Has anyone taken this tour?

I'm thinking about this trip for 2015. It looks interesting. There are no posts on this forum but someone must have taken this trip. If you did, did you enjoy it? What were the highlights? How were the hotels?

Comments

  • Hi Sue,

    I took this trip last year. I think it was the second date it was available, so that made it August in New York. That's a delightful time to be in that area, that is everywhere except NYC. Naturally the weather there was revolting.

    It's a lovely trip. Starting in Montreal which is a really gorgeous city. The route down the Hudson Vally is very interesting … very pretty and full of history. For someone who really appreciates good, natural ingredients cooked and served simply I found the food surprisingly good. NYC was a different kettle of fish, food wise, (how can I roll my eyes!) but I see Tauck have changed the NYC hotel. I'm sure the new hotel and location is a vast improvement all round on the previous dump. What else can you call a tourist trap at Times Square? Certainly not elegant … given what the City does have to offer. Personally, I have never been a fan (and doubt I'll ever change my mind) of New York, but that's just me. Give me Boston, San Francisco, Denver, Seattle … almost anywhere else, really. ;)

    The highlights … and there were many … were all along the road south. If I had to choose I'd say go early and enjoy some time in Montreal, then along the way I'd flag Lake Placid and the FDR home & Library. It's a great trip and well worth considering.

    Cheers,

    Jan
  • I was on the tour last month (October) and enjoyed it. I had been to Montreal and Lake Placid on earlier Tauck tours (it was nice revisiting them again), but the second half of the tour was all new to me (except NYC which I had lived in years ago and been to several times since). It was during the fall when the fall foliage was still out (beautiful and great weather); I would recommend taking the tour during the fall or spring; I agree with Jan that the summer months are too hot. The hotels that we stayed at were OK. The highlights of the tour for me was our visit to West Point and the three or four river/lake cruises we had on the tour (Lake Placid, Lake George, Hudson River). At the end of the tour, I extended my time in NYC in order to see some Broadway shows (all were terrific), but unfortunately the weather was mostly rainy there (no rain but sunny blue skies on the Tauck tour though. :-) ) and the hotel we are now at in NYC (Le Parker Meridien on West 57th street) is a bit of a walk down to the theatre district if one has any walking problems (I did at the time). Nevertheless, if one has never been through the Hudson Valley before, it is definitely worth seeing.
  • edited November 2014
    Just to clarify, I thought the August weather was delightful everywhere except in NYC. There it really was revolting. It was warm and sunny everywhere else ... very pleasant. And you are so right about those cruises. Just lovely.

    Cheers,

    Jan
  • Yes- we understand - no need to repeat - NYC is revolting IYO.
  • Well, that's not quite what I said, is it. We were talking about the weather in August. Perhaps you missed that. I did know that I was going to be in NY in August. And I did know that the weather in NY in August is revolting, particularly for someone who can't deal with humidity. But I freely chose to suck that up to be toured around NY by Tauck. I knew they'd do a good job. And I particularly wanted to visit the Frick. (You might need to look that up.)

    What I didn't say in either of my earlier posts was that 2 days out of NYC I had a fall and badly hurt my foot. So I had the rest of the Tauck tour and 5 more days in the City (especially to visit the Frick and one or two other unique galleries). I couldn't go outside the hotel at Union Square because of all the rushing, pushing, rude people. I'm sure they were all tourists, so don't blame yourself. And then there was the humidity. I could barely manage the foyer of the hotel because of all the rushing, pushing, rude people. I'm sure they were all tourists, so don't blame yourself. I didn't get to visit the Frick, or anywhere else, for that matter. By the time I arrived at JFK, I was delighted to be leaving. While I was moving through JFK, I was helped with a luggage cart, helped to negotiate escalators, helped with lifting my luggage to the bench at the security checking area, helped stand up, without a walking stick, in the x-ray thing, helped out of it and helped onto the plane ... all by total strangers, some of whom were no doubt New Yorkers. I was very grateful for the kindness of strangers.

    But I didn't tell you any of that. I said the weather in New York in August is revolting. If you want to interpret my comments another way, you feel free.

