Round Creek

We hit a big storm on the Hudson River today, with 50 knt. winds and lightning. It was intense. We had reservations at Roundout Yacht Basin so when it was safe to enter the creek, we came into a surprising little paradise.

On the north side of Roundout Creek, just west of the bridge, is the town dock and the Hudson River Maritime Center Museum. This restored historical waterfront is well known for it's ice and brick making, which was a much needed commodity up and down the Hudson, when everything traveled by water.

The sky cleared as we entered the creek  and everything was calm inside.

We pass under a 56-foot fixed bridge and move up the creek.

We pass an old timer and knew this place may be special.

We pull up to the marina on the left after a long travel day.

The next morning we wake up in fog which was spectacular.

We put down the dingy and take off to explore the town.

This tug is next to the museum and quite the spectical.

We went to the Maritime Museum which showed the importance of the Hudson River to the economy and expansion of New York.

Captain Bob at the helm.

We pass a weekend raft-up which goes to show you, fun is wherever you are.

As we passed by, this tug was at the shipyard getting repaired.

Every place we looked there was something out of the ordinary.

We are learning to expect the unexpected. Tomorrow we head to Albany, New York.

The Hudson

Imagine stumbling onto the beauty of the Hudson Valley by accident.Englishman Henry Hudson was looking for a quick passage to China as he sailed along America's north Atlantic coast in 1609.Hudson thought he found what he was looking for when he entered New York bay and what is now the river named for him. He and his crew of 18-20 men, sailing on a ship called the Half Moon, traveled about 150 miles up the river near what is now Albany before realizing it would not lead them to their destination of choice.

Early maps and sailing journals tell us that the area was viewed as inhospitable, with wild animals, poisonous snakes, mountains and thick forests too dense to traverse. The river itself was seen as treacherous, especially in the stretch known as the Hudson Highlands.

The 1600s saw the influx of colonists and the area, first known as New Amsterdam, became part of New York, controlled by Britain. As the quest for independence from the crown began to unfold, the Hudson River played a major role.

Although the events that occurred in the Hudson Highlands during the Revolutionary War were not the war's most decisive, it remained an area to which the British and the Americans gave much of their attention.

In 1775, the Americans decided they must fortify the area, protecting the river used to transport troops and supplies. Had the British been successful in gaining control of the river, it would have literally broken apart the American forces.

After seeing the effects on his troops from a lack of properly trained officers, Washington pleaded with the newly formed government for the formation of a military academy. But it wasn't until after his death that the United States Military Academy at West Point was established in 1802 under President Thomas Jefferson.

Commuter trains and freight trains are constantly moving on both shores of the Hudson River.

The Mid-Hudson Suspension Bridge, opened in 1930, is one of the oldest bridges spanning the Hudson River. The massive Conrail railroad bridge has been in place for more than 100 years and once made Poughkeepsie an important railroad center.

The Hudson is still an important commercial waterway today, as it has been for centuries.

Here are the ruins of a full size castle, Bannerman Castle. The scene hauntingly could be somewhere in Europe.

I have to say, today's scenery has been the most breathtaking of all days on this trip.

The Journey Into New York

We left Manasquan, New Jersey early in the morning, running 5 hours in the ocean with a light west wind. We entered the lower bay of New York Harbor and went west over towards Staten Island where we tied up at Great Kills Yacht Club.

This was a quiet Yacht Club and a great place to unwind after a long day. The dock master and the Harbor Host were both there to welcome us, as loopers are encouraged to call on them when in New York.

New York is in the middle of a heat wave, so we waited until evening to venture out to explore the town of Great Kills.

On recommendation, we stroll over to Coles Dock Side Restaurant which was packed with diners. Mussels, calamari, fresh fish, and a bottle of wine. What a great way to celebrate in New York.

This is what it looked like when we woke up the next morning ready to push on into New York. The temperature was predicted to be over 100 degrees. It got to 108.

As we approach the city, the unmistakable skyline begins to come into view. First is the Verrazano Bridge.

Once in New York harbor proper, you can begin to make out the skyline of Manhattan. I'm pinching myself. I can't believe we are here.

Once past the bridge, we can see Fort Wadsworth, one of the oldest military installations in the nation. The site occupies 226 acres on the northeastern shore of Staten Island.

As we move into the harbor, those famous Staten Island Ferries were moving in both directions full of commuters on their way to work.

There were many working tugs in the New York Harbor.

We pass Ellis Island, the first place that my father's parents encountered, when entering this country from Russia over 90 years ago.

And then we pass the Statue of Liberty that I remember climbing with my little brother a long time ago.

The new "One World Trade Center" comes into view and is awe inspiring.

The New Jersey side wasn't too shabby either.

We passed the USS Intrepid with the Space Shuttle Enterprise covered in that big balloon on the deck.

You can see the Concord to the left of the Intrepid.

We move past the haze of the Empire State Building up the Hudson into calmer waters. There are no marinas that are calm in the New York Harbor so we push on.

As we pass under the George Washington Bridge, we also pass Coast Guard and police boats guarding the bridge, after all we are in New York.

The Palisades are among the most dramatic geologic features in the vicinity of New York City, forming a canyon of the Hudson north of George Washington Bridge, as well as providing a vista of the skyline.

These high cliffs on both sides of the Hudson were breathtaking. They are still following us through the next couple of days.

We stop for the night at Half Moon Bay Marina on the Hudson River.

It was a long, exciting day of picture taking and it's time for a glass of wine and some rest.