Up the Hudson to Half Moon Bay Marina Croton-on-Hudson NY

 We were sad to be leaving Manhattan and yet happy to be on our way once again.  The trip up the Hudson was a bit bumpy but it was nothing like the Potomac or Chesapeake!   Here are some photos we snapped of the skyline as we left the city.

Rob took this pic commenting that this is his next boat!

As we went north, it was interesting to see that the two sides of the river were quite different.  The NY side continued to be hugely populated but the NJ side became wooded with cliffs.  (it was probably just a populated inland)  Funny how the two sides could look so different.

Jersey Side of the Hudson.. a different skyline altogether

Our first stop was at Croton-on-Hudson NY, about a 30 mile trip from NYC.  No special reason we stopped here, just great reviews for the marina on Active Captain.  The marina is nice enough but no pool or laundry and still very expensive compared to what we were used to before coming to NY state... a little less than Liberty Landing but surprisingly not much less expensive.  It's much more mellow here though.  The weather today is PERFECT!  No need for the red neck air conditioner.

Culture and Nature

We'd planned only one more day in Manhattan and had to choose between a boat ride around the island of Manhattan; or a day in the city sightseeing.  I went to bed thinking boat ride, but woke up thinking Guggenheim museum.  So off we went on the ferry.

Today we had our first really hot humid day.  So far, even in Virginia, it hasn't been bad... but today in Gotham City no one looked cool and comfortable, no matter how scantily dressed.  I had been a bit nervous coming to Manhattan with my wardrobe by Columbia sportswear.  No need.  I saw so few Wall Street and no "Sex in the City" fashion types.

I love art museums but Rob really hates them.  However, Rob loves architecture and Frank Lloyd Wright.  So the Guggenheim was a great choice for both of us.  They don't allow photos inside so I swiped these to show you.

The permanent collection was mostly impressionists with some surrealists.  It was terrific.  The visiting collections were OK.  A huge exhibit about Italian Futuristic Art (circa 1940-60, approximately).  Kinda of fun seeing "space age" art from the past.  I enjoyed seeing articles from Italian newspapers, but only because I liked trying to parse out the words.  There was also a very strange exhibit of art from South America... "installation art" mostly.  We didn't "get it".  We enjoyed reading about the building, as well as about a separate house that Wright constructed there called the Usonian House.  

The Usonian House was a house envisioned by Wright to "democratize" housing.  Basically, it was an open concept home where the kitchen was the focal point, with the living area for entertainment off the kitchen.  No separate formal areas.  All on one level.  Funny how that's what has been popular in the last few decades.  They used to call it a "great room ", now they call it "open concept", but really we should be calling it Usonian!

Its not a big museum so we were done fairly quickly and wanted lunch so we went to the museum restaurant "Wrights".  It was excellent!  But I really didn't "get" the sea salt served with the bread dish idea.

Then it was out to the heat... we crossed the street to stroll through a bit of Central park.  First to the lake, a reservoir named after Jacqueline Kennedy:

Every trail had signs telling you which way to walk or run.  No bikes were allowed on the paths although we did see some bike lanes.  I was wishing we had our bikes... this park is SO BIG!  This is my third time here at Central Park, and although I've seen different pieces of it each time, I think I've barely seen a fraction of it.

No matter what path we took, we found that we were walking against the direction that the signs indicated.  We're such rebels!

These are the San Remo Apartments.  Home to many famous people.  Look it up!

It was so hot and the skies were looking ominous.  Rain is predicted and boy, a rain shower is what's needed after this hot humid day!  That evening we had fireworks again... this time natural fireworks... some of the brightest lightning we'd ever seen.  It poured and finally cooled down.