Docked at Half Moon Bay, Croton on the Hudson & exploring by car
Monday, June 2, 2014
It was a restful night's sleep at Half Moon Bay at Croton on the Hudson, about 30 miles north of NYC. We woke to sunshine and temps in the 70's with 80's predicted. There was a wonderful cool breeze off the river while Mary wrote the blog. Steve was off procuring a rental car for a few days to explore the area. About noon, we headed for Capriccio Pizza and Pasta for pizza and great Greek salad. We had reserved the cheapest rental car available, but the facility had run out of cheap cars, so we were given a 2014 Volvo with 97 miles-NICE!
After lunch, we headed to a little museum in Ossinger to learn about Sing Sing Prison, now called a Correctional Facility. The prison is located on the banks of the Hudson in Ossinger, NY not far from our marina and has been housing criminals for about 200 years. The village was originally named Sing Sing, but the name was changed in 1902 in an attempt to distance it from the notorious prison. Built in 1825 by prisoners at gun point, the cells were 7' deep, 39" wide, and 6 1/2 ' high. The name Sing Sing brings images of the gangster era of the 1920's and 30's, but bad guys had been "sent up the river" to the "Big House" for 100 years.
The prison in the 1800's was a barbaric place where prisoners were to keep absolute silence, there were beatings, several forms of torture, meals were of bread and water, and "ball and chain"was a way of life. Up until 1963, "Old Sparky", the electric chair, had been used on 614 criminals.
Today, it houses 2,000 inmates and remains a maximum security prison. Times have changes and conditions have improved over the years; the trend now is for education, reform, and rehabilitation. No more tiger-striped uniforms or ball and chains. Recent news reports that actress Whoopi Goldberg is the commencement speaker for the college graduation of 26 Sing Sing prisoners this Wednesday.
There is interest by officials in turning part of the prison into a museum to draw visitors to the area. The local residents want the maximum security prison relocated as it doesn't fit with the upscale suburban image and the backyard cocktail parties. Even though there hasn't been an escape in 25 years, it is advised to avoid picking up hitch-hikers in the area! We drove by the thick walls of the prison on our way out of town.
Our next stop was Sleepy Hollow, a little village in Mount Pleasant, NY on the east edge of the Hudson River. Washington Irving's inspiration for his short story, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, came from his time spent in this area. The story is set in 1790 a secluded glen called Sleepy Hollow known for its ghosts and a haunting atmosphere. We passed the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery where Washington Irving is buried. We passed the Old Dutch Church and Burying Ground where many of his character models from the "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" were laid to rest. There is a plaque designating the spot where the bridge (Headless Horseman Bridge) had been located.
To those of you who know the story...what do you think?....
Did Brom have something to do with the disappearance of Ichabod Crane? or Was Ichabod taken by supernatural means? Remember Ichabod was never found, only his wandering horse, trampled saddle, discarded hat, and a mysterious shattered pumpkin were left.
Needing some items, we found a Walmart in White Plains, NY with parking in an enclosed ramp and picked up provisions. As we exited the parking ramp, Steve realized that the car was about empty. Our little stop for provisions had cost us $30 in gas; the tank had been siphoned!!!
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
The morning consisted of cleaning the boat: spraying salt off, cleaning windows, vacuuming, etc.
About noon, we headed for Cold Springs,
NY- north about 30 min. A few years ago,
we stayed with friends in Mahopac, a town
about 15 miles from here, and had visited
this area. Beautiful!
Cold Springs is a cute little village with
tree lined streets and old buildings now
turned into boutiques, restaurants, shops,
and an inn. The picture to the right is of
the Pig Hill Inn.
I suppose by now, you're tired of hearing
the description "quaint", but the town is
really lovely.
We wanted a special place for lunch to celebrate our 36th Anniversary, and we found it at the Hudson House River Inn!
The Hudson House is a wonderful river inn established in 1842 overlooking small park and the Hudson River. The braised scallop salad and chop salad were amazing!
Feeling great about our choice of healthy salads for lunch, we made a stop next door at Moo Moo's Creamery for two scoops of Tiramisu to share while we relaxed on on park bench by the Hudson River.
On our return to the marina, we were thrilled to find Sanctuary, the Sprow's 44' Tiara, docked next to us. We had met for the first time last fall at Seneca, IL and continue to meet periodically as we travel.
About 5:30 pm, a rainstorm with lightening passed through soaking everything.
What a great time of catching up on family and life. We found Pete's Diner nearby which served Greek food along with all the typical dishes. Good find!
Below are evening views of the marina from Dream Chaser.
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
It was a wonderfully restful night at Half Moon Bay Marina, and the morning began at 6:15 am.
