Tuesday, June 12, 2007
The Hudson River. From Haverstraw, New York, to Kingston, New York.
Saturday, June 9. The Hudson River Valley is every bit as picturesque as we’ve heard, even seen through a bit of fog. Plus, we’ve realized that we are once again in fresh water! The river cuts through the Appalachian mountain chain, leaving rock-face cliffs rising from dense forests. We looked up at scenic mountains with names like Dunderberg, Bear, and Storm King Mountain. We cruised with Tumbleweed and Seaquel under beautiful suspension bridges and incredible scenery. An impressive historic lighthouse looked like a lovely stone home, sitting on an island. Other large mansions of power brokers from early New York history dot the shores.
We finally saw West Point, which looked like an ancient fortress, rather than an academic institution. Wish we could have toured. One particularly impressive sight was an abandoned medieval-looking castle. The guidebook says it was built between 1900 and 1918 by Bannerman, a munitions dealer. Finally we passed some geese, then docked with the Lillys at Rondout Yacht Basin, in picturesque Kingston, NY, where a dinner of cheeseburger and fries hit the spot.
