White Plains, NY -- Summer is coming, and now is the time to start planning to spend the weekend, the Westchester Way! Several new attractions, exhibits, tours and travel packages are available this summer in Westchester County, located in the southeast corner of New York State.

ATTRACTIONS

1) Hudson Hills Golf Course, the first public golf course to open in Westchester County in 50 years, opens this month on 150 acres in New Castle. Cut from rolling terrain along the Hudson River, the par 71 championship layout spans roughly 7,000 yards and is already being heralded as one of the finest modern designs in the tri-state area. Featuring four sets of tees, strategic bunkering and elevation changes, Hudson Hills is designed to present an enjoyable, exciting and challenging golf experience to players of all abilities. (914) 864-3000. www.hudsonhillsgolf.com

2) The Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture in Pocantico Hills is set to open on May 2. A unique, not-for-profit farm, restaurant and educational center, Stone Barns will promote sustainable, community-based food production. The Center, in a restored Norman-style barn on the Rockefeller property, will house a restaurant (Blue Hill) with special event space, and a facility for wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, book talks and more. The grounds will feature a greenhouse, gardens and walking trails. (914) 366-6200. www.stonebarnscenter.org

3) After two years and $2 million in renovations and systems upgrades at Lyndhurst, a National Trust for Historic Preservation property in Tarrytown, the drop cloths are being rolled up and an exciting new tour encompassing 120 years of history is being rolled out. The final touches are being made for a grand re-opening of the neo-gothic mansion and 67-acre estate overlooking the Hudson River. During Opening Day, Saturday, May 1st, the public is invited to visit Lyndhurst admission free. (914) 631-4481. www.lyndhurst.org.

4) The newest performing arts venue in Westchester County is the White Plains Performing Arts Center, the cornerstone of the new City Center at White Plains. The Performing Arts Center is a professional theater offering national and international artists in theater, music, and dance. Constructed in the revitalized downtown White Plains, the City Center includes 1.1 million square feet of retail, restaurant, lodging and entertainment space. (914)422-1376 or (888) 977-2250. www.wppac.com

5) The Paramount Center for the Arts in Peekskill recently completed the first phase of a complete interior theatre restoration project. Installation of lavish theatrical curtains and a new stage preceded the repairing and repainting of the theater walls and ceiling. The ceiling is a unique treasure whose intricate French renaissance patterns have been restored to their original glory. The theater, which was designed by Charles and George Rapp, opened in 1930. (914) 739-2333. www.paramountcenter.org

6) The Horace Greeley House in Chappaqua is featuring a new exhibit, �Bill Clinton � Our Neighbor� through April 30, and again June 1- September 15, 2004. The exhibit contains photos of former President Bill Clinton and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton�s life in New Castle. Photos document the purchase of their Chappaqua home, the Clintons participating in local activities, and interacting with the merchants and neighbors of New Castle. (914) 238-4666. www.newcastlehistoricalsociety.org

ALSO: The newest thrill ride at Playland Amusement Park in Rye is the Super Flight Coaster, which simulates flight on a hang glider, only at top speed. � The Katonah Museum of Art in Katonah is now open free of charge from 10 am to 12 noon, Tuesday through Friday. This policy is a part of the ongoing celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Museum�s founding, will extend through the run of the Sol LeWitt: Recent Work exhibition, on view until April 25th. � The Neuberger Museum of Art in Purchase has opened the exhibition "Behind Your Eye: Doug and Mike Starn, a collection of nearly 100 photo and video works. It is on view through August 8th. � The Jefferson Valley Mall in Jefferson Valley recently welcomed three new tenants; Ann Taylor Loft, Cocoon, and Charlotte Russe. The Mall Management office, public restrooms and community room are all being renovated, as well.

HOTELS / CONFERENCE CENTERS

1) The Courtyard by Marriott in Rye is nearly ready to unveil its "reinvention". The "Reinvention" includes renovated rooms with new fabrics and colors, improved workspace, desk and task lighting for greater productivity, Internet access, and a refurbished lobby with greater flexibility and better services. (914)921-1110.

2) As the former 130-room Ramada hotel in New Rochelle completes a $5 million renovation it has also changed its marquis to that of the Radisson New Rochelle. The redesign includes a new front entrance, new guestroom d�cor, new bathrooms, and a new business center. The new on-site restaurant, ZenTango, will be the first to bring Asian-Latin Fusion (�Cino-Latino�) cuisine to the area. (914) 576-3700. www.radisson.com/newrochelleny

ALSO: The Hilton Rye Town welcomes a new General Manager, Alon Ben �Gurion, who was previously posted at the Waldorf Astoria in NYC. � The Crowne Plaza hotel in White Plains has just completed a renovation of the ballroom and lower lobby pool patio area. The renovation includes new carpeting, wall vinyl, and new improved lighting. � The Castle on the Hudson in Tarrytown welcomes its new General Manager, Gilbert Baeriswil. The Castle has introduced Wednesday Night Jazz events in the Tapestry Room, with live jazz from 7:30-10:00 p.m. performed by Mark Morganelli and the Jazz Forum All Stars. � In Armonk and Elmsford, the former Ramada Inns are now Wellesley Inns.

TOURS

1) Historic Hudson Valley is introducing two brand new tours in conjunction with the new Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture. These two tours, one with Philipsburg Manor and the other with Kykuit, the Rockefeller estate, will launch on May 15, after Stone Barns Center�s opening.

The Rockefeller Estate Life Tour will begin with a visit to Kykuit, the Rockefeller estate, including the house and gardens, and then proceed to Stone Barns Center. The tour highlights the Rockefeller family�s intent to make the estate self-sufficient and the interests of many family members in conservation; farmland preservation; and community-based, sustainable farming practices.

2) The Farm-to-Table Tour will introduce visitors to the agricultural practices at Philipsburg Manor, an 18th-century-working farm with a water-powered gristmill, farm animals, and slave garden. Methods of farming, animal husbandry, and the prevailing system of slave labor and tenant farming are covered in a guided and self-guided hands-on experience. Then, visitors will drive to nearby Stone Barns Center and learn how today�s agricultural practices are strikingly similar to those of the 18th century.

3) Van Cortlandt Manor, another Historic Hudson Valley site in Croton-on-Hudson, is introducing a new �on-station� tour format this year. This will give visitors more freedom to explore the grounds and to focus on the parts of the site that are most personally compelling. The visitor will also be able to get involved with different seasonal craft demonstrations, including lace making, medicines, open-hearth cooking, spinning and more, which will compliment the seasons and the holidays.

HHV Tour Information: (914) 631-8200 or www.hudsonvalley.org.

EVENTS

A new event, the Rivertowns Antiques Show at Historic Lyndhurst will take place July 17 and 18 on the grounds of Lyndhurst, a National Trust Historic Site in Tarrytown. Dealers in quality antiques will be offering furniture, pottery, jewelry, ephemera, glassware, silver, prints, paintings, maps, folk art, primitives, country accessories, textiles and more. (914) 273-4667. www.cordshows.com.