Up and Down the Hudson River

Tuesday, August 15 we traveled up to the Double O Grill in Wappingers Falls to meet Heidi Sheehan for lunch. It was great to have an opportunity to visit again. We left the restaurant and proceeded south to United States Military Academy at West Point. We visited the museum, learned about the historical significance of West Point and some of the institution's traditions. We drove around the campus to see some of the incredible vistas of the Hudson Valley.

The United States Military Academy was established in 1802, but West Point had a major role in our nation’s history during the American Revolution. Both the American patriots and the British realized the strategic importance of the prominent plateau on the west bank of the Hudson River. General George Washington considered West Point to be the most important strategic location in America and in 1778 selected Taddeus Kosciuszko, a Polish engineer, to design the fortifications for West Point. Washington later transferred his headquarters near West Point in 1779. American Continental Line soldiers constructed forts, gun batteries, redoubts and installed a 65-ton iron chain across the Hudson to block British invasions along the river. Fortress West Point was never captured by the British, despite Major General Benedict Arnold’s treasonous attempt to turn-over the garrison to the British in 1780. Today, West Point is the oldest continuously occupied regular army post in the United States.

Wednesday, August 16 was our day to venture into the New York City to visit another baseball park. We boarded the 9;26 AM Express train from Croton-Harmon Station to Grand Central Station. The senior round-trip fare was $14.50 each. From Grand Central Station it was $2.75 each to ride on to the #7 Metro Subway to Mets-Willets Station. We arrived at Citi Field about two hours before the Mets baseball game and got our 1/2 price senior discounted tickets for $24 each at field level on first base. We entered Citi Field and explored the facility looking for a place to eat lunch before the game. We found Caesars Sportsbook at the Metropolitan Grille located in the left field corner of the Excelsior Level; it features a welcoming dining and hospitality experience for all guests. We got a table overlooking the view of LaGuardia Airport and enjoyed a lovely brunch.

We finished brunch about 30 minutes before game time. We walked around the stadium from the restaurant by the "big apple" in centerfield over the bridge to section 106, row 15, seats 5 and 6. I have to admit, this is one of the best baseball stadiums I've ever seen and experienced. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful, the venue and facilities were clean and well appointed. The experience really impressed both Karen and I.

We enjoyed cheering on the Mets as they went on to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-3. After the game we decided to wait on boarding the subway back to Grand Central and walked over to Flushing Meadows, site of the U.S. Tennis Tournament next week and the 1964–1965 New York World's Fair.

New York City was left with a much-improved Flushing Meadows–Corona Park following the fair, taking possession of the park from the Fair Corporation in June 1967. Today, the paths and their names remain almost unchanged from the days of the fair.

The Unisphere stands at the center of the park as a symbol of "Man's Achievements on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe". The Unisphere has become the iconic sculptural feature of the park, as well as a symbol of the borough of Queens in general. It stands on the site formerly occupied by the Perisphere during the earlier 1939–1940 Fair.

We returned to the metro station and took the #7 Subway back to Grand Central. There we enjoyed an Italian dinner at the Cipriano Restaurant inside Grand Central before taking the Hudson Line Express train back to Croton Station at 7:21 PM. It was another full day of exploring new sights and and having new experiences. We walked over 6 miles and climbed 12 flights of stairs during the days adventures, which explained the level of fatigue we were both feeling after boarding the train.

We retreated back to our campsite at Croton Point Park to enjoy the rest of the evening. The park's spacious surroundings with large expanses of greenery make it incredibly quiet. Despite being a large park with many attractions, including a beautiful riverfront beach, it is designed so that the more energetic area of the park is remote from the campground. We have enjoyed our stay at this campground; the proximity to the Hudson Line of the MTA railroad system make this site certainly convenient if you want to visit NYC.