25 years - A Pictorial Celebration

[mrs.dr.ron]

I like places with a dress code ! I guess you didnt see jeans/T shirts in the dining room at night !

 

[amaroo]

I like places with a dress code and I presume you didnt see jeans and a T shirt in the dining room !

Thats what I like about cruising SIlverseas - a dress code for dinner !!

Everyone complied with the request. The ladies were looking a million dollars and so were the blokes.

The Wednesday and Saturday black tie harks back to when the Rockefeller's owned the property

 

[amaroo]

The Pub!

After lunch we tried our hand at a few games - this place has them all, the ultimate playground! The best thing - it never shuts You want something at 2am in the morning, no worries - it's delivered. You will see a sample of this later on....

The bar is self serve, if you run out or want something different - it's just a phone call away.











The game safe....



Puzzle table



These are the best puzzles we've come across - Stave Puzzles. Hand made timber pieces, original artwork and no picture guide!

These puzzles have a bit of a cult following, they sell from hundreds to many thousands of dollars - worth a google if you're a puzzle fan.





The finished product!

 

[amaroo]

This place is the Bomb !! What a cracking joint

It only gets better CM.... wait till you see the pub!

 

[craven morehead]

Yep !! I'm near enough lost for words now ........ and that takes some doing Just super impressive really glad to be able to have a look at it to be honest.

 

[amaroo]

Some pics of the Great Hall ... pretty much looking as it did when it was built nearly 90 years ago. Right down to the table setting....







Yep, we ended up back here at the end of the second night - we passed on the s'mores though Shared the fire with people from Germany, Canada, and USA.

 

[amaroo]

Every night at turndown they leave a daily four page brochure outlining different things and activities one can do the next day, inspiration quotes, and snippets of the The Point and the Adirondacks. These caught my eye....

 

[amaroo]

First activity of the day was taking one of the electric boats out for a cruise around the lake. These littles beauties have two batteries that last around 2hours.

Majority of the shoreline is pine trees, but you can see the foliage trying to break out here and there.



















The slippery dips are used in summer and winter. The lake freezes in winter providing a different kind of slippery dip ride.

 

[amaroo]

We were lucky enough to spot some Loons .... they make a very distinctive sound and can dive for a very long time.









Another one of The Point's electric cruisers out enjoying the lake





About to dock at the BoatHouse



Back on dry land

 

[amaroo]

We then made tracks for Whiteface Mountain - it's just over an hour from the point.



Some nice views on the way







The Mountain isn't that high at 4867 ft, but it does have an interesting history. Prior to the great Depression NY State had plans to build a toll road to the area, however it took the then NY Gov, Franklin D. Roosevelt to get things happening, and he didn't stop at a toll road. They built a castle near the top, and a tunnel and lift shaft, so the summit could be reached.

1940 The US Army 10th Mountain Division was based here and it's where the soldiers were taught to ski, prior to this skiing wasn't a major recreational sport in the US ..... the industry really took off once the 10th Mountain Division returned from the war.

It also hosted the Alpine Ski events for the 1980 Olympics,



Visibility was shot about half way up.



The crazy 424 foot tunnel to a lift shaft in the middle of a mountain.




Apparently, on a good day you can see the skyscrapers of Montreal .... not today though.

 

[amaroo]

We took a different route back to The Point..... beautiful colours! Pity about the phone camera ..... sometimes convenience doesn't pay.



Love this mid-century roadside diner - American classic!



The small blackboard sign in the window says - Closed for the season, see you in May 2020

 

[amaroo]

Our last night was fun, plenty of friends at the bonfire backed up with a few games at the pub.... somehow this was delivered around 2am



The foliage reports were pretty accurate, the area we were in hit peak change right on cue. Amazing how quickly the colour changes, and how quickly the leaves start dropping.



Pretty much all over within a matter of days. As you can see other areas in NY hit their straps at different times. Without the car - our foliage experience would have been pretty restricted and limited.



The following three pics give you an idea how quickly the colour changes....

Taken on the day we arrived, poor photo, but the tree on the left is the one you want to take a look at. Bit of red, but still plenty of green



Taken on the 2nd day...



Taken on the 4th day - the day we left .... you can see the leaves have already started to drop.

