We left the transient wall at the Hudson River Maritime Marina in Kingston, NY, on Friday morning, 07/23/21, at 9:30 am, since we had a short travel day ahead of us. We lucked-out and sneaked past the weather gods, because we found ourselves cruising in perfectly, calm, clear conditions. Skies were partly cloudy with brilliant sunshine and the air was haze-free, thanks to the low humidity.
Beautiful morning leaving the Hudson River Maritime Museum’s marina in Kingston, NY, on Rondout Creek, the morning of 07/23/21. The mouth of Rondout Creek, from Legacy’s stern, as we re-entered the Hudson River.More examples of “creative” custom live-aboard boats…
Cruising farther northward up the Hudson River, we passed the riverside villages of East Kingston, Barrytown, and Annapolis-On-Hudson, NY, and slipped underneath the Kingston-Rhinecliff (NY Hwy 199) Bridge. In this very clear air we could fully appreciate the lush green rolling hills and bucolic countryside that covers both sides of the Hudson River for miles.
Bucolic Hudson River Valley…
We passed Tivoli Bays, Falling Waters Preserve, the Saugerties Lighthouse, and the small hamlet of Glasco, NY. Next came Malden, Bristol Beach, West Camp, and Cementon, NY, to our port, with Germantown to our starboard.
In this blog post’s first prize picture winner, is the Saugerties Lighthouse on the Hudson River, originally constructed in 1835, and was completely restored to its present state by the Saugerties Lighthouse Conservancy in 1985.
As the morning progressed, we cruised through the expansive Livingston State Forest to our starboard, as we approached Catskill, NY, just a little ways up Catskill Creek to our port. And then we passed underneath the Rip Van Winkle Bridge.
The majestic Catskill Mountain range is always a back-drop to the lower Hudson River Valley.Approaching the Rip Van Winkle Bridge over the Hudson River, aka New York Highway 23 bridge.
The weather continuously improved all morning, with skies clearing and the sun shining more and more brilliantly. Temperatures were in the mid-70s. Couldn’t have been more perfect! We passed Athens, NY, to port, and Hudson, NY, to starboard, as we approached the long, skinny island called Middle Ground Flats, right there in the middle of the Hudson River. On the far southern end of Middle Ground Flats, stands the Hudson City Light Lighthouse, warning mariners about the ground directly in front of them.
The Hudson City Light Lighthouse, sometimes called the Hudson-Athens Light, located on the southern end of Middle Ground Flats, was originally constructed in 1872.
In many places, the Hudson River is surprisingly wide – much more so than either one of us had expected. Toward the end of today’s journey, we passed Vosburgh Swamp Wildlife Refuge, Coxsackie, Newton Hook, and Stuyvesant, NY, before reaching New Baltimore, where Donovan’s Shady Harbor Marina is located.
Approaching Donovan’s Shady Harbor Marina, on the Hudson River, in New Baltimore, NY.Donovan’s Shady Harbor Marina enjoys quite a reputation with Loopers, provided us with excellent service during our long stay with them, and hosts a well-known annual pig roast every June for Loopers passing through the area. We arrived too late to make this year’s event, but heard it was a rousing success in 2021, as in years past.
We arrived at Shady Harbor about 1:30 pm this afternoon. After refueling and a pump-out, we cruised over to our slip for the next several days. To our surprise, we saw Captain Crusty and his wife, Dorothy, aboard their trawler, Magic, tied directly behind us at Shady Harbor. Small world!
After settling in and showering, we walked up to Shady Harbor’s very own marina restaurant, The Boathouse Grille, for early dinner and libations.
Where we first ate on 07/23/21, and on many evenings afterward, as the Boathouse Grill was both tasty and convenient.Many of our meals were enjoyed outside on the Boathouse Grille’s expansive waterfront deck, as the weather during our stay there was almost always perfect for dining al fresco.
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. 🙂
Even though the weather at 7:45 am on Tuesday morning, 07/20/21, was hazy, misty, and almost foggy, the protected waters of the Hudson River were super smooth – our favorite. As we traveled northward, we passed Haverstraw, NY, to our port and Crugers, NY, to our starboard. Soon we came to Stony Point and Tompkins Cove, NY, then Verplanck, Jones Point, and Peekskill, NY, where we’d shopped at Walmart via rental car last week. As we passed Highland Falls, NY, and West Point Academy to our port, we had a completely different vantage point from the one we’d experienced earlier, via land. The Academy actually overlooks Highlands State Park on the opposite side of the Hudson River.
The Hudson River Valley does not disappoint with its many vistas of high, craggy hills jutting right out of the water. (Too bad it was so hazy out that day…) Mirror-smooth waters…Our first view of the United States Military Academy West Point from the Hudson River.More views of the historic, rambling campus of West Point, as seen from the water.
Eventually we passed Cornwall-On-Hudson, New Windsor, and Newburgh to port. There was no doubt we were traversing the Hudson River Valley, as magnificent mountains rose up out of the water on both sides. They were beautiful, despite the partially obscuring haze that still hung in the air all around us. Few good pictures today, unfortunately…
Beautiful, old waterfront estates are visible on both sides of the Hudson River…
A highlight of this portion of the river was Legacy cruising beneath the Bear Mountain Bridge, which we’d crossed multiple times in our rental car the week before. We passed Cornwall-On-Hudson, (where we floated right past the very old Bannerman Castle where it sits out in the river on a small island), New Windsor, NY, then cruised underneath the Newburgh-Beacon (NY I-84) Bridge, when we reached the town of Newburgh, NY.
Approaching Bear Mountain Bridge, cruising northward on the Hudson River.Views of Bannerman Castle, where it sits on Pollepel Island (also known as Bannerman Island) in the Hudson Highlands, on the Hudson River, near Beacon, NY. Construction of Bannerman Castle first began in 1901, by Scottishman, Francis Bannerman VI, a military surplus storage tycoon in New York City. Bannerman, himself, designed the castle as a massive military arsonal. Using his Scottish heritage as inspiration, Francis envisioned three warehouses, a family residence, workers’ housing, a massive six-story tower, and even a working drawbridge (that was never actually completed). Upon his death in 1918, Bannerman’s sons continued both the surplus business and construction of Bannerman Castle. Although the facility was much more secure and safer than storage in the heart of Manhattan, accidents still plagued the structure with accidental weaponry mishaps and explosions, and frequent lightning strikes due to the castle’s location in open water, and its many flagpoles. In 1959, the Bannerman family decided to move their Manhattan-based business to Long Island, emptying their stores on Broadway and Pollepel’s castle of all remaining military supplies. The island and castle was sold to New York State’s Taconic Park Commission in 1967, and on August 9th, 1969, a suspicious fire destroyed the wooden floors and roofs of the buildings and left the entire island in ruins. In recent years, the Bannerman Castle Trust was founded to preserve the island and what’s left of the buildings. Along with rebuilding docks and repairing some particularly dangerous areas, the trust also holds walking tours and various events under their supervision.Because the weather and natural lighting was so poor on 07/20/21, I borrowed this picture from the internet to show a clearer perspective of the Bannerman Castle ruins.Views of Newburgh, NY, from the Hudson River…
The air began to clear around us a bit as we continued northward past Castle Point, Chelsea, and New Hamburg, NY, before reaching the point where the Wappinger Creek flows into the Hudson River. Craggy hills and rocks rise straight out of the Hudson River all through this portion. And, at one point through this area, our depth gauge read more than 100-feet in water depth.
The Hudson River Railroad follows the Hudson River almost exactly. There is a commercial line that runs along the western side of the river and a passenger line that runs along the eastern side. We watched and heard both of these trains running continuously as we cruised up the river.We passed this interesting example of a man-made buttress constructed to support a particularly large and looming rock overhang along the western railway.
