Over-Arted

We embarked to Croton-on-Hudson, NY without waking Leann and Jeff as we knew they had stayed out late (I’m sure they were awake anyhow as it’s not super quiet when we are turning on engines and marching up and down the boat throwing lines and fenders). We cruised through the Hudson’s narrow ‘S’ turn that was the strategic reason for the placement of West Point. It reminded me to review the story of Benedict Arnold (from grammar school classes on the Revolutionary War) as our guide had told us he was the commander of W.P. at the time of the war. According to Wiki: While a general on the American side, he became Commander at West Point and secretly planned to surrender it to the British forces. After the plan was exposed in September 1780, he was commissioned into the British Army as a brigadier general.

 

After our short cruise, we docked in Croton and quickly caught a taxi to Sleepy Hollow for lunch at the Bridge View Grill then off to see Kykuit, also known as the Rockefeller Estate, a 40-room house built by oil tycoon, Capitalist and Rockefeller patriarch John D. Rockefeller.

 

We loved the solid, thoughtful, architecture, beautiful grounds, pools and gardens, sculptures, and lovely interiors - although Jeff thought it ‘over-arted’. After "JDR" died, the home was occupied by JDR Jr. And then finally Nelson Rockefeller. The family was very in to art and continually added paintings and sculptures throughout the home and it extensive grounds and gardens. There was a green Raku horse sculpture from one of the Chinese dynasty’s that was stunning and I was sad photos were not allowed. A small room dedicated to china dinnerware displayed one set that was ‘to die for’, with coats of arms, lions, horses, gold accents, - ornate but beautifully cohesive, and again, no photos!

 

Jeff and Leann had to head off to the airport to make it to her sister’s graduation ceremony in Oregon. We were sad to see them go as we would have loved to tour New York City with them.  John and I took advantage of the weather and spent the afternoon relaxing on the deck prior to heading to Ossining for a Mexican dinner at Los Abuelos.