Explore the Hudson from Marlboro NY - Rockefeller, Nyack, and West Point

From our Hudson home base at West Shore Marina in Marlboro NY, a nice young man picked us up from Hertz and took us over to our car in Newburgh, the next town south of here. We discovered that the Hertz office in Newburgh is right across the street from the hotel that was our home base when we came to pick up the dinghy in 2011! What are the odds!! If we didn’t get to go to the restaurant at least we saw the hotel. 

And we ate at 5 Guys to remember how we stated at the 5 Guys owner’s yacht club, Corinthian Yacht Club on the Chesapeake. I guess we are just feeling nostalgic as we enter the final month of the trip.

It was too late for much of anything when we got back. I gave Kermit the choice of walking across the Poughkeepsie Walking Bridge (a Hudson must-see) or going to the “best ice cream in NY State”. He chose ice cream. Go figure. That leaves another “must see” for the next time.

Tom, (the fake name for the really great guy at West Shore whose name I am embarrassed to say I cannot remember) said the place was in Monroe NY, only a short drive away. But he was wrong. It was hell-and-gone far away, over mountains. Almost to California.

What did people ever do without GPS? I know I was alive then but for the life of me I cannot recall. We found the address of Bellhaven Creamery on the smart phone and plugged it into the GPS. Mmmm… That address was not an option. Does not compute. So we had a map and thought perhaps we could find it using old fashioned technology – a map. But no. That didn’t work either.

When we found ourselves near the entrance to West Point (near the river and not near the mountain) we knew we had trouble. So we plugged the address into the GPS and picked the closest result that might get us near the place, figuring if we got close there might be a sign directing us to the best ice cream in the world. Off we went to retrace and correct the improper steps we already took.

It wasn’t almost to California but we did encounter the Appalachian Trail! We recognized it because 1) we saw crazy looking hikers with big packs and walking sticks who looked like they needed a shower. We recognized that look. I feel that way today. And 2) We saw signs. Dead giveaway. It sure is a pretty area. These roads, mountains and beat up old towns look just like what we saw along the rivers last fall. Just missing the trees turning but it is August after all.

Cows live here

We headed south and west. The journey to the best ice cream took about 2 hours. The return trip took about 1’15”. Quite a detour but it was pretty.

Katherine on the phone talking to Marissa,
bragging about the ice cream

It WAS the best ice cream ever!! Bellhaven Ice cream sits at the top of a ridge overlooking a huge valley. It feels like you could see Pittsburgh at least from here. The cows donating the cream live in the pasture below. It is impossible to get fresher ice cream. Even Tofts in Sandusky does not have cows living in the pasture next door.

chocolate coffee toffee crunch... yum

We both had scoops of coffee chocolate toffee crunch ice cream. Just think about that for a moment and let the flavors mix on your tongue. Yes it was that good.

I had a second scoop of strawberry with real strawberries in it. Kermit had deep chocolate. It was amazing. Simply melted in the mouth. Definitely worth the long journey. We went home and collapsed in an ice cream haze.

Kykuit entry

The view from the front over the valley

The next day we went south to Tarrytown to finally see Kykuit, the Rockefeller estate now open to the public. Most of our looper friends just steam up the Hudson in excitement to get started with the journey since they come from the east coast, sort of like the way we steamed up through Lake Huron to Mackinaw without really seeing the towns along the way. But this stuff is really worth seeing.

The money view over the river

John D. Rockefeller (called John D by the guide) was originally from Cleveland. He maintained an estate there for most of his life. He made his money in oil and gas, founding Standard Oil. But he really loved the family campus on a huge plot of land along the Hudson River’s eastern shore. 

The home is modest compared to other mansions in the neighborhood – and there is a huge mansion about every few miles apart around here. Most are blocked from river view by the trees but they are there.

We both had camera

then a bit of wimsy

A formal view one minute...

The gardens are amazing, perfectly manicured with sculpture tucked everywhere reflecting the family's different tastes over the generations, 

A view of the river

Everyone needs a stag on their lawn, right? Reminds me
of the flamingos we saw in south Florida!

the art perfectly matched the surroundings

This sculpture was placed by helicopter!

Just a stretch in the morning

The guide said this home was modest because the Rockefellers were Baptist. Hard to know and kind of hard to believe but there it is.

