Southern Region

Mountains, forests, streams and waterfalls comprise the setting of the Catskill Mountains area. All the outdoor recreational options are available here, plus festivals for the musical ear. As an introduction, a scenic train ride through the area is available on the Delaware and Delaware and Ulster Railride, based in Arkville. Barryville is home to Wild and Scenic River Tours and Rentals, which offer whitewater canoeing, rafting, tubing and kayak trips on the Delaware River. Those who prefer to dry ground can choose the Catskill Scenic Trail in Stamford consisting of 19 miles amenable to hiking and biking.

The nation's premier artists, authors and statesmen have been inspired for more than two centuries by the Hudson Valley with its vistas, farmland, riverside towns, architecture, antiques and arts. Cottages, mansions and landscaped gardens also characterize the area. For an Oriental perspective, the Chuang Yen Monastery in Carmel offers a hall of no fewer than 10,000 Buddha statues surrounding one of the largest of their kind in the Western Hemisphere.

New York City is the largest metropolis in the United States, as well as the business, entertainment and publishing capital of the nation. Boasting the country's greatest number of galleries and museums as well as entertainment centers, world championship professional sports teams, shopping and fine cuisine, New York City's attractions and amenities seem inexhaustible.

Long Island's ocean beaches lure sunbathers, swimmers, surfers and fishers. Claiming to be the nation's Gold Coast, the island also offers boardwalk festivals, quiet flatlands and dunes, a deep maritime history and wineries. The Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum in Cold Spring Harbor houses artifacts of the 19th Century whaling era, including implements and scrimshaw.