Up the Hudson River

The rural scenery as we cruised up the Hudson River was an extreme change from busy New York City.

After nearly 12 hours of cruising, we dropped anchor in beautiful Haverstraw Bay.

It's time for the Captain to grill a yummy dinner!

This beautiful sunset view from Spiritus was our dessert!

The next morning the crew of Spiritus joined several Loopers in Half Moon Bay Marina for a couple days.

Half Moon Bay Marina is located in the beautiful Catskill Mountains

It offers many biking and hiking trails and is an convenient place to catch a train into NYC.

The Captain discovered a scenic route out of the marina . . . .

. . . . which led to the First Mate's happy place.  She took the message board seriously!

That moment when you realize your 44th anniversary is only 2 days away so you practice that first kiss you shared in 1969.

The mountainous terrain after departing Half Moon Bay and traveling up the Hudson River is captivating. 

The U.S. Military Academy at West Point is even more impressive from the water's edge.

The Army cadets are always hopeful that they can beat the Air Force cadets.

And if they don't, at least writing it on their field house roof makes them feel better!

We can usually hear the trains running along the tracks before we actually see them.

The current Esopus Lighthouse was built in 1871, replacing the original 1839 lighthouse.  

It is the southernmost of several old lighthouses built along the Hudson River.

When we spotted the Kingston Lighthouse, we knew we were approaching Rondout Creek.

As we  approached the Hudson Maritime Marina, we felt like we were coming home.

In 2013 we stayed here an entire month while waiting for the Erie Canal to open!  

Ron, a local resident and volunteer at the Museum whom we met in 2013, was waiting on the dock to greet us.

We carried our special Looper friends, Mike and Cindy, with us as we revisited all the special places we had explored together in 2013 while waiting for the Erie Canal to open.

The museum is filled with interesting displays, models, pictures, videos, and facts about the Hudson River.

The Lighthouse display is a favorite!  Our friend Ron built the replicas of the lighthouses and wired the lights to be operational.

Ron invited us to his lovely home and we sat in his garden talking non-stop.

We had LOTS of reminiscing and catching up to do!!

  Linda, the Maritime Museum Director in 2013, was super good to all the stranded Loopers!!

Spiritus is moored behind the wall.  This is the wall where we often gathered with fellow Loopers to plan our potlucks, brunches, outings, laundry runs, and always "docktails"!

When we take our hike across the bridge, this is our breathtaking view.

The beautiful countryside is unforgettable but the friends we made here left the most lasting memory.

This year we did NOT stay in Kingston an entire month!

Cruising up river to our next destination, we enjoyed seeing locals using riverside parks . . . .

. . . . and admired the colorful homes that lined the river's edge.

The 30 mile per hour gusts and swift current forced the Captain to dock Spiritus bow-in to her slip at Shady Harbor Marina.

We did not stop here on our 2013 Loop, but we now understand why everyone who did loved it!

The marina's "Boathouse Restaurant" is just one reason we were glad we stopped for the night!

We had to try the famous "little beer". . . and a calorie-overloaded flourless chocolate cake.

We will be back for both!!!!

It was a perfect weather day to continue up the Hudson River to Albany.

The tall buildings of Albany, the capitol of New York, are a dramatic change of scenery.

After getting settled at the Albany Yacht Club we were pleasantly surprised by our sis and bro-in-law . . . .

. . . . who delivered balloons and hugs for us on our 44th Anniversary!

We celebrated with dinner at the Albany Yacht Club, a beautiful sunset, and a game of euchre

. . . . a family tradition!

The New York state capitol building was an architectural treat!

"The Egg" is a bowl shaped structure that is an acoustically superb auditorium.

 

The South Mall is home to one of the country's great modern museums.

We spent most of the afternoon in the Museum of New York History and still didn't see it all!

The museum was divided into several sections.

  This section featured the early days of building the New York canal systems.

This section featured the wildlife found in New York.

  Eddy made friends with this elk although he didn't share his chocolate! 

The discovery of skeletal remains proved that prehistoric mastodons once roamed this state.

These two former teachers appreciate the sparseness of the classroom that their mother taught in many years ago!

Siblings who play together stay together!

  Riding an antique carousel was the perfect way to end our fun time together in Albany, NY.