Steve and Jim started the morning with an hour walk, and Mary prepared breakfast. Jim and Meg joined us; so good to see our friends and linger over breakfast while planning the schedule for the next few days.
West Point began as a military post in 1778 , and it was in a crucial location during the Revolutionary War. The English forces at New York wanted to control the Hudson River, so they could isolate the New England states from the rest of the country. To prevent English ships from moving along the Hudson and pillaging as they went, Revolutionaries strung a heavy chain across the river to Constitution Island, just north of West Point, to thwart their movement.
In 1780, Benedict Arnold was placed as West Point's commander. Arnold became disenchanted with congress and made an offer to the English to "give up" West Point for thirty pieces of silver. The plot was foiled and Benedict Arnold is now synonymous with traitor. Due to continued raids by English, West Point was strengthened and the military academy was created in order to develop a strong prepared military. Many of the nations most elite military leaders were graduates of West Point, such as, Generals Grant and Lee.
The campus with multiple buildings is located on a bluff of granite overlooking the Hudson River. A general education program is available with an emphasis in military courses and athletics. Acceptance into West Point takes exceptional grades, outstanding character, being physically fit, and it doesn't hurt to "know people in high places". Weddings in the old chapel are very popular, and cadets often make reservations years in advance-even before they meet that someone.
Our first stop was Trophy Point, an overlook of the Hudson River, where captured cannon, artillery, and thirteen links on the "Great Chain" are on display.
The Old Cadet Chapel (completed in 1910) is used for protestant services and reflects the gothic revival architecture with soaring arches and stone carvings. Built of granite from the area, it appears to grow from the hillside. It contains the largest chapel pipe organ in the world with about 23,500 pipes. The stained glass windows are breathtaking with the side windows given as memorials from various classes.
We are becoming skilled at navigating the trains and subways, but our use of the buses is limited.
Our return trip home seemed to take much longer...it had been a long day.
Thursday, June 5, 2014
The rain began falling early this morning with a constant drumming above us, and it is predicted to continue until 1 pm.
At 8 am, we had a short debriefing on Dream Chaser with Meg and Jim from Sanctuary. The decision was to do errands this morning, then visit Cold Springs this afternoon for lunch and shopping at a relaxed pace.
At 9 am, before our departure, Mary took Meg and Anita for provisions and ran errands. We visited the local grocery store, but also found, La Monica Salumeria, a wonderful Italian shop with a great deli, fresh crusty breads, prepared foods, and all kinds of tempting items. The fresh mozzarella cheese is mouth watering!
On our return, Steve and Mary met Tanya Binford, a petite young nurse who was also docked at the marina. She is doing the loop solo on Annabelle, a 25' Ranger Tug, and is from Southport, NC.
Tanya had been planning her trip for 5-7 years and is on a nine month leave of absence from her job.
She has quite the story!
Steve also met loopers Skip and Karen on Easy Water, from Fairbanks, Alaska. It has been fun to see so many loopers (America Great Loop Cruisers Association boaters) docked here at Half Moon Bay. Many we reconnected with from previous stops and others-we met for the first time.
About noon, the Chases andthe Sprows headed north to
Cold Spring for lunch at the
historic Hudson House River
Inn. Cold Spring has become
one of Mary's favorite places
and a perfect place to walk.
By the way, the Scallop Salad
was delicious! Just take a look
at those enormous popovers
which were served with
strawberry butter! YUM!
The ladies explored the varied shops including several antique stores while the guys hiked around the village. We met back at Moo Moo's Creamery where the homemade ice cream beckoned us!
The park by the waterfront was a
perfect place to enjoy the day, so
we return to share it with Meg and
Jim. The day had turned out to be
perfect with brilliant sunshine
and temps in the 70's.
We returned to our favorite park
bench and "sat a spell" enjoying the
view of the spectacular bend in
the Hudson River.
Cold Spring first appeared on maps
in the 1700's as a quiet river hamlet.
They claim that George Washington
named the area after tasting the water
from a spring around 1780. The West
Point Foundry was built here in 1818
and became the largest foundry in the
US during the Civil War. Some of the
houses on Main St. date back to the
1830's.
The cannon stands near the bandshell right on the Hudson River, and in the background beyond the middle flag is the sprawling West Point military academy.
On our way back to the marina, we pulled into Fahnestock State Park. The ladies visited while the guys took a hike checking out the area.
At 8 pm, the Sprows joined us aboard Dream Chaser for a game of Rummikub. It was a great time!
During the game sirens began blowing and the sky turned strangely dark, but the storm passed us without incidence. The picture below is of the strange sky at the marina.
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