Hyde Park Landing, NY

Trip Day:	96	Latitude:	41°47.35 ' N	Locks Today:	0
Miles Today:	21	Longitude:	073°56.86' W	Locks Total:	8
Total Miles:	1,873	Location:	Hyde Park Landing,  NY

Nestled behind Pollepel Island, we awaked to this view this morning.  We only had four miles to travel to Torches Marina/Restaurant, in Newburgh, where we had arranged to meet Dick and Sandy who drove 4 hours from Pennsylvania.

Dick (right) and Ron were roommates at the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity house at UF a few years back.  Through Dick we met Sandy who was his  childhood friend from Clearwater.  Sophie rounded out the group. 

 

As one might guess, the conversation went something like this,

 “Do you remember .  .  .?”  They talked about cars, boats, road trips, family, caring for aging parents and how we got from then to now.  Dick’s wife Martha is from Sarasota, and as a sidebar, her father was the doctor who delivered Jean Marie Cash in 1947—LOL!  Our few hours together brought back many memories and promises to renew our friendship and stay in touch. 

 

As we traveled north today the hillsides were more populated and we seem to have left behind the Appalachian Mountain Range.  After a couple of hours we watched storm clouds build and the sky blacken bringing a wall of rain, high winds and whitecaps.  Visibility was zero—thank goodness for the chart plotter!  The good news was it lasted less than ten minutes.

We ended the day on a mooring at Hyde Park Landing which is just down the hill from The Vanderbilt Mansion and National Park.  Shortly after picking up the mooring pennant, Pete rowed out to greet us and collect the fee.  It turns out Pete’s grandfather, an Italian immigrant, purchased this waterfront strip of land from the railroad, Pete now manages the moorings and lives at the top of this hill.