Croton-on-Hudson, NY

---

We had a beautiful day cruising up the Hudson River from NYC and arrived at the Half Moon Bay Marina in Croton-on Hudson on Sunday, June 13.  This marina is what is called a dockominium and is situated in a beautiful, peaceful bay within a condo complex of attractive natural shingled condos.  It had been recommended to us by members of the cruising community for its easy access to many of the Hudson Valley attractions.  There were several loopers docked there and we missed, by just one day. a “docktail party” that had been organized by the dozen or so loopers staying there.

We were pleased to finally meet up with Joel and Sarah on Snow Goose.  They have a boat exactly like ours and we had met Joel in Florida when he first purchased and was fixing up his boat.   After multiple unsuccessful attempts to rendezvous earlier we finally caught up with each other.  Joel and Jonny had fun trying to solve all the little problems on our respective boats.  In fact, one of our main objectives in staying at Half Moon Bay was to pick up the parts of our head (toilet) that we had to replace.  Jonny was so excited to finally receive them after a 10 day wait.  When he went to pick up the package from the dockmaster, we were dismayed to see such a small box.  In fact, the company that placed the order failed to order the most important part!  So we are back to square one.  Our plan is to get it shipped to the next marina we stay at in Kingston, N.Y.  We are making do with one head and that one is not functioning  properly either.  But because that one is at least usable, we are waiting until we have one fully functioning head before we tackle number two!   Bummer!

One of the nicest things about Half Moon Bay is the park that Croton-on-Hudson and neighboring villages have created along the waterfront.  We walked and rode our bikes there several times during the two days we spent there.  It had gorgeous views of the Hudson and many peaceful spots to sit and reflect.  Additionally, it had a unique monument to victims of 9/11.  A huge sundial was constructed from one of the beams from the World Trade Center  with a moving statue of a woman next to it.  Each time we were there, we saw people of all ages enjoying the space each in their own way.

That evening we joined Sarah, Joel and his cousins who live in the next town, for a great dinner in Croton-on-Hudson at a restaurant called Tagine.  They love living in this area and were telling us stories about how Croton was settled and grew with an an eclectic mix of immigrants, lefties, artists etc. It is now home to many commuters but it still retains a thriving artistic community and a rich heritage of cultural diversity that lends an eclectic vibe to this little village.

After exploring the village of Croton-on-Hudson, we rented a car for a day and explored the surrounding area.  First, we drove up to Cold Spring, a lovely town that we had visited years ago – it’s still as pretty as it ever was.  From there we stopped at the Boscobel house and gardens, a historic home that had been transported from its original location to a beautiful river setting.  Here, we “snuck in” and  strolled the grounds before anyone realized that we had not paid the fee! 

Our big plans for the day were to go to Hyde Park and have lunch at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). This has been on Lynn’s “bucket list” for awhile. We had reservations at Bocuse, the French restaurant, one of five from which one can choose.  The CIA is the world’s  premier culinary college with a beautiful campus on a stunning section of the Hudson River.  All those working in the restaurants are students and they must rotate through each of the roles in a restaurant before they graduate.  We had a  fabulous lunch and though we are not the type to take photos of our food, we decided to do so this time! 

From there, we visited Springwood, the FDR home and presidential library.  Since the last time we were there, Lynn had been on a Franklin and Eleanor kick and she wanted to revisit their homes.  It’s a fascinating place and theirs was such a unique contribution to world history. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to see everything we wanted to there, especially parts of the Presidential Library and the full guided tour of Val-Kill, Eleanor’s home on the grounds. 

On the day we were planning to leave Croton, we learned that the Clearwater Music Festival (the one started by Pete Seeger to raise money to clean up the Hudson River) was to be held the following weekend at the park at the other end of Half Moon Bay, the exact place where we were staying!   It would be two days of outdoor entertainment featuring scores of bands, many of them favorites of ours.  After EXTENSIVE deliberation, we decided to continue up river to our next destination – Kingston, NY.  If we had stayed, we would have run the risk of not reaching Montreal in time to meet our friends who are joining us there from California.  We also needed time to make those pesky repairs mentioned earlier.  And as we all know, everything always takes longer than we think it will! 

New York City

---

Our long anticipated arrival in New York City finally took place on Friday, June 11.   As we left Manasquan Inlet and cruised up the Atlantic, the fog was so thick that we couldn’t see anything near us. Thank goodness for radar which kept us from running into a few fishing boats.  We kept thinking that the fog would burn off but as we got closer to New York, we came to grips with the fact that our first glimpse of the city by water would be somewhat obscured.  

Still, it was spectacular to approach the Verrazano Narrows Bridge that connects Staten Island and Brooklyn.  At the time of its construction in 1964, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world.  It’s still the longest in the U.S.  As we got into New York Harbor, Jersey City also came into view.

