In an effort to leave no stone unturned, we stopped at FDR's home, library and museum. But alas, it wasn't to be...last tour left 15 minutes before we arrived. We were able to walk the grounds and watch a short video. Some days are just not quite long enough.

Trying to make the most of the day, we hurried off to see the Vanderbilt mansion. It is the smallest of the Vanderbilt's holdings. Just a tiny little summer home for entertainment purposes...had only 54 rooms...pretty much looked as if they had just left the place and would return soon.

As if we weren't already stuffed, we had to sample the dessert menu. We had the milkshake sampler (definitely the cutest) and they had the raspberry cobbler special.....OMG!!!! We had arrived on campus at 10...rolled out around 2....and we really just wanted to stay there...I tried to get a chef to follow me home...unsuccessful at that ploy. Needless to say, there was no supper on board last night...we'd had plenty to eat.

The campus is home to FOUR student run public restaurants...most open for lunch and dinner...one is open for breakfast. So they get a real taste of working those odd hours...some classes start at 4:00 am...can you imagine???? Only two are opened on Monday so we were glad to have acted on this idea early. They are getting ready for a graduation on July 8 and then close for the rest of the month. Our reservations were at St Andrews, a casual restaurant that is totally dependent on local produce...so a total Hudson Valley meal was on tap. We ordered the soup sampler of mushroom, onion and asparagus soups. Much our surprise, the Captain preferred the asparagus!!! Even went so far as to say he'd have ordered a bowl if he'd known it was that good!!!! The roast beef sandwiches were a more than little dry according to Hilary and Bob...I had St Andrew's mac and cheese with chicken and mushrooms....yummy!!! Floyd ordered a spring green salad and seafood stew that was outta this world.

Classes in pastry furnish the breads and desserts for the student cafeteria...meat classes furnish the main dish...see how this works? Students eat their lab projects...we saw cake decorating class at work and even got samples of breads and candies while on our student led tour. Another first ... students are required to bring their own knives to class...notice that small roll up bag ...special for carrying those knives...the smells and sights were to die for. Students told us that here they sure gain more than the freshmen 15 pounds...many make great use of the student activity center...

You do have to plan ahead...but I'd have to say that our stop at the Culinary Institute of America was certainly among the best idea we've had. The campus is stunning and students are about the friendliest folks we've met...ever. Must be something about the food service industry? Even found corn used as the plant of distinction around the fountain area. We are sad to say we just didn't have any fun there....NOT!!!!!

Hyde Park Marina was an interesting little place...wibbly wobbly docks and lack of electricity flow (especially in this heat) have caused us worry and frustration....but this stop has been one of the MOST fun...

Sunday we wanted to wait for the tide to turn before heading out...Susan and Carolyn, our friends aboard the Sojourner, passed us...and we had time for a little grooming. Captain and First Mate needed hair cuts...actually they need lots of grooming help but hair cuts were a good start.

And cadets everywhere...the new plebs were to report on Monday...we saw lots of them getting off the train (which ran every 30 minutes) stop right by the marina... and the second year students were headed out to do more boot camp training...I tried to get Floyd to let me bring one home...but he wouldn't...but gosh, they look good!!!! Just something about and guy in uniform...

My favorite window...the Army motto...

West Point was a great stop. We noticed lots of similarities with Annapolis. In the chapel they also had a candle devoted to POW...and pretty impressive stained glass windows...

Arrived at Garrison Yacht Club early...dropped the dinghy and went across the Hudson to Highland Falls Marina which a wrecked marina. Skeeter took us up the hill to visit West Point. We made it just in time to get on the last tour of the day.

just a tough day of boating...see how hard the crew is working????

Saturday...bright and early we left the Big Apple and headed up the Hudson...definitely the most beautiful part of the trip...the highlight was seeing the little red lighthouse. Floyd had learned about this at the South Street Seaport Museum and bought a children's book on it. We were anxious to see it for real...isn't it just the cutest thing???

They arrived right on schedule...moved into crew quarters and then a business meeting to decide about Friday nite supper...we decide to go to the steak house we had past every day going to and from the city...EDWARD's Steakhouse....excellent choice...we met the owner, Dan, and he even presented us with our very own HUGE bag of hand made potato chips...yum...this place it a must do...WOW, the best steak ever!!!!

Chores, chores and more chores...getting caught up on cleaning and laundry... then awaiting the arrival of Hilary Derby and Bob Jackson...friends we made in Lottsburg, Va...they will be with us until July 8th...up the Hudson and into the Erie Canal as far as Brewerton....

