Several years ago I spent a summer working for my good friend Dale (see boat pics in my build) in the mid Hudson River valley of NY. I would run up there and stay with him during the week and shoot home for the weekends. We would go up there just about every year to attend their annual rib BBQ and blues band party, but never really had a chance to take in the local sights and activities.
So when the trip to Poet Creek was delayed, we made a last minute change in plans and went to upstate NY; Newburgh, Kingston, Poughkeepsie area.
There is an extensive parks project to convert old railway beds into walking trails, including the 221 ft high bridge across the Hudson. This pic was taken from the Highland, NY side of the Rail Trail looking down river at the FDR Mid Hudson Bridge between Highland and Poughkeepsie.
After walking across the walking bridge we proceeded along the prescribed route down thru Poughkeepsie and back across the pedestrian path on the FDR Mid Hudson.
At each of the bump outs around the suspension towers there were listening stations for "Bridge Music" an art project where a guy went around recording himself banging hammers, mallets, shot bags, etc. on the various structural elements of the bridge, then composed the different sounds into various genres of music, from pop, to blues, to classical. Very nice and intriguing.
Went here to look at the theme bikes in the visitor's center/gift shop.
Visited several vineyards and wineries for tastings. All told we brought back nearly a case of wine. This was one of my favorites, Whitecliff Winery in Gardiner. Enjoyed a glass on the porch under the white cliffs of the Shawangunks ("The Gunk").
Looking back toward New Paltz from the pass up on The Gunk.
The regular followers on TPCE build thread know that I am a bit of a foodie. We had fine dining most every evening, and sometimes for lunch, too. Our friends Dale and Tina spent the evening with us at The Ship Lantern on 9W in Highland. This place is the quintessential Hudson River Valley restaurant with gentlemen servers wearing tuxedos. Two of the servers have 50 years each in the business. Cocktails, filet mignon carpaccio app, table side prep Caesar salad, red wine, veal osso bucco with the little wooden fork for the marrow, dessert sampler including bananas Foster prepared table side. I kept thinking about the episode of No Reservations when Anthony Bourdain was interviewing Bill Murray; this was the exact type of place in the Hudson River valley that they were discussing. What a treat!
Benmarl Winery has a very nice red table wine. Between the hills on the horizon and the knob of bluff, just to the right of the wine bottle you can see the Hudson. We had a little cheese and cracker picnic while watching the sparrows pluck the evening insects right out of the sky.
That's where I discovered my new favorite wine tasting appetizer. Peel the pit out of a whole Medjool date; stuff a piece of Yancey's Fancy Bergenost cheese http://www.yanceysfancy.com/natural-cheeses; press a couple of macadamia nuts into the cheese; wrap the date around the stuffing and enjoy! Mmmmm, salty, sweet, creamy rich goodness that pairs wonderfully with a hearty red.
Purple wild flowers were in bloom everywhere we went.
Most of our trip we stayed at the fabulous Creek Locks B&B in Rosendale, NY. Our hosts John and Kate have a wonderful location with several groomed acres on the Rondout Creek where the historic D&H Canal used to bring coal from the mountains in PA to the Hudson River.
Across the foot bridge is a seating area overlooking the creek.
In the evenings there was complimentary wine that promoted gathering with the other guests and the hosts, campfire style, either on the front porch or patio seating areas. Gourmet breakfasts with fresh homemade baked goods, yogurt/fruit/homemade granola parfaits, egg veggie stratas (quiche w/o the crust), pain perdu (fancy French toast) w/ cinnamon, peaches and orange blossom maple syrup, umm good. Highly recommended.
Daily sightseeing included High Falls.
The D&H canal museum with Chagall exhibit, and self guided walking tour of the five locks portion of the canal (there were over 100 locks in the same number of miles).
Yup, my wife Yvette's hair is raspberry colored. She has pizazz!
I found it fascinating how the ropes had ground grooves into the granite stone binding post used to hold the barges stationary while in the locks.
This canal is credited for making NYC the heart of the industrial revolution in the US, IIRC.
A private property adjacent to the canal walking path had this cool vintage utility trailer with oak plank siding and a barrel vault top hatch.
Had a comically entertaining tour at Tuthilltown Spirits distillery. Niche small batch whiskey and bourbon (soon pear vodka and gin). Special treat for my B-day, Yvette splurged and got me a bottle of the Hudson Rye ($41 for a 375 ml half bottle, oh boy!).
Then a stroll across the lane to the old Tuthilltown Grist Mill for a fabulous dinner; lobster bisque, salad, grilled veal chop napped with Tuthilltown Baby Bourbon BBQ sauce, freshly creamed sweet corn with bacon, and kale sautéed with fiery hot garlic and black pepper. The tangy BBQ sauce, the sweet creamed corn with salty bacon and the spicy hot greens were a culinary experience in excellence. I assume that the wooden chutes used to feed the different grains into the no longer present grindstones.
Took a hike in the Mohonk nature preserve. Took the trail, although still steep, up the back of The Crag.
For the view from the top.
There was an Artists Soapbox Derby down the historic end of Broadway in Kingston.
Then we took a tour boat ride past the maritime museum where they were having a classic boat gathering.
There's a place next door that restores the old plywood PT boats like JFK captained.
The Rondout Creek Lighthouse. (Sorry pics a little crooked.)
Spent an afternoon touring the Rhinebeck Aerodrome Museum. Awesome place with many turn of the century airplanes and replicas. We were there during the week, but they have regular air shows on the summer weekends. There was a guy there scratch building an exact replica of the Spirit of St. Louis, complete with gauges donated from the Smithsonian. The door in the drawings that were made of the original plane did not match the photographs, so he went to the Smithsonian and they put him in a man lift so that he could get up to the genuine article (which hangs from the ceiling there) and take measurements. This thing is an incredible work of craftsmanship. Each of the wing spar gusset plates are fastened by tiny wooden dowels (less than 1/8 inch diameter, glued in place, not metal fasteners. The owner/builder happened to be there and was generous enough to ask us past the ropes to get a better look. I think if he hadn't been there the hanger door would have been closed, as it was not part of the museum proper.
Leaving the aerodrome we spotted a pair of spotted fawns right there on the rural street corner; got a pic of one.
Visited the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). They have a daily tour but was not timed well for us, so we came back a few days later and enjoyed some pastries from the bake shop. They have several other restaurants that you can make reservations to eat at, too.
Also in Hyde Park is FDR's Manson and presidential library. The tour was very good, but the library was under renovations.
Outside the visitor's center with Franklin and Eleanor.
Here is the driveway up to the Vanderbilt Manson. Camera batteries died so we didn't get any pics of the mansion.
There's a sculpture park and museum in the area (forget where). Couple hundred acres with a tram that tours the grounds every hour.
This chase lounge is made from TIG welded 5 cent coins. There was also a matching chair in half dollars.
The underside is triangulated with stainless wire rod akin to the old birdcage Maseratis
Here is a picture of West Point Academy from the river.
We had a very relaxing 2 weeks and enjoyed doing something different everyday!
