Hudson Day 2: Hyde Park and FDR home and presidential library

We arrived at the Hyde Park Marina which is just a tiny marina for small boats (we qualify).  It has no facilities besides a bathroom and a shower... BUT it is only a few miles from the family home of FDR.  According to Google Maps we could easily ride our e-bikes to it.  The dockmaster saw our funny little bikes, with the 12 inch tires and said "no way" can you climb that hill.  So he took us up up up this hill in his truck.  That was really appreciated.  MAYBE the ebikes would have gotten us there but it was certainly questionable.

First off, we sat and had a heart to heart with Franklin and Eleanor about our current political climate

Then we joined a ranger for the tour of the home... which had been in FDR's family for a couple of generations.  We even saw the room where he was born.  This was actually his mother's home and she ruled here but FDR loved it so that he visited here as much as he could . Eleanor didn't love it too much (two strong women living in the same home was a problem), so they built a cottage about 4 miles down the road for her to have her own retreat.  Interesting marriage for sure.  I've read several books on these two and they sure were fascinating personalities.

View off the back patio... out onto the Hudson in the distance.. way DOWN the hill

Even the barn was ELEGANT

Burial site in the rose garden next to the home

We then toured the presidential library which was designed and built by FDR towards the end of his second term... thinking he would retire then.  Inside we saw many exhibits of all of his challenges but what was especially unique was seeing his actual office where he worked during the rest of his presidency.  He invented the idea of a presidential library and all presidents since him now have them.  The exhibits were fascinating and very well done.  It makes me want to visit other presidential libraries.

Then we gritted our teeth for the death-defying ride down down down the hill... brakes engaged the whole way.  With 12 inch tires, our center of gravity is a bit unusual on these bikes.  At least that is my excuse why I found it a bit too thrilling.  We survived and it will be another memory as an adventure in and of itself.

Hudson Day 2.. Tappan Zee to Hyde Park

I thought I'd start today's blog by telling you some trivia I've learned about the Hudson and its history.  I was rereading "River Horse" (see earliest posts) with regard to their trip up the Hudson and learned a few things I didn't know.

The Hudson is mostly very straight with only one real "oxbow" and, the lower 140 miles of it is actually a fjord... the only one in our "lower 48".  I'm not sure what constitutes a fjord but is says here that the tidal reach goes the first 140 miles.  the first 140 miles brings you to Troy and the Erie Canal.

We were starting approximately at the Tappan Zee bridge which is Dutch name meanling "cold stream sea"

I THINK this is the Tappan Zee Bridge.  I have way too many pictures of bridges to know for sure

The current of the Hudson was something we had been warned about however it didn't seem bad at all.  Maybe its all "relative".  In fact, once we did pass that "ox bow" at Storm King Mountain, the water was glass like.  However, in River Horse he states that the current is "constant" and "predictable" and that a floating stick would take 3 weeks to float from Troy to the NYC Battery.  That's because it will ride a dozen miles down an ebb tide and then float back up 8 miles with every flood tide.

So after brushing up on "River Horse" last night I spent time looking for specific sights along the way up.  Here is West Point, which, in our opinion, looks more like a prison than a school.  Or at least more like a fortress with its high walls and towers.

The next place I wanted to see was called Pollepel Island (Bannerman's Island).  Here we saw the decaying remains of an American castle.  Between 1900 and 1918, Frank Bannerman, a munitions dealer built a folly of a castle on a little island in the middle of the Hudson.  He was a Scotsman who missed his home country and wanted his own little kingdom.   In his book, "River Horse", William Least Heat-Moon meets and interviews one of Bannerman's descendents.  Apparently no one besides Frank Bannerman really liked coming to the castle.  It was given to the state and for a time there were tours given.  Then there was a fire and it became so dilapidated that landing on the island is prohibited.  That didn't stop River Horse, however.  Ignoring the laws and the dangers of very shallow rocky waters, he and his crew landed and explored.  River Horse, his C-Dory, did suffer a big ding on a submerged rock.  Not an auspicious way to start his adventure to the west.

He talks of a moat, turrets, parapets etc.  It must have been something to see and explore!

