May 28, 2022
It was a misty ride from Croton-on-the-Hudson to our next destination, but this was a scenic cruise. Huge green tree covered cliffs and "mountains" lined the shores of the Hudson. In one of those cliffs sits the enormous, stunning campus of West Point, United States Military Academy where upon graduation, cadets are commissioned as officers into the US army. The massive campus spans just over 16,000 acres and is the oldest continuously operating army post in the United States. In 1841, Charles Dickens visited the Academy and said, "It could not stand on more appropriate ground, and any ground more beautiful can hardly be." He's not wrong. It is an impressive sight from the river. Also along the river, we caught the smallest glimpse of the Vanderbilt Mansion boasting 54 rooms and 44,000 square feet. Needless to say, the scenery was beautiful and far different from the ocean and cityscapes of just a few days ago.
We landed at our destination, Ole Savannah, a restaurant in Kingston NY, which had a rickety old dock you can stay at free of charge if you come to the restaurant for dinner. When we were tied up to the dock, Gord and I left the kids with Gramps and took a stroll through the town. It's built on a hill and a fairly steep one at that. The town is lined with chic boutiques, artisan shops, and urbane dining spots. We stumbled upon a little specialty shop which made cinnamon and sugar donuts to order, croissants, and indulgent pastries along with coffees and juices. When we walked in, they were near closing, but took the time to tell us they opened at 7:00am and would have freshly made bacon, egg and cheese croissant sandwiches ready at that time. Sold!
The funny thing was, one of us had a Holy Cow shirt on, so he asked us about the boat. We told him about our adventure and he said "Ohhhh, you belong to that cult thing....you know, the one that makes people walk in here and say, “I just got a text from so and so and they told me to come in to see you." He said at first it was odd, and he made a joke about not being the kind of business that sells the things they may be looking for. He couldn't come up with the "cult" name, so Gord helped him out by saying "The Loopers" meaning people completing The Great Loop. He said, "yeah, yeah, that one." We assured him it wasn't a cult, and it was a privilege to be on the map for such a great group of people. He was well aware and delighted we stopped in. We left his shop knowing we'd see him in the morning to pick up some freshly baked goods.
When we got back to the boat, we headed up to the patio of Ole Savannah for dinner with Holy Cow as the backdrop. In the morning, at 7:15, while Gord prepped the boat for departure, Gramps, the kids, and I walked back up to The Half Moon Roundout Cafe and spent a small fortune on croissants, a cinnamon loaf, and some made to order donuts which we ate warm with coffee and tea once we were shoved off the dock and on our way. What a great way to start the day.
Half Moon Marina, Croton-on-the-Hudson to Kingston NY travel log here.
Well the cult reference for Loopers made me belly laugh. You crazy cult people!
Looks like a great few days of adventure. I love the backdrop of the trees and hills...