The Piermont Pier

On March 17, 2020March 18, 2020 By mvschulzeIn 1800's, 1940's, 1990's, Airplanes, Boating, Boats, Cars, Curiosities, Daytrip, driving, Exploring, Geology, Hiking, History, Hudson River, Lighthouses, Memorial, Nautical, New Jersey, New York City, New York State, Perspectives, Photography, Pondering, Railroad, Remembering, Telephoto, Trains, Travel, WW II8 Comments

About four weeks ago, in one of our last ventures before the Corvid-19 Pandemic, we visited the little town of Piermont, New York …on the Hudson River, and explored its 182 year old rock and earthen pier, which by 1851 served as a loading and unloading track bed for Erie Railroad trains picking up steamboat passengers from Lower Manhattan, twenty-five miles to the South. On the then longest rail line in the world, vacationers would travel 450 miles (724 km) to Dunkirk, NY and the shores of Lake Erie. Some hundred years later, long after the excursions were outmoded, tens of thousands of WW II troops would depart from this same mile long pier to ferries, and transfer onto troop ships in NY Harbor. Sadly, thousands would literally leave their last footsteps on U.S. soil right here. A monument nearby is solemnly named “Last Stop, USA.”

The Piermont Pier is located about two miles (3.2 km)south of the new Mario Cuomo Bridge, jutting out a little less than one mile (1.61 km) into the Hudson River.

The old steamship/ferry slip from years ago is seen above, …to the left.

Above: Today, the pier is a commercial, residential, and hiking park.

Remnants of the steamship/ferry docks can still be seen in this 2/23/20 view looking south. New York City would be just beyond Tallman Mountain to the right.

Above: A bollard, used for securing heavy lines, is seen here near the end of the pier, looking south.

Above: The trestle part of the new bridge, carrying the New York State Thruway, is about two miles (3.2 km) to the North; and Hook Mountain, overlooking the Hudson, is seen beyond.

Above: The striking new Governor Mario Cuomo Bridge; and two miles (3.2 km) further, Sleepy Hollow Lighthouse off Tarrytown, NY seen to the left of center span.

Taken some years ago while boating on the Hudson, Sleepy Hollow Lighthouse, also know as Tarrytown Lighthouse or Kingsland Point Lighthouse, was “installed” in 1883.

Thanks for viewing. Zoom in for a closer look.

And a special note: BE WELL, …and please use best judgement practices as we “navigate” through these un-precedented difficult times. M

I’d like to thank the Piermont Historical Society for their added information concerning this topic, and Wikipedia. I am a proud contributer/donator to both sources.

A Snowy Trek to see Lucy

On January 20, 2020January 20, 2020 By mvschulzeIn 9/11, Adventure, Boats, Buildings, Daytrip, driving, Hudson River, New Jersey, New York, New York City, Photography, Skyline photos, snow, Trains, Weather, Winter11 Comments

Lucy Kaplansky, a Greenwich Village honed musician and singer-songwriter with pitch perfect vocals and acoustic guitar mastery, has impressed us during a number of local performances over the years. This past Saturday, as snow fell on the city and suburbs, my city savvy son and I made the trek, first by car in N.W. Bergen County, NJ, to the local train station. The end of the line is Hoboken, just steps away from the ferry terminal where we waited a few minutes for the frigid ride across the Hudson River to the “Battery” terminal (WTC area.) A cold half mile walk thru accumulating snow and partly along the water front, brought us to the pleasantly impressive “City Vineyard” restaurant on Pier 26.

Preceded by an excellent dinner, Lucy would perform flawlessly with her music and stories, right there on the Hudson River, and practically in the shadow of One World Trade Center.

This is how we got there…

The last image above is through the window next to our high top table while watching the show, – overlooking the summer deck and Jersey City beyond.

City Vineyard is marked near the upper right on the map above.

After the show, with my son leading the way, we would take a cab uptown to Penn Station, where the trains would bring us back under the river and eventually to the car (via Secaucus Jct.) and the final slippery road home.

Note that these are i-phone images.

Thanks for viewing and comments are always welcome. M 🙂

Crooked Tracks – Englewood, N.J.

On February 24, 2018February 24, 2018 By mvschulzeIn History, New Jersey, Photography, Pondering, Railroad, Trains5 Comments

This former passenger line, crossing Palisades Ave, in Englewood, NJ and adequately guarded by flashing lights and long crossing gates, would not be a comfortable ride today. Still used for limited light freight, it was originally opened in 1859, providing passenger service for 107 years, till 1966. The re-purposed original station still stands aside the right of way, just behind me in this photograph. Many would welcome the conversion to modernized “Light Rail” for connections to Manhattan, via Hoboken, NJ.

As usual, thanks for viewing. Comments are always welcome. M 🙂

Monster at Frogg Falls Railroad

On August 8, 2016August 8, 2016 By mvschulzeIn Curiosities, Dogs, Gardening, Home, humor, Model Railroad, New jersey, Photography, Pondering, Trains5 Comments

Located in NW New Jersey, Frogg Falls Railroad is the dream and inspiration of our lifelong friends, who have transformed a part of their property to a magical, fully functional garden railroad, complete with a wide assortment of “rolling stock,” handmade scale structures complemented by remarkable “to scale” living landscaping, and a Koi and frog populated pond with waterfalls.