Visitors to Greene County may want to begin with a stroll down Catskill's all-American Main Street. The Catskill Chamber of Commerce (at 327 Main St.) has created a self-guided walking tour to help visitors identify the town's original buildings and their early uses. Main Street has since been upgraded, with six of its buildings recently converted to art galleries. Catskill has also been repositioning itself and Main Street as a Mecca for high-end and individually designed home furnishing and accessories. At the end of Main Street you willl find historic Catskill Point. America's first vacationers would disembark here after their river journey up from New York City. The Point is now a riverfront park, which hosts a small maritime museum and a weekend artisan's and farmers market as well as concerts and events from May through October.

To get a sense of the beauty and history of this area, stop by the Thomas Cole Historic Site (left). Located in Catskill near the river's edge, at the west end of the Rip Van Winkle Bridge. The site includes Cole's house and studio. It chronicles the Hudson River School's history from 1825, when Cole first came to the area, to his later inspiration of artists such as Frederic Church, who continued the movement into the late 1800s. During that period the house, known as Cedar Grove, served as a meeting place and incubator for some of the most prominent artists of the day.

The Cole historic site also serves as the first stop on the Hudson River School Art Trail, which leads visitors to seven of the exact vistas depicted in some of the movement's paintings, including Cole's Falls of Kaaterskill. All the sites lie within 15 miles of Cedar Grove; a few require hiking.

Just a 15-minute drive from Cedar Grove, across the Rip Van Winkle Bridge, is Olana, the Persian-style fantasy home of Cole's apprentice, Frederic Church. The mansion was built on a mountaintop between 1870 and 1891 amid 250 acres of grand Catskill vistas. Church designed the home's furniture and filled the house with paintings, sculptures, and tapestries highlighting great civilizations. The house and its contents remain largely unchanged from Church's day.

Another interesting historic site is the Bronck Museum Complex, which includes the Hudson River Valley's oldest surviving house, built in 1663 and an addition built in 1738. Both showcase 18th- and 19th-century furniture, art, and textiles. Two barns, including a unique 13-sided barn, have also been restored and are open to the public.

Golf is also one of Greene County's most popular warm-weather activities, with nine courses spread throughout the county. Among the longest is the 7,072-yard Christman's Windham House Country Inn and Golf Resort. This course opened in 2003 and offers five sets of tee boxes, a golf school, driving range, multiple putting greens, and lodging.

Also in Greene County is the Windham Country Club, which offers a 6,024-yard, par-71 course rated three-and-a-half stars by Golf Digest magazine. Other courses include the challenging mountain course at the Blackhead Mountain Lodge and Country Club and the tamer, par-66 Sunny Hill Resort and Golf Course.

And whether it's biking, hiking, boating, fishing, or camping, those who love the outdoors will want to explore Greene County's many mountain trails and waterways.

Mountain bikers will find rare, lift-assisted downhill and cross-country riding with bike and helmet rental on Hunter Mountain from July through October. Other outfitters on the mountaintop will also rent bikes and provide trail maps.

Hikers will find plenty of terrain to explore here, like the two-mile trek to the 4,040-foot Hunter Mountain summit and fire tower, offering 360-degree views of the Catskills. Smaller hikes include the 3/4-mile hike to the 15-foot Diamond Notch Falls and the half-mile hike to the famous Kaaterskill Falls.

Fishermen can test their skills in Greene County's 50 wild trout streams, encompassing over 220 miles of fishing. Brook, brown, and rainbow trout abound in the East Kill, Catskill, Schoharie, and Ten Mile creeks. Weekly regional, state and national level bass fishing tournaments take place in the riverfront villages of Catskill, Athens, and Coxsackie from May through October. Novices to the sport can enlist the help of Greene County charter boat and fly-fishing outfitters.

Boaters, canoe paddlers, and kayakers can find plenty of local launch, docking, and rental facilities such as the Riverview Marine Services and CD Lane Park with canoe and kayak rental available.

Recreational vehicle and drive-up campers will also find more than a dozen campgrounds throughout Greene County, with back-country camping available at North-South Lake.

And, of course, wintertime brings some of the state's best skiing to Greene County in the form of Hunter and Windham Mountains. Both mountains provide more than 3,000 feet of elevation, 1,600 feet of vertical drop, and 100 percent snowmaking coverage. Lodging on the mountaintop is provided by dozens of independent hotels, motels and bed and breakfasts.

(Click on the links to our profiles of Hunter and Windham for further details about each destination.)

One of the most convenient places to stay for golf and skiing is Christman's Windham House Country Inn and Golf Resort (left). This elegant country inn offers an 18-hole championship course and nine-hole family course as well as five colonial-style guest buildings on 300 acres. Guests enjoy a two-mile blazed hiking trail, swimming pool, tennis court, and indoor recreation room. The inn is one mile from the hamlet of Windham and one of Greene County's main ski resorts. Rates range from $86 to $150 per night, depending on the season and room.

In the heart of the town of Catskill, and close to its riverfront park, sits the charming Day House Bed & Breakfast. Rarely will you find such an elegantly appointed bed and breakfast as this 1791 Georgian Mansion located on Catskill's Main Street. The mansion was completely renovated in 2003 and offers two guest rooms with Internet connections, flat-panel televisions, air conditioning, and fine linens. One of the guest rooms offers a private sitting area, and both share a bath. A meticulously manicured lawn, garden, and back patio add to the experience; it's certainly one of the more upscale and elegant private bed and breakfasts you'll find.