After Crown Heights and Milton, we reached Poughkeepsie, NY, and passed beneath the Mid-Hudson (US Highway 44) Bridge. Next we saw the beautiful buildings of the Culinary Institute of America perched high up on the hill to our starboard, and recalled the scrumptious dinner we’d enjoyed there exactly one week ago.
We passed miles and miles of bucolic homesteads like these along both sides of the Hudson River.It’s not easy to tell from this picture, but these two residences are definitely historic.Our river view of the wonderful Culinary Institute of America location in Hyde Park, NY, where we’d dined last week.
The Crum Elbow portion of the Hudson River, north of Hyde Park, NY, is the deepest part of the entire river, where the depths reach a staggering 135-feet. Soon, we passed the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site to our starboard, but could only see its rooftops through the tall trees surrounding it. Not far past it, to our port, we saw the impressive Holy Cross Monastery. We passed Straatsburgh, NY, to our starboard and Esopus Meadows Preserve to our port, before reaching Port Ewen, NY, Sleightsburgh Park, and the mouth of Rondout Creek where it spills into the Hudson River.
Views of the Esopus Meadows Lighthouse on the Hudson River, south of Kingston, NY, which was first constructed in 1839. This lighthouse is nicknamed the “Maid of the Meadows”, and is also referred to as the Middle Hudson River Light. It is still active today, and stands on the west side of the channel, in the river, its granite foundation built atop piles that have been driven into the riverbed, and is only accessible by boat.
Hudson River Maritime Museum and Marina are located on Rondout Creek, not far off of the Hudson, and we arrived there at approximately 1:45 pm that afternoon. The harbor master instructed us to tie-up to their transient wall on Legacy’s starboard side, facing into the current. Once Legacy was “all tucked-in”, as our friend Brandee Sharp likes to say, we showered and then walked into the town of Kingston, which is directly adjacent to the marina. There are multiple restaurants, bars, and shops right there close-by that make Kingston an enjoyable place to stop along the Hudson River. We decided on Ole Savannah Southern Table and Bar for our early dinner on Tuesday, 07/20/21.
Our first view of Kingston, NY, coming in on Rondout Creek.There are multiple examples of boat relics along the banks of Rondout Creek….This one could be a river-cruiser’s dream of a fixer-upper. It could either carry passengers or be one heck of a live-aboard for a single owner! 😉There are also beautifully-restored and maintained boats to be seen on Rondout Creek. Here, Legacy is tied right behind this boat, Belle Aventure, along the wall at the Hudson River Maritime Museum Marina’s transient docks. We watched workmen constantly restoring her massive teak exterior while we were there.This school is right next to our marina, along the historic Kingston, NY, waterfront.This is an example of the school’s teachings that sat between our boat and this night’s dinner location.Where we enjoyed an early dinner in Kingston, NY, on Tuesday evening, 07/20/21.
On Tuesday morning, 07/13/21, we finally got an Uber to drive us from the marina up to the local Enterprise location to pick-up our rental car we reserved for our week’s stay in the Croton-On-Hudson area. We lucked-out and were issued a brand new Nissan Rogue SUV, which was very nice and still had that new-car smell. 🙂 We drove our rental to the local USPS, so I could mail off some recently-completed crocheted sections to Warm Up America! and pick-up some more mailing boxes. We then ventured to Walmart, in nearby Peekskill, NY, to buy more yarn and other supplies.
Every time we left or returned to our boat, we could check on Bella Vita, where she was slipped right next to us at Half Moon Bay while her crew, The Sharps, drove a rental car down to Florida to check on the status of their home remodel.Some of the great restaurants in the Croton area, where we dined during the week of 07/13/21-07/19/21.The cormorants that lined the sea wall at Half Moon Bay were our constant companions during our stay. (You could very much tell that this was their world, and we were just visiting it…)The official owners of Half Moon Bay are the Canadian geese that literally permeate the marina during the spring and summer months. They just barely tolerate the presence of the humans in their area, honking loudly if we walk too close to them.The harbor master told us these geese are the bane of his existence because for some unknown reason they like to use the docks at the marina as their personal toilets under the cover of nightfall. Every single morning, he or one of his dock-hands is burdened with sweeping piles and piles and piles of goose poop off of every dock finger, so us boaters can comfortably walk those docks. One morning, I ventured up to the marina restrooms before anyone had swept the docks, and it was like navigating a veritable mine-field of feces and feathers. Between trying to keep my shoes clean and not falling into the water, I learned quickly to wait until afterthe docks had been swept before leaving the boat. YUCK! Although the geese were blamed for messing on the docks, I highly suspected that the ducks at Half Moon Bay Marina spent most of their days sleeping, so they’d have plenty of energy to assist the geese with their night time activities…
Upon the recommendation of several people, we tried our luck and actually scored dinner reservations for that evening at The Culinary Institute of America, in nearby Hyde Park, NY! Any Looper that stops in Croton-On-Hudson tries to get meal reservations at the CIA, but not everyone is successful, so we felt especially fortunate. There are several restaurants inside the large school, and we got to sample the delicious dishes from the American Bounty restaurant. Even though our drive was more than 42 miles, one way, the experience was well worth the drive – especially since we had such a nice vehicle in which to make the trip. Before and after our meals, we explored the lovely grounds of the institute, something else that was suggested. The food, the drink, the ambiance, and the entire experience was very much one to remember.
Where we were extremely fortunate to score reservations for dinner on 07/13/21. The Culinary Institute of America is located in Hyde Park, NY, which is a 42-mile one-way trip from Croton-On-Hudson, but we both felt that distance was nothing compared to the succulent delights we enjoyed at the famous institute.The buildings and grounds that the Culinary Institute of America location in Hyde Park, NY, inhabits originally belonged to the St. Andrew-on-Hudson Jesuit novitiate. The CIA has three other locations around the world in Napa, California, San Antonio, Texas, and in the country of Singapore.A gigantic chef silhouette graces the top of an institute building. You can’t tell from this picture, but that figure stands about 20 feet tall.One of the restaurants at the CIA – Bocuse – serves delectable Italian cuisine, but was already completely booked-up for the week we were there.The famous grounds of the CIA are lovely and filled with immaculate landscaping and floral displays.CIA curriculum. Clever food-oriented signs like this one are hung all over campus.The CIA holds renowned chef, Anthony Bourdain, in very high esteem, and pays homage to him in their halls.Be still, my heart! 🙂The restaurant inside the CIA, where we were fortunate enough to obtain dinner reservations.
The next day we drove our fancy ride to a nearby Home Depot, Lowe’s, and a grocery store, where I managed to find a new plant for my growing collection of boat plants. During our travels that day, we crossed over the impressive Tappan Zee Bridge, west over the Hudson River, into central New York state. The SUN was actually shining that day, which was a real treat for both of us, even though more storms were forecast for that afternoon and night. Just as I’d expected, though, the sun being out made all the difference in the Croton-On-Hudson area. Every direction we looked was so much more interesting and beautiful with natural light shining on it. 🙂
Crossing the Tappan Zee Bridge by car, after passing underneath it on our boat, earlier that week.
Another day, again upon recommendation, we drove up to Croton Gorge Park, located just a few miles from our marina. This whole area reminded both of us of the Smoky Mountains, down in eastern Tennessee. There is an impressive dam, multiple waterfalls, and rushing creek surrounded by park-like grounds, hills, and forest.
Breathtaking scenes from the Croton Gorge area in New York.
