HIDDEN TREASURES OF THE HUDSON VALLEY - VOLUME TWO

In this second volume of the "Hidden Treasures of the Hudson Valley" series, the author uncovers another 55 sites located throughout an eight-county region that, while not mainstream tourist destinations boast intriguing ties to our nation's history. Some of the locales are located within plain sight while others are off the beaten path.

Read about and visit the West Point Foundry where during the Civil War the Parrott Cannon was developed and manufactured. Discover where the "cradle of the American circus" was established and dine in an 18th century tavern that was used as a military prison for the British spy that conspired with American traitor Benedict Arnold. Read about the estates of a renowned American poet, the 1920s-era New York Yankees owner who acquired Babe Ruth and a New York governor that participated in the only presidential election in U.S. history where both the Democrat and Republican candidates reared from the same county.

See a show at the theater that featured a groundbreaking performance that influenced the creation of the popular television sitcom "I Love Lucy." And learn about a mansion that when built was so opulent that it inspired the idiom "keeping up with the Joneses." Visit the home, formal gardens and horse-drawn carriage collection of a wealthy investor and philanthropist who transformed a 1,200-acre farm into an eloquent country estate.

Troutbeck, the home of Joel Spingarn holds the distinction of being the site where the NAACP was founded while Wilderstein was home to FDR's cousin and close confidant Daisy Suckley. Tour two properties that served as both home and studio for founding members of the legendary Hudson River School of Art.

Relive local and natural history at sites often overlooked; now dubbed "hidden treasures of the Hudson Valley."