The Statue of Liberty was on our port side with the impressive three-masted schooner, the Eagle anchored nearby.   We motored very close to Lady Liberty and it was an emotional experience seeing her from a boat and thinking about the fact that each of our grandparents had a very personal  experience seeing her as  they arrived in America for the first time in the early 1900’s. 

We were excited to be anchoring in Lady Liberty’s “shadow” or more precisely off of Liberty Park in Jersey City, NJ.  This afforded us a fabulous view of Manhattan and the tip of her torch above the treetops. 

After settling into this amazingly quiet anchorage, we took the dinghy out to explore our surroundings.  We wanted to see how long it would take to dinghy to Jersey City so we could take the ferry or PATH to NY the next morning. As we entered NY Harbor on our 10 foot dinghy, we realized that we  were the smallest vessel out there.  At certain points in the voyage, it got increasingly choppy such that Lynn insisted that we put on our life jackets.  Finally, it became clear that this was not the way we were going to get to and from the city the next day (what if it rained, what if we wanted to stay out late?) so we decided that we would stay the night on anchor and head over to Liberty Landing Marina early the next morning.   

The anchorage was calm with very few boats and right across from the Daily News office building.  We were rewarded that evening after dinner with a great fireworks show that took place over the head of Lady Liberty!

The next morning, we got up early and “zipped” over to the very nice (fancy) Liberty Island Marina and met some of our fellow “loopers” there.   We took the ferry into NY and landed very close to the World Trade Center.  

We chose not to do a tour of the museum as we had not purchased tickets in advance and the line was very long.  However, we were able to see all of the outside sights including the two reflecting pools which are a gripping testament to the lives lost from that tragic morning.   

Lynn had read about the role that St. Paul’s Church played for all of the rescue workers so we took a walk over there.  That church, which George Washington worshiped at, was right near Ground Zero and yet it did not sustain any damage.  During the rescue effort, it became a refuge for the rescue workers to go to for food, rest, comfort and counsel.  All the pews were removed to make room for the supplies and services provided.  Where you often find small altars and alcoves to saints, this church featured spaces filled with collections of letters to loved ones, teddy bears sent to comfort the rescue workers, origami banners from Japanese school children and many other very moving symbols of comfort offered to victims and rescue workers from around the world.  This experience also became a very emotional one for us as the expressions were incredibly personal and meaningful.

We then took a bus to the theatre district because we had tickets to see a matinee of Kinky Boots (quite a departure from the morning’s activities)!  Times Square was a  trip, as always!  We managed to find a very cool place for lunch called City Kitchen.  It was located on the second floor of a building right off of Times Square and it had an assemblage of food truck type food from all around the city. Each section was run by a different vendor and there were choices from Korean to Middle Eastern to New England Seafood to Deli and everything in between including the most outrageous selection of gourmet doughnuts you ever saw. We were in foodie heaven.  And of course, Lynn hates to waste eating out at a place she hadn’t researched or been referred to – but this one turned out to be a find.  Pass it on!

Of course, Kinky Boots was wildly entertaining!  Cindy Lauper outdid herself writing all the music and lyrics for this Tony Award winner.  A fun, feel-good show that left everyone smiling as they walked out.  We had great seats, front row center mezzanine, and last minute tickets to boot (no pun intended)! 

Walking is the thing to do in New York, so walk we did – this time going up to Fifth Avenue,window shopping and people watching all along the way.  Lynn wanted to stop at St. Patrick’s which we did. However, the interior is under construction and much of it was filled with scaffolding even as they were getting ready for a 5:30 mass.

We had decided on an early dinner by NY standards and were referred to Sotto 13 .  This little Italian restaurant was located on the edge of Greenwich Village on a tree-lined street of well maintained brownstones.   We had a lovely dinner on their  patio and Lynn was happy that their special appetizer was fried squash blossoms!  Spent the cocktail hour coaching Stephanie by phone on how buy her first car on her own.  She’s growing up and has a mind of her own and I guess that’s what we raised her to have!  Fortunately, she does reach out for advice rather frequently. 

After dinner, we strolled through the Village and found our way to Christopher St. where Jonny had an oriental furniture store back in the late 80’s.  It’s been transformed back to its original life as a corner coffee bar – a real classic!  Next time you see us, ask us about our experiences with that shop which was located in a very colorful part of town!

We finished our long day’s outing into the city by taking the PATH back to Jersey City and  preparing for the following day’s trip up the Hudson River.

Glimmer Glass Anchorage, Manasquan Inlet, NJ

---

After just a few hours of sleep, we left Atlantic City for Manasquan Inlet on the New Jersey coast.  The Jersey coast is mostly beaches (the famous Jersey shore) and there are not as many inlets as there are in the states further south.  So by the time we got to Manasquan, after an eight hour cruise, we were ready to stop and rest. There are many fewer anchorages along the Jersey coast but we found a great one called Glimmer Glass about two nautical miles up the Manasquan Inlet through the narrowest bascule bridge we’ve ever seen.

