Usually when I do a road trip I blog each day. It's really a great way to remember everything, and actually get it done...even if you have to edit it later. But the free wi-fi at my hotel was pretty awful. I couldn't do anything.
I haven't been doing much walking. Something happened with my knee in late July and it just hurts like hell. I signed up for this trip when I got back from Canada when I was feeling healthy and optimistic. Last week I battled with myself should I go or not. It was to Poughkeepsie, NY and Hyde Park for the Volkssport NE Regional Weekend. Ultimately I decided to go. I figured if worse came to worse I'd just tour rich peoples mansion's.
The plan was to leave at 7 am. It was probably a dumb plan because I'd reach Stroudsburg right in time for rush hour. Ultimately I ended up leaving about 11... I had breakfast with Bonnie first. And I needed to get gas.
There was similar info in the hotel room. But I’d think the trafficker could see that.
I arrived in Poughkeepsie around 1:30 pm … too late for the group walk at FDR's house at 1. I went to FDR's anyway, they sent us the walk directions for all the walks. The walk went to the Vanderbilt Mansion, but I knew I couldn’t go that far. It was too late and too far. No way I can do a 10K yet. Plus I just sat in the car for three hours.
I went into the Visitor's Center and signed up for the 3 PM tour, so I only had about an hour to walk. Which was fine. The first section of the walk was on FDRs property. (Well actually it was mom's but that's another story. A good one.) I altered the directions a bit so that I would get to the stables by 2:55.
I walked past the library, and around the back to the to a sculpture carved from two sections of the Berlin Wall.
It was a large property, I think they said the park service owned 125 acres. In his time it was a working farm. I walked thru the garden and arrived at the stable in time for my tour. It probably housed a dozen horses.
The house. It began as a farm house, had two additions. FDR was a believer in manifestation so he added the gaudy portico because he knew he’d make it to the white house. The portico was the only silly rich-people thing. The house itself was modest, simple, cozy on the inside. The ramp we walked up was not the one that he used. The NPS guide said the original would meet no safety or ADA standards. It was very, very steep. Speaking of adaptability, his elevator was a glorified dumb waiter. He pulled onto the platform, and then pulled himself up to the second floor hand over hand with the pulley. It did not look safe. (There was a modern lift in the back of the building for tour guests.) In the foyer every inch of wall space was used with framed achievements of FDR. Mom basically used the foyer like we use a fridge door.
In his library there were toys on the floor. Apparently it acted like the modern family room. Every room had too much furniture. If there was one chair there was a dozen--large families, a lot of guests equals no grabbing a folding chair. The bedrooms were even simpler. I was impressed. No aires at all. After the tour I finished the walk, but I did manage to cut some off. I did 2.6 instead of 3 miles, but that included walking around the house. So maybe 4K?
I was feeling pretty good. I was surprised after the long drive and walking. I decided I would go with the Green's to the Octoberfest for supper. It was part of the program. Mike really loves having guests in his Tesla. It was my first time in an electric car and the nav screen was the size of a large iPad. It showed all the traffic, people on bikes, the color of lights everything. Their car is white but on the screen it was pink. Why? Their granddaughter changed it. He says every time he gets in the car it makes him think of her. So it stays. Sweet. He doesn't even need to keep his hands on the wheel 100% of the time. "She" is actually driving. But he must touch the wheel occasional or she lets him know. She hated the grass parking lot. Had a downright hissy fit.
The brats were good. We were only there maybe an hour and a half. It was pretty loud. The polka music made me think of Pat.
It was when I returned to the Red Roof Inn+ that I realized the wi-fi sucked. I picked this hotel for the price using the Hotels Tonight app. Angel and Bonnie use it all the time. And they are usually the operators. It was my first time and it wasn't good. More on that later. The prices never budged. Which I found odd. I found out Saturday why. Marist had a football game and the Culinary Institute was moving in. Cheap rooms come from unused rooms. Before bed I noticed in the mirror I had four spots on my face. Thought nothing of it. Must be bug bites from the festival. I kept swating them away..
The next day when I woke my face was wet. And my nose scaly. I looked in the mirror. My face was getting a little redder. Shoot, I thought, whatever bit me I reacted to it. Oh well. I decided to watch it, but I needed to get out walking.
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