On our way to Washington D.C. to meet our daughter, who was flying in for her vacation, we planned a stop in the Hudson Valley.
On our first night in, we decided to go to New Paltz, a French Huguenot community founded in 1678. Evidence of the age of this town is seen in several of these neat stone houses in the Hugeunot section.
This old French Reformed churchyard sat on the edge of this part of town.
This house was across the street from the churchyard. There were several pairs of wooden clogs outside the front door. Many of the Huguenots sought refuge in the Netherlands between the time they left France and came to the America. Of course, there is a much larger town surrounding the old Huguenot community. Two of the more famous former residents were Sojourner Truth who joined with the Quakers in fighting slavery, and more recently, Floyd Patterson, former world heavyweight boxing champion. 
On the way back to our RV park, we went through historic Newburgh, NY. Here, overlooking the Hudson River, is Hasbrouck House, George Washington's headquarters during the closing months of the Revolutionary War.
The next day we went to West Point, about forty miles south of our park. What we had failed to check before we left was the college football schedule. It was a Saturday and there was a home game. Since 9/11 visitors can only get on campus by a tour bus or ticket to an event. We changed our plans and continued south to Sleepy Hollow, NY. Several famous people are buried here in the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. The two graves to the left are those of Andrew Carnegie and his wife Louise. To the right are the Carnegie servants. This was a repeated theme throughout the cemetery. Imagine spending eternity with your boss.
This is the mausoleum of Walter Chrysler and the Chrysler family.
This modest stone marks the grave of Elizabeth N. Graham, better known as Elizabeth Arden. The double names indicate that she is buried on top of the first person. Frugality or environmental awareness?
This is the mausoleum of Henry and Leona Helmsley. A local told us that Leona had demanded she not be interred facing the "poor people". She was laid to rest in this mausoleum on the edge of the cemetery facing William Rockefeller. True or not, it makes a good story. We're not sure Mr. Rockefeller would approve of the arrangement.
This was what we really came for. Here is the grave of Washington Irving. For those who are unfamiliar with Ted's background, he grew up in Bixby, Oklahoma. When Washington Irving traveled west, he and his party camped just outside the area that would later become Bixby. One of Ted's friends was instrumental in the establishment of a realy cool arboretum named after Irving.
In the cemetery below him are townspeople of Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown, many of whom are said to be the inspiration for some of his characters.
This is a replica of the Headless Horseman Bridge over the edge of the Pocantico River which runs along the east side of the cemetery. The original was located about a hundred yards downstream where there is now a busy highway.
Of course, we tried to mentally reconstruct the circumstances and setting for Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Perhaps we got a bit carried away.
The next day, we went to FDR's Hyde Park. Here is the house where he was born and to which he often escaped when he was President.
This was the view he had out his bedroom window.
This is the FDR Presidential Library and Museum. It is the only Presidential Library actually used by the sitting president for which it was named. It was constructed with FDRs personal funds. As you look at his desk inside the museum, you can't help feeling the gravity of the decisions he had to make during his administration.
This sculpture was outside the welcome center. It represents his wheelchair, his patriotism, and his love of sailing.
The busts of Roosevelt and Churchill face each other. In the background is a sculpture made by Churchill's granddaughter from pieces of the Berlin Wall.
These bronzes of Franklin and Eleanor were also just outside the welcome center.
Here are the graves of Franklin and Eleanor. Beneath the sundial in the background are buried the Roosevelt dogs, "Big Boy", and the better known Scottish Terrier "Fala".
Two miles away is Val-Kill, Eleanor's modest cottage and the Val-Kill Industries where she hosted several artisans and artists in a grand experiment in social engineering.
In contrast to Eleanor's Val-Kill, is the Vanderbilt Mansion. In a way it was rather a sad comment that there were very few people at Val-Kill while the parking lot at the Vanderbilt Mansion was packed.
This is a view of the Hudson River from the edge of the Vanderbilt estate. People had gathered here on the top of this hill and were sitting in chairs watching the sun set over the Hudson.
As we drove back home, we pulled into the American Culinary Institute in Hyde Park. Fellow Food Channel junkies may recognize this restaurant on campus.
Streets on Campus were appropriately named.
The Culinary Institute was large and beautiful. On the case of the clock at the top of the stairs was the word "Heinz".
After leaving the home of the immensely popular President Roosevelt, we went to the home of the unpopular President, Martin Van Buren near Kinderhook, NY, on the edge of the Catskills. This is Rip van Winkle country, and they made every effort to capitalize on it. As we entered the estate, we were struck by this tree just beginning to assume its fall coloration.
This is Lindenwald, Martin Van Buren's House. Van Buren was the eighth President of the United States, and the first born under the American flag. He was an unpopular president. He inherited a recession, primarily attributable to decisions made by his popular predecessor, Andrew Jackson, and his own Congress. Many of Van Buren's actions resulted in an exit from that recession during the administration of the successive administrations of William Henry Harrison and John Tyler. Unfortunately, Van Buren never got credit for this.
