If you are up for taking a nice cruise down the thruway, I’ve got a place for you to visit. Storm King Art Center is a huge sculpture park with some pretty impressive pieces. This park is set in a natural scene with rolling hills, a creek, and wildflowers.
It is a big place and you can find yourself lost if you don’t take a map, but that might add to the experience. Bikes can be rented (or you can bring your own!), this will help you cover more of the park in less time. One can combine art and exercise in the park, or for a more relaxed time take the trolley.
This park is an hour and a half from Albany, so I pair it on a day when I am heading south downstate, and it’s a great stop. If your plan is to continue down the thruway, a great place to stop for dinner is Mt Fuji Restaurant in Hillburn. Here you will find a Hibachi restaurant at the top of a mountain road with stunning views of the area. The architecture of the building and surrounding designs are beautiful, and inside you will find waitresses dressed in traditional garb. They have a more interesting birthday ritual than most restaurants, a dragon comes out to greet you. The food and service is impeccable, and the whole experience is a lot of fun.
If you are heading north back up on the thruway, you may want to pair this with a trip to New Paltz, Woodstock, or Kingston.