Up the River - Kingston, Hyde Park, and Cruising

KINGSTON, NEW YORK

After leaving New York City our first stop was in a charming small town, Kingston.  We had a chance to walk along the harbor and visit with a couple of friendly sparrows before we loaded up and headed to Springwood, home of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt.

Well we were called a small ship and not a boat, but I'll take the welcome anyway - Welcome Small Shippers sounds a bit weird anyway.

Actually, Kingston was once the capital of New York.  The New York State constitution was written in 1777 - Albany was under threat of attack by the British and New York City was occupied by the British.  So Kingston, being safer,  it was...and it was a mistake.  Albany was never attacked - troops were stopped at Saratoga and Kingston was burned by the British who came up the river from New York City.  Luckily, the citizens knew they were coming so retreated to Hurley.  Today it is a peaceful little town of 24,000 that remembers its history with an re-enactment of the burning every other year.

As we stepped off the ship The Tugboat Mathilda greeted us.  There is a sign by her that reads:

"The 1898 steam tugboat Mathilda was built in Sorel, Quebec, and for many years worked on the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes.  Originally, coal fueled her steam boilers.  Later her engine was changed to an oil-fired, two-cylinder reciprocating unit.

McAllister Towing bought the Mathilda and brought her to New York Harbor after using her in Montreal berthing ships.  1969 was her last year of active service.  In 1970 McAllister donated Mathilda to South Street Seaport in lower Manhattan.  In January 1976 the Mathilda sank at her pier at the Seaport.  She was raised by the Century floating crane. Since the Seaport could not afford the needed repair work Mathilda was moved to the former Cunard Pier 94 for dry storage.

In 1983 McAllister Towing donated the Mathilda to the Hudson River Maritime Museum, and sent her to her new home on the Roundout on the deck of the Century crane barge which placed her in the yard of the Museum.

In recent years the Mathilda has been permanently stabilized and her appearance restored with authentic McAllister paints supplied by the company.  Her deck lighting has ben restored and enhanced.  Her interior has been cleaned out, and a window opened for viewing her engines.

As one of the last tugs in existence with a steam engine the Mathilda is a proud survivor of the type of tugs which served on the Hudson and elsewhere for nearly 100 years."

 Flowers were everywhere along the trip and Kingston was no exception.

This guy was interesting - reminded me of a Jenga game

There were memorials too.

The gulls in the picture above are on a memorial to Mayor T. R. Gallo (serving from 1994 - 2002) for whom the park was named.  He apparently was a very liked and well respected mayor and made some major improvements in the town - from the Times Herald Record:

"He cleaned the streets, improved trash pick-up and paved practically everything in sight. He pushed the city onto the regional radarscope with a dazzling July 4 display, started movies in the parks, feted senior citizens with an annual bash.

He also battled as much with members of his own Democratic Party as he did with the Republicans who managed to get elected in the face of Gallo’s popularity.

His pride and joy was the renovation of old City Hall. Gallo stumped from Albany to Washington, sold bricks and T-shirts to raise the millions needed for the work. He did it."

I saw the guy in the tree as we started walking along the pathway.  On the way back he, or his cousin, was waiting by the water.  I took a couple of shots of him and then in flew the second one not wanting to be left out.  So I obliged and took another. 

The Hudson River Maritime Museum.  We didn't go in, but Dan did and said it was really quite interesting.  The mural below was on the side of the museum.

Sculling is quite popular in these parts evidently.  A group of three women and one man came back and placed one of the long boats on the rack.  Later we saw a woman with a two seater getting ready to take off from the dock. 

At the end of the dock was this bucket of herbs for any boater needing them.  Nice touch, friends of Fort Plain, nice touch.

A lot of the cruise was ... well cruising, not necessarily in order along the way but some of the cruise pictures before we go to Hyde Park and Springwood.

Don't forget I am a total right brain, but this is some sort of lift bridge, as opposed to a draw bridge.  The lift bridge actually raises the bridge straight up with no bending, instead of at an angle like we think of a draw bridge doing...(that was my best logical and precise description - grin)

Several of these type lighthouses were scattered along the route - think they would make fabulous bed and breakfast and think I would be a frequent guest if they were....

Same bridge left and right.

OK, OK off to Hyde Park and Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt's home.

Statue outside the visitor's center.

The museum and bust of Franklin in front of the museum.

Outside and inside the house.  Springwood was the birthplace, life long home, and burial place for Franklin Roosevelt.  In 1866, James Roosevelt, Franklin's father bought the one square mile estate for $40,000.  Sounds pretty cheap, but when you consider that a textile's worker's wages at that time was less than $1 an hour it brings it into perspective.  When Eleanor and Franklin married they moved into Springwood with his mother. 

On June 11, 1939 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited Hyde Park and as their state dinner they were served.......hot dogs.  Yup, your plain ole everyday hot dog washed down with beer.  Sara was not amused.

Notice FDR's wheelchair on the left.

The dining table chairs were always pushed in except for FDR's.  It was left at an angle so he could transfer from his wheelchair to the dining chair without much fanfare.

On the right is the Snuggery, used by Sara Roosevelt, Franklin's mother.  Several pieces left over from a remodel were crammed into the Snuggery, making it live up to its name.

The gardens in front of the carriage house.  I think, emphasis on think, the tour guide told us that the carriage house is the home of the caretaker of the grounds and he has lived there for over thirty years.  Do not quote me, but I think that is what he said.

Beside the garden was the grave sites of Franklin and Eleanor as well as their two dogs, Chief, a German Shepherd and Fala, the famous first Scottish Terrier.

This is one of the HIIK's (heck if I knows) - I think it is a wind indicator, but not sure.  Do the large wheels represent the wheels on a wheelchair?  Do the striped triangles represent sails or are they just functional as wind "collectors"?  Whatever it is, it is certainly interesting.

More flowers on the grounds.

This is about 1/3 of the mosaic floor in the visitor's center portraying the land surrounding the home.

The sign reads:  "President Roosevelt used the large hayfield between here and Route 9 for farming, and he often expressed the hope that the practice would continue after his death.  His wishes, thus far, have been carried out.

It was the President's belief that the field had been farmed by the Indians long before it was taken over by the Dutch and English colonists.  As proof, he pointed to the several large oaks in the field, some of which still exist.  Their spreading lower branches, he said, could have developed only in open spaces, and the only open spaces in Duchess County before the colonial period were the Indian cornfields."

"I do believe it is time you went upon your way and left us in peace"

The best thing I saw at Hyde Park - my long time friend and first computer buddy, Mike, who drove the three hours to spend an hour with me.  

And we are off....will catch you fast as I can, I just have a problem staying home long enough to catch up...but I'm always listening for those whispers telling me stories.