As his children came of age he built them a home on the campus. We could see other homes in the trees as the bus brought us up the hill to Kykuit. The oldest of each generation got the big house. John D, as the guide lovingly called him, built the home in a rather simple style, no big flowing staircases and relatively small rooms (but lots of them), all with amazing views because the home is at the top of the hill.

The guide talking about
the back porch

The windows and doors of the entire river walk open to a huge patio to incorporate the outside into the inside during the summer. Evidently the porch was glassed in and heated for Christmas celebrations.

John D. Rockefeller Jr. (called Junior by the guide) updated the style to make it more elegant. He added a fancy new entry way with big gardens around 1915. Then Nelson Rockefeller, former Gov. of NY and VP of USA under Gerald Ford, got the house and added a ton of modern art.

When Nelson died (in the arms of his girlfriend! They don't talk about that on the tour!) he bequeathed the main house and gardens to the state and set up a foundation to provide for upkeep. His widow, Happy still lives in a house in the compound. The guide says sometimes she can be found working in the garden.

The clubhouse - it looks like a
country club but was designed for
Jr.'s kids - golf course is in the foreground

John D. had a club house built for his kids with a bowling alley and games. He wanted to keep them nearby. It looks like a country club at the end of the hill. John D also had a 9 hole reversible golf course built. He played golf every day until he died in his sleep at 99.

John D loved the view of the Hudson. When he moved in quarries over the river were smelly, noisy and ugly. So John D and his buddies with mansions on the east side bought lots of land on the west side, now called the Palisades. Nice neighbors.

The mansion looks like the family packed up their clothes and walked out after Nelson died. It is exquisite.

The tapestries -
a Google Image Photo

The group leaving the Level 4 gallery

In the lowest level Nelson built 4 galleries filled with modern 20^th Century art. It was his real love and the collection is amazing. I especially love the Picasso tapestries. Nelson loved Picasso’s work but it got to be too expensive even for him so he had Picasso supervise and approve creation of tapestries woven in France of some his best pieces.

We signed up for the 3’ super-duper tour so we could see Nelson’s art collection. No photos allowed in the house but we took a bunch outside.

The grounds are littered with massive modern sculptures, quite a juxtaposition compared to the formal mansion that serves as the background. Nelson placed the pieces himself with a certain humor. Many big pieces were placed in their spots by helicopter! There is so much art that some is stored in the stable all wrapped up.

More art stored in the stables

Modern art runs in the family. His mom, Abby Rockefeller of the Williamsburg fame, founded the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. Much of the Rockefeller collection is on display there too.

We missed visiting local Pocantico Church, the Rockefeller family church down the road. The family commissioned Matisse and Chagall windows that are supposed to be exquisite.

After leaving Kykuit we went across the river to Nyack for lunch. Judy Hechtkopf recommended the town. It is cute with shops and galleries. Nyack continues that goofy hippy look seen in upstate NY. We had a delicious lunch at Strawberry Place. The owners are planning a summer charter boat vacation in the Abacos so we talked to them for a while.

We bought cinnamon Challah bread from the Challah Fairy out of Brooklyn and had great French toast.

Back in the car to West Point Military Academy. We passed West Point in the boat on our way to West Shore Marina. It sits on a hill on a peninsula strategically placed to guard the Hudson. George Washington wanted to have a military academy and placed it in this strategic spot.

The Chapel

It was nice to get an explanation for what we saw when we passed. However the West Point tour pales in comparison to our experience at Annapolis. Annapolis has better tours and is a more impressive facility. Sorry Army.

Kermit going into the Chapel

The Chapel is pretty awesome too with stained glass windows donated by each class and one of the largest pipe organs in the country. The organist said the largest is in Radio City Music Hall and in a large department store in Philadelphia. BTW he knew all about Shantz Organ in Orrville!!

Our guide telling funny stories on former grads

 Funny story. General MacArthur arrived at West Point with his mother who lived in the local hotel in view of MacArthur’s bedroom window. She could monitor his hard work. MacAruthur graduated #1in his class and #1 in leadership, one of only 5 people to do this hard thing.

A beautiful setting 

This can be seen from the river

Instructors' homes

 Another funny story about another famous guy, General Patton who kidded around and graduated at the bottom of his class. He said he was never quite sure how to find the library. They erected a statue to him right in front of the library so he could be sure to find the library in the future!

When we passed West Point by water we saw soldiers crawling all over the hills around the school. We didn’t get much explanation but after visiting Annapolis we know those are first year cadets with their summer boot camp.

Next: Roosevelt and Vanderbilts