Hudson Valley Sampler

Today, we explored the mid-valley region of the Hudson River. This was one of the main reasons we flew into Newark - to be close enough to this area, too.  As with the rest of this trip, we're only scratching the surface of what there is to see, and that's ok.  Hopefully, we'll be back someday!

Today's weather report: breeeeeezy!  The clouds came and went, the rain sputtered and splashed.  The wind, though, well, it didn't hold back.  Most of the day, we dodged tree branches and stuff in the road, and we even got nailed by a flying cardboard box.  Given that there were three college graduations in the area today, I hope there were contingencies for weather!

We slept in (!) before setting off for the primary destinations of the day: Rhinebeck, and Hyde Park.  Rhinebeck, for its wonderful old 'aerodrome', and Hyde Park, for the Franklin Delano Roosevelt home, library, and museum.  We crept a bit along highway 9 northbound, caught in the Saturday traffic.  We knew Vassar's graduation was today, and didn't want to get caught in that traffic, but found ourselves driving right by the campus!  The ceremony was probably underway by then, though, as there wasn't any traffic to speak of.  What a pretty campus, at least what we could see of it.  Light gray stone all around, the buildings, the walls.

Took a detour to go look at Duchess County Airport, Poughkeepsie's main field.   It looks impressive enough, with a control tower and three runways (one grass).  Foreflight's assessment - "excellent asphalt.  Good dirt". By taking this detour, we were able to slip up back roads to Rhinebeck, enjoying the countryside along the way.

The Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome features living, breathing antique aircraft. It's been a goal to get there someday, and Nancy, especially, has been vigilant in ensuring we would see it.  It's a pilot's and gear heads dream, with ancient aircraft, automobiles, and motorcycles.  Some of the aircraft are replicas, but a lot of them are originals, lovingly restored.  In the summer, the aerodrome hosts airshows, with mock dogfights ala WWII, and fly-bys of all sorts.  In season, and in the right weather, they also offer biplane rides over the Hudson River.  The runway, grass of course, is a big wide patch cut out of the trees.  The museum is scattered out among several hangars around the grounds, and the hangars are also somewhat elderly, fittingly,

They haven't started the air shows yet, and the weather was too windy for a flight, even if they were on offer.  Nancy and I had the displays to ourselves, though, and were able to geek out as we wandered through the hangars.  Tree branches crashed and scraped along the hangars, which at first made me think somebody was working in there.  But no, just the wind.

I'm not going to list the whole collection here - you can look at their website for that. It's impressive, though, and even more so because the aircraft (et al) look appropriately "seasoned," not sanitized.

We walked out to the airport, noticing the benches set up alongside the runway.  Somebody needs to mow the grass before the show starts!  We also observed some guys firing up one of the ancient fire trucks - I think they were allowed to do that?!

Got back to the office/gift shop to find the wind had knocked out the power!  No problem, she was able to sell us our trinkets anyway :-)

So, back on the road, this time in search of lunch.  We stumbled upon the "Historic Village Diner" in Red Hook, NY. Our GPS called it the "Hysteric Diner". - that's how she says Historic.  Ha!  Anyway, one more diner experience, in a genuine old diner building.


Off to Hyde Park next, and FDR's place. (here's another link - this one to the National Park Service site.) By this time in the day, we knew we had time to explore the grounds, but probably not the house or Presidential Library.  Nancy assured me that was OK, and we could always come back for the history geek tour.  So, we set off to wander the grounds, dodging the odd flying branch or two.

The grounds are quite extensive, and it's presented well for the visitor. There is, of course, a Visitor's Center, named for FDR's longtime VP, Henry Wallace.  FDR's library is in its own building.  And, the big draw is the Roosevelt home, Springwood, sitting high above the Hudson.  Even from the outside, it's very impressive.

Franklin and Eleanor are buried at Springwood, in the Rose Garden there. It was rather moving to be there, quietly paying our respects with nobody else around.

I wish we'd had time to go to Eleanor's retreat nearby, Val-Kill, but alas, that'll have to wait for another trip.

My camera battery died at the FDR site, then Nancy's informed her the SD card was full.  Guess that's the universe's way of saying it's time to come home!

We started back south to Fishkill, detouring for (wait for it....) another airport!  This one, with the innocuous name of Sky Acres, but it's a charming, charming airport.  Wish I could fly in here sometime!  Nestled in the hills, built on the site of an old dairy farm, it's really quite picturesque.  The taxiways look challenging (much up and down) and the runway drops off significantly past both thresholds.  That's why there are displaced thresholds, no doubt. 

We also did a quick drive-by of the Culinary Institute of America, the original (?)  CIA. Quite an impressive campus!  Alas, their student restaurants weren't open - probably just as well!!

We took a section of the pretty Taconic State Parkway south to Fishkill.  A parkway, pretty?  Yeah, this one, at least the part we saw, is downright pastoral.

Tonight, sorting and packing.  Fortunately, I'm traveling with a pro in those categories :-)  Tomorrow, we hope to catch a glimpse of West Point, as we make our way to EWR and our Alaska flight home.

cheers,
--Kit and Nancy