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East Coast Trip Summer 2019 (Hudson River Valley)

Writer's picture: Andy RobinsonAndy Robinson

Day 6: Philipsburg Manor & Tarrytown Lighthouse

After we woke up a little past 7:00 am and got breakfast at our Manhattan hotel for the final time, we took a cab over to JFK to pick up our rental car. Once we were on the road, we encountered the most stressful part of our journey so far, driving on New York freeways! The multitude of freeways and parkways, the lack of easy to read signage, and the abundance of traffic (at 11 am on a Thursday!), made for a difficult drive. After about 1 hour and 10 minutes (physically Tarrytown is only about 36 miles from JFK), we arrived at our hotel in Tarrytown. After checking in, we headed over to the Philipsburg Manor, just a few minutes past Tarrytown. We then took a 2-hour tour of the building and grounds, where we learned about the lives of the 23 enslaved people who lived and worked on the farm surrounding the manor.

Philipsburg Manor

The word “Manor” suggests a grand building, but the 1680 house was actually quite small. Following the Manor, we drove over to a condo complex where we walked along a riverfront trail to see the Tarrytown Lighthouse. After walking along the edge of what was once the old GM plant (now waterfront condos still under construction), we got to the lighthouse, located just a few feet from shore and accessible via a footbridge.

Tarrytown Lighthouse

After enjoying the lighthouse, we walked back to our car before going back to our hotel.


Day 7: Lyndhurst Mansion & Kykuit

The next morning, we drove over to the Old Dutch Church, located in the historic Sleepy Hallow Cemetery.

Old Dutch Church

Washington Irving (author of The Legend of Sleepy Hallow), Walter Chrysler, William Rockefeller, and a large number of Revolutionary War soldiers were buried here.

Sleepy Hallow Cemetery

After walking among the gravestones and church, we drove to the Lyndhurst Mansion. Built in a gothic-revival style and expanded over the years by the 3 families who lived there, the house sits overlooking the magnificent Hudson River.

Lyndhurst Mansion

We had a fantastic hour-long tour of the house, its history, and its inhabitants.

Hallway in the Lyndhurst Mansion (note the wood painted to look like marble)

One particularly interesting feature of the house is the liberal use of fake materials. On walls, doors, windows and ceilings, many surfaces that appear to be made of some type of stone are actually made of wood and then painted by artists. Strangely, this was actually more expensive. After this, we decided to get lunch at a Mexican restaurant before continuing to Kykuit, the Rockefeller Estate.

Kykuit

After we took the bus all the way up to the house, our guide took us on a 2-hour 15-minute tour of the mansion, gardens, and carriage house. Along the way we explored the extravagant ground floor, complete with an oculus (oval shape opening into the second floor in the main room).

View of the Hudson River Valley from Kykuit

We also explored the gardens, all beautiful manicured and filled with outdoor sculpture. Our guide showed us the basement, which John D. Rockefeller Jr. turned into an art gallery. Picasso tapestries and sketchings, as well as Andy Warhol, Miro, and a variety of other famous artists lined the walls and floors of the 5 galleries. Finally, we were taken down to the carriage house, where the Rockefeller carriage and automobile collections are displayed. After this, we decided to relax at the hotel.

Day 8: Southern Hudson River Valley Lighthouses & The F.D.R Home

After breakfast at the hotel, we drove across the river to Rockland Lake State Park, where we hiked down from the trailhead for a view of the site of the now destroyed Rockland Lake Lighthouse.

Rockland Lake Lighthouse

Eventually, after we were able to get a good view through the trees, we took some pictures of the light (just a metal structure on top of the lighthouse base), and then walked back to our car. Next, we drove another 20 minutes to Stony Point Battlefield Historic Site, home to the site of an important Revolutionary War battle and Stony Point Lighthouse. We walked up to the visitor center, where we looked at the exhibits on the battle as well as the lighthouse.

Lens and Fog Bell from Stony Point Lighthouse

We were impressed by the quality of the displays and of the grounds. Later, we walked up to the lighthouse, passing the remnants of fortifications.

Stony Point Lighthouse

We then enjoyed the view next to the lighthouse where we were able to spot squirrels, songbirds, and birds of prey. The view of the Hudson was also beautiful. Finally, we decided to leave Stony Point and drive around 25 minutes to West Point, the U.S military academy. At the visitor center, we inquired about visiting the site of the destroyed West Point Lighthouse. Inside, the museum featured an exhibit on the life of a cadet through an interpretive display.

West Point Museum (Visitor Center at far left)

Next to the visitor center is the military museum, a collection of exhibits and objects regarding warfare from around the world. After lunch, we drove through the gates of West Point, past the campus and the Thayer Hotel, and down to the waterfront marina and park (the South Dock) below the academy. From below, the campus looked like a fortress situated at the top of the plateau.

West Point Military Academy from below

From here, we attempted to view the site of the old West Point lighthouse; unfortunately you could not quite view the site (at the tip of Gees Point) but we were able to get very close.

