Hudson River Valley today

Gravesite of Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt in the Rose Garden at the house.















Charming statue of Eleanor & FDR outside the visitor center

Vanderbilt Mansion (their smallest of 40)

View of the Hudson River from the Vanderbilt property

We got to our campground about 50 miles from New York City yesterday. We drove through New Jersey for quite a ways but just in the countryside. We didn't get near the big cities but who knew that there was so much nothing in New York and New Jersey. The part of New York that we are in has lots of trees but also open kind of swampy areas a lot.

We went up the Hudson River Valley for a ways today. About 50 miles going away from New York City is the home of Franklin D. Roosevelt. We took a tour of his home (he was actually born in the house and it was his primary residence his whole life). They also had his Presidential Library with all kinds of interesting information about the Depression and World War II. Did you know that he was a mama's boy and he and Eleanor lived in his parents home their whole married lives?

Then we went up the road a little ways and there was the Vanderbilt Mansion. These people were crazy rich. This was their smallest mansion (of the 40 that they owned). I forget how many rooms it has but it had a 16 room "guest cottage" just for the single men that is now used for the Visitor Center. There was a 24 room "guest cottage" just for the in-laws. Every inch of the main house was marble, carved wood or guilded, I swear. Talk about over-consumption !

Tomorrow we go on a guided tour of New York City. I'm excited !