 

[amaroo]

What can I say about The Point - We Loved It! We'd be very happy to stay again.... this time in the extreme of winter. We'd like to visit with the kids, but given no kids under the age of 18 (unless you book the entire property) and 21 is probably the logical minimum age - we have a few years to plan it.

If this sort of property / experience is something you like - I'd highly recommend you come to The Point. 3 nights is the perfect stay, and the minimum number of nights I would book.



The drive to NYC was spectacular!

 

[amaroo]

The drive to Downtown Manhattan took just over 6 hours. With some nice sights on the way.






Gov Mario M. Cuomo Bridge ... looked like some major works were just being completed on this bridge.





Henry Hudson Bridge took us from the Bronx over to Manhattan.



We took the Henry Hudson Parkway, which turned into 12 Avenue, which turned into West Street the whole down Manhattan to our hotel located at Barclay and Church Streets ..... which is right beside the Woolworth Building







Where we unloaded the car, checked in and then returned the hire car to 11th and Broadway. This was my first time driving in Manhattan - very easy and orderly compared to other capitals cities I've driven through.

The road tolls have just come through on the Amex, all up US$47.

 

[amaroo]

Four Seasons Downtown

Our FSP agent did their magic with this one, upgrade on booking, that became another upgrade at check-in ... stay 3 / pay 2 deal that was not publicly available ... US$100 daily breakfast allowance at CUT ... US$100 spa credit, and late checkout. Given we were departing on QF 12, this is one of life's little bonuses.

Plus this was added for the icing on the cake!



Hudson Suite - 84m2 floor plan, a total luxury for NYC!



This suite came with a second bathroom with a shower - perfect for when travelling with young children.



It also came with spectacular views!

 

[amaroo]

We don't normally eat in hotel restaurants, but given we had a BIG one the night before, backed up with a 6 hour drive, and then hours of walking and shopping lower Manhattan - we decided to eat at the Four Seasons Downtown, CUT by Wolfgang Puck. We've eaten at a few of his places and they've all been pretty good.

We were a little jaded, but this restaurant was excellent. They were happy to split meals (it was pushing 10pm) and served quite possibly the best steak I've ever eaten!

The menu



Boston Big Eye Tuna



House made Porcini Mushroom Cappelletti - absolutely delicious



American Wagyu Beef - Snake River Farms, Idaho - jam packed with flavour! Hand cut Burgundy truffle french fries and some greens.



Can't remember this one, but it was superb.



After a 6 hours drive all I was thinking was - you complete me

 

[amaroo]

A selection of breakfast served at Cut







Day 2 - we went out the door and walked...

The FS is right beside / behind the Woolworth building.... this is one view most don't get to see of the WW building. The space between the two buildings is a laneway garden / seating area, would be a nice place to sit and take it all in.





Some funnies .... it's not the same SB that infects Sydney



This was painful to watch. A construction crew and truck driver that just couldn't work together, pedestrians that wouldn't stop, and a site access that can only be described as very, very difficult, and all on Broadway.... working in the big city! They blocked traffic well before we arrived and it was still blocked 10mins later when we left.

 

[amaroo]

Union Square Park




Petco store / kitchen just off Union Sq Park. How's this for a kitchen ... 3* meals for your dog.



Madison Square Park



St Patrick's Cathedral



They had a terrific exhibition about the history of the Cathedral and New York.

Some big numbers in this list...



Do you think it's the same one?

 

[Flying mermaid]

I like places with a dress code ! I guess you didnt see jeans/T shirts in the dining room at night !

Americans seem to like dress codes in their wild areas . The Ahwahnee in Yosemite had a dress code for evenings and a pianist. A bit odd when you are looking out for bears in the day and then dressing up and listening to a pianist in the evenings, but it worked

 

[amaroo]

Eleven Madison Park. Voted the best restaurant in the World, 3 Michelin star .... you name it!

This meal had it all - the night didn't start well, things improved through the middle, but the finish was just spectacular!

The restaurant isn't the easiest one to book, you need to sign up and book via a third party called Tock, tables are pretty well snapped within seconds of release, you need to pay the full amount at booking, and the booking is non-refundable.

I hope you like food and wine photos.... we went with the 10 course meal with matching wines.