A gourmet lunch with Roosevelts and Vanderbilts!

On Monday, we rented a car, and did some touring. The first stop was at the Roosevelt Mansion. Above are FDR and Eleanor.

When the Roosevelt's purchased this property, the house consisted of the center section. FDR designed and had built the two end stone sections.

See the light on just inside the door above?   That was FDR’s front office, where he met with other dignitaries. This is the room where it was decided to begin the Manhattan Project.

Many personal possessions remain on the property, including five of the six wheelchairs

FDR had in the house.

To travel between levels, FDR would use this dumb-waiter, and insisted on pulling the ropes himself to go up or down.

The stables have been restored, and some of the original tack is on display.

We were not able to get into the presidential library, as restoration work was going on.

FDR and Eleanor were buried in the gardens on the property.

Just a short hop down the road is the Culinary Institute of America. People come from all over the world to learn to be Chefs, and hone their cooking and pastry skills. There are numerous restaurants here where the public can enjoy a gourmet meal.

The students not only prepare the meals, but also act as host / hostess, waiter, busboy, etc. They learn every aspect of the food business. It was interesting to watch the instructors come around after a fresh table was set. They would examine every piece of silver, china, napkins, and glasses; looking for water spots, proper presentation, properly folded napkins, and properly placed chairs. If there was a single spot on a glass, or an improper crease in a napkin, it would be turned over, and a comment written down. The table would then have to be re-set and re-inspected until it passed.

Our lunch at St Andrews Cafe was one of the best ever!

Then it was on to the Vanderbilt Mansion. This Gothic structure was built to be used for their spring retreat. The Vanderbilt's used it only two months out of the year. They kept a staff of 65 people year round to take care of the house, and work the farm which was also on this property.

There were many mansions like this built along this stretch of the Hudson. The rears of the homes were the spectacular side, as they faced the river. It seemed to be a race to see who could out-do the others.

The Vanderbilt's held numerous formal gatherings on the property that went on for days on end. Why not? They had 16 bedrooms to house their guests!

After dinner, the men would retire to the smoking lounge.

The ladies would meet in the parlor, after changing their gowns. Yes - a separate gown for each event in the day!

This mansion was built for one purpose - entertaining!

After a long day of social activities, Ms. Vanderbilt could at least escape to her own private boudoir!

Tomorrow, we head up the Hudson River to the Champlain Canal System, which will take us to Lake Champlain, and into Canada.

Stay tuned for more!!!

Capt’n Ken