From Croton-On-Hudson we motored on a bright shining day to Kingston. All these towns are Historic, so just assume that I am saying...The Historic town of Kingston...or wherever. The buildings are fun to photograph and read the signs outside some of them...though we have been vaguely familiar with a lot of the information, some comes as a complete surprise. Sharing that information on Face Book and where we are right now, also elicits other sights to see and other information. We usually aren't in a position to visit the recommendations, but I have stored them away for such a time as when we might be able to, and also to recommend them to others.
We chose to anchor out just before the town of Kingston rather that dock in the Historic Downtown. We did dinghy into town and left the tender behind Linda and Brian's boat. We walked the downtown district in search of breakfast, the morning after, and found a very nice restaurant where we had a reasonable meal. We walked up the hill...because the new part of town (which looked old to us) was build up the hill away from the waterfront district in what I would term a 'wise move' considering the floods that take out so much of the lowlands.
A secret garden leading to a home of great architectural promise:)
Waz, Linda and Brian walking ahead of me up the hill towards the main road leading to the township on the hill. We had to get eggs...how did I forget to buy eggs?? staples are the first things on the list, lol..
This sign made us giggle...the road was steep!
Gorgeous Victorians...all in need of some repair!
The original wall had been concreted over..
Those pink roses are everywhere...and they have a divine scent. This is back in the Historic downtown area on the flat, again.
The waterfront is in the process of some refurbishment, it seems.
On the river to and from Kingston...we are going back to the boat...
Leaving Kingston behind to return to the boat. We didn't have far to go, this day, so we took our time, and pulled anchor around 1pm. Linda and Brian were to follow us. We had coached them in anchoring out, and Waz and Brian had pulled their anchor chain out onto the dock in Kingston, to put ties every 20 feet so that they know how much chain to let out and how much is actually in the water, when they anchor. They had not anchored before (in the three years of boating they have done) and we insisted that they come and anchor out with us tonight, so they know how. We talked them through it and they were excellent students and did a fantastic job of setting, later in the day.
I love these light houses that are at the entry to many a small town canal. This one is at the entry to Kingston.
As I said, we pulled anchor in Kingston at just o 1pm, and moved north again.
Today we would pass some lovely properties....Upstate NY is known for its historic homes in beautiful parklike settings, and it is fascinating to come around the corner of the river, and high on a hill, surrounded by tall trees, some towers or turrets will peak out of the green. The closer we get to them the better we can see the rest of the building...or not. Some stay hidden, which gets the curiosity going, of course. We don't have the literature onboard to tell us what these places are, and our later internet searches are often fruitless, which tells us that most of these homes are privately owned.
...and we are off....I have to tell you a silly story, here...
Linda and Brian are travelling with a piece of original brick that was part of their Church in Virginia, which dates back to 1720 (I think)....it is a handmade brick and is fascinating to touch this item, so many years after it was made.
The silly part is that when we put down anchor for the first time, just outside Kingston, we were sitting over charted 'obstructions'...three of them...and we wondered what was down there!!! When we pulled anchor to leave, we found out what part of it might have been...Waz pulled up a brick, on the anchor!!! almost whole....so now we have a WHOLE brick to show people, not just part of one:) It is sitting on the front of the boat, and I don't know whether to keep it as evidence, or to throw it back from whence it came! I'll hang onto it for a while longer, perhaps.
We were going to take the right hand route up this part of the Hudson, but decided to err on the side of caution and follow the canal, on the left (pale) It worked well for us, but Linda and Brian took the right hand route and made it out the other end, ok:)
We met some larger traffic...this barge is being pulled, which is different to most that are pushed.
A Beach! A Beach! But this is the Hudson River, remember...so the white balls are the extent of the swimming area, as it fell from 3 feet inside the balls, to 37 feet just outside them. They even have a lifeguard!! There were a few of these along the way. Not sure we would want to swim in the muddy water, but plenty did. I guess you do, if this is your only watering hole!
The gorgeous lawn on this property had me green with envy...mower envy, actually!
One of the many private homes that looked very inviting to us.
A wedding on one of the very large estates along the river, on the port side.
This cutie was parked in the middle of the confluence to two rivers, or where two divided.
We wondered what this might have been. Again, all things are brick!
It was a bit later than we imagined it would be, at 6.10pm, but we are now entering our anchorage for the night at Houghtailing. This fork of the river goes to nowhere fast...and very shallow waters. We anchored in 8+ ft, as you can see. We were about 8 mins ahead of Linda and Brian, so we could set our anchor and then talk them through setting theirs, if necessary. There was no wind, and no current, so it was picture perfect for their first efforts at anchoring. They did splendidly, and enjoyed a secure night and slept well, as did we. It was a lovely evening, though the insects were out early.
It is worth mentioning here that we are travelling alongside the traintracks. We watch long trains come and go and are aware of them constantly because of their whistles.
I need to backtrack a little here....I had forgotten to mention that we passed the WestPoint Academy, on our way to Kingston. The river was very windy, and high on a bend in the river, sat this medieval looking stone construction that went on forever. They have cleverly constructed new parts to the institution using similar brick and stone. It isn't a good looking place, from the water, which really is the only way to view it!:)
Nobody is allowed to tie up at the dock there, but Brian and Linda thought they could, being ex-airforce, and they went alongside, briefly, before deciding that taking a tour would make it too late for them to dock in Kingston.
This is the Forces Ferry that takes service personnel from one side of the river to the other. Too far to swim!
This is the West Point academy. It is huge!
Just to show you on the chart!
This is the Sailing Club, at West Point.
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