We drove to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, in Sleepy Hollow, NY, which is a large and lovely old cemetery built on and amongst steeply rolling hills. Dogwoods, rhododendrons, and roses of Sharon bloomed prolifically during our visit. I was in love! I had never seen so many different species of Japanese maple trees all planted in one location. Some of them were very large, as Japanese maples go, so I knew they’d been growing there for many years. Those trees gave the entire place a magical, dream-like appearance.
How lucky were we that the rhodos were in bloom during our visit! Although we listened for the sound of hoof beats while there, we never saw anyone riding a horse without their head, thankfully.Rose of Sharon, also called Althea, is a member of the hibiscus family.It was easy to tell some of the structures in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery date back to the mid 19th century.I was intrigued how each type of Japanese Maple had its own, unique color. The maple in this picture was not turning red for fall, as it was the first half of July!We saw hundreds of graves dating from the mid-1800s all the way up to present day.
Steve parked our car in the shade and waited for me as I walked all over the grounds, taking picture after picture. In every direction, I was surrounded by countless old and interesting grave markers, lovely flowers, and lush plantings with sunlight streaming through them. What more could I ask for? Washington Irving, Andrew Carnegie, William Rockefeller, and Leona Helmsley are among the hundreds buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, which was incorporated on 10/29/1849. Steve commented that the Helmsley mausoleum is larger than any house we’ve ever owned. And he was right!
That’s the Rockefeller mausoleum at the top of this hill.What’s an historic cemetery without a charming, babbling brook, complete with wooden bridge to cross it?The natural coloring of this particular Japanese maple is a glowing, lime-green hue. The grand Helmsley family mausoleum. One of the largest in the entire cemetery.Did I mention that the different Japanese maples literally glow in the sunlight? 😉Since my clan of the Elliott family is said to have migrated over from England to northeastern America back in the 1600s, perhaps this mausoleum belongs to one of my ancestors…?A GOLDEN Japanese maple!
On our way back from Sleepy Hollow, we stopped in downtown Ossining On Hudson, NY, at Sing Sing Kill Brewery for an afternoon craft beer and some wine. We sat outside and people-watched in that day’s glorious weather. Our general musings about Ossining, and this entire part of the country, were that the buildings here are obviously very old and not necessarily kept up. Almost to compliment the age and general dreariness of the area, the surrounding landscaping appears rarely manicured, being allowed to grow up around streets, sidewalks, and buildings, giving a rather unkempt appearance.
That evening, when we arrived back in Croton, we tried Black Rock Kitchen for dinner, upon the advice of a couple we’d met earlier at our marina, and agreed the couple knew what they were talking about.
On Friday, 07/16/21, we journeyed up to the US Military Academy at West Point, in Highland, NY. Unfortunately (but not surprisingly), West Point was closed for tours due to Covid restrictions, but there was a very nice exhibit and museum we were able to walk-through and tour, which was better than nothing. I was able to take some pictures and we both learned a lot about the school, which was originally established in 1802, even though the site and some of the buildings were first utilized as a fort, dating back to the mid-1700s. Back when Steve and I had both worked for Sprint PCS, our director was Matthew W. Anderson, who was a graduate of West Point and an elite Army Ranger, to boot. It was fun reading about the place and imagining our friend once attending there. In fact, what I learned about the school, its core and values, and its rigorous curriculum, along with the teeming number of cadets enrolled today, gave me renewed faith in the youth of our country and their ability to carry our country forward.
A view of Highlands, New York, the home of West Point.The West Point Museum was one of the very few buildings into which we were allowed entry during our visit, thanks to COVID restrictions.Since 1899, the mule has been the West Point mascot promoting the spirit of the Corps of Cadets. Mules were very important to the Army in the late 1800s through World War I. While not regular cavalry mounts, mules were used extensively to pull supply wagons, caissons, and artillery pieces. This statue of “Hannibal the Mule”, an exceptional West Point mascot, having served the Corps of Cadets faithfully from 1947 through 1964, was erected on the grounds in 2004 by Company M, 2nd Regiment, West Point Class of 1954.The five most historically notable graduates of West Point are Grant, Pershing, Macarthur, Eisenhower, and Bradley.I had to talk Steve into posing for this picture. He did not want to appear to be displaying stolen valor. 😉Luckily for present day Cadets, their uniforms have changed over the years…The origins of West Point.
After West Point, we drove up into the Catskill Mountains to visit Woodstock, NY. We were discovering that the terrain of New York state is much more scenic and beautiful than either of us had realized. Once again, we remarked on how comparable it is to the Smoky Mountains in the Appalachians. As we drove around the historic little town of Woodstock, NY, we were reminded that Woodstock itself was not the actual site of the infamous 1969 concert, even though it shared this town’s name. The iconic concert, itself was held 59 miles away on Max Nasgar’s farm, in Bethel, NY, where there is now a museum and memorial site constructed to commemorate the famous event. We vowed to drive to that exact site later in our stay in the area. One of the things that intrigued me most about the kitschy little town of Woodstock were all the young people strolling its streets, dressed exactly like Hippies. From the tie-dyed clothing, to the bell-bottomed jeans, long or dread-locked hair adorned with flowers, the round, wire-rimmed sunglasses, to their Birkenstock sandals, these kids appeared to be stepping out of the annals of time. It was so realistic and surreal, that I pondered if perhaps these true-to-life-looking youngsters might actually be reincarnated Hippies that had once roamed these streets some 52 years earlier, as it was certainly physically possible…(?)
Views of the scenic Catskill Mountains…
With the aid of Google Maps, we left the main streets of town and found the actual location of Levon Helm’s Studios (think The Band) that were still supposedly located at 160 Plochman, there in Woodstock, NY. We found the gate to the property, which was standing open, with a paved alley winding down and into a grove of woods that obscured the house/building itself. Steve was too respectful to enter that alley, even though I would’ve been game, since the area was completely void of any no trespassing signs. To be honest, the area did appear much more residential than commercial, and since Levon himself passed away in 2012, we weren’t sure if that property was even still owned by the Helms family. Plus, Steve said he didn’t want to be responsible for “causing an incident” in the laid-back town of Woodstock, NY.
Steve almost turned left at this sign, as I was driving him crazy requesting he pullover every 50 feet so I could take a picture. 😉
On Saturday, 07/17/21, we took advantage of more nice weather and drove to Bear Mountain State Park and Hessian Lake, another very scenic area, which had also been recommended. As we drove around this part of New York, we were struck by the number of towns, counties, and areas with names that end with “kill” or “kills”. Finding this odd, I researched it and found that the Middle Dutch word, kille, meaning “riverbed” or “water channel” was used in areas of Dutch influence in the Delaware and Hudson Valleys and other areas of the former New Netherland colony of Dutch America, to describe a strait, river, or arm of the sea. Since there are so many streams, rivers, and waterways in this part of New York, it explains the high number of communities with “kill” in their names. Another thing I’ve noticed here in New York (although completely unrelated) is all the Veronica Speedwell flowers growing wild in the medians and in the fields along the highways. And my favorite color, to boot – fuchsia!
Approaching the Bear Mountain Bridge over the Hudson River on Highway 9W. A scene we saw many times during our stay in the area.There is a toll charged to cross the Bear Mountain Bridge.Views of Bear Mountain State Park in New York.Bear Mountain Inn, originally opened in 1915, and is still operational today.Hessian Lake, formerly known as Highland Lake and also Bloody Lake, is a gorgeous body of water that lies at the foot of Bear Mountain on a plateau nearly 1,000 feet above the Hudson River, in Orange County, New York, adjacent to the Bear Mountain Inn. Although it has a rich history, dating back to the Lenape Native American nation in the 1500s, the lake is now used for recreational purposes and has a normal surface area of 45 acres.
