PIERMONT PIER - A QUARANTINE DISCOVERY

I'm curious.......

Where are you on the spectrum of social distancing?

Over the July 4th weekend, I was looking at pictures on Facebook of many people I know

who were on vacation, or gathering with friends and family.

I had to wonder if we were among the last to adhere to social distancing.

Personally, I'm still keeping my distance.

 I'm not on the far end of the spectrum of those who haven't ventured out at all, 

but I'm not anywhere close to the middle, either.  

I do go food shopping periodically.

I even went into Target and Home Goods for a short time last week. 

I felt absolutely giddy walking around Home Goods,

although possibly, it was the lack of oxygen under my mask.

Masking up was a small price to pay for much needed retail therapy, and I didn't stay long.

The temptation to go frequently, or visit other shops
(oh, the lure of the mall!) is strong,

but I continue to stay on a pretty short quarantine leash.

I'm not ready to put myself or those around me in a position of risk.  

Admittedly, however, on July 4th,

I couldn't help but think of Independence Days past, without a sense of sadness.

Quarantine life was definitely getting me down. 

I needed do something to cheer myself up.

"Want to go for a ride?"
Mr. Goo Shoes said it first, but I was on my way to ask him the very same thing.

He suggested something completely different than I expected.......

lunch at one of our favorite little roadside joints.

We hadn't yet taken advantage of the "outside dining" re-openings.
I agreed, both excitedly and reluctantly,

but the desire to do something NORMAL won out.

We agreed that if it looked too crowded when we got there, we wouldn't go.

Considering that it was July 4th, and a beautiful day,

I was pretty sure I'd be eating the granola bar I packed just in case.

Surprisingly, the restaurant was wonderfully empty.......

At 3:30pm, we were in between the lunch and dinner crowds.

We indulged in Connecticut-style lobster rolls

(made with melted butter instead of mayo).

Afterwards, we drove a few minutes north to the Piermont Pier, in Piermont, NY,

which we'd never been to, even though it's only 15 minutes from home.

It felt so good to see someplace new!

Because of the heat, we could only stay about a half hour.

Even still, I managed to take about 150 pictures.
Not to worry.......most were the victim of my "Delete" button.

The pier is on the Hudson River,

with perfect views of the new Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge to the north.

This new bridge replaced the aging Tappan Zee Bridge,

which connects Rockland and Westchester Counties in New York.

This is a bridge we cross rather frequently....... well, at least we did in life as we used to know it.

We'd take it to see friends, to visit Junior Goo Shoes at college,

and to eat at some of our favorite restaurants.

It's hard to break old habits, so I will probably always call it the Tappan Zee.

And, I will always think of Junior GS' imitation of his high school teacher.......
"Such beautiful truss work!"

when he took them on a field trip to the former Tappan Zee Bridge.

Looking towards south are views of lower Westchester County, NY.

Just past that is The Bronx, and New York City, which are obstructed due to a bend in the river.

If I swam straight across the Hudson, I'd be at my bestie's house.

Believe me, it was so hot, there was a brief delusional moment when I considered it.

Being near the water always helps my mood.

I wonder if there is such a thing as "water therapy?"

I don't mean swimming in it, or drinking it.......I mean just looking at it.

Do you feel that way, too?

It definitely had the desired effect on Saturday.

I left the house feeling sad and irritable,

but returned feeling a little calmer and happier.

Piermont, NY is a charming town on the banks of the Hudson River,

which we have frequented over the years for its restaurants.

Now, we have another reason to go.......the Piermont Pier.

I can't wait to see the views from the pier in the fall.

Socially distant picnic, anyone?

 

PHOTOGRAPHY CLASS DAY TRIP: AN OUTDOOR MUSEUM

The Hopper Goetschius Museum in Upper Saddle River, NJ

Are you a museum person........

the type who can spend hours wandering through a museum,

stopping to look at 

Every.

Single.

Thing?

Not me, nope. 

