Brick NJ to Kingston, NY

 

 

"I  Think I Can..." following us up past the Verrazano Bridge

 

Anchorage behind the Statue of Liberty

One World Trade Center from our anchorage

The Statue of Liberty from our anchorage

The Verrazano Narrows Bridge from our anchorage

The Statue of Liberty

One World Trade Center and lower Manhattan financial district

Ellis Island

Smooth ride up the Hudson past Manhattan

The Empire State Building and Midtown Manhattan

Captain George at the helm

Erie Lackawanna Ferry Terminal  - Hoboken, NJ

"Norwegian Breakaway" and  "Norwegian Gem" at Manhattan Passenger Terminal

Grant's Tomb

New Jersey Palisades

Sing - Sing Prison

Stained -glass windows in West Point Main Chapel

Stained glass window over the altar in West Point Main Chapel

View from below of some of the 3,000 organ pipes of the organ of the West Point Main Chapel - the  largest pipe organ in the world!

Sign in the West Point Main Chapel

Stained- glass windows in the West Point Main chapel which seats 1,500 worshippers

West Point Cemetary

Original West Point Chapel

Headstone of H. Norman Schwarzkopt, Sr.

Headstone of his son, General Norman Schwarzkopf

Monument of General George Custer

View from West Point over the Hudson River

The Civil War Monument - some of the honorees were classmates together  at West Point!

Statue of General Dwight D. Eisenhower

Statue of General Douglas Mac Arthur

Statue of General George Washington

Sophomore Cadets marching

Hotel on the grounds of West Point

Marina at West Point

Esopus Lighthouse - Hudson River

 

6/6/15

After spending almost 4 weeks at home, we departed at 5:10 a.m. this morning on the next leg of our second Great Loop journey.  This date is somewhat nostalgic because it was on 6/6/09 that we also began our first Great Loop trip. However, not only were the weather conditions different today, but since that time we have travelled some 23,000 miles aboard “Reflection”!  At 5:45 a.m. we met up with our Banana Bay Marina neighbors, Randy and Cindy Peterson, who are Canadians travelling aboard their Ranger Tug, “I Think I Can…”.  They had started their Loop trip in Florida, and were staying at a marina close by, so they would be following us out of Manasquan Inlet and up the New Jersey Coast to on a 46 mile trip up to New York Harbor, which are familiar waters for us.  The wind and sea conditions in the ocean had been unfavorable for a number of days, so we took advantage of today’s small window of opportunity with lighter winds, and waves of 1 foot close to shore, despite a southeast swell and occasional showers.  We anchored behind the Statue of Liberty at 11:15 a.m. and Randy and Cindy tied up to us.  Later that afternoon, their friends, Jean and Dave Chilman from South Carolina, anchored their boat, “Knot There”, nearby.  Everyone came aboard our boat for cocktails, and then we watched the Belmont Stakes to see “American Pharoah” make history by winning the Triple Crown.  Our evening was topped off by an unexpected fireworks performance at Liberty State Park.  Could this have been done in our honor?

 

6/7/15

We gave ourselves a break this morning and left at 9 a.m. for a 44 mile trip up the Hudson River to Half Moon Bay Marina at Croton-on-Hudson.  The journey north with “I Think I Can” was delightful with sunny weather and the lovely scenery past Manhattan that is often compared to that of Germany’s Rhine River.  We arrived at 1:35 p.m. and had a quiet afternoon.  There were many novice “Loopers” here in this marina flying their white burgees, and we’re sure that we’ll be meeting many of them at various stops on the Erie Canal shortly.

 

6/8/15

This morning we arranged a car rental in order to visit the United States Military Academy at West Point.  Its grounds and structures on 3,000 acres impressively stand on high cliffs over-looking the Hudson River where it was built in 1802. We took a two- hour bus and walking tour,  and not only saw and toured a number of its buildings and Military Museum, but also visited its Cemetery, where we viewed the headstones of many military persons of note. We also had the wonderful experience of hearing the Main Chapel’s organ being played, whose sound truly fits the definition of the over-used word, “AWESOME”!

 

6/9/15

Though today’s weather forecast predicted the possibility of storms, we made the early morning decision to move north to Kingston anyway.  George started up our engines at 5:50 a.m., and we ran “Reflection” at 15 knots with the current with us most of the way, and arrived at Kingston City Marina at 9:20 a.m. – a trip of 55 miles.  Having the ability to run faster than our usual “trawler speed” of 8 knots can frequently be a blessing, especially in great river conditions when you are trying to avoid some possibly bad weather, which we did!