Busy day in Hyde Park, NY

September 7 – I failed to mention that when you first opened the door to our room at Super 8 the smell of urine hit you.  Once you got in you didn’t smell it, but it didn’t sit well with me.  When I went to the front desk last night for extra towels I made sure I told the clerk because they required a deposit for Molly.  He asked if we wanted to move but it’s such a hassle and Bill wanted to be on the bottom floor because of how much stuff we have to bring in.  So, this morning when I went up to pick up our receipt I asked if they had comment cards.  The clerk said they use comments on Trip Advisor and did I have a problem.  I told her about the smell and that I didn’t know how someone could clean that room every day and not notice it and she gave me a receipt for crediting back the $95 to my CC for the room.  In the long run I expected something from the manager but that was a total surprise and I didn’t refuse!

Factory turned House

It was only about 40 minutes to Hyde Park where we spent the majority of the day.  First was the Eleanor Roosevelt NHS.  After going on the tour of the houses on the property I want to read more about her.  It was fascinating to say the least.  When she married FDR they lived in his mother’s home which he later inherited.  Eleanor did not buck her mother-in-law and was not happy there.  After she discovered FDR having an affair with HER secretary she offered him a divorce but he asked her not to but gave her and 2 of her friends, who were a gay couple, land in Hyde

Eleanor's chair

Park to built a get away cottage. They each paid 1/3 of $12,000 to build the stone cottage on the Val-Kill river.  She spent a lot of time there where she grew as a person and became involved in political affairs.  She upheld all of her duties as First Lady but she also travelled for her own causes and she and her 2 friends built a factory on the property for out of work farmers to learn various craftsmen trades and make furniture, pewter and weaving rather than have them move to NY City.  They ran the business for 10 years but it never was

The Stone Cottage

profitable.  Once it closed Eleanor turned it into housing and once FDR died she moved into it permanently.  FDR had made plans for his home to automatically be given to the National Park Service knowing she would not want to live there.  Her whole life is very interesting and fascinating and she is the only First Lady to have a National Park.

FDR Home

As we were leaving we found out that it is against the law in NY to leave a pet in an unattended car so when we drove over to the other side of Hyde Park to the FDR NHS and his Presidential Library we decided not to leave Molly alone.  Bill was more interested in FDR than I was so I let him go there while Molly and I ate lunch in the car and I read and played solitaire.  Bill said he needed another hour once he got back but we still had one more stop to make.

Vanderbilt Mansion

Just 2 miles down the road was the Vanderbilt Mansion.  It sits high on the bank along the Hudson River and the view is fantastic.  This time Bill stayed with Molly and ate his lunch while I went in.  He knows I enjoy architecture and he doesn’t so it worked out.  I was able to show his Park Pass and ID and they let me in for free and I got right on a tour.  The house was built by Frederick Vanderbilt, one of the

Sitting area

grandson’s of Cornelius Vanderbilt who made the fortune that he left to his sons, who left it to their children.  Frederick was given only $10,000,000 as he was the youngest and at the time of his death he had $70,000,000 plus this home.  His siblings all ran out of money because they didn’t really work and they spent the money like it was a never ending fountain.  Frederick, the first to graduate from college, which was Yale, served on the boards of 22 railroads and was director of the New York Central that his grandfather built, for 61 years.  He wife, Louise was 12 years his senior and they had no children.  Although his siblings were having to sell off their estate (one built the

Ladies parlor

Biltmore in NC and ran out of money before his could finish and his wife sold off parcels to pay the taxes), he didn’t leave a penny to any Vanderbilts, but to his wife’s nieces and nephews and 37 of his employees and $10,000,000 to charity. The niece who got the mansion didn’t want it and due to the depression she could not sell it so neighbor FDR convinced her to sell it to the National Park Service for $1 and a huge tax deduction.  Then during WWII, when FDR came to Hyde Park security was at a high and he housed the Secret Service on the 2 floors of the mansion that had been living quarters for the male and female servants and employees.  It was another very interesting story!

With our stops for the day all done we drove to Wilkes-Barre, PA and got a newly renovated room at the Red Roof Inn for the night.  It was VERY nice and for only $67.00.  We unloaded and went to a recommended family run Italian place for dinner.  It was very good.  Bill was not feeling good and had a stuffy nose so he went to bed early while I typed and posted.