New York

Last week we moved from New Jersey to Florida, New York, which is about 40 miles outside of New York City.  We have been here for a week and leave tomorrow, Tuesday, for Chaplin, Connecticut.  We did some sightseeing this past week so let me get you caught up.

We are in the Hudson Valley which is just a very beautiful area.  We picked this area as it is near a couple of sights we wanted to see, FDR Library and Home, West Point and it allowed us to get into New York City fairly easily by train.

First stop was the FDR Library and his Hyde Park home.  We were a little disappointed as the library is undergoing an extensive renovation so all they had open was a small exhibit following his life.  What was neat is his house.  You get to see it as it was when he last lived in it.  I could see why he loved to come to this house as the views of the Hudson Valley are spectacular.

Here is a picture of the library as it would look on the outside prior to the renovation.

His house

The view from the back of his house

His grave and his wife’s

Just down the road from FDR’s home is the summer home of one of the Vanderbilt’s.  They would use this house about 12 weeks out of the year.  It was given to the National Park Service back in the 40’s with all the original furnishings.  It represents the Gilded Age in America (turn of the century 1900’s).

Just a little weekend cottage!

Entry foyer with opening to second floor and skylight.

Next stop was a day trip into New York City.  We have been a few times so the plan was not to go to Times Square but rather to do some things we had not done.  I had not been to the 9/11 memorial so that was our first stop.  They have done a great job with this except for all the security.  It just so happened that the day we went was the day they officially topped the new building at 1776 feet by installing the last section of the spire.

The new Freedom Tower at 1776 feet.

One of the two memorial pools.

We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge to Brooklyn Bridge Park.

We’re walking, we’re walking!

Then it was a subway ride back into Manhattan, Chelsea District, to walk the High Line and have lunch.

We’re walking some more!

That was our day in the city.  Today, our last day, we went out to West Point and took a bus tour of the facility.  What a impressive place and some fantastic views of the Hudson River.

One of the chapel’s and probably the most famous.

Inside the chapel.  That is stained glass on both sides that line the walls and at each end.

As graduation is in a couple of weeks a cadet was out getting some pictures taken in his uniform.

The superintendent’s house.  This is the oldest building on the facility.

View of the Hudson River where it makes a turn.  This is called Trophy Point.  West Point was placed here as fort to protect from an attack from the river.

We had a chance to visit with some old friends from our days living in Concord, California.  We had not seen them in 20 years so it was a nice evening of catching up. 

Time to move on!