More Hudson River sightseeing

The Hudson River was named for Henry Hudson, an Englishman who sailed for the Dutch East India Company. He landed his ship, Half Moon, in North America while looking for the fabled Northwest Passage from the Atlantic Ocean to Asia. Hudson would never find it, but his contributions to the exploration of the New World were significant, and laid the groundwork for Dutch colonization of the region. He was the first European to sail into the massive Hudson Bay in northern Canada. There his ship was trapped by ice, and after wintering over, his crew mutinied in the spring of 1611. Hudson was set adrift in a ship’s boat and never seen again.  

I had little risk of a mutiny, since we were ashore and I was doing exactly as ordered. We spent the first part of Sunday morning with the Williamses, then were handed off to Kathleen’s sister Rachel, who lives in Garrison, NY, a bit farther south on the Hudson. We picked up some supplies at Walmart and dropped them off on Dragonfly, then trekked across the Walkway Over the Hudson, a restored 19th-century railroad bridge that has been converted into a walking and bike path. Opened in 2009, the 1.3-mile bridge takes visitors 212 feet over the river’s surface, offering spectacular views of the Hudson River Valley, city of Poughkeepsie, and Catskill Mountains. Map Link: Walkway Over the Hudson

After our walk, we had a picnic lunch in the shade, then visited the lovely village of Cold Spring, where we took a quick look around and stumbled upon a free concert at an 1833 chapel where Rachel has performed. We enjoyed the solo guitar music of Oren Fader, then visited some friends of Rachel’s at their outdoor Cambodian restaurant. The gardens were inviting and relaxing and included a miniature rice paddy. We especially loved their attractive and delicious lotus flower cookies.

Our last stop was in Garrison, where we strolled along the waterfront, with grand views of West Point Military Academy across the river. Many scenes for the 1969 Barbra Streisand movie musical “Hello, Dolly” were filmed in Garrison and other nearby Hudson River communities. Map Link: Garrison, NY

Back at Rachel’s house, we ate dinner—which included more lotus cookies for dessert—then I wrote blog content while Kathleen and Rachel played duets.