Hudson River Valley

We put the boat at a marina in Croton-on-Hudson (ain’t that a cute name for a town), rented a car for a couple days, and spent both our Social Security checks acting like tourists along the mid-Hudson Valley.

A replica of the Fokker DR-1 triplane from 1917, similar
to what the Red Baron flew

We started out by visiting Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome just north of Poughkeepsie (who ever thought of that word?), where resides the largest collection of aircraft dating from 1903 when Orville & Wilbur did their thing, to about the 1930’s.  Biplanes and triplanes everywhere, some of them original yet, and some of them in flying condition.  I had first heard about this place in 1975, so I wanted to see what it was all about.  Unfortunately, the weekly airshows start next weekend, after we’re gone.  Looking at those aircraft, we realized that the saying was very true: “Those daring young men in their flying machines”.

 

 

 

Sue was intrigued by the early machine guns, which
originally shot off the wood propellers.  Later the propellers
had a metal back side to deflect the bullets.

 

 

The chapel, parade grounds & dining hall at USMA.
I won't tell you about the time we flew 3 Navy helicopters
up the Hudson & yelled on our loud speakers as we passed
the USMA..

The next day we humbled ourselves to tour the US Military Academy at West Point, where all the pennants said “Beat Navy”.  The history of that place is amazing, going all the way back to George Washington & them nasty British redcoats.  I wore my shirt with the Naval Aviator wings on it, but couldn’t get a rise out of anyone.

 

 

 

 

View of the Hudson from the USMA.  Didn't some General say
to capture the high ground to win the battles?

 

That afternoon we went south a bit to the Village of Sleepy Hollow (yes, Virginia, there really is such a place) where a guy named after George (Washington Irving) really did know someone named Ichabod Crane, and started a legend about what he wished had happened.  We also toured the cemetery where the Irving family is buried; the same cemetery wherein lies Andrew Carnegie, William Rockefeller, Walter Chrysler & Leona Helmsley.

 

 

Restored home of FDR (and his mother)
at Hyde Park

During the next two days we learned about the Roosevelt family of Hyde Park NY.  Franklin Roosevelt was the only person to have been elected President 4 separate times (prior to term limits), and lived almost his entire political career paralyzed by polio.  His wife Eleanor (a distant cousin & a niece of Teddy Roosevelt) was a remarkable woman herself and, as a strong activist for human rights, was years ahead of her time.

 

 

 

At the Culinary Institute.  Do we look like we're starving?

Finally, we had to force ourselves to tour the Culinary Institute of America, also in Hyde Park, to see how all the great chefs of the world are trained.  And, of course, we just HAD to feed our appetite and our faces, at one of the four restaurants on site.  Yeah, I know, this cruising lifestyle is tough, but someone just has to do it!

Today is a weather day in port as the cold front comes through, but tomorrow we head north again.  We’ll take 3 days traveling the last 100 miles up the Hudson to Waterford NY, where the Erie Canal joins in.  We’ve picked a couple nice anchorages along the way, which should be quite enjoyable.