WEST POINT OFFERS U.S. MILITARY HISTORY
MIXED WITH TOURS OF
NEW YORK'S HUDSON HIGHLANDS

On March 16, 1802, President Thomas Jefferson signed legislation creating the United States Military Academy at West Point. Celebrating the bicentennial of this historic event in 2002, visitors to the 16,000-acre
West Point campus will find American history and military traditions amidst the scenic wonders of the Hudson Highlands, often called the most beautiful part of New York's Hudson Valley.

What better time than West Point's bicentennial year to pay tribute to
those who have dedicated their lives to defending the land of freedom?

By June of 2002, when members of the Bicentennial Class throw their hats in the air, approximately 60,000 cadets will have graduated from the Academy's rigorous academic and military training.

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 U.S. history.
Whether taking a guided bus tour of the Academy aboard West Point Tours, or following maps provided at the Visitors Center and exploring on foot, be prepared for visiting a past that has been proudly preserved and honored.
Bicentennial banners are flying throughout the Academy, amidst proud flags and statues memorializing America's heroes.
Along with regularly scheduled events, such as the ever-popular Army home football games in the fall, many events are planned in commemoration of the Bicentennial. The USMA Band, Cadet Glee
Club, the USMA Hellcats and the Herald Trumpets will perform traditional West Point music and pieces commissioned for the Bicentennial at a special private concert in New York City's famed Carnegie Hall on March 15, 2002.

Eisenhower Hall, with its 4,400-seat auditorium, invites the public to
celebrate West Point in film, featuring Hollywood classics from October
2001-April 2002, along with their regular schedule of Broadway shows and concerts.

There are many fascinating stops to make while visiting West Point,
including a tour of Constitution Island. After a short but scenic boat ride,
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.

Another 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. In commemoration of the Bicentennial, the museum features a special exhibition entitled Timeless Treasures: 200 Years of West Point Memories.

Host to more than three million visitors each year, the Military Academy
lies within the scenic Hudson Highlands, one of the Hudson Valley's richest areas for history, culture and outdoor recreation.
From May to 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,
Bear Mountain State Park, Black Rock Forest in Cornwall and Fahnestock State Park in Philipstown, offer short walks and long hikes, as well as fishing and boating in season. Nearby Storm King Art Center in Mountainville features an exceptional collection of contemporary sculpture in one of the United State's premier outdoor sculpture galleries.

History buffs have much to choose from with several nearby historic sites, including Boscobel Restoration in Garrison and Crawford House (1830) in Newburgh. 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.

Just south of West Point is a little known battlefield that will open to
the general public in October 2002. Here, in October, 1777 at Fort
Montgomery, British troops attacked an American garrison that
was gallantly defending the Hudson Highlands. In fact, a mini-"Civil War" occurred during that battle when American loyalists fought American patriots.

Visitors who like to mix a little shopping with their history 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 opposite shore, with views of West Point from the public
dock. Antique and crafts shops abound, as do boutique clothing stores and charming restaurants. Shopping is also fun in the quaint atmosphere of Sugar Loaf Crafts Village, where resident craft artists demonstrate and sell their works.

Whatever your pleasure, celebrating the Bicentennial of West Point by
visiting the United States Military Academy and the scenic Hudson Highlands in New York's Hudson River Valley will be a trip
both memorable and enjoyable.

To reach West Point by RV from the New York State Thruway northbound, take exit 16 at Harriman and proceed east on Routes 202/6, then follow signs north on Route 9W. From the Thruway Southbound, take exit 17 onto I-84 east. Take exit 10, follow 9W South 15 miles to the second West Point exit. From the Taconic State Parkway, take Route 6 west to the Bear Mountain Parkway, over the Bear Mountain Bridge and then north on Route 9W.

Group tours of the military academy can be arranged by calling West Point Tours at 845-561-2671.

To obtain a Hudson Valley travel guide, call 1-800-232-4782 or visit the
website at http://www.hvnet.com, http://www.travelhudsonvalley.org, http://www.hudsonriver.com, or http://www.iloveny.com/hudsonvalley.

Information about the West Point Bicentennial is available at on-line at
http://www.usma.edu/bicentennial, or by calling the West Point Visitors Center at (845)-938-2638.

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