That evening as we went to dinner, we were passed by the car carrier for NASCAR driver Dale Earnhart Jr. Junior is Tyler's favorite driver, so we included this photo mostly for him.
On the way back to our RV park, we went through historic Newburgh, NY. Here, overlooking the Hudson River, is Hasbrouck House, George Washington's headquarters during the closing months of the Revolutionary War.
The next day we went to West Point, about forty miles south of our park. What we had failed to check before we left was the college football schedule. It was a Saturday and there was a home game. Since 9/11 visitors can only get on campus by a tour bus or ticket to an event. We changed our plans and continued south to Sleepy Hollow, NY. Several famous people are buried here in the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. The two graves to the left are those of Andrew Carnegie and his wife Louise. To the right are the Carnegie servants. This was a repeated theme throughout the cemetery. Imagine spending eternity with your boss.
This is the mausoleum of Walter Chrysler and the Chrysler family.
This modest stone marks the grave of Elizabeth N. Graham, better known as Elizabeth Arden. The double names indicate that she is buried on top of the first person. Frugality or environmental awareness?
This is the mausoleum of Henry and Leona Helmsley. A local told us that Leona had demanded she not be interred facing the "poor people". She was laid to rest in this mausoleum on the edge of the cemetery facing William Rockefeller. True or not, it makes a good story. We're not sure Mr. Rockefeller would approve of the arrangement.
This was what we really came for. Here is the grave of Washington Irving. For those who are unfamiliar with Ted's background, he grew up in Bixby, Oklahoma. When Washington Irving traveled west, he and his party camped just outside the area that would later become Bixby. One of Ted's friends was instrumental in the establishment of a realy cool arboretum named after Irving. In the cemetery below him are townspeople of Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown, many of whom are said to be the inspiration for some of his characters.
This is a replica of the Headless Horseman Bridge over the edge of the Pocantico River which runs along the east side of the cemetery. The original was located about a hundred yards downstream where there is now a busy highway.
Of course, we tried to mentally reconstruct the circumstances and setting for Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Perhaps we got a bit carried away.
The next day, we went to FDR's Hyde Park. Here is the house where he was born and to which he often escaped when he was President.
This was the view he had out his bedroom window.
This is the FDR Presidential Library and Museum. It is the only Presidential Library actually used by the sitting president for which it was named. It was constructed with FDRs personal funds. As you look at his desk inside the museum, you can't help feeling the gravity of the decisions he had to make during his administration.
This sculpture was outside the welcome center. It represents his wheelchair, his patriotism, and his love of sailing.
The busts of Roosevelt and Churchill face each other. In the background is a sculpture made by Churchill's granddaughter from pieces of the Berlin Wall.
These bronzes of Franklin and Eleanor were also just outside the welcome center.
Here are the graves of Franklin and Eleanor. Beneath the sundial in the background are buried the Roosevelt dogs, "Big Boy", and the better known Scottish Terrier "Fala".
Two miles away is Val-Kill, Eleanor's modest cottage and the Val-Kill Industries where she hosted several artisans and artists in a grand experiment in social engineering.
In contrast to Eleanor's Val-Kill, is the Vanderbilt Mansion. In a way it was rather a sad comment that there were very few people at Val-Kill while the parking lot at the Vanderbilt Mansion was packed.
This is a view of the Hudson River from the edge of the Vanderbilt estate. People had gathered here on the top of this hill and were sitting in chairs watching the sun set over the Hudson.
As we drove back home, we pulled into the American Culinary Institute in Hyde Park. Fellow Food Channel junkies may recognize this restaurant on campus.
Streets on Campus were appropriately named.
The Culinary Institute was large and beautiful. On the case of the clock at the top of the stairs was the word "Heinz".
After leaving the home of the immensely popular President Roosevelt, we went to the home of the unpopular President, Martin Van Buren near Kinderhook, NY, on the edge of the Catskills. This is Rip van Winkle country, and they made every effort to capitalize on it. As we entered the estate, we were struck by this tree just beginning to assume its fall coloration.This is Lindenwald, Martin Van Buren's House. Van Buren was the eighth President of the United States, and the first born under the American flag. He was an unpopular president. He inherited a recession, primarily attributable to decisions made by his popular predecessor, Andrew Jackson, and his own Congress. Many of Van Buren's actions resulted in an exit from that recession during the administration of the successive administrations of William Henry Harrison and John Tyler. Unfortunately, Van Buren never got credit for this.
That evening as we went to dinner, we were passed by the car carrier for NASCAR driver Dale Earnhart Jr. Junior is Tyler's favorite driver, so we included this photo mostly for him.We thoroughly enjoyed our time in the Hudson Valley. However, we barely scratched the surface of the rich history there, so this goes on our list of places to which we must return.
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