We had plenty of time left in this day of rural exploration, so we consulted our GPS and headed for Bethel Woods, outside of Bethel, NY, and the actual site of the famed Woodstock concert, held exactly 52 years earlier, during the period of August 15-18, 1969. And what a treat this place turned out to be! It was so much more than either of us had imagined. It was unbelievable, actually! We found an impressive memorial establishment, beautiful grounds, a breathtaking view of the hillside valley location, at which the monumental event had originally occurred and had precipitated the area we were now enjoying. The museum and it’s exhibit, which included beautiful artwork exhibits, music, and videos, was informative, fulfilling, and moving. We learned so much about this concert and just how much was involved in bringing it to its fruition. Not only were there many key people involved and major challenges overcome, there were very likely a couple of miracles involved, as well. 🙂
Bethel Woods Museum – a lasting tribute to the famous outdoor concert of 1969.Of course there were many beautiful planters at Bethel Woods…One of the first exhibits seen through the front doors of Bethel Woods Museum.This placard transported me back in time, as my dad used to drive a company car similar to this one, where my brother and I rode in the backseat. My mom even styled my hair like this little girl’s, complete with painful, plastic headband.I’ve often tried to imagine myself blissfully dealing with the crowds, the rain, the mud, and the lack of creature comforts that existed at this event, and I just can’t. But I’m trying to imagine from my 63-year old viewpoint, rather than that of a teen or 20-something, as were the majority of the Woodstock attendees… Young people can endure many discomforts in stride that older people cannot!As I read this, I realized that this rural highway must’ve stayed a “parking lot” throughout the entire event, which meant the highway became completely impassable for four days. There’s no way the authorities of today would ever allow a gathering of this magnitude to take place in such a setting!Standing on this peace sign of pavers, visitors have a panoramic view of the huge field below.I must’ve read this sign 10 times during our visit. This sign and the whole vibe of the area gave me goosebumps. I was SO glad we’d made this stop!THE famous site. The stage was down by the highway, to the right of the conifers, and the giant crowd covered the huge hill that rose for acres above it. One of the actual speakers used at Woodstock. The whole thing stood only about 15-feet tall! Little did the concert organizers know what would actually happen on this large farm in rural New York. 🙂Outdoor, multiday music festivals became a thing in the late 1960s, attracting thousands of fans from all over the country.NOPE – I cannot imagine ever enduring something like this, but HOW COOL would it be to have been one of the attendees? 🙂Our grand-kids today probably find this laughable, but wasn’t it amazing back in the day? 🙂Yep – a true miracle.I found this memorial so moving.
On Sunday, 07/18/21, we drove to Tarrytown, NY, and toured the magnificent Lyndhurst Mansion, on its acreage perched high on the Hudson River. I had read and heard about Lyndhurst through the years, so I naturally jumped at the chance to tour it. This elaborate example of 19th century Gothic Revival architecture was built by William Paulding, Jr, the then mayor of New York City, in 1838 as a summer retreat for his family. The Pauldings called the house “Knoll”, until .it was purchased, enlarged, and enhanced by the George Merritt family, who double the size of the mansion and renamed it Lyndenhurst, after the many Linden trees planted on the 67-acre estate. Merritt also created the English naturalistic style setting of the grounds. Sadly, the Merritts only lived in the home for six years, before Mr. Merritt died from kidney disease. Mrs. Merritt sold the house and property to self-made railroad tycoon, Mr. Jay Gould and family, in 1880, who shortened the name of the house to Lyndhurst. A portion of the grounds were dedicated to a private rose garden and spacious green houses by Mr. Gould, who fancied himself a horticulturist. He was especially fond of orchids, and nurtured hundreds of them as a hobby. The Goulds were one of the richest families in the world at that time. For 80 years, the home was occupied full and part-time by at least one member of the Gould family, before it was bequeathed by Anna Gould to the National Historic Registry, upon her death in 1961. The estate remains in the hands of the Registry, is maintained by funding, and open to the public for tours.
Lyndhurst is a striking example of Gothic Revival style architecture, sitting on 67-acres on the banks of the Hudson River in New York.In the 19th century, wealthy home builders liked to display their wealth through elaborate, soaring, and ornamental ceilings. This is the foyer ceiling, decorated solely with hand-painted faux-finishes, rather than utilizing actual marble or granite. The delicate, time-intensive labor involved in this technique announced to all visitors that their host was loaded. Parlor ceiling.Ceiling in the study.All windows were commissioned, created, and installed by Tiffany, the famed glass maker.Windows by Tiffany.Original Tiffany lamps are also scattered throughout the house.This bust of George Washington, which stands on one side of the foyer, is original to the house, dating back to 1838.George’s friend on the other side of the foyer is a bust of Lafayette, also dating back to 1838.The art gallery inside the home is covered with original oil-paintings by multiple, famous artists. Anna Gould was known for traveling all over the world and acquiring trinkets with which to decorate her home. In fact, our tour docent shared with us that when the Registry first took over the home in 1961, they discovered what could only be described as a hoarder situation, except that all of the items cluttering the house were high-end and very expensive.Corbels depicting famous people in history adorn the ceilings of the art gallery and formal dining room. This one is Ben Franklin’s likeness.The sleeping quarters of Lyndhurst’s mistress.Bedroom ceiling. Each star was hand-painted.19th century “intercom” system. 😉Railroad tycoon, Jay Gould’s, custom-made portable desk.Julia Merritt, one-time mistress of the mansion when it was called Lyndenhurst.George Merritt was responsible for doubling the size of the mansion when he purchased it for his family.This is the headboard in the master’s sleeping quarters. During the tour of this bedroom, a woman who looked to be in her early 80s leaned over to me and muttered to me, “Pretty obvious this is the man’s bedroom, wouldn’t you agree?” Made me LOL! 🙂 Views of George Merritt’s English naturalistic style grounds at Lyndhurst.Views of Jay Gould’s personal rose garden at Lyndhurst.All that remains of Jay Gould’s expansive orchid greenhouses erected adjacent to the rose garden. Our tour docent shared that restoring the greenhouses is not on the agenda of the Registry, as they only receive enough funding to maintain the house and grounds. 🙁Not only roses adorn the gardens at Lyndhurst. I took this pictures specifically for my talented friend, Judy Snow, who has been known to paint some of the pictures from this blog. 😉I could see myself wiling away the hours on these grounds, enjoying this magical view…The horse stables at Lyndhurst, which were later converted to accommodate automobiles.Just as every house has in their yard, Lyndhurst’s private bowling alley! The magnificent view of the Hudson River, from one of Lyndhurst’s back porches.
We ate dinner that evening back in Croton-On-Hudson at The Tavern at Croton Landing, enjoying the perfect evening weather by dining outside. When we returned to Legacy after dinner, we found her rocking wildly in her slip, as the wind had risen considerably throughout the day. So we got to live and attempt to sleep on a roller-coaster that night… UGH.
The next day was cooler, cloudy and a misty-rainy day. We drove the Rogue into town for groceries and adult beverage supplies, then drove to the Maya Riviera restaurant, in Briarcliff, NY, for a Mexican lunch. The place was all but abandoned, but we received terrific service from the staff, and the food tasted about like you’d expect a Mexican restaurant in a small New York town to taste. 😉 Reluctantly, that afternoon we turned in our rental vehicle to the local Enterprise office and walked back to our marina, which was only about a mile away. We sure did hate to see that car go!
