ESCAPE TO THE HUDSON HIGHLANDS FOR A WEEKEND GETAWAY AT THE HISTORIC BIRD & BOTTLE INN IN GARRISON

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GARRISON, New York (July 10, 2009) -- The historic Bird & Bottle Inn, located in the heart of the scenic Hudson Highlands, is the perfect spot for a weekend getaway. Little more than an hour’s drive from New York City, the inn offers weekend visitors a wide array of historical and cultural activities, shopping boutiques, antique stores and a world-class outlet center, as well as a huge selection of outdoor recreational activities, including hundreds of miles of hiking trails.

Originally opened as an inn and tavern in 1761, The Bird & Bottle boasts the welcoming ambiance of yesteryear, with beamed ceilings, wide plank floors, wood-burning fireplaces and antiques throughout. Today the inn is internationally recognized, not only as an important historic landmark, but also for its award-winning cuisine and wine list, and traditional Hudson Valley hospitality.

Overnight lodging is available in three upstairs rooms featuring traditional cast-iron or four-poster beds, Colonial furnishings and candle lit fireplaces. A separate cottage, similarly furnished and decorated, offers additional privacy and charm. With no phones, TV or internet in the guest rooms, weekend guests can truly relax and escape the pressures and pace of the 21st Century.

Art lovers visiting the region will never want for inspiration. A few miles south in Garrison is 20th-century designer Russel Wright’s home, Manitoga, which was carved out of an old quarry and is open for tours. A few miles north is Dia:Beacon, one of the world’s preeminent contemporary art museums which exhibits many major works of art from the 1960s to the present in the spectacularly restored Nabisco building on the east bank of the river. Those that favor the American decorative arts will enjoy touring Boscobel Restoration in Garrison and Crawford House in Newburgh. Storm King Art Center, located on 500 acres across the river in Mountainville, features an exceptional collection of contemporary outdoor sculpture.

For history lovers, what better place to start a tour of this historic and scenic area than at West Point, where graduates of the United States Military Academy have dedicated their lives to defending our homeland. Academy graduates include such well-known American generals as Custer, Grant, Lee, Pershing, Patton, Eisenhower, MacArthur and Schwarzkopf, each of whom led forces into battle at key moments in our nation’s history.

Guided tours aboard a West Point Tours coach begin at the Visitors Center, helping visitors understand a tradition of service that has been proudly preserved and honored. A not-to-be-missed stop on any tour of the USMA is the West Point Museum, considered to be the oldest and largest diversified public military collection in the Western Hemisphere.

Just south of West Point is Fort Montgomery, a Revolutionary War battlefield, where British troops attacked an American garrison that was defending the Hudson Highlands in October 1777. Though the American patriots eventually lost this battle, they delayed the British troops long enough to prevent them reaching Saratoga in time for the deciding battle of the Revolutionary War, which was won by the American forces.

Slightly to the north, the New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site, the final encampment of Washington’s Army, and Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site in Newburgh, underscore the little-known fact that General George Washington spent more time during the Revolutionary War in the Hudson Valley than in any other part of the American colonies.

There are many fascinating stops to make while exploring this area, including a tour of Constitution Island. After a short but scenic boat ride from the West Point dock, visitors are invited to tour Revolutionary War fortifications on the island, plus a 17-room cottage occupied by the Warner family in the mid-19th century.

From May through October, Hudson Highlands Cruises & Tours, Inc., and Hudson River Adventures offer narrated cruises through the history and beauty of the Highlands.

For those who prefer to do their touring by foot, Hudson Highlands State Park in Beacon, Black Rock Forest in Cornwall, and Fahnestock State Park in Philipstown offer short walks and longer hiking trails, as well as fishing and boating in season. Bear Mountain State Park features hiking, swimming, boating, fishing and ice skating in season, as well as rides on an old-fashioned carousel and visits to the Bear Mountain Zoo.

Outdoor recreational opportunities in the area include golfing on five area courses. Golf with a river view is available just down the road from the Bird & Bottle at the Garrison Golf Club. Outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy hundreds of miles of scenic trails throughout the area or kayak on the river. During the summer months, visitors can attend the widely acclaimed Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival on the stately grounds of Boscobel.

Visitors who like to mix a little shopping with their history and art will no doubt enjoy a spree at nearby Woodbury Common, the world’s largest outlet center with more than 220 stores. Fashioned after a colonial-style shopping village, the Common offers designer names like Giorgio Armani, Donna Karen, Tommy Hilfiger, as well as outlets for Mikasa, Williams-Sonoma and Waterford Crystal, to name a few.

Main Street shopping at its best is one of the delights of Cold Spring, a village on the east bank, with views of West Point from the public dock. Antique and crafts shops abound, as do boutique clothing stores and charming restaurants.

Horticulturists can pick from a number of lovely gardens to enjoy, including Stonecrop in Cold Spring. Created by Frank and Ann Cabot of the Garden Conservancy, Stonecrop is one of the most fascinating public gardens in the northeast, standing 1100 feet above the river in the Highlands. The garden at Boscobel features a brick walkway past an exquisite herb garden and perennial beds, to a formal rose garden that opens onto a great lawn with sweeping views of the Hudson River. Boscobel also offers a woodland trail that leads visitors on a one-mile walk by a stream and waterfall, with a gazebo for picnics overlooking Constitution Marsh.

An easy weekend getaway destination, The Bird & Bottle Inn is located on Route 9 in Garrison, just 10 miles north of the Bear Mountain Bridge, 30 miles north of White Plains and 50 miles north of midtown Manhattan. Dinner is served at The Bird & Bottle Thursdays through Saturdays from 6 to 10 pm and Sundays from 4 to 8 pm. A champagne brunch is served on Sundays from 11:30 am to 3 pm.

For more information or reservations at The Bird & Bottle Inn, call 845-424-2333 or go to www.thebirdandbottleinn.com.