Poughkeepsie
Up the Hudson River, 85 miles north of the Big Apple, Poughkeepsie is the county seat of Dutchess County. It was founded by the Dutch in the 17th century and once served as New York's capital; later, it was for many decades a major industrial center due to its excellent links to New York City (river, rail and road). Industrialist families connected with the city or its immediate surroundings include the Vassars, Rockefellers and Vanderbilts. Many meeting venues in Poughkeepsie are associated with the former homes of these and other wealthy families. The nearest airport is Stewart International Airport (SWF), 25 miles to the south in the city of Newburgh. US Airways Express, Delta Connection and Jet Blue service such cities as Atlanta, Detroit, Philadelphia, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, and the "international" in its name derives from it offering seasonal flights to Cancun, Mexico. Other airports in the area include Westchester, LaGuardia, Newark Liberty and John F. Kennedy. The nearest Poughkeepsie has to a convention center is the Mid-Hudson Civic Center, in which the 15,475-square-foot Mair Hall has space to host 3,050 persons. Hotel venues i…