On a Rising Tide to Kingston, NY

The wind quit last night and the boat didn't rock much.  I am looking forward to anchoring out again.  However there are not many places along the Hudson where you will be safe and not rocked from the big Tows (barges). 

We found out this morning that since 9/11 no private boat is allowed to dock at West Point. We were disappointed but will still see it tomorrow by renting a car and driving there. Funny thing about this boat traveling. You can go for three days on the water and where you get during this time is about a one hour drive on land!! 

Truthfully, we had not planned our departure from Croton-on-Hudson to be with the incoming tide but it worked out this way and caused us to reach our destination in 6 hours instead of 7.  We had said we would not travel this long each day but there seemed to be no place else that offered secure docking for our boat.  We are now tucked in the back of long creek.

As we cruised the Hudson River Valley today we passed a lot of towns that you really couldn't see much of from the river. Tarrytown, Nyack, Ossining, Peekskill, Poughkeepsie, Hyde Park and a few others. The first bridge we passed under was the Bear Mountain Bridge. When it was completed in 1924 it was the world's largest suspension bridge.  It doesn't just carry car traffic as it is the Hudson River crossing of the Maine to Georgia Appalachian Trail.... ahhh, Seeing it brought back my desire to hike that trail someday..... always wanted to do this.....well, I certainly didn't think I would be floating on the water for over a month let alone the possibility of a whole year! .....Perhaps one day I will again catch a rising tide... along the Appalachian Trail......

Bear Mountain Bridge

West Point was quite impressive approaching it from the water.... Sure enough there was plenty of room on the big dock and the dinghy dock... could we go in there and no one know?  We nosed around pretty close..... oops! There was a woman standing there on a boat who stopped doing whatever she was doing and stared at us.....We backed out and as we left three army helicopters flew low on both sides of the boat!...... I am sure they were just returning to the campus as we saw them flying down the river earlier.....Sure, that's all they were doing..... ??

Approaching West Point

U.S. Military Academy Dock

Storm King Mountain was the next showy thing on the western shore of the Hudson. It is 1,355 ft peak. The scenic highway that winds around it was completed in 1940.

Storm King Mountain

We cruised by two lighthouses. The first one was Esopus Lighthouse built in 1872 and is the southernmost of many old ones built along the River.

 

The second one was at the entrance to our creek where we are tied on an outside dock along with a couple of other Loopers. Here is the Rondout Creek Lighthouse.

Tomorrow we will drive to West Point for a tour and also see the Hudson River Maritime Museum that is right here in Kingston, NY. We are loving getting more acquainted with the history of our country!