Where we sampled a “Mexican” lunch in small-town, New York.More views of Half Moon Bay Marina…Every time we left or returned to Half Moon Bay Marina, we utilized my family’s street. 😉Legacy, all tied-up in her slip at Half Moon Bay Marina.
On Monday morning, 07/12/21, in very hazy but calm weather conditions, we left our tie-up at Great Kills Yacht Club on Staten Island at 7:45 pm. We were headed north-northwest through New York Harbor, toward the mouth of the Hudson River. All morning long, the sun fought hard to break through the haze, but never succeeded that morning, sadly for us, as this was our day to cruise through the magnificent New York Harbor, directly beneath New York City’s large and historical skyscrapers, bridges, and park areas, for which it is so famous. But, we could barely see any of them through the haze. 🙁 I was disappointed and frustrated!
Hazy day leaving Great Kills Harbor, heading in the Lower Bay of New York Harbor, in the Atlantic Ocean.Couldn’t have picked a worse day – weather-wise – to cruise New York Harbor. 🙁
As we cruised, we could see silhouettes of buildings and landmarks, but of course scoring any decent pictures was pure fantasy. We could see the famous Verrazano Bridge up ahead, through the heavy haze, along with the Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Jersey City skylines. Still traveling in the Lower Bay of New York Harbor, we passed New Dorp Beach, Midland Beach, and South Beach, all part of Staten Island, to our port. Our cruising waters were smooth, but there was an undeniable roll coming from the ocean. which kept my stomach on the queasy side. I was very ready to get off of the ocean and into some protected waters!
The Verazzano Narrows Bridge, which separates the Upper and Lower Bays of New York Harbor.
Once we crossed underneath the Verazzano Narrows Bridge, we passed Fort Wadsworth to our port, right on the Hudson River, just north of the bridge, and just like that we were now cruising in the Upper Bay of New York Harbor. As Legacy passed the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, now barely visible through the thick haze, I was grateful we’d gotten to view them earlier that week, even though it had been rainy off and on. Stormy skies trump hazy skies any day!
Fort Wadsworth, originally built in 1864, sits just on the northern side of the Verazzano Narrows Bridge.Fort Wadsworth, located on Staten Island, NY, is the oldest military location in the country. The first known fortification on this site was a small Dutch fort, built in 1663. Since that time, the location was used to guard New York Harbor and the rest of the city. The Civil War was this site’s heyday. 1900 men were stationed there during the War, and a Union Army Hero, Brigadier General James Wadsworth, lent the site its new name. Today, the grounds are part of the Gateway National Recreation Area, and is open to the public for tours.It’s a custom for Loopers to have a picture taken of their boat passing by the Statue of Liberty, as it is a major highlight on The Great Loop. Unfortunately, for that to happen, we either needed a drone or another boat in the harbor that would agree to take our picture and send it to us. We had neither of those on this day, and the weather was so poor, the picture would’ve been quite lackluster. I took some pictures of our own to commemorate the milestone.Ellis Island as viewed from Legacy on 07/12/21.Lady Liberty from our flybridge.
The Upper Bay is far busier than the Lower Bay, there’s no question. Legacy found herself with lots of over-the-water company, as we were passed by multiple ferries, barges, and container ships. We passed endless buildings obscured by haze, as we slowly cruised northward on the Hudson River, through NYC’s Battery, Tribeca, Lower Manhattan, Soho, and Greenwich Village areas to our starboard. We passed Hoboken, NJ, to our port, with Manhattan proper to our opposite side. We passed Harlem, Upper Manhattan, and Washington Heights before we cruised beneath the George Washington Bridge. Then it was on to Inwood, Riverdale, and North Riverdale, NY, before we reached Yonkers, NY. It broke my heart that we were coming through all of these well-known and historic areas, yet I could not photograph their actual beauty. 🙁
Maybe the same Staten Island Ferry we’d ridden on 07/08/21? Or perhaps during our visit in 2013?Some of the commercial traffic that shared New York Harbor with Legacy on 07/12/21…Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal, originally built in 1889.The George Washington Bridge is a double-decked suspension bridge, spanning the Hudson River, connecting the New York City borough of Manhattan with the New Jersey borough of Fort Lee. Construction first began on this bridge in 1927.The unusual Urby Harborside Tower in Jersey City reminded me of a gigantic game of Jenga. It was topped-out in 2015.Passing by Yonkers, NY. We’d always heard of it, now we’d seen it from the Hudson River!
Just south of the Tappan Zee Bridge, on the eastern side of the Hudson River, we could just barely make out the Lyndhurst Mansion up on a hill. I told Steve I really wanted to tour that place if we got an opportunity. We learned that “tappan zee” is an old Native American term meaning “natural widening”, and indeed the Hudson River does widen considerably through the Tappan Zee.
The impressive Tappan Zee Bridge, spanning the Hudson River.Cruising under the Tappan Zee, upon which construction was first completed in 1955. It crosses the Hudson River at one of its widest points, connecting Grand-View-On-Hudson, NJ, to Tarrytown, NY.
As we had been told previously, many massive, majestic bluffs and lush forests line both sides of the Hudson River, and we could tell this part of the country was truly beautiful, if we could only see it… In the middle of all this natural scenery, as we progressed, we passed right by Sing Sing Correctional Facility. 😐
I so wished the sun had been shining on these impressive bluffs along the Hudson River. I could tell they would be breathtaking. Passing the city of Lackawanna, NY, first incorporated in 1851.A river view of Sing Sing Correctional Facility. 😐
We arrived at Half Moon Bay Marina, in the town of Croton-On-Hudson, NY, at 1:15 pm. Our slip there was literally RIGHT BESIDE Bella Vita, owned by our friends, the Sharps. We’d known she was there, but thought it funny we ended up with the slip right next to her. Bella Vita was staying at Half Moon Bay while her crew drove home to Florida to check on the progress of the remodel of their home in Ft. Myers for a couple of weeks. I texted Brandee a picture of Bella Vita to let her know we would be able to personally watch their boat for at least a week. As I was placing fenders to pull into our slip, I noticed there were still portions of crab carcasses littering Legacy’s deck, left-over from Todd and Terry Turns’ feeding frenzies at GKYC. 🙂
Bella Vita, where we found her in the slip right beside the one Legacy was assigned. 🙂
We had heard great things about Half Moon Bay Marina, the town of Croton-On-Hudson, and the lovely bucolic scenery on the banks of the Hudson River in this area. Unfortunately, we could not fully enjoy it as we had experienced cloudy and/or hazy weather pretty much ever since we’d arrived in the state of New York. We were both very ready for some clear, blue, sunshiny days, so we could view that scenery properly illuminated by Mother Nature. Eventually, we learned all that haze was not due to weather as much as it was residual smoke from the forest fires out west slowly drifting eastward. We were in dire need of a cold front to come through and clear away that haze.
Mooring field in Half Moon Bay on the Hudson River.Where Half Moon Bay Marina’s office, restroom, and laundry facilities are located. We climbed these stairs multiple times during our stay.Of course I was all about these beautiful hanging baskets at the marina. 🙂 The Half Moon Bay condominiums line the shores of Half Moon Bay Marina, but are not affiliated with the marina.
Our slip at Half Moon Bay was decent, as there was a make-shift “sea-wall” made from vertical, buried pilings that were partially submerged surrounding the marina to provide “protection” from Hudson River traffic. It protected us fairly well from the wakes of southbound traffic, but was pretty much wide open to any and all wakes generated by northbound traffic, so Legacy experienced her share of rocking at that marina.
