New York – Hudson River – Tim & Martha's trip around the Great Loop

Croton-on-the Hudson/Half Moon Bay Marina: The scenery changed as we left the metropolis of NY city. The river has rocky bluffs/mountains on either shore and the river is plenty deep (unlike the lowlands in the Carolinas). As we travel north there is less and less marine traffic. We arrived at our next stop, Half Moon Bay Marina. The tides and current are still something to keep in mind, but not like the coastal cities. This marina is a common stop for loopers and came with lots of anticipation (but we were disappointed as it didn’t meet the expectation). But we enjoyed the stop nevertheless. After getting a much needed pump-out (something you don’t think about living in a house) we docked successfully. That afternoon we walked about a mile along the riverwalk to “The Tavern” (bar food) for dinner. Not bad for bar food.

West Point–We rented a car the next day and visited West Point. The visitor center walks you through each year of a cadet as they progress in their leadership skills and so much more. We also toured the campus by bus. It is a very imposing campus as most of the buildings are constructed with granite. (nothing fluffy here!) West Point is located overlooking a narrow section of the river and was originally a fort used to keep the British warships from moving further north on the Hudson.

We had a few hours between West Point and our dinner reservations so we drove around Poughkeepsie. We found the Walkway over the Hudson which was originally built as a rail bridge until it was no long needed. This bridge is now the longest elevated pedestrian bridge in the world welcoming more than 600,000 visitors each year. We walked to the middle of the bridge/middle of the river. What an amazing walk and so high in the air (I preferred to walk in the middle of the bridge). The bridge is part of a trail that many people use to walk and bike. Definitely as must-see if you are in this town.

CIA: Culinary Institute of America–also a favorite looper stop. (Same day as West Point tour). We were treated to fine dining by students crafting their culinary skills. The prices on the menu were higher than our normal fare, but it was our anniversary, so we splurged. I know we could have eaten better at my favorite restaurant, “Longhorn Steakhouse”, for half the price. BUT now we can put a check mark in the CIA box, so-to-speak.

Before we returned the car the next morning, we made a laundromat run and cleaned a week’s worth of dirty clothes. It rained most of the morning, but we were able to get a walk around the very small town of Croton-on-Hudson.

E-bike ride to Croton Dam—Our last day here we rented e-bikes. What a blast, especially on the hills here in NY. Sure makes riding easier and faster! We rode out of town to the Croton Dam. Look at the pictures to see the unique construction using granite blocks. These were cut without the technical tools we have available to us today. I believe this is the 3rd dam in this location.

Trains both sides–Traveling further north on the Hudson, trains accompanied us on either side of the river: freight trains on the west and passenger trains on the east. I’m sure many people prefer to take the train each day into New York rather than live in the concrete jungle of the city.

Poughkeepsie – Shadow Marina–We cruised in rain today. There was a break in the rain just as we were docking a Shadow Marina. The dockhands made quick work of getting us tied up so as to beat the storm that was coming. Lots of rain, thunder and lightening. Always nice to have a sailboat next to your boat during the storms.

**The ruins of something, on an island in the river**

Kingston–Another uneventful travel day of 4+ hours of travel. We docked for 3 nights in the town of Kingston at the Hudson River Maritime Museum. It’s a very small town but we did find things to do. Tim walked 2 miles for a haircut, we rode our bikes to the point and back along a railroad track (walking path), enjoyed 2 restaurant dinners, Tim rowed up the Rondout river…. We also walked up the hill to see the rest of the town and then wandered the streets to see the old houses in the area. (lots of old churches here–see the pictures).

**The best thing about the trip up the Hudson River was the cool old buildings in the towns we visited. The towns themselves** **aren’t all that great, but seeing the craftsmanship that went into the building is really cool**

Donovan’s Shady Harbor–Also a common looper spot. We stayed here for 3 days. The marina is not near a town, so it is a long walk to town. We did use the courtesy car for provision and found out how far the town really was/is. Glad we didn’t try to walk. It was really windy here for 2 days and today it is rainy. Lots of traffic on the river as it is a holiday weekend (July 4). The restaurant here is OK, but the prices are high (as is everything else nowadays). Because our slip is at the end of a dock, we get nice ventilation and a great view of the river and boats passing by. Sad fact: we heard that a few days after our departure, sheer winds destroyed some of the docks as well as some of the boats. =(

Albany Yacht Club: A short cruise today of about 10 miles. Our slip is on the end of a T-dock. Due to the boat traffic, we got some wave actions, but not too bad. Nice facility and a great pool to cool off during these hot days. We were only planning to only stay one night, but decided to stay one more to see the fireworks. It was a beautiful, but hot day. Docktails with 3 other looper boats (SeaBatical, Ottyssey, Cavalier ). We were all looking forward to watching the fireworks from SeaBatical. But around 9pm a storm cell came thru which caused the organizers to cancel the city fireworks. Bummer!!! Anyway, it was fun to hang with the loopers for the evening. We enjoyed a looper special: little beers.

Waterford: Another short day of travel and our first lock since The Dismal Swamp. There are many more to come (30+) as we cross the Erie Canal. Waterford has an almost free dock (pay only electric). The whole wall is filled tonight with boats starting up the Erie tomorrow. We walked to Lock 2 and watched 2 looper boats be lifted up to the next water level. Tomorrow will be our turn. We did walk the Main Street, but didn’t see much. We ate at an Irish Restaurant for Tim’s Birthday (he is 59 today). It is very hot here today.