Wednesday departure came all too soon for our liking. But reality calls and Michelle has pressing things to do...like be in Lacy's wedding, finish a master's degree, and care for Kukla the cat. So we loaned her a big duffel to get those purses home... recipes were filed, hugs all around and tears flowed...this time it wasn't just me...

Next stop was Macy's. How can you not love Macy's? Michelle had been telling Floyd that he needed to ditch the long socks and get some shorts that were longer and had flat fronts to update his look. She dared imply her embarrassment to be seen with us in public. Though we gave her grief with other possibilities...ie; black socks with sandals, maybe a beard or really tall white socks. He heard her loud and clear. SCORE one for him at Macy's!!!!

Then off to Chinatown to bag some reproduction bags...my last trip with Laurie was a such a hoot. We had high hopes of again finding shops with secret back rooms or with runners to take you to the good stuff. Last time we saw people lugging heavy trash bags full of purses. Well, none of that this time, though not for lack of trying. Seems a stronger police presence has changed the tone of Chinatown. By pursuing the back streets we did find a place with good stuff in disguise....As you can see, Michelle made the good deals (well, Linda dealt, she paid, Floyd toted) oh, and managed to score a couple of Rolex watches. They are both still ticking ...for now...

Day four was for shopping. We coerced Floyd into tagging along...in case we needed security or help with hauling the loot. To appease him a little we agreed to start at the World Trade Center construction site. WOW, it has come to life. When Laurie and I were here in the summer of 2005, it was a big hole of nothing for acres and acres. Look at it now.

Lance, my son-in-law, has given us a whole bunch of reasons to fall in love with Forrest, Forrest Gump. So Michelle jumped at the opportunity to eat at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. It is darn good shrimp and really just entertaining. We somehow managed to pass the quiz about the movie by correctly answering three of the four questions. The fourth was a trick, we knew the answer but were on such a roll that we didn't stop to ponder. And NO, we won't tell you the questions. Study up, next time we meet there will be a test. Michelle got the souvenir cup as evidence of a good time. Do you think the contents contributed?

Everywhere in NYC we found folks dressed as living Statues of Liberty. For a small donation, you can pose for a photo with them, usually holding a flag. Why were we surprised that instead Michelle would prefer ELMO????

Animals are always special and we always take the chance to pet, feed and admire them. Probably because as travelers we don't get to own any. So Floyd and Michelle feed carrots to "Billy" the horse who led the way.

Day Three...a much later start to the day as we wanted to spend the afternoon in Central Park, then supper and finish with Phantom of the Opera. It all worked perfectly...I could spend the day in Central Park...a short walk to Bubba Gump's for another Michelle first...and what could beat Phantom?...a first for both Floyd and Michelle (though she knew the words to all these songs as well). By the time we taxied to the PATH station, rode under the Hudson to NJ and made the walk back to the marina it was a much later ending as well. I guess we could have been in bed earlier if we hadn't danced around to the Phantom & Lion King CDs. But then it was sooooo much fun adult silliness.

Day two...Floyd wanted to tour the South Street Seaport Museum...which really wasn't on our list. We wanted to see Lion King...which wasn't on his list. So for Father's Day, he got his wish and we got ours. Matinee was packed...but what a great show. Michelle had never seen it live but she sure knew all the words to those songs. Elephants and giraffe's are the best. I even borrowed a booster seat so I could see over the "big one" in front of me. We also made a stop at Madame Tussaud's before the show...always a fun time.

Then off to see the Empire State Building. We had a real case of perfect timing. Crowds were down enough that we didn't have much of a wait, which is always a good thing. The photo from the top shows the Statute of Liberty in the distance and the entrance to our harbor.

Roxy's for supper...where the famous go for cheesecake and the home of the world's largest Reuben sandwich. Michelle ordered shrimp salad...this is just the half she didn't eat...and that extra pile is what she removed from the side. We thought that would probably be a normal serving for some folks. Way too much food for three. Floyd and I were glad to share. Even though they charged us $3 to do that, we couldn't finish it all.

Floyd's favorite...the site of chewing gum left on the lamp post over night...hehehe.

Being the well organized, analytical people that we are ...we made a list and checked it twice. Then started off to see what we could see...first stop, Times Square. Still crowded and crazy...but the view is still good from that double decker red bus...

On top of the normal business of getting into our marina, we needed to navigate around the Red Bull Air Race course. They ran on Friday, Saturday and Sunday...Coast Guard had one huge section of the harbor closed to traffic. And they were guarding the space...several boaters learned about this the hard way...not us. There were lots of spectators on land and on the water, and, of course, the noise of those fast and crazy planes. In spite of the rockin' and rollin', I somehow managed to get photos of a few of the fliers in the course....oh, and lots of photos of just the smoke they leave behind...hehehe.

