We lazed around on Wednesday morning, 07/21/21. Steve cooked us a full breakfast aboard, while I caught up on laundry. When we got off the boat, the Jamaican men constantly working on Belle Aventure’s extensive teak smiled really big and bid us a cheerful good morning. We walked all around historic downtown Kingston, exploring this interesting village with maritime origins.
The beautiful ketch sailing yacht, Belle Aventure, where she spends her summers at the marina in Kingston, NY. This William Fife creation was originally built in 1936, and is known for racing in international regattas.Ole Savannah restaurant, on Rondout Creek.The first floor of this historic downtown building houses the Mariner’s Harbor restaurant, which is also located on Rondout Creek. More downtown Kingston, NY, views…The town that is now Kingston, NY, was originally established by the Dutch in 1652. The picture above was taken in T. R. Gallo Waterfront Park, of a monument designed and erected in honor of the beloved one-time mayor of Kingston. Gallo was known for his tireless efforts to breath new life back into the city of Kingston during his term.
We enjoyed cocktails on the patio at Ship To Shore, then walked to nearby Mariner’s Harbor for dinner.
Riverfront restaurant we chose for dinner on 07/22/21.
On Thursday, the 22nd, we toured the Hudson River Maritime Museum, to which we received free tickets with our transient tie-up payment at the affiliated marina, and learned all about the history of the Hudson River.
Scenes from our tour of the Hudson River Maritime Museum, which sits directly adjacent to our marina.A rendition of how the Hudson River likely appeared in the 19th century.The steamboat Mary Powell was built in 1861, and was one of the most notable American passenger side-wheelers of the 19th century. Sailing the Hudson River for over 50 years, she was known for her style, speed, reliability and good service, thereby earning the title “Queen of the Hudson”. Until she was decommissioned in 1917, the Mary Powell remained a Hudson River Valley constant during a period of incredible social and technological change in the United States. She saw the duration of the Civil War, the industrial revolution, the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, and the start of the First World War. She was operated for most of her career by one enterprising family – the Andersons – and she represented the best of Hudson River travel – the speed, elegance, safety, and attention to detail that made travel by water preferable for many throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries.The Mary Powell’s bell occupies a prominent position in historic downtown Kingston, NY.The Mary Powell paved the way for more steamers to serve the Hudson River Valley residents.The elegant fleet of the Hudson River Day Line (which operated from the 1860s-1940s) included the Washington Irving, Hendrick Hudson, Robert Fulton, and the Albany steamers. The Alexander Hamilton was another well-known steamer on the Hudson River.As has always been the case, passenger boats shared the Hudson River with commercial work boats. (These models of actual working boats were created by Charles Niles, a talented artist and lifelong Kingston resident.)Personal sailboats also frequented the Hudson River Valley, participating in multiple sailing regattas during the 19th century through today.Hudson River Valley sailors with ingenuity, and who wanted to sail year ’round, fashioned ice yachts. Because of their low resistance to forward motion over ice, ice yachts (aka ice boats) are capable of speeds exceeding 60 miles per hour. 😐More works in the museum by Charles Niles.
That evening we selected an Italian restaurant named Savonas, in historic downtown Kingston, NY, for dinner, enjoying two scrumptious entrees.
Scenes from the Hudson River Maritime Museum Marina on Rondout Creek. (This picture wins this blog-post’s FIRST PRIZE. 😉 )Steve surveying the restoration of a 19th century tugboat that used to run the Hudson River, during its heyday, being performed on the grounds of the Hudson River Maritime Museum,Colorful murals like these dot the waterfront areas of Kingston.View of Rondout Creek, just east of where Legacy was tied.Legacy, tied-up to the transient wall at the Hudson River Maritime Museum Marina, during our stay in Kingston, NY.Moonlight over Rondout Creek, taken from Legacy’s deck. 🙂