Glimmer Glass was as pretty as the name sounds.  A lovely cove with lots of greenery on one side, very pretty homes with well-maintained fishing boats on another side and a commuter railroad on the third.  Much to our surprise, we were the only boat anchored there.   We spent a quiet night cooking dinner on the grill, consulting with folks about our head (toilet) problem, and planning for our travel to NYC and the Hudson. We went to bed early because the next day we were heading to NYC!

 

Atlantic City, NJ

---

We left Cape May and traveled up the Atlantic to Atlantic City on Saturday, June 6.  Our trip was fairly comfortable with winds at 10 – 15 mph and one to two foot waves.  Just a little rolling as we “surfed” on following seas.  

We chose to stay at a funky marina called Kammerman’s because the ratings and  prices were reasonable and it was not near the casinos.  It turned out that the marina was a little smaller and more rustic than we expected.  It did not have floating docks which is not always a problem unless you are required to climb a dock six feet up  with no ladder when the tide turns.   We started to look longingly at the modern marina across the way that backed up to two casinos!  You get what you pay for!

That evening we took a long walk to a restaurant in a non-touristy part of Atlantic City called Gardner Basin.  We were able to sit outside and enjoy a pretty good meal.  Jonny tried one of the local “specialties” called Taylor Pork Roll which he thought tasted like bologna!  This part of Atlantic City is experiencing extensive redevelopment and many of the newly renovated row-type houses were on or across from the water.  Atlantic City has struggled over the last several years as many casinos have closed and the job market is very poor.

We were leaving the boat there for five nights while we traveled back to Ponte Vedra.  We sold our house and needed to return to pack our remaining belongings, sign the closing documents and attend to various doctors’ and hair appointments.    It was sad to leave our beautiful home for the last time.   We will treasure the 13 happy years we spent there raising Stephanie,  celebrating so many holidays and entertaining family and friends.

We want to give a special thank you to Alex and Natalie Costas for having us stay at their comfy home and making us feel like family!

When we returned to the boat at 2 a.m. on Thursday morning, we discovered that the floor of our second head (the one that still worked) was covered with water.  It turns out that we now have two broken heads. Jonny spend part of the next day figuring out what was wrong and jury-rigging a way for us to continue to use it until we can get it fixed (along with the other one)!  Good thing we don’t have guests visiting right now!

Cape May, NJ

---

We had a pretty smooth crossing of the Delaware Bay to Cape May on June 5.  The current was with us for much of the way which lifted our speed to a whopping  11 mph on the Delaware River.   This is a 2.5 to 3 mph lift over our regular speed.  When we got into the bay we had 1 – 2 foot seas.  All in all, an easy passage on a foggy overcast day.
The marinas in Cape May were mostly full because boats were waiting for the weather to clear. We tried to get into Utsch’s but were unable to so we stayed at South Jersey Marina which wins the prize for the nicest restrooms we’ve seen thus far.  We generally use the showers in the marinas as they have a lot more room than the little shower on our boat.  As we approached our assigned dock space, we were enthusiastically welcomed by Mark and Denise on Island Office, who we had met at the Rendezvous.  We were also joined by Alice and Cornell on their little tug, Red Ranger, who had been following us out of Delaware City.

Cape May is designated as a national historic landmark. It has been in existence since the 1600’s but it didn’t become a big tourist destination until the 18th century.  Cape May became one of the first resorts in America.  It’s a charming town that has a  “throwback” feel to it.  We rode our bikes through the historic parts of town and passed many gaily colored “painted lady”  homes. We also rode along the beach and saw all the old-fashioned hotels and big  historic homes that have been converted to quaint bed and breakfasts.  We strolled along a pedestrian only street that reminded us a bit of Lincoln Rd. in Miami Beach.  Fortunately, it wasn’t swarming with tourists during our stay.  Somehow Cape May has been able to preserve its unique ambiance as the the advent of the automobile made other towns along the Jersey coast like Wildwood and Ocean City more popular. 

For dinner, we joined the two couples mentioned earlier and walked to the Lobster House, a famous seafood restaurant on the waterfront just five minutes from our marina.  Alice and Cornell are finishing up the Great Loop which they’ve done over the last three summers.  They will “cross their wake” in Hyde Park, NY which we look forward to visiting.    Mark and Denise are from Orlando and are still in the early stages of their Great Loop adventure.  They are frequently interrupted by that pesky thing called “work” with which they are still engaged.

The big decision for the day was whether to take the intracoastal route or the Atlantic Ocean route  to our next stop, Atlantic City.  New Jersey’s intracoastal is notoriously shallow with lots of shoaling.  We weren’t sure if the ocean was going to be calm enough for the passage but as it turned out, the seas on Saturday morning were calm with light winds and 1 to 2 foot swells.  This proved to be an easier, less stressful  route.  We left Cape May at 7: 45 a.m. and arrived in Atlantic City at 2 p.m.  We’ll leave the boat here for five nights while we fly home to Ponte Vedra to finish packing and moving out of our lovely home there!