After our three day stay in Poughkeepsie we were ready to move on again, although there were still many things tourist items left unchecked on our to-do list –the FDR Library, the Vanderbilt Mansion, breweries and vineyards and more. When traveling by boat without a car, it is harder to reach places, even with Uber and rental cars.
One thing I really wanted to do was the New York State Park, Walkway over the Hudson, the longest elevated pedestrian bridge in the world. It is a “park in the sky” for walkers, hikers, joggers, bicyclists, and those with disabilities.
“Walkway over the Hudson”, 1.28 miles long and 212 feet above the Hudson River.
A drive-by view of the Marist College entrance.
Speaking of cars, I must say that we drove to this region on a fairly regular basis to visit my son and his wife who both graduated from Marist College, here on the Hudson in Poughkeepsie. We rarely toured and usually only came to see them or their performances. What strikes me as amusing is that we would make it a day trip, only a 2-hour drive. This time it is has taken us over 5 travel days to get here by boat!! ;-0
Marist College campus as seen from the water.
A view of the Roth Building on the Culinary Institute campus.
A lovely morning and a lovely view of the Hudson River.
Esopus Lighthouse was built in 1871 to warn mariners of the mud flats known as the Esopus Meadows. You can see the Catskills in the background.
Esopus was nicknamed the”Maid of the Meadows” and is the only Hudson lighthouse with a clapboard exterior.
It was less than 14 nautical miles from Poughkeepsie to Kingston, our next port of call. The Kingston Lighthouse or Rondout Lighthouse (seems to be called by both names) marks the entrance to Rondout Creek.
The first Rondout Lighthouse was built in 1837 and was made of wood. After it was damaged in a storm, it was replaced by a stone structure in 1867, and then this brick one in 1915. It is still fully operational.
Kingston is located on Rondout Creek, and was the most important port between New York and Albany in the 19th Century. Rondout Creek isn’t really a “creek” as such, it is a 63 mile long tributary of the Hudson. We passed numerous marinas, shipyards and docks. Our goal was to go as far as we could to the end of Rondout and anchor.
Passing some interesting vessels along the way.
And more interesting vessels……
There was a surprising number of sailboats up this creek.
Old wooden boat restoration center.
A view of Kingston town – looks nice.
We passed under an old high railroad bridge. How far up the creek will we be? With or without a paddle????
An art center that clearly makes use of the natural materials (flotsam and jetsam) that may pass by.
A shipyard that repairs tugboats (and other boats I am sure.) These tugs had come a long way for their rehab.
Behind the trees was an active junkyard for scrap metal. Where are we going???????
After miles on the “creek”, we came to the end and go no farther. And it was a sweet little spot.
A little red bridge marked the end of the line for us.
Kindred Spirit and Magnolia anchored at the end of the creek.
We needed an afternoon excursion so we dinghied under the red bridge up to the little dam and waterfall in Eddyville.
Even dinghies need to be careful of rocks under the surface – almost hit this one!
Love the sound of tumbling water.
We had already checked for ice cream in Kingston and found “White’s Dairy Bar” in Eddyville, right near us, just a short walk past the bridge and dam. You knew we would find ice cream, didn’t you?
White’s Dairy Bar, a friendly little stop on the road, or by boat.
A walk back and forth over the red bridge. Nice view of our boats. 🙂
We were both safely anchored and watched this boat try to find a spot for the night. He settled on a location after 5 tries. This is what we saw the next morning. There’s a reason we use charts and depth finders.
Wednesday, June 13th was a bit cloudy and drizzly, but that did not stop us from exploring Kingston. The Hudson Maritime Museum was a perfect place to hide from the so-so skies.
The Maritime Museum was established in 1980 to preserve the maritime heritage of the Hudson River and its tributaries. We were all surprised at the wealth of information, artifacts, and exhibits housed within.
The exhibitions begin with an extensive display of intricately crafted model boats.
The 1898 steam tugboat “Matilda” is outside on the grounds and a model version of her lives inside the museum.
A model canal system that demonstrates how the locking system works. We had fun raising and lowering the “water” level and moving the wooden models.
I was surprised we spent so much time here. The exhibitions were quite good and varied. Artifacts were accompanied by photographs and video displays. And chairs to sit down in and watch.
We learned about ice sailing from the exhibit and a video. It’s really hard to see the construction of these “boats” from the photo. A lot of work went into this sport for a few opportunities to go sailing on the frozen Hudson.
I wandered off to look at watercolors that were displayed between the exhibits. As I studied them, a charming older gentleman engaged me in a conversation. He was Michael Mendel, the artist. Born in 1934, he fled Nazi Germany in 1938 with his parents. His career as a graphic artist included creating album covers for musicians – Donovan, Etta James, Tony Bennett, Gladys Knight and the Pips.
Michael’s watercolors now capture the Hudson River as he sees it from his home. He paints under the name Zepel. He confided in me that Zepel was the name of a stuffed toy he carried for comfort when escaping from Germany as a small child.
Our last day in Kingston and our last day cruising together came to an end with dinner on Magnolia.
This won’t be the last time Kindred Spirit and Magnolia cruise together. We hope. Farewell for now!
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