Playing a pivotal role in the history of America, The Hudson River Valley is where the war for American Independence was waged. Today, it is a cradle of beauty, a landscape so rich it gave birth to America’s first art school. A rural getaway for New Yorkers, The Hudson Valley has a number of regions, each with its own character. There is hiking in the Catskills and the fragile pine forests of the Shawangunks, browsing through the antique shops of New Paltz, fine dining at the Culinary Institute of America, and wine tasting at one of 35 wineries. Some come simply to tour the great mansions and estates built during the Golden Era, when America’s legendary families, the Vanderbilts, Roosevelts and Rockefellers, all lived and vacationed here.

For more information go to: www.hudsonrivervalley.org.

One of the wealthiest enclaves in America, Connecticut’s Greenwich is 50 square miles of rural beauty coupled with 32 miles of pristine shoreline on peaceful Long Island Sound. Upscale dining and shopping is found along Greenwich Avenue and picturesque Victorian and Colonial homes in the neighborhoods of Old Greenwich and Belle Haven. Plush estates and yacht-filled harbors attract New York City commuters and vacationers alike.

For more information go to: www.greenwichchamber.com.