Hudson River Cruise

So happy to be cruising on the Hudson! 

We left Half Moon Bay after eight days and were really excited to be underway.  We had a great stay at Croton-on-Hudson:  lots of adventures and lots of friends.  However, this trip is about moving, going somewhere new, looping.  Today we traveled 40 miles north to Poughkeepsie. The sky was hazy, and the heat built up by the time we arrived at Shadows Marina at 1:00 pm, but we are glad to be hot.  We will not be complaining about the heat. 

As we traveled on the Hudson River, we noticed the trains that run on each side.  Moving north, we have passenger trains, Metro North and Amtrak, on the right shore. They are going in and out of the city. On the left shore we saw at least five long freight trains, mostly CSX.  Each engine pulled only one type of car: rectangular box cars, oval fuel cars, or stacked containers. 

Here is a panoramic photo of the first train we saw. You might notice how smooth the water is too.

We saw a few tourist boats, plying their trade.  Spirit of the Hudson, a boat loaded with waving school children passed us. Then we saw this pirate ship loaded with families.  

The leader was exhorting the passengers to shout as they raised the sail.

Next we passed the United States Military Academy at West Point.  West Point looks like a fort, which makes sense: It was built on the remains of Ft. Clinton, a Revolutionary War fort. The academy is constructed of black and grey granite.  I could imagine guns sticking out the slits in the walls, defending the Hudson.  The school was founded in 1802, and the central campus construction was completed in 1910.  I learned also that West Point was the first American college to have an accredited civil engineering program.  (My facts are from wikipedia.)

                                    

There is no docking or stopping at West Point for boaters now.

Finally, we came upon Bannerman Castle which sits on Pollepel Island. It was a military arsenal storage facility that is now abandoned. Bannerman had a family business in Brooklyn, purchasing surplus military equipment. He began at the end of the Civil War and then outfitted volunteers for the Spanish-American War.  He bought more equipment and guns after that war.  Soon he needed more room to store his equipment, so he built the castle to store excess stock in 1901. The castle is in ruins after an explosion, fire, and decay. We were charmed to happen onto it in the middle of the river.  Once again we went scurrying to Wikipedia for information.  

Bannerman Castle: I wish this building had a more romantic story.