Hudson Day 3: Jamacan Jerk at the Shady Rest Marina

Today was a perfect day on the Hudson, the water was flat and the it was a flood tide (so, in our direction). We passed many beautiful estates, including the Vanderbuilt mansion, which is now open to the public.  Still many undivided zillionaire estates here.

Some very different lighthouses along the way:

We stopped early to dock at the Shady Rest Marina to take advantage of the pool and other really nice facilities.  We were happy to discover that today they were hosting the Jamacian Jerk Off (a BBQ contest between various yacht clubs and groups of individuals, benefiting  the Alzheimers Association). For $10 bucks we had all you can eat BBQ chicken, brisket, hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob and dirty rice.  Not to mention the $5 margaritas... and a great band.  Everyone had an awesome time!

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.