Day #34 & #35: Hyde Park, NY

In the 1800's some of the country's most wealthy familys built mansions along the Hudson's east bank.   Construction on the Beaux-Arts style, Frederick Vanderbilt Mansion, began in 1895 and was completed in 1898.  In 1940 it was gifted to the National Park service as a monument to the Gilded Age--the period after the Civil War and up to 1900.

The White Bridge over Crum Elbow Creek, circa 1897, lies between the mansion and the front gate and was one of the first steel and concrete bridges in the US. 

Apparently Hyde Park had another, even more famous resident...  It's said that a curious 13 year-old, with the initials FDR, repeatedly traveled the two miles between Springwood, his ancestral home, and the burgenoning Vanderbilt mansion, to check on the latter's construction progress.

Springwood, FDR's home (photo credit: Barbara Jones).  The FDR Presidential Library and his burial site are adjacent to the home.

It's a bit of an uphill hike between Nellie, the Vanderbilt Mansion and Springwood.  But, since succumbing to the battery powered vehicle craze, a bike for Bicki and a OneWheel for me, our range has dramatically expanded.

Our slip at Rogers Point is somewhat exposed. 

A whole 9 miles yesterday and 0 today, 751 miles in 2019 and 8987 miles from Naples, FL. DBH

Day #33: Kingston, NY

At the confluence of Catskill Creek and the Hudson we looked southwest to see this majestic view of the Catskill Escarpment. These peaks sparked the imagination of Thomas Cole and appear in many of his paintings.

Except in the bigger cities, bridges across the Hudson are few and far between. Pictured is the 135' high and 3/4 mile long Rhinecliff bridge near Kingston. The closest bridges to it are each about 15 miles away.

The Rondout Creek lighthouse, circa 1915, marks the entrance to Kingston.

As the height of the railway bridge shows, Rondout Creek makes a deep cut through Kingston's hills.

Kingston was made New York's first capital in 1777. Later that same year the British burned the town down.

We scored a free slip at Kingston's Ole Savannah restaurant. Naturally, we thanked our host by patronizing his establishment.  I recommend the pulled pork.

23 miles today, 742 miles in 2019 and 8978 miles from Naples, FL. DBH

Day #32: Tripping over History; Again.

The village of Catskill is a showpiece with many beautiful 1800's homes.

It's funny then, that on my OneWheel ride, I'd take particular notice of a simple shed. It was mostly obscured by trees but, what was visible had an asthetic that grabbed my attention.

And, so began my introduction to Thomas Cole (1801-1848). The shed, which he designed and built in the 1840's, was his studio. He designed some bigger things too, like Ohio's Statehouse. Most mere mortals would be satisfied with that and call it a day. Not Thomas, for his real passion was landscape painting. In fact, he's the progenitor of the Hudson River School--an art movement in which landscape paintings are infused with romanticism.

Thomas Cole, The Ox Bow, c. 1836.

Cole's Ox Bow makes a clear distinction between what nature is (seen on the left) and what man is making it (seen on the right). Personally, I prefer the latter. However, Cole's larger point is that which initially seems good can turn out very poorly.

Thomas Cole, The Consummation of Empire, c. 1835 - 1836.

He dramatically expresses his fears in a series of five, allegorical paintings called, The Course of Empire.  In The Consummation of Empire, Cole shows man triumphant while nature has been relegated to a single flower pot.

Thomas Cole, Desolation, c. 1836.

The final piece in the series, Desolation, might also be called, "Don't mess with Mother Nature."

Thomas Cole, Settler's Home in the Catskills, c. 1842.  

Not all of Cole's paintings are so serious. In Settler's Home in the Catskills, he depicts, albeit idealistically, Catskill Creek where Nellie will moor in 176 years. How did he know ;-)

Thomas Cole, Portrait of the Artist’s Wife, Maria Bartow, c. 1836–48.

While Cole isn't known as a portraitist, this pencil drawing of his wife is wonderful. I almost expect her to look up and smile.

