NYC & the Hudson

This post is dedicated to the “newly weds.”

To our niece Katie & her husband John who are our guests this week in NYC and on the Hudson. They were married one month ago. We enjoyed having them.

And to our nephew Clay & his fiance Kelly who are getting married this weekend. Congratulations and we want you to come see us!

Great Kill Yacht Club

Staten Island, NY

Tuesday-Thursday

May 22-24

Beautiful day in New York City. Alan and I rode the train and caught the Staten Island Ferry to Manhattan where we met Katie and John, our niece and her husband. We strolled thru Central Park to Cafe Sabarsky and enjoyed a breakfast of Bavarian weisswurst with brez'n and sweet mustard accompanied by a glass of weissbier and good Viennese milchkaffee, then began a whirlwind of activity. I like it when someone else makes the plans. Thank you Katie.

Katie & John with the Captain and first mate taking a break from SEA JAMM.  Touring the MET.

                                                                                                                                                             
The Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination at the MET.

A friend from MV Gallivant, Pam, met us for lunch at John's Pizzeria on Bleecker Street. She and her husband are staying at Liberty Landing all summer with their own private view of the Statue of Liberty. 

Pam also joined us to view the 9/11 Memorial.

9/11 Memorial.  A somber place.  But, very well done.

Remembering Brock. 

We took the bus back to Staten, got Katie & John acclimated to Sea Jamm and had cheese and sausages for dinner. To bed early.

Fishermen getting an early morning start at Great Kills.

                                                              

Cruise through NYC

On Thursday we toured NYC by boat, Sea Jamm. We had 2 other boats (Ned Pepper & Next Act) join us so we could take turns taking pictures of each other in front of Miss Liberty and the NYC skyline. That was exciting dodging ferries, barges and other recreational boats.

Half Moon Bay Marina

Croton-on-Hudson, NY

Thursday-Friday

May 24-25

It took a very long time to get out of NYC area headed to Croton. And it is so

pleasant to be on the Hudson with no salt water or crab pots.

Friday. Another busy day! Alan rented a car so we could take Katie & John to lunch at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. We had reservations (you have to make those a few days ahead) at 12:15 at Ristorante Caterina de' Medici.

CIA. Culinary Institute of America.  A chef's school.  Only 3 like it in America.  The students cook and serve.

Before lunch, we toured Frederick & Louise Vanderbilt spring and fall mansion and estate. The couple had no children, so they left the estate to Louise's niece. She tried to sell the estate but found no buyers. Her neighbor, President FD Roosevelt suggested she donate it to the National Park Service as a monument to the Gilded Age. She sold it for $1 and it opened to the public in 1940.

Vanderbilt gardens.  Newly planted.

Vanderbilt mansion from the Hudson.

After lunch we toured FDR's estate right down the street from the Vanderbilt's on the Hudson in the beautiful Catskills mountains. We spent at least 2 hours in his incredible library.

FDR Estate.

The back of the house which I thought was prettier.  

Cruise to Kingston

Saturday, May 26th

John piloted Sea Jamm most of our cruise up to Kingston. He did an excellent job dodging lots of sticks and a few logs while maintaining our course.

We followed the red freighter all day.  To the left is West Point. 

Bannerman's Castle

Has seen better days.

Kingston Docks

Loopers enjoying Mexican .

I don't know the name of the tree below, but it's seeds are like that of the dandelion.  When it sheds in the spring, it blows the while fuzz and it looks like snow.  When it piles up, it definitely looks like it has snowed, as on the below right picture.

Donavan's Shady Harbor

New Baltimore, NY

Sunday, May 27 - 31st

Shady Harbor is a community. I would describe it as “Key West on the Hudson”. They know how to “chill”.

Sock burning party on Memorial Weekend with Shady Harbor and our Looper buddies.

Then, we have some good news and some bad. The bad is that we have to go on the hard which means boat pulled out and new “old” propellers installed and shaft alignment which may take a few days. We can still live on the boat, but but require a ladder to get on and off. The good news is that Shady Harbor is up state New York pleasant, with the birds singing every morning before the marina comes alive, and the weather is perfect.

While waiting, we made lemonade out or lemons, rented a car and toured the area.

Purple flower patch.

A parsonage.

Church for sale.

Unfortunately for us, John and Katie had to move on. We were only the first part of their vacation.

Our home on the hard while the mechanics do their work.  Unfortunately, this job is too big for the Captain.

Hopefully we will be back in the water in a week.

See you soon.