Turtle Tales: The Hudson River Valley

Wednesday was initially to be a bad weather day, but it turned out the weatherman was wrong(Really?)! Once the fog lifted, it was a beautiful sunny day, so about 10 AM, we decided to head to Kingston, NY and work our way back to NJ via Route 9W which winds its way along the Hudson River and through the area I grew up as a child. In the process we saw three lighthouses, visited a childhood friend, and ate hot dogs at Pete's Hot Dog stand (the best!) and traveled through some beautiful countryside!

One of the nice things about being in New Jersey is the fact that you can get to just about anywhere in a relatively short period of time - unlike Texas where it takes forever to get somewhere- unless you are just going to town (even then it could by a long drive if you get caught behind a farm tractor or the cowboys are moving cattle from one pasture to another on 316!).

Kingston, NY is located about 2 hours from where we are staying in New Jersey. As a child, our family would often take our 36' Chris Craft cabin cruiser from the Cornwall-on-Hudson Yacht Club up the Hudson River to a place called Rondout (or Roundout) Creek, which is located near Kingston for the weekend. I remember passing a lighthouse on the Hudson River and then making the turn into Rondout Creek to head to our final destination. It has been a good 47 + years since I was in this area last, but I was able to find the spot where we use to dock the boat and spend our time swimming in the creek, exploring, fishing and eating excellent Italian food at the restaurant nearby! As one would expect, the area has grown and there were many changes! Part of the area is now an RV park and the restaurant is no longer Italian, but an Irish Pub. After visiting this area and taking pictures, we continued along the creek to the mouth of Rondout Creek at the Hudson River and found the Rondout Lighthouse. The Rondout Lighthouse was built in 1915 to designate the entrance to the harbor at Kingston.

From Kingston, we headed to Esopus Meadows , to view the lighthouse there. Both the Rondout and Esopus lighthouses are located in the water, so we were not able to get close to take pictures. The Esopus Meadows Lighthouse was built in 1879.

From Esopus Meadows, we headed to the Stony Point Lighthouse, located at Battlefield Park in Stony Point, NY. The lighthouse currently stands on the former site of a Revolutionary War fort, made famous by the Battle of Stony Point. The Battle of Stony Point (1779) was a pivotal victory by the American Revolutionary forces over the British. The lighthouse stands 30 feet tall on a 150 foot bluff overlooking the Hudson River. For more information on the Battle of Stony Point, go to www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stony_Point

To get to the Stony Point Lighthouse, we passed through the town where I grew up as well as the neighboring communities which brought back fond memories. Newburgh, Cornwall-on-Hudson, West Point, Highland Falls, Bear Mountain, etc. As we passed through Newburgh, we decided to stop at Pete's Hot Dog Stand to have a hot dog (or in Jim's case two), I remember my Dad taking our family to Pete's on Saturday nights (if we weren't cruising on the Hudson), usually before going to a movie or visiting relatives. I am sure everyone remembers their favorite place to eat as a child, and Pete's is one of those places. The hot dogs and rolls are steamed, the sauerkraut is fresh and the mustard is homemade and yummy! Guess you just have to be there, but trust me, they are good! We had stopped at Pete's the last time we were in the area, and Jim was determined to go back - that is testimony enough as Jim is usually a very picky eater.

After eating at Pete's, we drove a few blocks to visit a childhood friend who owns a Bed and Breakfast in a historic five story home overlooking the Hudson River, that has been in her family for years. Nancy and I became friends as a result of being in Mariner Scouts and our families boating together over the years. It is always good to visit with friends, whether they are near or far............

The trip back to Jersey was not as easy as the trip upstate as we caught the 5-6 o'clock traffic coming home. But we eventually made it back to the Turtle and called it an early night!

There is a lot of history within the banks of the Hudson River Valley area where I grew up, and I would encourage you to read about it. From George Washington to Rip Van Winkle, there is a little bit of something to interest everyone! Go to www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_Valley to read more about this area!