect the finished work of Chris Chadbourn Associates of Boston, exhibit designers for the Air and Space Museum and the Mount Vernon Museum and Education Center as well as the designer of our own Story of North Carolina exhibit
View event photos
Join the History Associates for the Charleston Art and Antiques Forum, featuring renowned experts and wonderful tours, March 16-20 (Wednesday through Sunday) in Charleston, South Carolina.
The Associates is sponsoring a lecture on Thomas Day to be presented on Friday at the Forum in memory of our own Patricia Phillips Marshall. Pat was scheduled to speak on Thomas Day at the forum; David Ackerman of MESDA will be speaking on Day in her place and the lecture sponsored by the Associates will be given in her memory. Pat's book will also be on sale.
In addition to the lecture on Thomas Day, James Rees, president of Mount Vernon, will be speaking on George Washington--a subject near and dear to all our hearts! The keynote address on collecting tapestry in America will be given by Thomas P. Campbell, director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Other lecture and tour topics include:
Our hotel will be the Mills House Hotel at 115 Meeting Street, a three-minute walk from the Forum venue at the Old Courtroom, which is part of the Confederate Home. The Mills House will also be host to all the Forum speakers and guests.
Your package will include four nights at the Mills House, the keynote address on Wednesday evening and all lectures, plus
