Croton-on-Hudson, NY, August 12 - 14, 2015

August 12 - 14, 2015

Croton-on-Hudson, NY is a beautiful area but we found little of interest here other than the beauty of the river and its shoreline. We passed the town of Ossining (Sing Sing) on the eastern bank en route to this location. "Ossining was originally named Sing Sing, the same as the famous, sprawling hillside prison located here; but at the turn of the century, a boycott of prison-made goods led the town to change its name to Ossining, allowing buyers to distinguish goods made at the prison from goods made in the town itself."

Croton Point juts out into the river just north of Ossining and was the landmark which Half Moon Bay Marina dock master Steve cited to enable us to make our way his direction. Once we had the boat snugged to a lengthy inside face dock, I opted for a short walk to get a 'fix' on our land location. Thunder and sheeting rain in the distance soon had me making my way back but not before I found a pretty river walk and the Senasqua Park further north along the shoreline.

It was this shoreline path which Clay and I followed on our Wednesday morning walk. The peace and serenity afforded here prepared us for our upcoming Enterprise car rental experience which required all the peace and serenity we'd stowed inside. What a fiasco, but we persevered and finally acquired a car for our afternoon tour of West Point; with non-refundable, non-transferable tickets already purchased, I had a fierce determination to succeed!

Clay's two-hour tour began at 2:00 p.m.; my one-hour tour, at 2:30. Clay's tour included an additional hour-long cemetery tour with commentary on various notables buried here. I opted out of hearing lengthy dissertations about deceased historical figures, but thoroughly enjoyed the hour I spent with my tour group. In the half hour prior to my tour commencing, I befriended a couple from Florida for some casual companionship, but also tremendously enjoyed my independence! I captured view after view on my cell camera as did Clay; those photos explain more of the beauty and significance of West Point than I could even begin to convey. Awesome! (as was my tour guide who had a lengthy history with the military academy)

Now what's a day trip to a Looper without a pre-tour lunch stop at Panera and a post-tour stop at Wally World? I had hints of the former, but came unprepared for the latter. As we departed West Point, I found go-cart-driver Clay at the wheel headed to Wal-Mart with an approach to these curvy, hilly roads much like I imagine his approach as a teenager to the backroads of North Carolina. What's with this? Or was that Walter? Nonetheless, we made it safely to the interior of the one-stop shopping opportunity where I was told, "We need to prepare for your absence." FYI, I fly home next Tuesday at which time friend Bob Mustell joins Clay for a week-long trip up the Erie Canal to the Syracuse/Brewerton area where Clay will prepare SaSea Sally for winter storage.

Done deal. I think we got it all, whatever 'it' was. And, I insisted on driving back to the marina; I'd had enough thrills for one day! Late arrival back in Croton-on-Hudson; late, time-consuming stowing of purchases, but sipping wine and prepping dinner in tandem with the stowing made for the perfect ending to a perfect day...well, there were some rough spots, but that's life!

Thursday's agenda included a day-trip to Hyde Park to tour Springwood, FDR's estate,  and Val-Kill, Eleanor's retreat. "Springwood was modest compared to many of the estates that lined the Hudson above New York. Like other families of their class, the Roosevelts spent the winter social season in New York City. They also owned a summer house on the Canadian island of Campobello, but Springwood was home. While James (FDR's father) was a careful manager of his inherited wealth, making money was not the center of his life. He preferred to live the life of an English country squire--seeing to his horses and cattle, hunting, fishing, iceboating, and riding on the grounds. Sara (FDR's mother) shared James's affection for the place. To young Franklin, whose father passed on to him his love for the outdoors, the estate's woods and fields were paradise. During his years as governor of New York and President, Springwood was the nucleus of his life and career." These were the grounds Clay and I toured before lunch today.

After lunch at Uncle Sam's Canteen on the grounds of this National Park Service Historical Site, Clay and I toured Val-Kill. "Eleanor Roosevelt's legacy in human rights and world peace emerged from this simple place. Val-Kill, her main home from 1945 until she died in 1962, nourished her personal freedom and political independence. She described Val-Kill as the place 'where I used to find myself and grow.'"

Not being much of a history buff, I found myself enjoying tremendously all that we'd seen and heard today. Not only is the Roosevelt estate beautifully maintained, but the history is well-presented and tour, well-conducted. With Clay having driven the fifty-plus miles to Hyde Park, I offered to drive home. I really kinda liked sitting behind the wheel of a CAR and renewing my driving skills...and realizing yes, I still know how to drive a car. (Plus, I wanted to drive the speed limit and stay in my lane). I got a giggle out of the signage along these New York roadways: "Use both lanes" when uphill roadway presents two lanes instead of one...now how do you use BOTH lanes? and "Do Not Pass" when a double yellow unbroken line is quite evident, huh? I think the state monies could be better spent resurfacing!

Knowing how much I enjoy swimming, dock master Steve made arrangements for me to swim Friday morning in the residents' pool. What a delight! Clay and I both found Steve to be extremely hospitable, personable, and quite accommodating. He encouraged us to stay an extra night this Friday night, but Clay felt it better to move on upriver towards Albany and my planned Tuesday departure.

Thus, with our departure from Half Moon Bay imminent, I will sign off for now and wish for you a good weekend upcoming.