Mike on the Hudson

As were began another leg of this journey, we were overwhelmed at the beauty and rich history of this area of New York.  At every bend in the river there seemed to be another bit of American history brought back to our minds.  The picture is of Mike on the bow of the boat with the Bear Mountain suspension bridge in the background.  The Bear Mountain Bridge was constructed in 1924 and at that time was the longest suspension bridge in the world.  It is also the first vehicluar bridge to cross the Hudson and the Georgia to Maine Appalachian Mountain Trail crosses the Hudson on this bridge.
Less than 5 miles north, we saw the U.S. Military Academy at Westpoint.  The castle like buildings of the academy command the west bank for nearly 2 miles.  West Point, first fortified in 1779, is the oldest continously occupied military post in the United States and is the home of the nation's oldest service academy.The Hudson's greatest depth is 216 feet and is measured here at a section named "World's End".  In the spring of 1778, the Continental Army strung a chain across the Hudson at West Point to keep the British from using the river.  Must have been a mighty big chain!

We came into the Poughkeepsie Yacht Club at around 4:30 and picked up a mooring ball just in time for pulled pork and potato salad (Yankee style).  The club was having a get together and graciously invited us.  We met so many nice folks and they treated us like one of the club.  We slept well considering a big rainstorm in the night and trains coming and going on both sides of the river all night long.