Soft Adventure Tours

Day One:

Wake up early and watch the sunrise over the magnificent Hudson Valley from a hot air balloon ride with Blue Sky Balloon Rides, Beacon. See unparalleled beauty as you glide for an hour over mountains, quaint towns, and the striking Hudson River. Blue Sky Balloons has been giving its customers a “bird’s-eye view” for over thirty years with a perfect safety record.

Grab some lunch at one of Rhinebeck’s many fine restaurants; then, see the Hudson River up close in all its splendor with Rhinebeck Kayak’s Hudson River Tours. No experience is necessary to enjoy the changing scenery and majestic beauty of the Hudson. Guests have the option of choosing one of three small group tours, each offering a taste of the Hudson River’s rich scenery, history, native birds, and wildlife.

After dining at one of the six award-winning restaurants at the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, you’ll find the evening has just begun. Drive south and spend your night at Overlook Golf & Recreation Center, Poughkeepsie. Here, there’s something to keep everyone happy: a golf driving range, 18-hole miniature golf course, 10 lighted baseball/softball batting cages, a go-cart track, and even bumper boats.

Day Two:

Begin your day as you would in the “Old West.” Head over to Millerton for a unique western riding experience with Western Riding Stables, Inc. Western Riding Stables hosts a variety of activities to satisfy everyone from the novice rider to the expert. Here you can spend part of your day on a trail ride, or take a camping trip overnight. Riding lessons are offered for people of all ages, with pony and hay/sleigh rides available for small children or older guests. Stargazers and couples alike can also enjoy a romantic moonlight ride.

Have lunch and go on a free tour and tasting at Cascade Mountain Winery & Restaurant, Amenia. Spend the rest of your afternoon at the oldest licensed shooting grounds in the nation, Orvis Sandanona Shooting Grounds, Millbrook. Here you can shoot clay pigeons or enjoy the serenity of the great outdoors by going fly-fishing at near-by Ten Mile River.

Finish your day by watching a gorgeous sunset over the splendid Hudson Valley from the top of 90-foot Stissing Mountain Fire Tower, Pine Plains. Reached by hiking trails at the base of the mountain, the final elevation reaches 1,492 feet. Here you can see views of New York from Albany, all the way to Bear Mountain. Gaze at the Catskill Mountains as you watch eagles, hawks, and crows in flight.