    I stand by my comments about this trip. It's a lovely part of the world and it's a journey worth taking.
  • Well said Jan. When words are taken out of context, and then get repeated through additional posts, the meaning of the original poster often gets lost. All of us who post to the forums try to be an asset to other Tauck travelers.
  • Thank you Jan and tomh for the information. I will be booking soon and plan to go in October. I have been to Montreal several times with Tauck so will spend my Gift of Time day in NYC and hope to see a play. I have also been to NYC several times but it has been many years and I am anxious to see the 9/11 museum as the last time I was there the World Trade Center was still standing. That tells you how long it has been.

    I know New York can be a hassle but I live in Chicago which is a little more laid back but is still a bustling city so I am used to that. And we have similar weather.

    Jan, I hope your foot has completely healed. It is terrible to get sick or have an accident while on vacation!
  • edited November 2014
    Hi Sue,

    Glad you decided to book this one. It's a great trip through wonderful countryside and via some important historical sites. I'm sure you will really enjoy the experience. I do understand "enjoy" is not a word you align with anything to do with 9/11. Perhaps experience or empathise would work better there.

    As for the saga of the foot..... Travelling solo can have its downside. Yes, I know I could have done the same thing at home, but when you're in pain and in a foreign country with no one to help or even tell you things aren't as bad as they look, it is very daunting. Except for the wonderful strangers, bless their hearts, I don't know how I'd have coped. (I mean that in the Northern way.) It does make you wary of putting yourself into a place like that again. I don't think we will ever get back to the way we were, my foot and I, but I guess I can't really expect to be as nimble as I was when I first started travelling .... all those years ago. And changes in the weather remind me It's still in charge. Oh the joys of growing up!

    I haven't been to Chicago. Everyone tells me it's a fabulous place. One of these years I'd love to do the Tauck Jazz event if it's still offered. I don't think they do that till the Autumn which would suit me better than August, by the sound of it!

    (Very sweet of you to ask after the rotten trotter, Sue. ;))

    Cheers,

    Jan
  • jdurkin wrote:
    Well, that's not quite what I said, is it. We were talking about the weather in August. Perhaps you missed that. I did know that I was going to be in NY in August. And I did know that the weather in NY in August is revolting, particularly for someone who can't deal with humidity. But I freely chose to suck that up to be toured around NY by Tauck. I knew they'd do a good job. And I particularly wanted to visit the Frick. (You might need to look that up.)

    What I didn't say in either of my earlier posts was that 2 days out of NYC I had a fall and badly hurt my foot. So I had the rest of the Tauck tour and 5 more days in the City (especially to visit the Frick and one or two other unique galleries). I couldn't go outside the hotel at Union Square because of all the rushing, pushing, rude people. I'm sure they were all tourists, so don't blame yourself. And then there was the humidity. I could barely manage the foyer of the hotel because of all the rushing, pushing, rude people. I'm sure they were all tourists, so don't blame yourself. I didn't get to visit the Frick, or anywhere else, for that matter. By the time I arrived at JFK, I was delighted to be leaving. While I was moving through JFK, I was helped with a luggage cart, helped to negotiate escalators, helped with lifting my luggage to the bench at the security checking area, helped stand up, without a walking stick, in the x-ray thing, helped out of it and helped onto the plane ... all by total strangers, some of whom were no doubt New Yorkers. I was very grateful for the kindness of strangers.

    But I didn't tell you any of that. I said the weather in New York in August is revolting. If you want to interpret my comments another way, you feel free.

    I stand by my comments about this trip. It's a lovely part of the world and it's a journey worth taking.

    Why must you continue with your posts? You have made it very clear that you do not like Manhattan.
  • kfnknfzk wrote:
    Why must you continue with your posts? You have made it very clear that you do not like Manhattan.
    Quite possibly because people like you insist on misinterpreting what I actually said. Of course, if English is not your first language, reading my post carefully might help with comprehension. Good heavens, wars have been started because of misinterpretation. Hopefully most of them never reach the eye or ear of a politician … or even a wanna be polly!

    You have a nice day, bless your heart.
  • Please let's try to keep it civil, folks. No need to snipe at each other or bicker. I'm locking this thread -- if anyone would like to start a conversation about the Hudson Valley trip, please feel free to open a new one.

    -Tim
This discussion has been closed.