October 21. A Very Full Day

My day began with my walk and I was fortunate to have a Park Ranger take this photo beside FDR’s grave.

I then went to a talk given by Bret Baier of Fox News..I was hesitant but it was fine. He talked about his new book, Three Days at the Brink. The book focuses on the meeting between Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin at Tehran. I did not learn anything new, but bought a copy and had it signed. Baier told me that he had once lived in Raleigh and worked at WRAL.

Paul Sparrow, Library Director, introduced Baier.

Then I went to Val-Kill to tour Eleanor’s house. Ducks on the pond at Val-Kill (kill is the Dutch word for stream)

Closing the swimming pool..once used by King George VI.

Inside ER’s house.

Bedroom

Sleeping porch

Dining Room

Living Room. Famous meeting here with JFK in 1960.

Then I did Eleanor’s Loop..and I found my old hiking stick that I had carefully hidden 2 years ago. I did not do the trail to Top Cottage. I did that 2 years ago and once was enough as it is Very steep near the top

This was the “road” from Val-Kill to Top Cottage and was how FDR got to TC.

Left hand on brake/clutch; right hand on accelerator…no hands on the wheel? He was a pretty wild driver.

Then back to the main Historic site and another hike, down behind Springwood in search of a view of the Hudson. I hiked with two young women from Atlanta.

Yes, my hiking pals, we got lost and almost ended up on the 7 mile trail to Vanderbilt.

Sound familiar?😎

FDR loved to drive through these woods and one security station remains.

Finally a view of the Hudson and the Roosevelt Bridge in Poughkeepsie.

View of the back of Springwood from the meadow.

It was a glorious day!