Or you can stay on Hunter Mountain at the new Kaatskill Mountain Club. This state-of-the-art facility offers a year-round, outdoor heated pool, two Jacuzzis, around-the-clock staff, workout room, and full-service spa. In the summer guests enjoy lift-assisted mountain biking; in the winter, ski-in/ski-out convenience. The facility also features Van Winkle's restaurant, which has an open kitchen and a Culinary Institute of America-trained chef. Rooms range from $150 for efficiencies during the spring and summer to $500 for two bedrooms during the winter.

In addition to those listed above, Greene County has cabins, condominiums, full-service family resorts, historic inns, farm accommodations, motels for every budget, and more than 30 bed and breakfasts.

Click on the links to our profiles of Hunter and Windham for further lodging details.

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Christman's Windham House Restaurant, open to Christman's resort guests and the general public, is a treat for the senses. The casual ambiance doesn't begin to suggest the quality of the food. A local chef, who worked many years abroad before returning to the area, offers such entrees as roast duck with braised red cabbage and a raspberry ginger thyme sauce as well as a classic southern French stew, seafood bouillabaisse, with shrimp, scallops, mussels, and saffron. Various tapas and salads, including a warm bacon and spinach salad, are also among the treats.

For something a little more casual but still upscale, try Catskill's Bell's Cafe. Bell's is a crisp yet old-time cafe with a high tin ceiling and tall windows looking onto Main Street. Inside you'll find items such as a couscous salad with zucchini, eggplant, olives, tomatoes and onions, and a host of "panini" (sandwiches on grilled Italian ciabatta bread) including a roast pork sandwich with apple butter and caramelized onions. And if you're really hungry, try the unique selection of half-pound, hand-formed burgers, like the Asian burger with basil mayonnaise.

And for a truly down-home, riverside diner, try Ursula's in Athens. Across the street from the Hudson River, Ursula's friendly, no-frills interior and diner prices make it a welcome spot for any visitor.

If you find yourself down at Catskill's waterfront park, stroll over to the adjacent Catskill Point Restaurant. This casual restaurant/bar has a full pub menu along with a wraparound deck overlooking the Hudson River and live music during warm weather weekends.

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Greene County is known more for daytime activities than nightlife, but the occasional live band can be found and theater performances abound. There are even several old-fashioned drive-in movie theatres.

Many of the area's full-service resorts offer nighttime entertainment, and well-known regional bands perform during the summer months at the riverfront parks.

Year-round dance, theater and classical music performances can be found at the Catskill Mountain Foundation Arts Center in Hunter. Movie buffs will enjoy the Catskill Mountain Foundation Movie Theatre, also in Hunter, which shows foreign and independent films on one screen and Hollywood blockbusters on another. The Community Theatre in Catskill also shows a series of independent films.

Most of the traditional bar and lounge nightlife is found in the mountaintop areas of Hunter and Tannersville, particularly in wintertime.

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AIR: Greene County and Catskill are approximately 40 minutes drive from the Albany International Airport. Direct flights to Albany from New York City are approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes. Flights from Newark and Boston clock in at approximately 1 hour, with flights from Chicago taking roughly 2 hours and 10 minutes.

CAR: Drive time from New York City is roughly 2 hours and 20 minutes with Newark coming in at 2 hours, and Philadelphia taking approximately 4-1/4 hours.

CAR RENTAL: Car rentals are available at the Albany International Airport from Avis (800-331-1212), Budget (800-527-0700), Enterprise (800-261-7331), Hertz (800-654-3131) and Alamo (800-462-5266). Car rentals from Enterprise can be arranged at the Metro-North/Amtrak station in Poughkeepsie (approximately 1 hour from the village of Catskill) and at the Amtrak station in Hudson (approx. 10 minutes from the village of Catskill). Enterprise is also located in Catskill at Bengal Motors and can be reached at (518) 943-0028.

TRAIN: Amtrak offers a 2-hour direct train from New York's Penn Station to Hudson, New York, which is 9 miles outside of Catskill. Other trains with connections in New York City are offered from Philadelphia and Newark. Travel times vary from 3 to 4-1/2 hours, depending on the connection delay.

BUS: Adirondack Trailways provides daily service from the Port Authority Terminal in New York City with stops in Catskill (corner of Main Street and Rt. 385) Palenville, Cairo, Hunter, and Windham. The journey may take upwards of 3 hours due to stops and transfers. Greyhound offers an 8-hour and 20-minute bus from Philadelphia, and a 7-hour bus from Newark.

TAXI: Numerous local taxi companies, such as A & R Taxi (518-943-6666), serve Catskill and the Greene County area. Check the local yellow pages for additional listings or click under "Community Services" at www.greenetourism.com.

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With many activities spread across the county and region, you'll want to consider which activities you'll most likely do before booking your accommodations. Booking centrally located or activity-specific lodging will help cut down time spent traveling between attractions.

http://www.greenetourism.com - Greene County Tourism

For a detailed map of Greene County, click here