I'm aware that this admission 

detracts from my uber-hipster-urban-cultural image 😜,   

but I wasn't born with that museum-patience gene.

Don't get me wrong......

I LOVE and appreciate art!
I have enjoyed seeing paintings and sculptures
from some of the world's most famous artists.

It's just that.......

I 
want 
to 
 see 
what 
I 
want 
to 
see 

.......and then head right to the museum gift shop.

When I went to The Louvre in Paris,

I hightailed it straight to the Mona Lisa.

At the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence, 

I made a beeline for The David.

In Rome, I had every intention of zooming straightaway to

Michelangelo's Creation Of Adam in the Sistine Chapel,

but was forced to walk through the entire Vatican Museum to get there

(I must admit, I thoroughly enjoyed it).

That's not to say that I don't enjoy spending time in museums........
I do.

I'm more likely to be "all in" when I head to a museum 

which depicts an historical event

such as Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum in Tel Aviv,

the 9/11 World Trade Center Museum in NYC,

or the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam.
And I do want to go back to Washington, DC specifically to go to the 
National Museum of American History,
National Museum of African American History and Culture,
and the Newseum.

Recently, I had the opportunity to go to a museum 
of a totally different caliber near my home. 

It isn't a world-renowned museum housing priceless artwork,

or one commemorating a major historic event. 
It is tiny, in comparison, yet it plays a large role in preserving 

important history of the local area from as early as the 18th Century.
I can never remember the name of it,
so I just call it the Hop and Go Museum.

The Hopper Goetschius Museum in Upper Saddle River, NJ.
is an outdoor museum site that has a collection of 
historic buildings and artifacts from around the north Jersey area.

I'd driven by many times, yet I had never been.

It took a field trip with my photography class

to get me to there.

Hopper Goetschius House C1739 (possibly older).

The main house dates back to at least 1739, 

but it may have been built as early as 1713. 

 

It now serves as a museum, 
preserving household, farming and other assorted artifacts 
from the 1700s through the mid 1900s
and is maintained by the Upper Saddle River Historical Society.

An outhouse and out-kitchen are original structures,
and still sit on the grounds.

Other buildings were moved to the property over the years

from nearby areas, to save them from being demolished.
The VanRiper-Tice barn, 
perhaps the only remaining New World Dutch Barn (c1800),
had particular meaning to me,
as my parents used to take us to the Van Riper and Tice farms 
when we were kids every fall for apple cider and donuts.

VanRiper Tice Barn C1800

Ramsey Sayer Schoolhouse (C1820, left); unidentified building on right

Woodshed (C1896), with the schoolhouse behind it.

The museum wasn't officially open on the day of our trip,
so there was no docent to take us around and explain what we were seeing.
I had to rely my guide named Google, after the fact.

We spent about 2 hours, inside and out,

practicing our photography techniques.......

adjusting ISOs, apertures and shutterspeeds.

Honestly, I had no idea what I was doing technically,

but it was a lovely setting to work on my composition.

Sometimes the best day trips 

are a stone's throw from your backyard.

LINKING WITH:
Our World Tuesday
Cooking & Crafting With J&J 
Through My Lens  
Keep In Touch
Best Of The Weekend

 

A NATIONAL PARK IN MY HOME TOWN: PATERSON GREAT FALLS

Is there anything in particular that your home town is known for?

Is it the site of an annual mashed potato wrestling event, like Clark, South Dakota?
Can it claim to be the smallest town in America (population: 1),

like Buford, Wyoming? 
Does everyone in the town reside in a single building,
like Whittier, Alaska?

The city where I grew up (not where I live now)
actually has several claims to fame
(I'll get to those in another post),
though none quite as amusing as the ones above.
However, the fact that Paterson, NJ is home to the  
Great Falls National Historical Park 
is a source of civic pride for residents, both current and past.

The falls have been flowing for, oh, 13,000-ish years, 

since about the end of the Ice Age........a tad before my time.

