Best place to stay overnight for different events?

txmom2

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Jan 8, 2016
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Where are the best places/areas to stay for the different events during Plebe year?
I understand, from previous posts, R day and A day but was wondering which is best for both parent weekends. Also, is there another weekend that we would want to visit that I am not aware of?
Thanks!

R Day(July) - Thayer
A Day(August) - away from WP (does our DS get to stay overnight with us for the weekend?)
Parents Weekend(October) -close or away from WP?
Plebe-Parent Weekend(March)- close or away from WP?
 
A day weekend they have OPP but sleep in their barracks. Close is good but not too close! My son was ill that weekend and slept the entire weekend. Parents weekend they can take pass if available and approved but it begins after the football game. Close on PPW as you are there most of them time and cadets sleep in the barracks.

Enjoy all of this! My son's Plebe year has been amazing. Lots of tears for happy and sad reasons but the amazing changes are worth it. He is very much my son but so independent.

Just my opinion. There is not right or wrong choice.
 
Thayer, Thayer, Thayer, Thayer, and Thayer. Why be outside the gate when you want to be inside the gate and less than a mile from your cadet?
You can book it now and have peace of mind and insider parking.

If you only need one night for R-Day--which is a very long day--I suggest the Hampton Inn Woodbury Common--they will often offer breakfast. The Holiday Inn Ft. Montgomery is a place that one of my friends--also with her second cadet--opts to stay.

My proclivity for the Thayer may make it seem like I am Daddy Warbucks...I am not; however, 'cheaper than four years of college' should become your personal mantra for travel, hotels, and paying for photographs of your cadet. There is nothing better than being on post. Wait until you see the long line of cars--even if you are a DoD ID card holder...you will be waiting in the queue to get through security...but not if you are staying at the Thayer.
 
A Day. YOUR PLEBE DOES NOT GET TO STAY WITH YOU. If you are far away you will be dropping him or her off super late and then picking him or her up super early the next morning; if you are at the Thayer that kiddo can walk to the hotel and crash.
 
Just an FYI, if you are on FB, there are several FB groups that will provide you with all the information you need over the next four years. There is an official class page for your cadet's class - Debra Dalton, the WP parent liaison will post official information there. If she posts it, then you know it is accurate information. There is a West Point Moms page and you'll find a boat load of information in the files section of that page. There is also a Dad's page - which is sort of the Reader's Digest version of the Mom's page.

If you prefer a book, the The Mom's Guide to Surviving West Point by Joiner and Woszel is the best one. You can get it on Amazon.

Welcome to WP!
 
So the thayer is wonderful but it can be pricey. Some other options include the West Point motel which is just outside of Thayer gate an easy walk in. also there's a Holiday Inn express in fort montgomery which is just a little further South but again an easy 5 maybe 10 minute drive into thayer gate. Also there are number of air bnbs in the area that you can rent. This has been our preferred lodging as of late. Sometimes it's nice to have a house to cook your own food in as well. Further North you could go to Poughkeepsie but that's a little bit of a drive. I think it all depends on your budget. And be prepared because even though the hotel can be 5 to 10 miles away you are winding through the mountains to get there so it can take a little bit of extra time. there's also a few good bed and breakfasts in the area you can check out. By the way, find brothers barbecue - excellent barbecue in the area. One other tip for A-day. Have a defined meeting point after your plebe is released. The plain area is full of parents and cadets so having a pre determined place to meet makes things very easy. Our historical meeting point is the Patton statue right outside of the library. Also know that depending on the company it may take a bit for your cadet to be released depending on any duties they have to finish up before they're released for the day following the parade. Be patient, they will be there.
 
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There is no one great answer and it depends on what you and your cadet want to do. I would not venture North to the Newburg area.

If you are only staying the night before R-Day, then Thayer would be the best idea. No lines or stress getting on post. There may be better options south of West Point that have shopping, restaurants, public transportation if you are there for more than one day.

For A-Day, it is a similar story and hard to tell what your cadet will want. Some want to just crash and sleep all day while others want to get out and be "normal" for a bit. Thayer is close and easy to get to, but there is not much close. Again, Spring Valley/Nanuet is a thirty minute drive but offers many options in terms of shopping and eating.

My cadet wanted to spend a few days in the city before we had to report. We stayed in Spring Valley and took the train into the city a couple of days. We also let her get her last minute Target shopping fix before she reported. We also stayed there for A-Day and got to go to the mall, do school shopping, wash clothes and eat normal food.

The extra commute time was harder on the parents but not that noticeable for the cadet.
 
