There is a song in one of my favorite Broadway plays “Hair” called “Initials.” Its a snappy, brief song with a very sixties flair. Here are the lyrics: LBJ took the IRT Down to 4th Street USA. When he got there, What did he see? The youth of America on LSD. LBJ IRT, USA LSD, LSD LBJ, FBI CIA, FBI CIA, LSD LBJ!
Sherry and I celebrated our anniversary yesterday with a trip up to Hyde Park, and we completed our own miniature version of that song, albeit without the recreational drugs.
FDR-USA
We started the day at the longtime home of our 32nd President Franklin Delano Roosevelt called Springwood. It is set on beautiful grounds overlooking the Hudson river, and is part of a national US park. It was not only his birthplace, but also his presidential refuge and where he and Eleanor were laid to rest.
Also on the grounds is the FDR presidential library and museum, which tells the tale of his life, his presidency, and provides a detailed history from the depression through World War 2. I have read several really excellent books about FDR, but here, for the first time, I was able to put myself in his shoes and understand better some of the pressures affecting his decisions.
It’s an especially powerful story to contrast with our current times of political conflict. FDR had an overwhelming popular support and majority in congress for much of his four terms. Yet he used his power to dig out from the depression, help the little guy, unite the country and defeat the Nazis. Much of our nation’s social support infrastructure came out of these efforts. Yes, he had critics, but its clear his actions were to create a stronger, more compassionate, society.
MRL-WOH
After a quick stop for a snack, Sherry and I headed over to the Walkway Over the Hudson. A 3 mile long converted double-track railway bridge over the Hudson river. It was built in 1889 as the Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge and was a key part of the Maybrook Railroad Line. It reopened as a pedestrian walkway in 2009. Although it was windy, cool and a little rainy, there were still people here, strolling, running and bicycling 212 feet above the river. Such fabulous views!
LN2-CIA
Our last stop was to the Culinary Institute of America. There are four restaurants on the grounds where the students are the chefs, front of house and the wait staff. We dined at the French restaurant Bocuse. We had heard many stories about CIA, but never ventured up here before. The campus is beautiful, with historical looking buildings among a hilly terrain.
Service at the restaurant was attentive and energetic, if a bit green. Each of the servers was a student, and they are just learning, but trying very hard to please. We could see their hands shaking slightly as they served our bread, and they were happy to share their back story and their studies. We enjoyed our server’s selections of wines to compliment our courses. Sherry started with a kale salad, mine was beet. For mains, we shared a lamb ravioli and halibut. They were all excellent.
Dessert was one of the highlights. Our maître de brought over a cart and made a vanilla bean ice cream sundae from scratch tableside using liquid nitrogen (LN2) to freeze the cream. Wow! Just delicious!
