Ever wonder what that abandon castle is in the middle of Hudson River?  Welcome to the Bannerman Castle, the former residence of Frank Bannerman, now owned by the State of NY.

This place has been on my list to visit for a while.  Given that it is situated on a deserted island, it is only possible to go there on a guided tour during the summer time.

Before summer 2017 started, I did some research and invited a group of 16 friends to join. 

Here are the steps to follow:

1) Purchase your ticket here

2) How to get there: 

• Take Metro North to Beacon
• Drive to Beacon Metro North and park at the lot

3)  Board the boat to Pollepel Island (AKA Bannerman Island)

We picked a beautiful August Saturday to visit the castle.  The boat left at 12:30pm and returned at around 3pm (~30 mins boat travel time each way).  We learned about the history of the island and the castle, walked around the beautiful garden, and visited the summer house for Mr. & Mrs. Bannerman.

After the tour concluded, it was time for some drinks/food.

First stop was Denning's Point Distillery:

• $5 tour & tasting at 3:30 and 4:30pm. If you aren’t up for any tasting, you can just sit at the distillery for the free tour as the tour is conducted there (more like a demonstration).  Do note that tasting pour was very generous.

We wanted some food so we went to Hudson Valley Brewery afterwards.  This place serves creative beer with various fruity flavors. It is inside a big barn with outdoor space as well.  There is a pop-up kitchen that serves food on Saturdays and Sundays. If you happen to be there on the weekdays, they do allow outside food.

Hope this will give you some idea on what to do this summer!