Beyond the grounds of The Locusts lays the picturesque Hudson River Valley and its numerous sights and activities.
The town of Hyde Park is home to several major historical sites. The restored birthplace of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the FDR Library and Museum, and the Eleanor Roosevelt Mansion all help to illustrate the former president's life on the Hudson. In addition, the 212-acre Vanderbilt estate is open to the public and stands as one of the most magnificent mansions in the region. After taking in the area's history, the Culinary Institute of America offers five gourmet restaurants open to the public. On the way back to The Locusts, the 65-room Mills mansion in Staatsburg is worth a stop.
With 437 sites listed on the National Register, Rhinebeck embraces one of the nation's largest historic districts. The Wilderstein Preservation and the Beekman Arms, the oldest continuously operating U.S. hotel, are all within a ten-minute drive from The Locusts. At the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome visitors can choose to either watch an air show or take to the skies themselves with fifty-dollar biplane rides over the rambling farms and winding roads that define the Rhinebeck landscape.
There are at least ten Culinary Institute of America owned and staffed restaurants in the towns of Hyde Park and Rhinebeck, both located less than ten minutes away from The Locusts.
Loeb Art Center - Located on the Vassar College campus, the Frances Lehman Loeb Art gallery is home to the institution's collection of over 15,000 works.
Slabsides - The rustic retreat of naturalist John Burroughs. Now surrounded by a nature sanctuary, the cabin - inside and out - looks exactly as it did when the influential writer was there.
Poets' Walk Park - The 120-acre Poets' Walk Park is a rare intact example of the Romantic style of landscape design and offers superb views of the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains.
Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College - No building in the Hudson Valley is more modern - yet pays more homage to the region's beauty - than the Fisher Center, which opened in May 2003.
Opus 40 - A monumental environmental sculpture encompassing more than six acres. Painstakingly crafted over 37 years by one man, it affords superb views of nearby Overlook Mountain.
The numerous trails that thread through the grounds of both Mills and Norrie State Parks - adjacent to The Locusts - are ideal for walking, jogging, hiking, cycling, cross country skiing, and snow shoeing - treating visitors to fabulous views of the Hudson River which runs directly along the parks' western boundaries.
Golfers can play at a championship golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones at James Baird State Park, or at the Dinsmore Golf Course at Mills-Norrie State Park, one of the oldest public courses in the nation.
The Dutchess Wine Trail leads you past the vineyards, orchards and farms that provide the bounty of the beautiful Hudson River Valley. Along the way, sample wines that have gained international recognition while you tour wine cellars and chat with owners and winemakers.
The Dutchess Wine Trail takes you to Alison Wines & Vineyards, Clinton Vineyards & Winery and Millbrook Vineyards & Winery, all within a half hour of each other.
1869 Bardavon Opera House, Poughkeepsie
Vassar Powerhouse Theater, Poughkeepsie
Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck
