Our First Weeks Along the Hudson – 5/15 - 6/5

As mentioned in the previous entry, we traveled some of the backroads and highways of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York to get to our place of seasonal employment for the summer — NYC/Newburgh KOA. While we didn’t encounter any bad roads, we did encounter lots of curves and hills on a rainy, overcast day. It is a drive like this that can make “living the RV dream” less than thrilling. At one point Byron remarked that the difference between east Kentucky/Tennessee and the Appalachian range in these states is the accent. Otherwise, the area consistes of houses (a wide variety), trees, curves, hills, and small communities not more than nine miles apart.

Our campsite at the end of Rally Row has trees across the rear

and along the driver side of the motorhome. Byron is shown 

getting things from one of the storage bins which is why

his back is toward the camera in this photo.

One needs to understand the naming scheme for KOA campgrounds to understand where we are located. This is the closest KOA to New York. In addition, the nearest town with a population greater than 10,000 is Newburgh. Hence, the name. In reality, we are about 9 miles north of Newburgh and about 70 miles north of New York City, depending on where the metropolitan area begins.

This particular KOA is owned by a company instead of a husband/wife team (such as Wisconsin Dells). The company is Recreation Adventures Company which is the largest franchisee of KOA. They also own and operate about a dozen other locations. As someone said, NYC/Newburgh is like a state park that was sold to a non-governmental agency. Using an earth view of Google Maps it is only possible to see a small portion of the campground with RVs present. Nearly 80% of the sites have a tree canopy.

We are working five days each week. We do consider that full time. Unlike last year, we are both working in the office/store and are responsible for closing. Closing involves anything to do with cleaning, doing end-of-day reports, and counting the register drawers and safe.

Like last year, we’ve encountered guests from England, Germany, China, Nova Scotia, Florida, Texas, and California. One couple came through from Australia. They had shipped their vehicle to Argentina where they started their travels. They have driven up the western side of South America, through Central America, and will sell small motorhom (known as a caravan in other parts of the world) to a buyer in Maine. One day a couple from Belgium arrived in a rental RV around 3 PM to be followed by a couple, also in a rental, from Holland at nearly 4 PM. At times, the world can seem rather small.

On our days off (Thursday and Friday) we have traveled around the area and will do so until we’ve “seen it all.” In the process, we are getting used to the patchy roads and paying tolls to cross the Hudson River. Some of our trips include visits to Sam’s Club (across the river in Fishkill) as well as the nearby grocery. We have visited two United Methodist churches, one Reformed Church in America, and helped conduct a worship service here at the campground. Everything but the campground is a few miles in another direction.

Our first, day-long venture was to Hyde Park which is across the Mid-Hudson bridge and north of Poughkeepsie. We went to visit the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum. It sits high on the eastern shore of the Mid-Hudson Valley more than 300 feet above normal river level. Also on the property is the home in which FDR lived as a child and remained through his adult life. Nearby is the house Eleanor acquired so she could get away from Franklin and his mother in order to write (she was prolific). The library and museum are in a building designed by Roosevelt. In it is one room that served as his personal office and has been preserved for viewing. The Welcome Center is the only building on the property that didn’t exist during Franklin’s time.

Bronze statues of Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt are seated

as though on their lawn overlooking the Hudson River.

The statues are located at the Welcome Center.

The Roosevelt family home, as it currently exists, was greatly expanded

from original size after Franklin and Eleanor were married. Wings

on both sides were added as well as a third level to the center

section of the home.

Typical of the “landed gentry” of that era, Franklin Roosevelt’s father

owned and managed a large farm. Typical of the buildings

is this stable which sits next to the carriage house.

The Library and Museum (one building) is constructed of native stone as are many buildings throughout this portion of the USA. It also has a slate roof which is also quite common.

Our second excursion was actually a cruise on the Hudson River from a landing at Newburgh. The two-hour trip took us southward past Pollpel Island to West Point and the US Military Academy.

Our cruise down the Hudson was on this small excursion yacht,
Pride of the Hudson. It is powered by a pair of diesel engines.

On Pollpel Island lies the remnant of a Scotsman’s fortress called Bannerman Castle — built not as a home, but as an arsenal for his immense collection of weapons acquired following the Civil War. Public access to this island is limited since the proper sat abandoned for many years. It is now the property of the State of New York with a Trust attempting to restore portions of what remains of what was a grand structure.

But two walls remain standing at Bannerman Castle on Pollpel Island.

The island and building were sold to the State of New York in 1967.

A fire of unknown origin destroyed the main structure. Fortunately,

most of the holdings (cannons and other Civil War memorabilia)

were cataloged and sent to the Smithsonian.

Just south of Bannerman Castle is the northern-most point of an aqueduct that was built to provide more fresh water to New York City. One of the maintenance buildings can be seen at the edge of the river to the right of the water inlet. Note also the cliff that reveals as a cut in the mountain range.

Approaching the Military Academy from the north one begins to think that it is rather compact as this view from the cruiser reveals. To the left is the Cadet Chapel. In the trees on the right, the spire of the Catholic Chapel can be seen. In the foreground is the roof of the field house. On the north side of the roof is the wording “Beat Air Force.” On the south side is “Sink Navy.” To the right of the scene is the barracks which includes four main wings that meet in the center.

Our third trip was back across the Hudson to visit a Vanderbilt mansion built by one of the sons of Cornelius as a spring and fall retreat. Now under the care of the National Park Service, it is officially the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site. The story of how it became the property of the US government is interesting. A niece of the childless couple inherited the property during the early 1930’s. It was first offered for sale at one-quarter the cost of the original property purchase and building construction costs. The price was reduced a second time without any interested party coming forward. As she was considering dropping the price to $100,000 FDR approached her with the idea of allowing the federal government to purchase it for $1 and turn it into a historical site. As a result of this action, one of the Hudson Valley’s oldest mansions is available to the public.

While a high percentage of the mansions in New York from the “gilded age” of US history have fallen into disrepair or disappeared, this example of architecture, interior design, mechanical systems, and landscape remains as an example of a childless couple’s country place. It illustrates what was common among the very wealthy during the industrialization of America following the Civil War. It is also a testimony of how one man’s tremendous financial legacy was spent by two generations that followed without concern for perpetuity or wise investment. As was pointed out by our tour guide, there are only a very few Vanderbilts living from any of the wealth that was squandered by the second and third generation family members of “Commodore” Cornelius Vanderbilt.

The property, formerly known as Hyde Park, was purchased by Frederick W. and Louise Vanderbilt in May 1895. The 54-room mansion was designed and built between 1896–1899. The house is a good example of the Beaux-Arts architecture style. Not open to public access on the property is the boat house that sits along an inlet where Vanderbilt’s yacht was docked when they were present during the spring and fall months.

A view of the Vanderbilt Mansion at Hyde Park from the northeast corner.

The portico, shown in the photo, is at the rear of the structure.

After stepping through the front door visitors encounter the welcome area

of the home. The interior is furnished with many “throne chairs,” tapestries,

statuary, and other furniture made in Europe -- an example of how

the super-rich valued product from Europe over those fabricated

in the United States -- a result of trying to keep pace

with European nobility.

Believe it or not, this is a guest bedroom. When several couples were

invited to the mansion, the ladies stayed at the main house

while the men stayed in a separate house decorated like a

hunting lodge. This was done so the men could stay up late 

smoking and drinking without disturbing the women. Of course, visiting

couples also brought their servants who stayed in other sections

of the dwellings under the same roof as those they served.

The ceiling in one of the parlors shows the opulence of the mansion.

This smaller structure is where male guests at the estate spent some of

their evening hours and slept. There were sufficient beds to accommodate

up to 11 overnight guests and servants in each house.

This photo of the front of Vanderbilt Mansion, though not showing the total width

of the edifice, gives the clue as to the scale. From this one can imagine how

there was adequate entertainment space for the couple, their guests,

and the servants of the guests and well as the servants of the Vanderbilts.

As to our Sunday worship activities, we have attended a few, different churches. Since we work on Sundays beginning at noon we have attempted to find a congregation that has a service that fits our work schedule. We have visited United Methodist churches and a congregation of the Reformed Church in America. The RCA denomination is very similar to Presbyterian in that they were followers of the theology of John Calvin and were first known as Huguenots in France.

Our next post to this blog will cover our visits to West Point, the Shawangunk Trail and Historic Huguenot Street (in New Paltz), and our KOA tour into New York City, the “Big Apple.”