Oh, to have seen those mountains in the distance not shrouded in haze…
The weather cooled off a bit for our trip into New York City on Thursday, 07/08/21. One of our marina harbor masters was kind enough to drive us from the marina to the Metro train station in Great Kills. He also obtained a Metro pass card for us, so we could ride the train stress-free. This was a new experience for both of us, as even though we rode the NYC subway when we visited back in 2013, we never ventured outside the city to any Metro train stops. Our harbor-master made sure we knew to board the train going to St. George (at the eastern end of Staten Island), as that was where we would catch the Staten Island Ferry over to Manhattan. When the train arrived at our stop, we could not dawdle! It stopped and the doors opened for maybe 45 seconds before closing again. During this time, riders had to exit and boarders had to enter and get seated before the doors slid closed and the train took off again. Our train’s driver stated something over the loud-speaker, but the sound was so poor, we couldn’t understand what he/she was saying. We hoped the information they were sharing didn’t pertain to anything potentially life-threatening… 😐 We rode the railway through a small bit of countryside, but mostly, we zoomed through borough after borough, village after village. Many homes backed right up to the train-tracks. So close, we could look out our window right into the residents’ tiny backyards or up onto their back decks. I tried to imagine what it would be like to live right on the Metro train tracks, knowing that it runs constantly – 24/7. I supposed in the evenings after work, we could take a bottle of wine out onto our deck to sit and watch the trains run, waving at the passengers as they rumbled past our house. Wouldn’t that be a blast… Our train would ride along for several minutes, then begin to slow as it approached the next stop. We’d wait while more riders left or boarded the train at each stop, then the garbled loud-speaker message would play overhead, and we’d take off again. Each stop has a large sign posted along the tracks to tell us where we were. Inside each train car, a large map of the train’s route was posted near the ceiling for easy viewing. Between the Great Kills stop and St. George were stops with names like Oakwood, New Dorp, Grant City, Dongan Hills, Grasmere, Stapleton, and Tompkinsville, just some of many boroughs on Staten Island. In less than hour, we reached the end of the line – St. George, where we left the train and followed signs to the Staten Island Ferry terminal. Steve was walking his usual, break-neck pace, while I tried to keep up with him, simultaneously viewing the sights and snapping pictures.
Scenes of the Great Kills, NY, train stop on the Metropolitan Transit Authority (aka MTA, aka Metro).Waiting for our train to arrive at our stop in Great Kills.
When we reached the boarding gates for the Staten Island Ferry, we were surrounded by a sea of people of all different nationalities. Most of them were wearing masks so all we could see were their eyes. Which meant we were really part of a sea of eyes… We had purchased our tickets online, so we didn’t have to wait long to board, find some seats, and view the sights as we crossed New York Harbor on our way to Manhattan. The weather was not ideal, as there were storms in the area, but we saw Lady Liberty in all her glory, along with Ellis Island, for which we were bound that day. We’d not had time to see Ellis Island when we visited NYC back in 2013, so I definitely wanted to tour it this time. Once we reached Manhattan, we walked some more to catch a smaller ferry that would take us over to the Statue of Liberty and then to Ellis Island.
Our views of the NYC skyline from the Staten Island Ferry on 07/08/21…Passing Lady Liberty. This colossal, copper statue was designed and constructed by French sculptor, Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, and was presented as a gift from France to the USA in 1886. The statue itself is 151-feet, 1-inch tall. From ground level to tip of torch, she measures 305-feet, 1-inch, where she’s mounted on Liberty Island in Manhattan, New York City, NY.Immigration Station on Ellis Island. Ellis Island is a historical site that opened in 1892 as an immigration station, a purpose it served for more than 60 years, until it closed down operations in 1954. Located at the mouth of the Hudson River, between New York and New Jersey, For six decades, Ellis Island saw millions of newly-arrived immigrants pass through its doors. In fact, it has been estimated that close to 40 percent of all current US citizens can trace at least one of their ancestors to Ellis Island. It is now a large museum open to the public for tours and a part of the National Historic Register of Places.
We walked around the grounds upon which the Statue of Liberty stands, but had not purchased tickets to climb up inside her, which had to be obtained in advance, and offsite. We then hopped back onto the ferry to cruise over to Ellis Island, where we did the full tour. Most of the immigrants who came through Ellis Island were from western and southern Europe. My ancestors are of English descent and have been traced back as far as the 1600s in America, while Steve’s ancestors are Irish and have also been on American soil for centuries, so it’s doubtful our families came through Ellis Island, but we still found the place riveting and almost vibrating with history.
Scenes from Liberty Island…During our initial NYC visit in 2013, we were not able to physically visit Liberty Island, so this time I had my picture taken with the grand old girl!Our first views of Immigration Station on Ellis Island, as our ferry pulled up to the dock. More views of Ellis Island…Just inside the front doors of the Immigration Station is this baggage exhibit, with examples of luggage pieces most likely brought with the immigrants when they first came to the US. The Baggage Room was where all luggage was offloaded from the trans-Atlantic ships and stored during the immigrant inspection process, until the luggage’s rightful owners identified and claimed it. With thousands of people going through the inspection process every day, keeping track of immigrants’ belongings became a major logistical challenge and lost baggage was a common fear. Some immigrants chose to keep their possessions with them at all times, lugging them through the entire inspection process, which was long and arduous. (This would’ve been ME, as I am always paranoid that my luggage will be lost or stolen! 😐 )Our return ferry arriving to pick us up from Ellis Island, just as the bottom fell out of the skies above.
Our ferry was about to leave Ellis Island to take us back to Manhattan, when the storms that had been looming nearby decided to let go. Of course, we had not brought our umbrellas, so we got soaked hoofing it back to the boat. Lovely… As we rode back across the water, I was able to get some great pictures of the area with a big, black storm in the background.
Dramatic views of the NYC skyline, shrouded by ominous-looking storms, during our ferry trip back from Ellis Island…
One of the not so great things about our tie-up at GKYC was the complete lack of Verizon cell service or wifi internet service. 🙁 To get any kind of connection to the outside world, we had to walk up the dock finger almost all the way to the yacht club, and even then adequate reception was iffy. As I’ve mentioned before, we are both so spoiled to the conveniences of modern technology, that being “off the grid” really cramps our styles and puts us in bad moods. (You know how, on social media, you see those posts asking, “Could you live in this remote cabin for a month with NO internet or cell service, for $100K?” Our answer is a resounding H*LL NO!)
I called these guys Todd and Terry Tern. They were basically our constant companions during our stay at GKYC. Every late afternoon, we’d hear them chattering quite loudly and look up to see them fishing from Legacy’s bow rail. I thought they were cute and welcomed their company, but Steve was not nearly as enamored with them, seeing as when they weren’t pooping on our boat, they were scattering discarded crab body parts all along our boat’s decking, since they liked to eat from where they hunted. D’OH! Steve couldn’t figure out why they hated us so much, but I figured the two were probably used to fishing from that very T-dock every single evening, which was usually vacant and free of boats. Suddenly, there’s a boat parked right in their spot. Of course they’re going to fish from it!
Since GKYC has no courtesy vehicle, we had to find our own rides. One morning we miraculously secured enough wifi service to schedule an Uber to take us into town for errands. While Steve got a haircut at a very local barbershop there on Staten Island, I walked to a nearby CVS to pick-up some prescription refills. Everywhere we went felt like we were starring in an episode of Taxi, as we were engulfed by New York accents and mannerisms! Steve decided to live on the edge and asked his barber to shave the back and sides of his head this time, leaving only a little bit of length on the top. We then walked across the street to Frank and Sal’s, a bonafide NYC Italian market. Inside, we bought brands of pasta and sauce that just screamed “Old World Italy”, some ground beef and sausage, and some ready-made Tiramasu for dessert, all to prepare an authentic Italian dinner aboard the boat that evening, which turned out to be delicious, and wound up being our dinner for three nights, rather than just the one. (See – we DO cook onboard every once in awhile – LOL!
