New York State Fly Drive USA – Movie out soon!

New York State Fly Drive USA – Movie out soon!

We were delighted to have Ed Finn & Shane Cullen heading off to New York State on behalf of Platinum Travel for a tailor-made fly drive. They are filming throughout the week and producing a beautiful mini movie highlighting all this beautiful state has to offer! The movie will be out in May, and you will not want to miss it!

Follow their exciting road trip on our social media channels and learn all you need to know about New York outside Manhattan! Here are a few snippets of their trip along the way:

Day 1 – Off to New York State!

Thanks to Aer Lingus for looking after them on their direct flight to Newark. Such an easy journey from Dublin preclearing customs and immigration so they can sail through the other side. They will pick up their car with our great colleagues in Hertz and head to Hudson Valley the first stop on their tailor-made fly drive trip with Platinum Travel - we are looking forward to following their adventure!

Ed & Shane arrived safe and sound in New York and the car rental pick up went without a hitch. Hertz have organised a lovely Jeep for their weeklong road trip which will them all the comfort and space they need. Both are driving so they can share the load and enjoy the scenery!

First stop brought them to The Beekman Arms, America’s oldest continuously operated hotel, is located in the centre of the Village of Rhinebeck in the historic Hudson Valley.

After checking in, they visited Walkway Over the Hudson – The New York State Historic Park is the world’s longest elevated pedestrian bridge towering almost sixty-five meters above the Hudson River, spanning over 2km across, connecting to 32km of hiking and biking trails. The Walkway is part of the Empire State Trail system which connects New York City north to the Canadian border and northwest to Niagara.

Dinner was in the beautiful Terrapin Restaurant located in 200-year-old church. Chef Josh Kroner is a leader in farm-to-table dining in the Hudson Valley and devoted to creating menus using local ingredients.

Time for a well-earned rest after a busy day and we will catch up with them later to see how their first full day in The Hudson Valley went

Day 2 of New York State Road Trip!

Today the lads started their day with a Tour at Samuel’s Sweet Shop. Co-owned by Hilarie Burton and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Paul and Julie Rudd, and Andy Ostroy, and managed by John Travers, Samuel’s is a cosy shop in Rhinebeck selling chocolates, old-fashioned candies, teas and baked goods.

Afterwards they headed to Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome – museum of Golden Age of Aviation, the Pioneer era and WWI planes including the oldest flying plane in America, the 1909 Bleriot, and the only authentic flying replica of The Spirit of St Louis

From here then they headed to Dutch’s Spirits – The Prohibition Era bootlegging operation of mobster Dutch Schultz and his retired New York City detective partner Patrick Ryan, is now a unique spirits destination to sample some of their Sugar Wash Moonshine, as well as, New York State spirits of today.

Then it was time for Upper Landing Park, Walkway Elevator. Upper Landing Park provides access to the Walkway Over the Hudson Waterfront Elevator. This 21-story, glass elevator rapidly transports visitors from the Poughkeepsie waterfront to the deck of the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park towering 212 feet overhead.

Another big highlight of the day was their visit to Franklin D Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum – Franklin D. Roosevelt was the 32nd President of the United States and the only president elected to four terms. FDR’s library is America’s first presidential library and museum and the only one used by a sitting president. The museum features state-of-the-art exhibits.

Another busy and fun day for the lads and lots of filming taking place so we are really looking forward to seeing it all come together!

Day 3 in New York State! And it is only getting prettier and prettier.

Despite some hints of snow and chilly weather, the lads (Ed and Shane!) managed to experience some of the best parts of New York State today and the pictures really show how beautiful it is.

They started their day by checking into the stunning Eldred Preserve Inn and had a tour of this lovely property. Run by Dan Silna and his wife, Joan, it is a beautiful new hospitality experience for those visiting the Sullivan County Catskills.

Afterwards they were treated to a tour of Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. This is a performing arts centre and museum located at the site of the 1969 Woodstock Music & Art Fair in Bethel, NY.

Then it was time to visit The Catskill Brewery - Their motto “Honest Hardworking Beer,” means they use only the best ingredients combined with pure Catskill Mountain water and sustainable practices.

From there there was time for a stop at Catskill Provisions

This is a Tasting room offering craft spirits, cocktails, food, and local products and definitely a must for anyone passing through the area.

The finished their day with a tour and dinner at Seminary Hill. An Orchard & Cidery with a tasting room and restaurant enjoying stunning views of the Delaware River and sustainably grown orchard.

Off for a well earned rest at the beautiful Eldred Preserve and a fine day of filming activity done in Up State New York!

Day 4 & 5 - New York State

Well it really is a state for all seasons - snow and sun galore. New York State is truly beautiful in all of them and we have some great updates from the lads over the last few days.

On Monday morning, the lads headed off to Cooperstown. First stop was Doubleday Field - the birthplace of Americas pastime. Doubleday Field is a baseball stadium named after Abner Doubleday. The grounds have been used for baseball since 1920.

After a lovely lunch in Cooperstown Diner they headed to the National baseball Hall of Fame & Museum where they learned all the wonderful history and information about Americas favourite sport. Then it was time to learn how these bats are made in Cooperstown Bat Factory.

Time to say goodbye to Cooperstown and head for Utica where they had dinner with some fellow Irish folk min 5 Points Public House.

They stayed the night in the lovely Rosemount Inn where they were extremely well looked after by Rita Sleys. Located at the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains.

On Tuesday morning, after a wonderful breakfast with Rita, it was time for the next leg of their journey. Off to FX Brewery for a morning tour (maybe a bit early for a tasting but who knows!)!

A 2 hour drive and they arrived at downtown Ithica Commons. This four-block, pedestrian-only section of Downtown is home to many unique stores and Ithaca restaurants.

One of the top highlights of the day had to be their next stop which was Taughannock Falls State Park. The waterfall is one of the outstanding natural attractions of North America East Coast.

Time to head for next stop - The Springside Inn in Auburn. Located on Wasco Lake with picturesque scenery that is just made to help you relax.

Dinner was at Moro’s Table in Downtown Auburn. The food here was excellent, a really lovely experience and highly recommended.

Time for bed and another rest before their last day in New York State

Day 6 & 7 - New York State

It is hard to believe the lads are on their last full day of filming in New York State and what a week it has been.

Today their first stop was a lovely breakfast at New Hope Mills in Auburn. From there then they visited The Seward House Museum, the historic home of William Henry Seward and his family.

From there then they took the 2-hour drive to Buffalo, and checked into the wonderful Inn Buffalo. Buffalo is a town that you really need to spend a few days exploring. With a wonderful new developed waterfront area, there are endless choices of restaurants, breweries and shops in the surrounding area to wile away the hours.

They drove 30 minutes up the road to Niagara Falls. No trip is complete without a trip to view The Falls and seeing it from the New York is well worth it. A visit to the nation’s oldest State Park and an exciting adventure enjoying Cave of the Winds is the perfect way to complete your experience.

They got some amazing footage and filming was a joy with these views!

Back to Buffalo for a quick freshen up and dinner at Hutch’s Restaurant, serving the folk of Buffalo for 25 years with the best cuisine!

Thursday morning it was time to explore this lovely city a little more before heading to Buffalo airport. They dropped their Hertz car rental off and hopped on a flight to Newark and onwards to Dublin. An easy and seamless connection with United Airlines and Aer Lingus.

The film will be out in May, and we cannot wait to see it! They have worked tirelessly, and we are going to see the best that this amazing state has to offer!