Visiting Brakebills

There have been few books that have meant as much to me as the Magicians trilogy by Lev Grossman.  A bunch of people have told me that they couldn’t stand the characters and stopped reading after the first book because they found them annoying.  But I loved every last character, every plot twist and turn (even the ones that made me sob because I was filled with regret FOR the character), every square inch of Fillory.

I love the books as much as (and maybe even moreso?) than Harry Potter.  I know.  Your mouth is probably hanging open at this point because Harry Potter is my life.  I’ve worn my Ravenclaw robes to the carpool line at school.  But, yeah, the Magicians trilogy is a comparable love.

The Guardian recently had an article about visiting the real life inspirations for Pemberley or Thornfield Hall.  Not included on the list was the inspiration for Brakebills: a combination of Bannerman’s Castle and Olana in New York.

We’ve been trying to plan a trip to the area, but the ferry (we don’t want to do the kayaks) to Pollepel Island only runs on the weekend, and we can only hit the area on a weekday.  We’re not sure if you can see the ruins from the shore, or if it’s a waste of time to go to the area if we can’t get out to the actual island.  I love the idea of being in the space that inspired Brakebills.

If I can’t get to an actual wizarding college, it’s the next best thing, right?

Does anyone know the area?  Can you see the castle without going on the island?

Moreover, which fictional building would you want to visit?