New York State
Getting there: The Catskills are about 3hrs and 100 miles from New York on the I87.
Accommodation: a huge variety, from dude ranches to bed and breakfast, hotels and camping. Examples include the Beekham Arms, Rhinebeck, America’s oldest hotel dating from 1766. Room rates start from $130 a night. Woodstock Lodge, Country Club Lane, Woodstock, costs from $100 a night. Alternatively, the Howard Johnson and Super 8 motel chains both have outlets in Saugerties, 10 miles from Woodstock.
Hiking: The Catskill Centre for Conservation can advise on hiking trails. Tel: 001 914 586 2611. Alternatively, try the Kingston Visitor Centre on 001 914 331 9506.
Catskill Mountain Railway: hourly from 9am-6pm, price $6.
Culinary Institute of America: On Route 9 south of Hyde Park.