Harbor was one busy place. Who cares? We are in New York City....

Nothing makes you more aware of the fact that you are living a dream more than passing the Statue of Liberty aboard your own boat...we were all just dang excited...and yes, at least one of us had tears.

It was quite simply the best of days on the ocean...and there aren't many. Floyd was in Captain heaven using the auto pilot to get to way points and spotting land marks. We found Coney Island. We think the short building among the carnival rides is the one that houses Ken Lerman's mother.

No, Floyd did not tell her to go fly a kite...but she's been wanting to try it since we told her about my experience on the trip to Demopolis...and this was the perfect ocean day. She assembled the Sponge Bob kite and had a very successful flight. Of course, we count any flight successful that does not end with the tail caught in the radar!!!! Just one of the things Michelle found to do aboard...to list a few... she read 3 books, assembled the DC jigsaw puzzle(mostly by herself), cooked several pasta meals, washed dishes, napped, and mastered the stern "stringy things" (we call them lines.)

Michelle is headed back to reality. She truly saw the good, the bad, and the ugly (but really mostly good) of this boating life. We had a blast....and we are sure gonna miss her. We'll have no crew aboard for a couple of days. I've got plenty of photos to post and a long list of chores to do....so I'm tackling chores first....you'll know I'm done when photos start appearing....

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY...takes more than just giving life to being a DAD...I'm thrilled to have a DAD that lead by example, walked the walk and talked the talk...not only to his children but to many others. Max Wilson has had many titles...Teacher, Pool Manager, Coach, Referee, Principal, Superintendent, Mayor...but the best is My DAD!!!!

Liberty Harbor Marina...Jersey City, NJ....not the greatest..not the worst...but it does win an award for confused (or inept) staff. Seems as though when Floyd started this booking process last March, they noted that the TUMBLEWEED was an RV...do people even name those things???... that error coupled with the fact that they booked us for the wrong dates made getting into here a cluster....it is, however, a much calmer place to be than the fancy Liberty Landing Marina across the way. The promises of great views of the city are not true...NJ apartment buildings are very much in the way...but we are a really short walk to the Light Rail, a little longer to the PATH train to NYC, and the NYC Water taxi makes a stop right at the marina dock. After numerous calls, errors were finally resolved. We were docked in a pretty nice slip. We continue, however, to be frustrated with the way things are handled. For example, seems that you need a code for the laundry room but there is no key pad on the security gate. Or how about, they gave us the security guard's key for our pier gate....it is just a real good thing that we have a sense of humor...The local boaters around us have found nothing unusual about any of this. In fact, one couple told us that the Latin phrase at the bottom of the NJ flag roughly translates to "shut up and bowl." Now that's funny!!!!

Congratulations to my daughter Kelli and son-in law Lance...they closed on a great house in Wichita this morning. Should be all moved in this weekend...Sorry I'm not there to help (well, maybe not. I'm old and in NYC)...can't wait to see it become a home....

Today was smooth as glass...unbelievable when compared to the roughness of yesterday. A truly delightful day at sea...not too hot, not too cold...a calm day with the auto pilot..At least until we reached the harbor...NYC is a busy busy place...and boats everywhere, going in all directions. Those water taxis are large and in charge...add to that the Red Bull Airshow is going on around the Statue of Liberty. What a sight!!!! We also battled with the marina...long story but the basic plot includes that they had us booked into the RV park...after all day phone calls back and forth and a two hour conference at the marina office, we are docked, cleaned and drinking. We are here for eight days...Liberty Harbor Marina, on the Jersey side....on tap are Lion King, Phantom of the Opera, Macy's, Chinatown purse shopping (a la Laurie Fischer), Empire State Building, Central Park, Times Square and Ellis Island. Think we can squeeze all that in???? All I know is no worries about weather, skinny water, tides, or boat mechanics for a while. Woot Woot!!!

Rocked and rolled on the outside today...7 long hours of waves and waves...probably calm by ocean standards. But we were not delighted. Tomorrow is outside again as we go into New York City!!!! Then 7 days of marina life and Shopping and Shows!!! My kinda deal....so worth the stress of getting there!!!!

That strange vibration we first noticed leaving Delaware City headed to Cape May...got progressively worse yesterday...and caused some problems at docking. We called a mechanic, who referred another mechanic who came right over. He analyzed the engine compartment and called in his "diver". Diver arrived shortly thereafter and presented us with a beach ball sized glob of plastic fishing net he dislocated from our starboard prop shaft.....woo hoo, easy fix! Not cheap...but easy!