NEQ 2018 Holiday Social, Hudson River Valley
Thayer Hotel - West PointAbout this event
The Northeast Chapter of the Audi Club of North America is pleased to announce our Ninth Annual “NEQ Holiday Social” on December 7, 8 & 9!
This year we are moving upstate and expanding the event to three days - sign up for some of the activities or make it a long weekend and do everything!
This year we have a new venue and format: our event takes place in the Hudson River Valley, giving you an opportunity to explore some of the great offerings of that area. Following are the weekend’s highlights:
- Friday night: Dinner at the Culinary Institute of America (maximum of 30 people)
- Saturday morning: Go Karting in West Nyack
- Saturday afternoon: Tour of West Point Military Academy
- Saturday evening: Cocktail Hour and Dinner Buffet at Thayer Hotel in West Point
- Sunday morning: Tour the home of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a national historic site, located in Hyde Park, NY
***As usual, the event is comprised of several segments, which are sold separately. Join us for all of the activities, or just a few. Please read the instructions carefully to ensure you register for the activities you want. Priority for tours will be given to those attending the dinner.***
This year, our Winter Social begins Friday evening, with dinner at the famed Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY. Thirty lucky people will enjoy the chance to get a behind-the-scenes look at one of the finest culinary training programs in our country. Following a tour of the CIA, you will enjoy an excellent dinner at the student-staffed Bocuse Restaurant. Sleek and strikingly contemporary, this French restaurant is named for the most famous chef in France, Paul Bocuse. The Bocuse Restaurant re-imagines the execution of classic French cuisine through the lens of ultra-modern cooking techniques, brings a new style of casual yet sophisticated service, and offers a breathtaking architectural interior design. With a great French wine list and innovative cocktail program, the Bocuse Restaurant is a unique and exciting, world class dining experience. The restaurant is offering us a four-course banquet menu, prepared especially for our group, which will include a choice of two entrees. The price for the tour and dinner is $110 per person (includes tax and gratuity; alcohol is additional).
On Saturday morning head on over to Autobahn Indoor Speedway in West Nyack, NY for a lively competition on their indoor karting track. Their electric carts are capable of speeds up to 45 mph! We have the track reserved just for our group for two hours beginning at 8 am. Registration is at 7:30 – our early start will make it feel just like a regular NEQ track event! Note: it is a half hour drive from the Thayer Hotel to West Nyack. Cost is $100 per person, which will include a continental breakfast.
On Saturday afternoon, we have arranged a tour of the West Point Military Academy. This will be a two-hour private tour for our group, which will provide a glimpse into the experience of the cadets at the nation’s first military academy. A school bus will pick up our group at the Thayer Hotel and a tour guide will lead this combined bus and walking tour. We will learn the story of West Point, its role in the Revolution, its famous history, along with stories about graduates who shaped our nation. The tour will bring the Long Gray Line to the present as we learn of the cadet experience and West Point’s continuing role in training the leaders of tomorrow. This tour of West Point makes stops at the Cadet Chapel, the Plain, which is the Cadet academic area, Trophy Point with the million-dollar view overlooking the Hudson River, and the West Point Cemetery. Cost for this tour is $20 per person; maximum of 44 persons on the bus.
Saturday evening, enjoy cocktails and dinner at the Thayer Hotel in West Point, located in the West Point Military Academy. Cocktails begin at 6:30 with a buffet dinner at 7:30. The cost per person is $65 (includes tax and gratuity; alcohol is additional via cash bar).
On Sunday morning, we will enjoy a tour of the home of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a national historic site located in Hyde Park, NY. "All that is within me cries out to go back to my home on the Hudson River.” This quote captures FDR's connection to Springwood, the estate that he loved & the place he considered home. The first US Presidential Library was started by FDR here; he was the only President elected to four terms. Cost for this activity is $5.00 per person. Note: Hyde Park is a solid one hour drive north of West Point, and on the east side of the Hudson River. It will be a convenient stop for those heading back to New England. The tour will last one hour.
Not enough? Other optional activities (on your own) include:
- Explore the mansion and gardens at Boscobel, home of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, with gorgeous views over the Hudson River. Open Sundays from 10 am – 3 pm.
- Lunch at Round Up Texas BBQ in Cold Spring, NY – “Route 9 seems an unlikely location for Texas-style dry-rubbed, hickory-smoked brisket (marbled or lean), sausage (spicy or mild) and ribs so tender the meat barely clings to the bone, but Roundup Texas Barbeque is the real deal. It is housed in a trailer parked alongside a former gas station, and serves smoked meats, Lone Star beer ($4) and classic sides like Frito pie, and jalapeño mac ‘n’ cheese.”
- Tasting and tour at Tuthilltown Distillery, Gardiner, NY (26 miles from West Point; approximately a one hour drive) - Tours on the hour from 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. Reservations recommended: 845-419-2964; “Tuthilltown Spirits Farm Distillery is New York’s first whiskey distillery since prohibition, distilling some of America’s most prized spirits in the Hudson Valley. Tuthilltown Spirits produced their first batches of vodka from scraps they collected at a local apple slicing plant. Today, Tuthilltown Spirits distills Indigenous Vodka from apples grown at orchards less than five miles away and the highly awarded Hudson Whiskey line, using grain harvested by farmers less than ten miles away. The Visitor Center offers guests the opportunity to taste the collection of whiskeys, vodkas, gins, liqueurs, and other unique, handmade spirits. Tours illustrate how Tuthilltown’s spirits are made by hand, one batch at a time.”
We look forward to seeing you on the Hudson!
Eventmasters: Cynthia Gorman and Skip Risebrow
Cliff Notes, tour capacities, pricing:
- Friday night: Dinner at the Culinary Institute of America (maximum of 30 people) - $110
- Saturday morning: Go Karting in West Nyack - $100
- Saturday afternoon: Tour of West Point Military Academy - $20
- Saturday evening: Cocktail Hour and Dinner Buffet at Thayer Hotel in West Point - $65
- Sunday morning: Tour the home of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a national historic site, located in Hyde Park, NY - $5
Please sign up quickly to reserve your space. Attendance is optional at all venues. Priority for the tour will be given to people attending the dinner.
Additional info will be sent individually to all participants.
We are very much looking forward to seeing you all on December 9th and 10th.
***Registration closes December 1 at 5 PM EST or when the event is full, so do not delay!***
Click "Continue" below for important lodging information.
Event requirements
Accommodations – Read carefully, this is important! Time sensitive!!
A block of rooms is on hold at the Thayer Hotel in West Point, NY for both Friday and Saturday night. The room block expires October 5! Call 800-247-5047 to make your reservation (you have to do this on your own and not through www.motorsportreg.com). Advise the hotel that you are with NEQ/Audi Club. Prices are $119 for a queen or $129 for a king (plus tax and a $13.99 facility fee). Please call now to reserve your accommodations! Additional rooms are available if our current block of 20 rooms sells out – but we need everyone to sign up early so that we know how many additional rooms to request.
Please note that the Thayer Hotel is located within the West Point Military Academy. You will need to show identification in the form of a driver’s license or passport in order to enter and leave the property.
Audi Club members and their family and friends are all welcome at this event.
***As usual, the event is comprised of several segments, which are sold separately. Join us for all of the activities, or just a few. Please read the instructions carefully to ensure you register for the activities you want. Priority for tours will be given to those attending the dinner.***
The refund policy for this event is:
There will be no refunds for cancellations.