Hyde Park and Newport

Pia and Ella contemplate the view from FDR's house and gardens in Hyde Park

Last Thursday we left for our road trip up North. We are currently in Boston but have taken about 4 days to get here. Our first stop was in Hyde Park, in the Hudson valley, New York State. The reason for our visit here was to see the Franklin Delano Roosevelt library, museum and family home. Hyde Park is a beautiful area, it is very lush and green (and much colder than Washington DC!) FDR's house is set in a magnificent estate and we toured the house and gardens. There are sweeping views from his house, Springwood, over the valleys and plains. He had a very privileged upbringing, but it was fascinating to hear of how, in his prime, he overcame being stricken by polio and losing the use of his legs permanently to still become President of the United States. That night we had dinner in Rhinebeck, which gained a lot of press here this summer, for being the town in which Chelsea Clinton got married.

The next day we returned to see more of the FDR museum. We saw items from his childhood, such as his first locks of hair, his rocking horse and early letters he wrote, through to his study where he gave some of his 'Fireside Chats' when he was President. He is also buried on the estate, with his wife, Eleanor and also his dogs.

FDR's house, 'Springwood'

FDR's study

Hyde Park was also where the girls spotted a badger wandering off into some scrub just near our motel. He could move pretty quickly - too quickly to get a picture of him. We also went to see Eleanor Roosevelt's private home, which she used to get some peace and quiet, and lived in once FDR died. In some bushes there, we also spotted some chipmunks, who also scurried away quite quickly. So the girls found these first few days very exciting for the new wildlife spotted!

From Hyde Park, we headed to Newport in Rhode Island. Rhode Island is the smallest of the US States and is well known for its lovely seaside villages and many lighthouses. Newport is famous for the America's Cup - this is where Australia won the Cup in 1983, as well as its enormous mansions. In the 1890's many New Yorkers built their 'summer cottages' in Newport and many are modelled on French palaces. They do not really resemble your typical 'seaside cottage'! We did the stunning cliff walk, along which many of the mansions are dotted. We visited one of them,'The Breakers' and the rooms inside could easily rival the opulence of Versailles in Paris. The girls enjoyed the grand staircases, the indoor fountains and the room in which the walls are covered in platinum panelling. There was also an enormous marble bath, which had 4 taps over it. 2 for normal hot and cold water, and 2 which ran sea water straight from the nearby Atlantic right into the bath!

The Breakers, the 'summer cottage' of the Vanderbilt family.

Part of the cliff walk, along which the mansions are set.

We stayed in a lovely B and B in Newport, which was actually the home of a former Governor of Rhode Island. We also enjoyed walking along the harbour, where the girls enjoyed climbing all over this wave sculpture.


We will fill you in on more of our travels (Providence, Plymouth and now Boston) at a later date. Until next time...!