Journey on Journey: Catskill and West Point

After saying goodbye to Catskill Creek, it was with heavy heart that we moved on (great place to be). Heading south on the Hudson River with the destination of Newburgh's Riverfront Marina. The trip was motoring, of course, and uneventful. Closing in on Poughkeepsie NY we began to see 'old money' with the housing and landscaping above the river. Beautifully done.

Hop-o-nose marina, Catskill Creek

Arriving at Newburgh we tied up at the marina. The riverfront is all restaurants and bars and tastefully done. However, beyond this gated area we found Newburgh to be in need of help financially, in appearance and personality. Even the U.S. Postal service in Newburgh didn't understand what a general delivery was and sent our mail back on the same day it arrived (after confirming 5 days earlier they would accept it) and our visits while there. Disappointed in them!

So, why did we stay in Newburgh? West Point, of course! Rented a car, with great Newburgh style difficulty, and drove the 20 miles to Highland Falls NY to tour West Point. Very, very interesting. The history back to George Washington was amazing. In the late 1800's they saw the value of team sports in building leadership skills so there are numerous fields, pools, golf courses, tennis courts, etc etc the list goes on - and not just one of each but several. West Point is thousands of acres and we only saw a minimal amount in our 2 hour tour. Part of the tour took us to the Parade Field where you guessed it....they have their parades. Five students were getting into a helicopter with their parachuting gear for practice. A big red X marked the spot on the field as their target. All five came within 10 feet of that target with one hitting the spot. We got a little extra for our money that day! The cemetery, the gravesites, the generals, the churches & chapels, the architecture - we'd highly, highly recommend the tour. And one last tidbit: did you know Edgar Alan Poe was a student there and really did NOT want to be? He tried all sorts of stuff to get kicked out. It finally happened when he reported one day totally nude with the exception of his bullet belt. He left that day. To be a student at West Pt is quite an honor. This past year they received 15,000 applications and accepted 1,100 students. 20% of these students will not make it past the first 6 weeks. After completion of 4 years which is at no cost to them, they commit to 5-8 years of military service. Tour West Point.