I was so intrigued with these unusual Maple trees planted in the landscaping around the CVS. Considering myself a very amateur arborist, I’d never encountered this variety before. I just had to get a picture of these leaves this day, with a plan to research their variety later. Ironically, I have found the unique coloration on these leaves are not species-specific, but actually indicate the tree is diseasedwith something called chlorosis, or an iron deficiency! 🙁 (It figures I’d be so enamored with a tree that is sick… Good grief.)
After a stormy night before, on Wednesday morning, 07/07/21, we untied our lines and left our slip at Captain Bill’s Landing on the Manasquan River, around 8 am. We cruised back out into the Atlantic Ocean and headed northward up the east coast toward this day’s final destination of Great Kills Yacht Club, on Staten Island, in Great Kills, NY. We never did purchase a yacht club membership (which automatically ensures you an overnight slip at any yacht club anywhere), but Great Kills Yacht Club has a T-dock at their marina where they often host AGLCA transient boaters for a reasonable nightly rate. Our cruising waters today were relatively calm with only minor swells. It was a better travel day than Monday, the 5th, had been. Never the less, I had taken several different seasickness medications, simultaneously, in an attempt to enjoy my ride.
Just north of the inlet from the Manasquan River into the Atlantic Ocean.
We passed Sea Girt, Spring Lake, Lake Como, and Avon By The Sea, NJ, all to our west. Next came Asbury Park Boardwalk, Loch Arbour, and Allenhurst, NJ. We were again cruising far off shore, so my picture-taking opportunities were minimal. Eventually, we passed Hawthorne Woods Park, the Highlands, and the Gateway National Recreation Area Sandy Hook, NJ. All along the way, the quintessential Jersey coastline was crowded with side-by-side Cape Cod style beach houses.
This part of New Jersey is called The Highlands, which amused me. It was the only hill (rise) we saw on the shoreline for this entire day.Here is proof that Sandy Hook, NJ, is indeed sandy!The Cape Cod style beach houses are crammed in as tightly as possible all along the shoreline.This massive structure at 700 Ocean Avenue was constructed as the Essex and Sussex Hotel in 1914. In the 1990s, the building was purchased, restored, and converted into luxury condominiums for senior citizens, its theme being “A Sense of History, Culture, and Class”. The Essex and Sussex celebrated its Centennial Anniversary in July of 2014.
The winds stayed relatively low as we passed Long Branch, Monmouth Beach, and Sea Bright, NJ, and we crossed the state line from New Jersey into New York in the Lower Bay of New York Harbor. Had the weather not been so hazy, we would’ve been able to see more than just the faint outline of the Manhattan skyline to our north. Just before the entrance into Great Kills Harbor, we passed Crescent Beach Park and Crooke’s Point, NY.
Great Kills Harbor is on the southern side of Staten Island. Great Kills Yacht Club is located at the far eastern end of Great Kills Harbor, so after traversing the full length of that harbor, we arrived at Great Kills Yacht Club at noon. Per instructions from the harbor-master, Legacy was tied to the T-dock on the very end of GKYC’s long dock finger. Our welcoming committee of older, “salty-looking” gentlemen was both helpful and entertaining. 🙂
A view of the entrance into Great Kills Harbor from Legacy’s tie-up on the T-dock at Great Kills Yacht Club.More views of Great Kills Yacht Club (GKYC)…This picture is zoomed in, so it doesn’t accurately depict the long walk we had from our boat to the restroom facilities on the first floor of the yacht club building and back.
All settled in and cleaned up, we walked quite a distance to a restaurant called Cole’s Dockside for a late lunch. The air was humid, the sun very bright, and the temperatures high. By the time we reached our destination, we were both soaked in sweat. We commented on the irony of being so far north, yet dealing with such intense heat! My “perfect weather” had most certainly left the building… 🙁
Our choice for a late lunch in Great Kills, NY, on Wednesday afternoon, 07/07/21. Cole’s Dock Side, where the food is great and the New York accents are strong. 😉
As we were seated by our hostess, I overheard many strong, northeastern accents coming from tables all around us. No question we were very much in the northeastern US!
Returning to Legacy at her tie-up on the T-dock at GKYC always felt reassuring. 😉One of the best things about Legacy’s tie-up location in Great Kills was the unobstructed view we had of Great Kills Harbor.
Tuesday, 07/06/21, we decided to cut ourselves some slack and spend a lazy, non-traveling day in our slip, while at the same time avoiding some less-than-perfect weather conditions out in the Atlantic.
This nearby passenger boat, named Paramount, took tourists out several times a day on fishing expeditions, loudly blasting its horn every time it left or returned to its port.
We enjoyed an easy morning, drinking coffee, and watching dozens of hungry seagulls dive-bombing Legacy’s bow, as the local fishermen cleaned their catches right next to our slip. 😐 Once again, the working world carried on around us, as we continued to fully enjoy being retired. 😉
The NJ Highway 36 bridge over the Manasquan River, right next to our slip. This bridge connects the town of Brielle, NJ, to Point Pleasant Beach and Bay Head.
We scheduled an Uber to pick us up in the parking lot of the Shipwreck Grill and then take us to CVS to pick-up our latest prescription refills and other supplies. As we rode around Brielle (which is directly adjacent to Manasquan), it turned out to be a prettier area than we’d expected. Just around the corner from CVS, we found Esposito’s restaurant for lunch. This place served some of the best pizza either of us had eaten in awhile, so we basically stuffed ourselves before catching another Uber ride back to our boat.
Where we stuffed ourselves with delicious pizza for lunch on Tuesday, 07/05/21.Also docked very nearby us, the Jamaica II was another popular fishing expedition boat.
We laid low for the rest of the day, observing the sights and sounds around us in this working marina, and staying out of the early July weather that had suddenly turned sweltering. I worked some more on this blog while the captain planned our upcoming cruising routes.
A floating backhoe is not the most common of sights, but this was probably the third one we’d encountered since starting this journey.
After saying our goodbyes to Bella Vita and her crew the day before (they were making a looong run from Atlantic City, NJ, all the way to Liberty Landing in New York Harbor), Legacy left her slip at the Golden Nugget Marina in Atlantic City northward, toward this day’s ultimate destination of Captain Bill’s Landing in tiny Manasquan, NJ. We left at 7:00 am on Monday morning, 07/05/21. We typically try not to cruise on weekends or holidays (which this day was), but the captain wanted to take advantage of the good weather window, so we braved the waters anyway. The waters out in the Atlantic Ocean were mirror-smooth that morning, but some slight swells had us rolling a bit. I had taken two Dramamine, earlier, just in case.
The weather was much better in Atlantic City for our departure, than it was for our arrival. No haze anywhere!Much prettier view of the Atlantic City skyline on Monday, 07/05/21. 🙂
As we progressed slowly northward, we passed Barnegat Bay, Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, Tom’s River, and Seaside Heights, NJ, all to our west. Soon we cruised outside past the small communities of Ortley Beach, Lavallette, and Mantoloking, NJ. Even though the waters were full of 4th of July revelers, we steered clear of them as best we could, enjoying the day’s spectacular weather.