Check airbnb. There are some places that are close but not pricey. But you have to be quick. Places for graduation 2021 are already being booked.
 
A Day. YOUR PLEBE DOES NOT GET TO STAY WITH YOU. If you are far away you will be dropping him or her off super late and then picking him or her up super early the next morning; if you are at the Thayer that kiddo can walk to the hotel and crash.

When the event is on Sat. will we also be able to spend time with them on Sunday?
 
You get from around noon on Saturday until around midnight that night.

The next morning you can pick them up around 6 or 7 and have them back by 1700.
 
It is helpful to remember that your plebe may want time to prepare on Sunday as classes start the next day. So you might think about taking your Plebe for breakfast and some morning activities and then dropping him or her off and saying your goodbyes around one or 2 o’clock in the afternoon depending on the length of your journey home.
 
Also, are you on the west point mom’s Facebook page? If you wish to join and have not joined already send me a PM with your name. I am in administrator. And if your child has accepted his or her appointment we can add you to the website mom’s page.

Silly voice to text.
 
It is helpful to remember that your plebe may want time to prepare on Sunday as classes start the next day. So you might think about taking your Plebe for breakfast and some morning activities and then dropping him or her off and saying your goodbyes around one or 2 o’clock in the afternoon depending on the length of your journey home.

@DrMom is right as usual. The cadets start class the next day and are usually ready to get back to make sure everything is ready. You should plan on an early afternoon departure.
 
For our 2020. A-Day our 2020 pretty much slept and ate. My wife washed his nasty laundry, and while she complains about it, I think in some way she felt a comfort in it. Several moms in our hotel was in the laundry room chatting because our cadets were sleeping.

R Day
(July) - Stayed in Montgomery, wished we'd have stayed at Thayer
A Day(August) - Definitely stay away from WP. We stayed in Fishkill, it's about 30-40 min North on the other side of the Hudson. Great restaurants and a Walmart for shopping for stuff for their room. Harriman is Southwest of WP, that parents have said is a good place. Your cadet does not get to stay overnight with you. I hardly slept, drove my 2020 back to WP at Midnight Sat, and he wanted to be picked up at 0630 Sunday. But it's all good.
Parents Weekend(October) -close or away from WP - doesn't matter we stayed in Fishkill
Plebe-Parent Weekend(March)- We stayed at the Thayer and glad we did. It's expensive, but there were several events over the weekend, it was 7 degrees (Southern Californians are not used to single digits), it was nice to be a short distance from our hotel.
 
The hidden WP accommodations secret is the IHG Army Hotel, which is not much to look at from the outside, but is quite clean and functional on the inside. There are two; one right outside the Thayer gate, and the other is inside West Point, in a spot far better than even the Thayer hotel. It is in fact just a pleasant two block walk from the parade plain, right across the street from the WP Cemetery. Great access to everything. We stay there whenever it is available. The price is very competitive, and about a third of what the Thayer charges.

We go to WP frequently. We have stayed in most of the towns surrounding WP. Most have decent hotel brands and ok prices, but the prices get jacked big time for the big events. We are picking my (2020) son up from WP when he is released after the 2018 graduation ceremony, and Googled the availability and prices for everything within 45 minutes of base. Not much available for less than $180 per night, and those are few and far between.
 
R Day(July) - We stayed Fri night at West Point Motel (decent, but outside hallways and the breakfast is worthless) Saturday night and then Holiday Inn Express in Ft Montgomery (much nicer, but a little further, good breakfast) on Sunday night. We originally were going to just spend Sun night, but found out later that he had to be there on Sun for a sports meeting so we got a flight Sat night.
A Day(August) - we rented a beautiful house in Cold Springs via VRBO. It's a bit of a drive since you're halfway between bridges, but directly opposite the river from WP. It was nice to grill steaks for dinner and to make a big breakfast after picking him up really early.
Parents Weekend(October) - we made hotel reservations late because we thought he would be traveling with his team, but he was injured and we made last minute plans. Ended up in Mahwah NJ which was a bit of a drive.
Plebe-Parent Weekend(March)- we made hotel reservations at HI Express Fort Montgomery almost 11 months out. This is key: once you confirm attendance, make refundable hotel reservations for the big dates. If things change, you can offer to transfer to other WP families via Facebook or cancel outright.
 
Also, are you on the west point mom’s Facebook page? If you wish to join and have not joined already send me a PM with your name. I am in administrator. And if your child has accepted his or her appointment we can add you to the website mom’s page.

Silly voice to text.
OK. I will PM as soon as the forum allows me to do so.
 
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