Gees Point (site of the original West Point Lighthouse)

It appears the only way to view this site is from the water. Because we were done so early, we decided to move ahead of schedule and visit the Home of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, located roughly an hour north. When we finally arrived, we quickly joined a tour of the house.

Home of Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Our guide explained the history of the property and the Roosevelts before letting us explore the 1st and 2nd floor rooms inside the house. Though very elegant and filled with interesting collections (F.D.R collected naval prints), the house felt more informal and less ostentatious than the interiors of the Lyndhurst and Kykuit. We also enjoyed the views of the Catskill Mountains and the Hudson River.

Grave of F.D.R and Eleanor Roosevelt

Later, we walked to the F.D.R library, where we toured a special exhibit on D-Day and how it was vital to the conclusion of WWII. We also toured an exhibit of Roosevelt’s presidency (the Great Depression, the New Deal, and WWII). After this we had dinner at the Culinary Institute of America (C.I.A), and had an amazing meal. It was getting late, so we drove all the way to our hotel in Newburgh. What an interesting day!


Day 9: Northern Hudson River Valley Lighthouses

We woke up early (at 6:00 am) to get ready for the day, leaving Newburgh. We drove about an hour to the Margaret Norrie State Park Marina, where we would get the boat to our first lighthouse of the day, Esopus Meadows.

View from the Marina

A little before 9:00 am, a whole entourage of volunteers showed up, many of them from the same family critical to the restoration of the lighthouse. All of them greeted us and we boarded the 30-minute boat ride upstream to the lighthouse.

Esopus Meadows Lighthouse

When we arrived, we were given a lovely tour of the interior of the lighthouse, as well as the restoration process. When the organization acquired the lighthouse, it was listing to the side, abandoned, and ready to collapse. The lighthouse has been repainted, wood has been replaced, and the entire lighthouse has been jacked up on steel beams; it no longer sits on the exterior stone base. The interior has also been refurbished with new décor and furnishings.

Interior of Esopus Meadows Lighthouse

We climbed to the top of the lighthouse and took a ton of photos. Throughout our time visiting, we talked extensively to the volunteers, many of whom hold direct personal connections to the lighthouse. We had an amazing time. When it was time to leave, we took the boat (actually a handmade barge) back to the marina. We then drove to our next destination, the Hudson River Maritime Museum in Kingston, where we took a 1 hour 15-minute boat tour of our next lighthouse, Rondout Creek. After a 10-minute boat ride down the river, we arrived at the lighthouse.

Rondout Creek Lighthouse

We were then given a tour of the interior of the building (which was rather run down). We also climbed to the top of the tower for a great view of Rondout Creek and the Hudson River. From the lighthouse we could see the base of the first Rondout Creek Lighthouse.

Site of the first Rondout Creek Lighthouse

Eventually, a boat took us back to the museum which we visited before driving to the town of Saugerties, home to the Saugerties Lighthouse. We took a 1/3 mile walk through a forest, swamplands, and a beach. We were then greeted with a beautiful view of the lighthouse.

Saugerties Lighthouse

We noticed that a tour was about to start, so we joined and wandered around the interior of the lighthouse. Today, the site is home to a B&B, and 2 of the quaint bedrooms are rented out every night (the lighthouse is fully booked year-round). We saw the kitchen and its antique appliances, as well as the museum upstairs, filled with information and artifacts related to Saugerties Lighthouse and other Hudson River lighthouses.

Lens of Saugerties Lighthouse

We also climbed to the top of the lighthouse for a look at the surrounding riverbanks. After our tour we walked around to the back of the lighthouse onto the deck, where we further enjoyed the view of and from the lighthouse.

Saugerties Lighthouse

After this, we hiked back to the trailhead and then had a spectacular meal at Love Bites Café (We got a waffle, Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon, and a chicken sandwich; it was all perfect!!!). Finally, we drove about 30 minutes to Henry Hudson Riverfront Park, where we viewed our final lighthouse in the Hudson River Valley, Hudson-Athens Lighthouse.

Hudson-Athens Lighthouse

After taking some photos, we drove an hour back to our hotel in Poughkeepsie, where we had dinner. Though it was a tiring day, it was truly unforgettable.


Day 10: Vanderbilt Mansion (also see Connecticut & Long Island Lighthouses)

After breakfast, we headed off to the Vanderbilt Mansion, where we began our tour at the visitor center. On our walk to the mansion our guide explained some of the history of the mansion, the Vanderbilts, and the so called “Gilded Age”.

Vanderbilt Mansion

We examined the exterior of the house, an enormous 40,000 square foot beaux-arts mansion (actually the smallest home owned by the Vanderbilts). We then entered the mansion, gawking at the extravagant display of wealth, the house filled with mirrors, art, and even ceilings from European royal residences.

Interior of the Vanderbilt Mansion

We also took the stairs down to the servants’ quarters, where we learned about the lives of servants of the Vanderbilts. After we looked around the mansion, we left the tour and headed back to the visitor center...

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