Sep 15, 2019

We have had a lovely time exploring Poughkeepsie And Hyde Park area with our grandson Ashley. Norm collected him from the train on Friday and we hired a car and walked the foot bridge over the Hudson River and then visited the Franklin D Roosevelt Home (Springwood) Museum and Library on Saturday and then the Vanderbilt Mansion and some of the surrounding area on Sunday before delivering Ashley back to the station. We were grateful of the car Saturday with a fair amount of rain while today the sky has been blue and the day just beautiful. It was a treat to spend some one on one time with Ashley, we don’t get the opportunity to do a lot of that individually with our grandchildren, and given Ashley’s work is as demanding as it is we were particularly grateful also knowing it will be some time before we catch up in person again.

 

Norm and Ashley about to set out on our walk of the Highland Railroad Bridge which was originally considered the great connector for rail traffic being the only bridge between New York City and Albany (Capital of New Yor State) but failing industry and increasing use of interstates saw the decline of rail travel and after a fire on the bridge it looked like it would be demolished but the community fought that and it is now a shared linear park and trailway commenced 1992 and completed 2009. Thankfully we decided to walk it Saturday as it was going to be closed Sunday with a function on.

 

Walking bridge.

 

Poughkeepsie Railway Station from the bridge.

 

Mid-Hudson Bridge from the walking bridge.

 

View of the bridge from the elevator platform.

 

Almost across the bridge.

 

The details.

 

Teamwork approaching one of the entry gates to the Marist University. It was the stonework in these entrances which enticed us in for a look.

 

Our Saturday lunchtime Diner.

 

The FDR Museum and Library. Some great displays.

 

 

The FDR residence – Springwood.

 

FDR’s library (in the residence) almost empty of books as major restoration is going to start next year and things are already being packed up.

 

Vanderbilt Mansion.

 

The Man Cave (smoking room).

 

And a view in the garden.

 

And another.

And more of the garden itself largely established before the mansion was built as this was on a site of a previous mansion unsound to restore.

 

A view from the overlook across the Hudson River on our way through the yard.

 

And our Sunday lunch Diner.

 

And inside. All kinds of cute,

 

A shot in the Marist University. Beautiful stonework.

 

Mid-Hudson Bridge.

 

Some Highland area real estate.

 

And another.

 

Crossing the Mid-Hudson bridge.

 

And finally a farewell shot at the Poughkeepsie Railway Station with Ashley.