The sights were so interesting and the weather so lovely that the 50 miles went by very quickly.  Rob is especially enjoying the fact that the Hudson has rail road tracks on both sides of the shoreline... right at the shoreline.  In fact, our marina tonight in Hyde Park is virtually on the tracks of the Amtrack.  Freight train just across the river.  Rob, at least, won't mind the whistles as we sleep onboard tonight.

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.

Trip to/from Schenectady

 Because we had paid for transient berthing at Liberty Landing Marina, they allowed us to store the boat and truck in their boatyard for a few days... but the cost of storing there for the duration of our cruise would have been prohibitive...not to mention the fact we'd have to drive back to NYC before proceeding.  So we dedicated the day to "transport", in more ways than one.

We had decided on a marina in Schenectady on the Mohawk River (which connects to the Erie Canal) and which was not too far from a train station and had a launch ramp as a place to store the car and truck for a little while.  Besides being near the train, its not all that far from Vermont... which is one of those states I need to check off.  That way we'll have a car to drive to visit the maple syrup state.

The drive out of the NYC area was hairy.  I don't think my Californian husband will ever get used to toll roads (they have so few in CA).  It's not that they are that difficult, but each section seems to handle the toll collection differently.

Soon, however we were enjoying lovely scenery... along the Hudson, the Catskills.  It is going to be a lovely cruise.  We arrived at the marina and we got a preview of what the Erie will be like.  Very peaceful, wouldn't you agree?

So remember when I said the day would be devoted to transportation?  My dear husband loves trains..as well as boats...oh and he likes planes and cars too.  But trains are his thing.  So off we went to the Amtrak station.

The tracks are next to the Hudson all the way almost to NYC so we enjoyed the river and mountains once again.  We arrived at Penn station and, what did we see when we exited?  The Empire State Building.  Check that off the list!

We walked a few blocks to the PATH station (the subway train to Jersey City).  I was reminded of all those TV shows and movies (Risky Business).  Robbie got to ride 2 trains today!

We shopped at a tiny Chinese market in Jersey City for our provisions and then took a taxi back to the marina.  Ahh!  Its great to be "home".

This evening we giggled as we watched our "neighbors" bathing their 9-month old in a Tupperware container on the dock.  Boy did he enjoy that bath!  Improvision is part of the fun of boat camping.

After dark all of us boaters were thrilled to see a huge fireworks display from Ellis Island, right behind our marina.  We couldn't figure out what was special about a Tuesday evening in July, but apparently NYC has fireworks at random locations throughout the summer.  It was a great show and the whole marina honked their boat horns in appreciation.

Fun in Manhattan

Liberty Landing Marina is right next to the Jersey City ferry which is $7 to get to Manhattan.  We landed right near two monuments which really choke me up.  The first was a monument to the Starving Irish immigrants.  Both of us had Irish immigrant ancestors and it is a sobering thought to realize all they went through.  Then we crossed the street and we were at the 9/11 memorial.  Two big holes in the ground (now made into fountains, with names engraved around them).

Next was a typical fast and furious NY cab ride to Times Square where we had booked two nights (for convenience sake).  We enjoyed 3 plays: Kinky Boots, Bullets over Broadway, and Disney's Newsies.  All were excellent and we wished we could see more shows, but even at the discount ticket booth prices, everyone has a limit.  I'm still hoping to convince Rob to squeeze in Matilda, the musical, before we leave...  there is nothing like a Broadway play...except maybe a London play... maybe we can sail Freedom to London?

Kinky Boots, music by Cindi Lauper... officially voted our "second favorite" musical (Miss Saigon still wins)

Rob loved Bullets over Broadway... I thought Zack Braff (from Scrubs). was great and the singing and dancing talent was marvelous.  Unfortunately, the songs were just OK.... old time songs like "Yes we have no bananas?!"

Newsies (a Disney production) was excellent.  The leads were new to Broadway but had fantastic voices and stage presence.  And the athletic, masculine dancing was amazing!

The hotel was fine, but a bit too close to the action!  I begged my high school BFF Shawn to please take us somewhere pretty for dinner.  We were enchanted with Chelsea and really enjoyed our walk on the Highline (an old raised subway platform converted to a pedestrian park up the West side of Manhattan).  Google the Highline in NYC... its an amazing project.

Walking the Highline

Happy to be back at the boat with our FABULOUS view