Busy Day at Hyde Park et al...

Left Bette to rest at the coach this morning at 0830, and up Rt 9 I went to the FDR Home National Park, in Hyde Park, New York.  Had been here several times before, including a treasured visit with our pals the Kingstons back in 2008 when we were up this way, but as it happens as I revisit parks, I got to several parts of the park I had not been to before this trip. 

Got the standard big house tour first, starting at 0930, which took an hour.  Each time they have changes, it seems, different Rangers see/tell different things, or leave things out, and they have a new exit on the back of the 2nd floor now. 

After the house tour, I went back to the VC and watched the very good 23 minute movie about the President, and then got on the Shuttle bus for a tour of Top Cottage, which was the President's personal retreat that he built for his retirement, or depending on who you read, as a house to store one or more of his lady friends away from Elanor after his Presidency.. at least that was the story put out today by the Rangerette.   I was the only one on the tour, so we had an hour chat about the Cottage, and sat and rocked on the front porch and discussed the President and his various traits, looked at old photos, and had a ball.   The Ranger was a serious student of the President, as I am, and had worked at the House for 23 years, so we enjoyed a bit of back and forth, but she was an expert, for sure.  Very interesting tidbits about the house and its meaning to the President.  It was built to "get away" from the hustle and bustle of the "Big House." 

Then, we shuttled back to the Main House, and I visited the Library, which unfortunately is under a massive reconstruction, the first since it's opening in 1941, so there was only an abbreviated display of things, but I did get to see another movie, and enjoyed what I did get to see. 

Then, I drove up Rt 9 for 1.7 miles to the Vanderbilt Mansion NHS, which I had not ever been to, even though I had been to this area several times.  Didn't do the tour, since it was an hour away, but got my stamps.  As all the Vanderbilt houses seem to be, this one was impressive, from afar, even if it is considered the smallest of all the 40 or so houses the family built.  Geez!

Then, back down Rt 9 for a quick stop for a revisit to the Elanor Roosevelt NHS and Valkill, her private little cottage, which was built for different reasons-- mostly to get away from her domineering mother in law, and then perhaps later where she could enjoy the friendshio of several of her ahem lady friends-  again, depending on who you read.  Any way, got my stamp there. 

So now, except for spending some time at the Roosevelt Library for research one few days, I am pretty much done with that site for a while. 

I forgot to mention that I did revisit the gravesite of FDR and Eleanor at the Rose Garden next to the house, and for a special reason, as it turns out my Dad apparently had something to do with helping Ms Roosevelt during the funeral ceremonies,  Dad casually mentioned that he "was there" during the funeral during a visit to Hyde Park back when he was about 85 years old, and they were visiting us in New Jersey... 

Here is a copy of a letter that is in the family, that discusses his assistance and thanks in a note from Ms Roosevelt:

Pretty special to me, for sure.  

After that, I headed on down Rt 9 a bit to Locust Grove, the home of Samuel FB Morse, of telegraph fame, and got a Hudson River Valley Stamp there. 

Then, a little further down the road, had the bejesus scared out of me and some other folks when a mini herd of deer, 2 adults and a smaller one, darted across 4 lanes of traffic doing 55 mph!  I saw them enough in advance to slow down, I knew better, the guy beside me barely missed them, and lucky for him there was no other traffic when he swerved, and then a guy riding a motorcycle actually got smacked by the last one as he darted across, but fortunately, it was a glancing blow, and the guy had slowed down some- he wobbled pretty bad, but saved it, the deer took a big tumble and hit the road bed pretty hard, but he seemed to be not injured and got up and kept running, pretty sure the motorcycle dude will have a sore side tonight, and maybe a stain in his pants... 

Next stop was theVan Wyck Mansion, another stop on the Hudson River Valley NHC:

It dates pretty far back- 

And the last stop was Mt Guilian Historical Site, another HRV stop - there are like 65 of those....
So it was a good stamping day, glad I got to spend good time at the FDR, and really take my time, and see the things I had missed, will probably do this area again next year on the way home from Maine-  

We may pick up anchor and head to Jersey a day earlier tomorrow, and may try to find a campground, I know of one in Freehold, which is sort of convenient to everything, may need one for a day or so so we don't boondock so much next week or 10 days.....  

Another option would be to do Hudson River Valley sites, but I can always save those for next year and take our time doing that.