VANDERBILT MANSION, HYDE PARK (1895)

Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site, Hyde Park (1895).  Located at Hyde Park, NY.  Phone 845-229-7770.  Website www.nps.gov/vama.  Open 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.    

COPPOLA’S RISTORANTE, POUGHKEEPSIE AND HYDE PARK (1961)

Poughkeepsie (1961).  2373 Route 9, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601, Phone 845-462-4545, Website www.coppolas.net.

Coppola’s Hyde Park.  Located at 4167 Route 9, Hyde Park, NY 12538, Phone 845-229-9113, Website www.coppolas.net.

GEORGE WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS, NEWBURGH (1782-1783)

Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site, Newburgh (1782-1783).  Located at 84 Liberty Street, Newburgh, NY 12511.  Phone 845-562-1195.  Website www.nysparks.com/historic-sites.  Open Wednesday through Saturday - 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., and Sunday 1:00 to 5:00 P.M.  Closed Monday and Tuesday.  Tour the house and surrounding grounds.

The Hasbrouck House served as George Washington's headquarters during the Revolutionary War from April 1782 until August 1783.  In these critical months General Washington made some of his most important contributions to shaping the American republic. It was here that Washington (1) rejected the idea that he should be king after the war, (2) ended the Newburgh conspiracy,  preventing military control of the government, (3) created and awarded the Badge of Military Merit, forerunner of the Purple Heart, (4) circulated a letter to State Governors that influenced the writing of the Constitution and (5) issued an order on April 19, 1783, for the "cessation of hostilities" which formally ended the fighting of the Revolutionary War.

MOHONK MOUNTAIN HOUSE, NEW PALTZ (1869)

Mohonk Mountain House, New Paltz (1869).  Located at 1000 Mountain Rest Road, New Paltz, NY 12561.  Phone 845-255-1000.  Website  www.mohonk.com.  Tour hotel, lake and grounds.  Have brunch, lunch or dinner. 

The Mohonk Mountain House is a historic resort hotel located on the Shawangunk Ridge west of New Paltz.  The Catskill Mountains can be seen to the north and west.  The lake is a natural lake created during the last ice age.

CITY OF KINGSTON (1651)

City of Kingston (1651).  Located on the west side of the Hudson River, 90 miles north of New York City and 60 miles south of Albany, across the River from Rhinebeck.       

Settled in 1651, Kingston was one of the three large Hudson River settlements in New Netherland - the other two being Beverwyck (now Albany) and New Amsterdam (now New York City).  In 1777, Kingston became the first capital of New York State.  On October 16, 1777, shortly after the Battle of Saratoga, the city was burned by British troops moving up the Hudson River from New York City.  Many of the buildings were made of stone and were quickly rebuilt by the town’s residents.  The Senate House (1676) is shown in the picture above.  In 1777, the building housed the first meeting of the newly formed New York State Senate.   

FORT MONTGOMERY STATE HISTORIC SITE, FORT MONTGOMERY (1776)

Fort Montgomery State Historic Site, Fort Montgomery (1776).  Located at 690 Route 9W, P.O. Box 213, Fort Montgomery, NY 10922, Phone 845-446-2134, Website www.nysparks.com/historic-sites/28.                                                                                                    

Fort Montgomery includes as visitors center and the remains of a fortification built in 1776, on the West Bank of the Hudson River by the Continental Army during the American Revolution.  On October 6, 1777, British, Loyalist and Hessian forces attacked Fort Montgomery and nearby Fort Clinton. The defending American Patriots, outnumbered 3 to 1, were driven out of their forts and more than half of the Patriot forces were killed, wounded or captured.  Most of the original Fort Clinton site was demolished during the construction of U.S. Route 9W and the Bear Mountain Bridge.

BEAR MOUNTAIN INN, BEAR MOUNTAIN (1915)

Bear Mountain Inn, Bear Mountain (1915).  Located at 55 Hessian Drive, Bear Mountain, NY 10911, Phone 845-786-2731, Website www.visitbearmountain.com

Opened in 1915, the Inn is a hotel and restaurant owned by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission and located on Route 9W at the northern end of Seven Lakes Drive, just south of the Bear Mountain Bridge. Discover acre after acre of outdoor beauty and activities at the incomparably beautiful Bear Mountain State Park. This unique state park starts on the west bank of the Hudson River and includes the Perkins Memorial Tower at the

STONY POINT BATTLEFILED STATE HISTORIC SITE, STONY POINT (1779)

Stony Point Battlefield State Historic Site, Stony Point (1779).  Located at P.O. Box 182, Stony Point, NY 10980, Phone 845-786-2521, Website www.nysparks.com/historic-sites/8.

The Stony Point Battlefield, just north of Stony Point, marks the July 16, 1779 Battle of Stony Point in which General "Mad" Anthony Wayne earned his nickname leading 1,350 Continental Army troops in a surprise attack against the 544-man British garrison at Stony Point. The Americans were unable to hold the fort for more than a few days.

King’s Ferry operated between Verplanck’s Point on the east side of the river with Stony Point on the west side.  During the American Revolution, the ferry linked the New England colonies with the southern colonies.  It was used many times by George Washington's Continental Army.  In 1781 Washington's French allies used it on their way to the Battle of Yorktown and return a year later.

HAMPTON INN HARRIMAN, WOODBURY

Hampton Inn Harriman, Woodbury.  Located at 60 Centre Drive, Central Valley, NY 10917, on the New York Thruway.  Phone 1-845-782-9600.  Website – www.hamptoninn.hilton.com Bear Mountain. From navigating the Hudson on a small boat or fishing in the park's lake to hiking the first segment of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail or biking and cross-country skiing, this bountiful park is an unforgettable family destination. Situated in the heart of Bear Mountain State Park, our hotel allows you to enjoy your stay with the ideal combination of resort-like accommodations and breathtaking scenery.      

 COSIMO’S BRICK OVEN, WOODBURY (2006)

Cosimos Brick Oven Restaurant, Woodbury (2006).  Located at 100 New York 32, NY.  Phone 845-928-8265.  Website – www.cosimoswoodbury.com.  Have breakfast, lunch or dinner.

HUDSON RIVER

Bear Mountain Bridge – The picture was taken from the top of Bear Mountain on the west side of the river.  The Appalachian Trail crosses the river on the bridge.  The mountain known as Anthony’s Nose is on the east side of the river.  Fort Montgomery is to the left and outside of the picture.  The bridge was completed in 1924.

Creation – The Hudson River was formed during the last glacier. 

Name – The river is named after Henry Hudson, an Englishman sailing for the Dutch East India Company, who explored it in 1609.  He sailed from the mouth of the river in New York to the near the present day Albany.  He was not the first to discover the river as it had been known since the voyage of Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1524.  Prior to this the Dutch called the river the North River (or Mauritius) with the Delaware River called the South River.  The Native American name for the river was “Muhheakantuick,” meaning water that flows both ways.

Headwaters - The river begins at the confluence of Calamity Brook and Indian Pass Brook near Henderson Lake in Newcomb, NY, 315 miles above New York City.

Tidal Flow – The river is tidal from its mouth in New York City to the dam at Troy, NY – a distance of 150 miles.  The tide would travel further north if it were not for the dam blocking the water’s movement.  The river runs north for six hours and then runs south for six hours.  The highest tides occur at Albany, where the river becomes narrower and the water is forced higher. Salt water flows upriver from the ocean along the bottom of the river, while freshwater flows downriver over the top. The salt front, which is the leading edge of the diluted sea water, is usually south of the Tappan Zee Bridge, but it can reach as far north as Poughkeepsie during droughts.