Thomas Cole, The Trying Hour, c. 1844-1846.

To provide a sense of scale it's not uncommon for landscape artists to include people in their scenes. Cole included rowers in his Catskill Creek paintings. I can't imagine what's going through the mind of the rower in The Trying Hour.

Cus D'Amato's boxing gym, just off Catskill's Main Street, trained the likes of heavyweight champions Mike Tyson and Floyd Patterson.

Lest anyone think we're getting uppity in this cultural visit to Catskill, I need to report that we spent an enjoyable 45 minutes touring Beer World. Bicki brought our cart along on the "outside chance" we'd find something of interest. I'm happy to report that transporting two cases of Yuengling Black & Tan, two rough-road miles back to Nellie, was no problem.

0 Miles today, 719 miles in 2019 and 8955 from Naples. DBH

Day #31: Catskill, NY

It's just not fair.  We're headed south, going downriver--down being the key word--and yet we're bucking a current. Why?  Well, it turns out that the Hudson River, like the Chesapeake Bay, is a tidal estuary.  Think of it as a long, narrow indent into the Atlantic coastline.  As such it's subject to tidal forces.  We left Albany with a little lift from the out going tide.  Less than an hour later our slowly decreasing speed told us we'd met the incoming wave.   Over the next few hours Nellie's speed dropped from 8 to 6.5 mph.  In the end it was no big deal, we simply got a little more time to enjoy the beautiful surroundings of the Hudson Valley.

The iconic 1874 Hudson–Athens Lighthouse was built in the Second Empire style.  To protect the lighthouse from Ice flows the north side of its granite block foundation (the right-hand side of the picture above) is shaped like a ship's bow. 

Nellie in slip #3 at the Catskill Marina. 

Between the 1600's and the early 1800's the Hudson River was the super highway.  Great wealth was to be made along it and by it.  That wealth is on display today in the architecture of old cities like Catskill.

Playing on the city's name, Catskill raises funds via a cat decorating contest.

33 Miles today, 719 miles in 2019 and 8955 from Naples.  DBH

Day #29: Albany, NY

Two miles south of the confluence of the Champlain and Erie Canals lies the Federal Lock. It is the last lock between Nellie and the Atlantic. The Hudson's five foot tides and 3 mph currents will be found on the other side of the gates. Our three year, sheltered, inland river experience has come to an end.

Having never been to Albany we figured it was time to rectify the situation and took a slip at the Albany Yacht Club.

Great building art in Albany.

St John's, pictured above, was the second church in ruins that we stumbled upon in downtown Albany. The first was St. Joseph's. It's hard to look at these once magnificent edifices and not ponder the larger social implications.

A sign near the yacht club. The song Yankee Doodle was written in the 1750's by British army surgeon Dr. Richard Shuckburgh to mock the colonists who were seen as unsophisticated yokels. The yokels, knowing that revenge is a dish better served cold, serenaded the British Army with Yankee Doodle after the latter's ignominious defeat at Saratoga in 1777.

We're enjoying the views of Albany from its eponomous yacht club across the Hudson. It's hot. We're enjoying Nellie's air conditioner too. 11 miles today, 686 in 2019 and 8922 miles from Naples. DBH.

Day # 28: Waterford, NY

Nellie on the wall at Waterford, NY. Prices are climbing. Moorage is free but electricity is $10. Still, a deal by any measure. We'll enjoy the savings while they last as mooring prices climb asymptotically as we approach NYC.


Only the Troy Lock separates Nellie from the tidal waters that she left three years ago. It was 9 miles between Mechanicville and Waterford. We're now 674 miles into 2019 and 8910 miles from Naples. DBH

Day #27: Mechanicville, NY

This is what the Hudson River looks like on a perfect cruising day.

Happy to be using the lock. The river's route looks a little more...exciting.

At the free dock in Mechanicville, NY. 29 miles today, 665 miles for 2019 and 8871 miles from Naples, FL. DBH