It is 7 something in the morning here and I am in the Laundramat in our camp in Connecticut. It poured all day yesterday and it was do Laundry or join a nudist colony. At my age I voted for get up early. Anyway this is a great time to play catch up. We left ourJersey City home and after talking to Joan the night before, decided to take her advice and head up the Hudson Valley. So up the Garden City Parkway to Bear Mountain State Park and their beautiful Lodge. Then across the Bear Mtn Bridge and up the Hudson Valley on Hwy 9. When we got partway up the mountain we found aGolf Course that looked promising so I we went. Garrison Golf Course was probably the most beautiful course I have ever driven around with Don. Trees and rivers and old buildings and to top it off we were looking down on West Point and the Hudson River. This place used to have batteries and fortifications from the civil war. Also chains stretched across the Hudson to stop enemy traffic. I guess Garrison was an important little town. Spent the night in Staatsburgh at Mill Memorial State Park. Rained all night long. I like the sound on Cmors rood. Went to the Mill Mansion in the morning. Like many other places on this trip, scaffolding and tarps . Wow, people built huge around here. Don looked at the garage/maintenance building and almost drooled. Next stop The VanderbiltEstate and this time I did the drooling. Even the guest house turned visitors center was gorgeous. Inside was unbelievable. As I checked my pictures today I realized almost no interior pictures turned out. I joist don' understand this new camera and I am having trouble calibrating the old one. I did get one of the upstairs and the entry into the his and hers master suites. I know I would not like that part of being wealthy. I get fascinated by the strangest things. Luckily the photo of the trap under the sink in a guest bath turned out. It was spiral in case jewelry fell in the sink. I even liked the stairway the servants used. The gardens were beautiful even in the rain.
We went next to FDR's estate. His Presidential library and museum. Another movie. And then a tour of Springwood, his home in Hyde Park. We saw the home, stables, gardens, graves, and carriage house. Next we drove to Val-Kil, Eleanor Roosevelt's home and retreat. I can't imagine spending all but four years in your Mother-in-law's house. No wonder she traveled so much. Her home was very simple and comfortable.We saw the little corner where she met with Kennedy when he came looking for her indorse net when he was running for President. We also saw the stone cottage on her property. Before leaving home, I had read Eleanor so it was wonderful seeing all the places I had read about. The gardens and Ponds around her home were like Monet paintings. Still raining but I wanted to walk across the river. In Pougkeepsie is the famous "Walkway over the Hudson" bridge. It is next to the Middle Hudson bridge. I got completely drenched but I did it. I only saw one other person all the way across and back. Very rainy and cold but I enjoyed it. So now I have clean, dry clothes and I am caught up and it has actually stopped raining so back I will go to Cmor and hope Don did all the housework. I wonder what today will bring? Hugs from Donna
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