Just 18 miles from midtown Manhattan,  
it is the second largest waterfall east of the Mississippi River, 
second only to its more famous sister, Niagara Falls.
And you thought New Jersey's national landmark
was the Vince Lombardi Rest Area on the turnpike!
Hah!
If there's one thing I hope to do via this blog,
it's to help change the negative image my little state wrongly endures.
We've got lots of natural beauty here in NJ,
but today, the Great Falls are front and center.

When I was a kid growing up in Paterson, NJ,

the Great Falls didn't have a national park designation.

That didn't make them any less spectacular, of course,

but when they were named as a national landmark in 1976,

we Patersonians were proud as peacocks.

 And then, in 2009, when the falls were designated as a national park,

well, to say we were bursting with pride would be a bit of an understatement. 

We always knew the Great Falls were a special spot,

but now, their splendor would be recognized nationwide.

Most importantly, the site would be eligible for millions of dollars in federal funds.

This was hugely important, because unfortunately, 

over the years, the area surrounding the falls had deteriorated badly.

The neighborhood was unsafe;

historically important buildings were literally crumbling, 

and a nearby stadium, which once held elite status,

was abandoned, and had decayed badly.

The Great Falls have an important place in history.

Alexander Hamilton.......
yes, THAT Hamilton........
the very same who is currently the hot ticket on Broadway, 

visited the area and was so impressed, 

he selected Paterson as the first planned industrial city.

The 77-foot waterfall soon powered local silk mills,

earning Paterson the nickname "Silk City."
My grandfather and great uncles worked in those very mills,

as did many of the area's immigrant population.

The falls also powered companies such as Rogers Locomotive, 
Colt (maker of the famed revolver), and the USS Holland submarine.

As kids, our parents would take us to the falls for picnics. 
Every Thanksgiving we'd go to the stadium next door for high school football games. 
But there was no denying that the area was in sad shape.

In the early 70's, many people I knew (friends, teachers, politicians) 
began a revitalization project to clean up the neighborhood,
and restore it to its former glory.
The goal was to make the Great Falls
as vibrant and attractive to visitors as it once was.
Since that time, the district has come a long way.
It's been cleaned up, and is safe to visit. 
A welcome center includes exhibits that explain the history of the area,
and........we've got our very own park ranger!

Although the falls are only about a half hour from where I live,
I hadn't been there in about ten years.  
When my photography teacher announced that our field trip
would be to the Great Falls, I was delighted!

This was the first time I'd be going back with a decent camera.
In the past, I could blame terrible pictures
on ancient photographic technology;
this time, I'd have to "woman up" and take responsibility for my shots.

So there I was, with my classmates, snapping away at the falls.
Did I feel intimidated taking pictures with a teacher 
who had a renowned career at Sports Illustrated?
Uh, yeah.....you bet I did. 
It would be one thing if the pictures I took 
could stay private between me and my camera.
 But, our assignment was to show a few of our best images in class. 
No pressure........nope. 😓

I took over 200 photos, and when I got home and scanned them,
I thought they were all awful. 
I took a deep breath, ate a bag of candy corn,
and gave the dog a bath.
I needed to put some space between me and iPhoto.

A couple of hours later, I took a closer look,
and this time, I found a few pictures that I liked. 
A little cropping here, a little enhancement there,
and I had some that I felt good about presenting in class.
Most of the photos in this blog post are the ones I showed.
I got some constructive feedback, but overall, they were well-received.
It was interesting to see how everyone saw the same scenery,
but captured it differently on their cameras.

It was wonderful to go back home and see 
all of the positive changes at the Great Falls since I'd last been there.
A lot of work remains to be done in the surrounding historic district,
and some of the same people I knew back in the day are still involved with the project.

Just around the time I visited, there was a poll on Facebook  
for a new slogan to help improve Paterson's image.
My friends and I all agreed there was one obvious choice:

Great Falls, Great Food, Great Future

It won.