Christmas in the Hudson River Valley
@BelleStarr (61047)
United States
December 4, 2015 4:10pm CST
My husband and I took a short trip, just an overnight to the Hudson River Valley. We visited FDR's home and presidential library and also the Vanderbilt Mansion. Both of them are managed by the National Park Service.
I went at this time of year because both of these places were decorated for the holidays. The picture was taken with my new camera without flash. It is of the decorations in the entrance hall at the Vanderbilt Mansion.
I also used my long distance lens to take some great pictures of the Hudson River from the grounds. I am very pleased with the results and I am very glad that I purchased this new camera.
Are you planning on visiting anywhere to view the holiday decorations?
20 people like this
21 responses
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
4 Dec 15
The two sites are very close only about 2 miles apart. Val-Kil Eleanor Roosevelt's home is also there but I didn't go there this time. We stayed at an adorable little motel and ate great Italian food, it was a good two days.
1 person likes this
@marlina (154166)
• Canada
5 Dec 15
@BelleStarr I remember reading about Val-Kil when I read the FDR bio.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
6 Dec 15
@marlina We went to visit Val-KIl last summer so I didn't need to go this time.
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
4 Dec 15
@BelleStarr You are perfectly welcome to ask and I would be happy to answer you, but I have no idea what you are referring to.
2 people like this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
5 Dec 15
@Asylum where you hit the comment button there is also a like button and we get a message telling us who likes the post. You aren't hitting the like button.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
4 Dec 15
For now I am happy to get in a couple one night getaways while the weather is still sunny and fairly warm. Can I ask why you don't like the posts, is there no benefit? Just curious.
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (48616)
• Canada
4 Dec 15
Its a really clear shot, and looks like such an inviting room. I think that I would love to tour such a place, that type of thing interests me. Thank you for sharing this.
We won't be going anywhere to visit and enjoy the holiday decorations except to our son's place on the 25th. We're both too busy working.
2 people like this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
5 Dec 15
@Juliaacv I highly recommend it, we are having a ball and enjoying every minute.
2 people like this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
4 Dec 15
Don't I just love being retired?? lol Though we used to take a day off to go to Newport to visit the mansions during the holidays and I may still go there this year.
2 people like this
@Juliaacv (48616)
• Canada
4 Dec 15
@BelleStarr I'm in the home stretch, another decade or so of working and then we'll be on cash 4 life from our retirement savings.
2 people like this
@bluesa (15023)
• Johannesburg, South Africa
5 Dec 15
A gorgeous sight, that decorated tree, a really lovely photo @BelleStarr . I am glad you and your hubby took some time away. We will not be going anywhere to see decorations, but I'm going to put enough lights on my tree to make up for that. :-)
2 people like this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
5 Dec 15
lol I have my tree up so far but the rest of my decorations are lagging behind.
2 people like this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
6 Dec 15
Why Don't you suggest it, it can be a lot of fun.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
5 Dec 15
I love seeing old places and I've been to the Hudson Vally a long time ago. We are traveling this winter and I hope to visit some famous places I haven't been in yet . I love the photo.
2 people like this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
5 Dec 15
Ca'd zan the Ringling museum is in Sarasota and the Flagler house is in Palm beach.
2 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
5 Dec 15
@BelleStarr I will check it out if we get that far south. Thanks.
2 people like this
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
5 Dec 15
am unable to and we likely won't be celebrating much. so thank you for that beautiful photo. so glad you showed us
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
5 Dec 15
They really did a good job of decorating both of the houses.
@Shellyann36 (11385)
• United States
8 Dec 15
I would love to go and see the Biltmore Estate here in the mountains of NC. Hubby has toured it during the Christmas holidays and said it is just awesome. I hope you load some pictures of the river!
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
8 Dec 15
I have seen Biltmore but not at Christmas. I do have a couple long distance pictures I took with my new camera. The houses are on the cliffs above the river.
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
5 Dec 15
Did you go to the Christmas Parade? I looked to see what was going on locally for you and it came up for December 3.
1 person likes this
@simone10 (54189)
• Louisville, Kentucky
7 Dec 15
@BelleStarr No, my brother had his boss in town and they all went out to dinner that night. It would have been nice to go but there is always next year.
1 person likes this
@Dragonairy1 (1722)
• Newcastle Upon Tyne, England
6 Dec 15
That's a lovely photo. I'm hoping to go to a Christmas fair tomorrow if the weather clears up a bit (it's wet and windy at the minute) and I want to go to see fenwicks window. It's a department store in nearby Newcastle which is famous (well locally) for it's special Christmas displays.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
6 Dec 15
That sounds like fun. I may get to a Christmas fair tomorrow too if I can fit it in. I love that kind of shopping.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
4 Dec 15
I need to do some of that. I only resize the photos so that they work on sites, I don't really do any other editing.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
5 Dec 15
Thank you yes this was a little Merry Christmas to me!!
2 people like this
@RonElFran (1214)
• Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
5 Dec 15
It never occurred to me that FDR's home was open to visitors. Good info that maybe one day I'll put to use.
2 people like this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
5 Dec 15
His presidential library is one of the best ones I have ever seen and I have seen quite a few.
1 person likes this
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
4 Dec 15
When I was young, my older brother would take us on a car trip to a specific neighborhood in a specific town where the residents went to the extreme with decorations. I used to drive the kids around to see the lights on all the houses. They didn't seem as impressed or delighted as I was. This is definitely the unimpressed generation.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
5 Dec 15
I still love to drive around and see the Christmas lights. I am easily impressed lol
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
5 Dec 15
We did stay over night at a lovely place. We have lots of choices actually within a hundred or hundred fifty miles. Bost Boston and New York City are 100 miles away.
1 person likes this
@GreatMartin (23677)
• Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
5 Dec 15
It is that special time of the year!!
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
5 Dec 15
I love our Christmas card, that is the spirit that we like to see!!
@Marilynda1225 (79552)
• United States
5 Dec 15
Looks like an interesting place to visit and your camera took an amazing photo.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
5 Dec 15
Thanks for saying that, I thought it was pretty amazing myself.
@DeborahDiane (40037)
• Laguna Woods, California
5 Dec 15
What a beautiful photo! Yes, I go to Balboa Island to look at the decorations there.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
5 Dec 15
That sounds like fun. I have never been to Balboa Island. I wonder if the Huntington Museum decorates for Christmas?
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
5 Dec 15
Thank you I thought it was quite pretty, I will be doing some photo blog posts with some of the others.
1 person likes this
