Kingston a vibrant community

Hop a boat and start your jaunt of the Kingston area at Rondout Creek and take a guided tour of the Rondout Lighthouse, an historic 1913 lighthouse located on Hudson River at the mouth of the Rondout Creek. (845-338-0071).

Learn more about the history of the Hudson River and its habitat through photographs and hands-on exhibits by visiting the Hudson River Maritime Center (845-338-0071).

When you're done with your boat tours, return to shore and walk to the Hideaway Marina, where you can dine at a variety of restaurants, and shop at various boutique and antiques stores.

For the traveler eager to explore more of this Ulster County community, Kingston has various bed and breakfasts available. For more creature features with reptiles, birds, amphibians and more, explore the Wildlife Discovery Center on Route 28 in Kingston (845-338-6680). Other interesting museums to see include the Trolley Museum of New York (845-331-3399) and the Volunteer Firefighter's Museum.

No tourist can overlook the fascinating history of Kingston, however. Founded in 1652 by Dutch settlers, many of Kingston's attractions surround its Dutch history. The graveyard of these early dutch settlers and George Clinton, first governor of New York State, is at the popular Old Dutch Church (845-338-6759), a local landmark for Kingston.

Also located in the Stockade area of Kingston is the Senate House and Museum (845-338-2786), a stone house built in 1676, where the New York State Senate met for the first time in 1777. A popular one-hour walking tour of the historic Stockade area will also include tours of other famous houses, some dating back to the 1700s. The tour also includes the last two streets in America where 18th century stone houses stand on all four corners.

History and architectural buffs, environmental enthusiasts, and wildlife lovers will enjoy the variety of Kingston's attractions, leaving them eager to learn and explore more of this Ulster community.