Beauty, Power and Money

We bid farewell to our dear pals, knowing we will see each other in January in Sayulita. Stopping at a local stand (the one with all the tomatoes) we filled up with fruit and vegetables. Now across Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York. It was no hurculean task: you can cover a lot of these states in not so much time, since we going through the connecting edges on our way to the Hudson River Valley.

We arrived at an RV park in Rhinebeck, NY by evening. The next morning we were off to the Roosevelts! Hyde Park was high on our list of places to go, and the information we recieved from some of you (Pat and Mark) proved to be right on. After passing the Vanderbilt's (we will go there tomorrow) we arrived at the home and library of Franklin Roosevelt. Our tour of Springwood, Franklin's birthplace, residence and "summer White House" was not for an hour and a half, so we went to the library, thinking this would be ample time. Franklin developed this library himself and actually worked there while he was President. He was an avid collector and some of his collections are there but the most compelling materials are those associated with his presidency. The great story of the depression years and the WWII years was such a great reminder of what we, as a country can do, when well led by informed, energetic and visionary people such as Franklin and Eleanor. We ran out of time to embrace it all!

It was time for the tour. The house is "modest" compared to others along the Hudson, but a lovely home, by any means. This is where Franklin grew up, lived with Eleanor after their marriage, and was political headquarters for many years. If these walls could talk...

Next morning we were on to the Vanderbuilts. Located right on the Hudson, the view is fabulous. The house, with its European flair, the best money could buy, was the location for many a spring or fall soiree. It was only occupied during these two seasons. We thought we would dine there, since it is fall. A picnic on the Vanderbilt's lawn, looking over the Hudson, was just the place for peanut butter sandwiches!

Val Kill, Eleanor Roosevelt's home, is a welcoming, cozy home a few miles from the "big" house. Sara Roosevelt, Franklin's domineering mother, ran the big house with an iron fist. Franklin and Eleanor found a more relaxing atmosphere in thir new home which they built. You can imagine her there and you would be comfortable at her dining room table, with the same dishes as Aunt Anne. Many people filled these small rooms: from John Kennedy, Churchill and Stalin, to Ghandi and Martin Luther King. She is one to admire and learn from. She was a great influence and inspiration to us all. It was a gift to be in her home.

Today is our 10th anniversary. To celebrate we had dinner at the Culinary Institute of America's French restaurant, Escoffier, named after the guru of French cooking. It was a fabulous dinner, prepared and served by students and their mentors. Our wait person was Brian, just now in his last week of his two years of training, and eager to graduate and join his father in starting up a new restaurant in northern Florida. He will be great! Bright, engaging, knowledgeable, and informative abut local wineries and their styles.

The dishes were served with a flair: two chefs-to-be bringing our dishes simultaneously, and with the slightest nod of the head, the silver coverings came off, and they gave us a chorus of "bon appetit!" Pat had a wonderful goat cheese tart followed by veal cheeks; Jon had a camelized parsnip and apple soup, followed bv a medium rare entrecote. Later came the flourless chocolate tart for Jon, buried inside a ball of chocolate mousse. Yum! Pat had a berry sorbet, and we finished off the bottle of Sinsky Pinot Noir. A memorable night!

We could stay here along the Hudson for a many days, there is so much to see and it is such a beautiful place.

But, we move on, stopping at the Rockefeller's Kykuit in Sleepy Hollow. We got tickets on line and thought we had plenty of time for the 1:00 tour, but it began to rain and it was slow going. We arrived just after 1:00 and had to take the next bus to catch up with our tour. The grounds are stunning and the house lavish, as you might imagine. The art collected by the Rockefellers, from Oriental to Contemporary, fills the house and grounds. The basement was an unexpected treasure. Nelson Rockefeller, a collector of modern, contemporary art, turned the basement into an art gallery. The A#1 sight were tapestries, woven in France, of Picasso's paintings. They were amazing works, each signed and overseen by Picasso.

The rain had stopped. We stopped in Terrytown for a bite and coffee at a downtown gourmet food store with to-go dishes, and sat outside on the walk and enjoyed a good as well as convenient lunch. Now the challenge is can we get to the KOA in Pennsylvania before dark?

The answer: No! But with Jill (the GPS lady) as our constant aide, we made our way around Philadelphia and into Chester County by about 8:30. Talk about a quick set up, this was it! We had salmon, purchased at a great market in Hyde Park, microwaved potato and salad. Good Night...