Barneget Bay Lighthouse
Up ahead of us in the ocean, we noticed a lot of splashing and commotion in the water that we were cruising straight toward. Through the binoculars, Steve and I could see dolphins leaping out of and back into the melee. We decided these dolphins were possibly “herding” fish into a circle to trap and catch them, in a group effort. Experts say dolphins sometimes herd fish together by surrounding them on all sides and packing them in tightly. After this, each dolphin takes a turn to pass through the concentration of fish and feed one at a time, while the others keep the school of fish packed together, making each turn through the fish more efficient for grabbing the largest number of fish in one pass. Of course we had no way of knowing for sure that was actually happening, as the pod of dolphins had dispersed by the time we reached the area, but it was still cool to think we might’ve witnessed something like that. 😉
Beautiful, relatively calm waters in the Atlantic on this day.
After about 5 hours, we passed Bay Head and Point Pleasant Beach, NJ, to our port, which was just south of Manasquan. Coming into Manasquan, and at the Captain Bill’s Landing dock-master’s instruction, we pulled Legacy up to the marina’s fuel dock located in a narrow channel, where we were at once surrounded by holiday boat traffic. Because of all that activity, the waters in this channel were rough and choppy against a really high, fixed dock. I tossed lines to some men standing up on the dock, so they could help keep us in place while we received our slipping instructions. The dock master told us where our slip was – farther on up the channel and into some more fixed docks, just past the railroad bridge. Captain Steve proceeded slowly on up the channel, dodging flying jet-skis and racing center cockpits all the way there.
We reached our slip (more like bouncedto it) about 1:15 pm to find it located just inside a tiny channel to our starboard, sandwiched in between more high, precarious-looking fixed docks and pilings, and almost right underneath a highway bridge. Naturally, since we were trying to maneuver a large boat into a tiny space, the wind came up. UGH! Amazingly, Steve was able to reverse Legacy into that narrow slip like a pro, while I placed and raised fenders as high as possible, and attempted to lasso pilings with lines. Fortunately for us, we received some assistance from the man currently aboard the boat slipped next to us. Finally, by 1:30 pm we were tied-up and plugged-in as the wind died and the hot sun beat down.
The height, age, and condition of the docks here at Captain Bill’s Landing reminded me very much of those we’d endured at C-Quarters Marina in Carrabelle, FL, earlier in the year. 😐 In fact, the only way to leave or board Legacy was to climb up and stand on Legacy’s rail cap, with absolutely nothing to hold onto… YIKES! I kept having flashbacks of again slipping and plummeting into the marina water below, but somehow managed to avoid a repeat performance of that unpleasant stunt.
Once we caught our breaths, we realized we were slipped right beside an old Coast Guard Cutter that was actively being restored by its owner. All around us were either fishing boats or working boats. At the end of the dock finger directly to our port was a fish-cleaning station, which meant there were constant hoards of seagulls flying and screeching just above Legacy’s bow, hoping for hand-outs. That also meant Legacy was steadily being coated in seagull droppings, which would not be easy to clean off, once it dried… Oh, HOORAY!
After settling in and showering, we gingerly climbed off the boat and walked up to the nearby Shipwreck Grill for a surprisingly rather upscale dinner and cocktails, then walked back to the boat for an early night afterward. We were both a bit tired from this day’s adventures!
Where we enjoyed a nice dinner on Monday evening, 07/05/21, in Manasquan, NJ.
On Tuesday afternoon, 06/29, we shared an Uber with the Sharps for a trip to see the Atlantic City Boardwalk. We strolled for awhile, taking in the sights, then walked into Bally’s Casino, where Brandee and TJ immediately started winning at a craps table! It was pretty obvious they’d had practice with the game, but Steve and I were lost as to exactly how the game is played. As we watched and listened to our friends expertly calling out their bets to the dealer, we stood in awe as their luck and winnings steadily increased. I had no desire to gamble, seeing as for my entire adult life I’ve promptly lost any and all money at it, and it’s always seemed easier to just take my money and flush it down the casino toilets, as it would have the same end result for me. Steve, on the other hand, is sometimes successful with gambling, so I was surprised when he never placed a bet the entire time we were in Atlantic City!
Scenes from the Atlantic City Boardwalk…Scenes from inside Bally’s Casino…
The four of us walked to renowned Dock’s Oyster House, where we’d made dinner reservations for Tuesday evening. Dock’s is one of the mainstays in Atlantic City, as in 1897, Harry “call me Dock” Dougherty believed there was a great opportunity to open a restaurant that would serve the finest seafood available, in a clean, comfortable, and friendly atmosphere, and so first opened Dock’s Oyster House. The restaurant quickly became a favorite of locals and tourists alike, with lines often forming out the front door onto Atlantic Avenue, and also at the back door, for those in the know. To this day, Harry’s vision has been carried on by four generations of Doughertys who share his commitment to quality and service. That commitment sustained Dock’s through two World Wars, the Great Depression, and the decline and rebirth of Atlantic City (a few times), and in 1997 the entire community celebrated the centennial anniversary of Dock’s Oyster House. It is still going strong today and we were fortunate enough to score a nice table in this normally packed eatery. Every once in awhile, we fool around and happen upon a really special place to eat. This was one of those times!
After a very fun dinner with the Sharps at Dock’s Oyster House on Atlantic Avenue in Atlantic City.
On another day, Steve and I Ubered to and from Walmart for supplies. The weather suddenly turned hot and we were dealing with humidity and high temperatures in the mid-90s. UGH! That evening, the Sharps decided to try their gambling skills at several more casinos, so Steve and I walked across the driveway and inside the Golden Nugget for dinner at Michael Patrick’s Brasserie, which reminded me very much of an upscale Denny’s…)
Where we had dinner at what seemed to me like a high-end Denny’s restaurant.
Several days were true rain events (the first being a bit stormy), so we spent most of our time aboard Legacy. On 07/02/21, we wound up with a clogged aft toilet, and so hosted an expensive mechanic onboard for a day and half, replacing parts and repairing the problem. NOT CHEAP. Instead of losing at the craps tables in Atlantic City, we just passed our boat unit straight to the local marine service company… 🙁
Storms moved into Atlantic City during our stay.At one point, rain clouds obscured the Ocean Casino Resort’s orb.So the rain didn’t seem so bad once we got to see this. 😉
After the rains moved through, the weather turned cloudy and cooler. Finally, on 07/03/21, the sun came out, but the humidity was nonexistent, which meant it was downright chilly in the shade. Steve and I walked up to The Deck for some drinks and to watch the band, which – as soon as we arrived – went on break. LOL! Even though the air was completely haze-free, and the sunshine extra bright, we used that opportunity to run back to Legacy and don some warmer clothes! To our delight, when we returned the band had resumed playing and was actually very good. This band, called The Seven, had a talented female lead singer and many instruments, including HORNS – which you just don’t see that often anymore. They played everything from Chicago, to Elton John, to Paula Abdul, and we thoroughly enjoyed their show. 🙂 Later that night we walked back into the Golden Nugget for a tasty Italian dinner at The Grotto.
The Seven played on The Deck at the Golden Nugget, and were a great band. They even had HORNS!One of our choices for dinner inside the Golden Nugget Casino, in Atlantic City.
Sunday, the 4th of July, was another Chamber of Commerce weather day, with temps warmer in the mid-70s. We ate lunch on The Deck and basked in the sunshine. With our marina being pretty much right in the middle of things, we had a great view of Atlantic City’s fireworks display. I had really hoped to be anchored in New York Harbor for this 4th of July, to see the fireworks bursting above Manhattan, but we just couldn’t work it out, timing-wise. Still, fireworks are fireworks, and Atlantic City put on quite the show.
True Chamber of Commerce weather day.This little guy (gal?) seemed to always be swimming in this exact spot beside our dock finger, poised for hand-outs.Before the fireworks on 07/04/21.Legacy wasn’t anchored in New York Harbor for the 4th, but we still got to see fireworks.HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!
