Shadows Marina - Poughkeepsie

We were on our way out of Croton on Hudson by 6:10, headed for Shadows Marina in Poughkeepsie in calm but cloudy conditions. It's very quiet on the river. We cruised past the bluffs of Bear Mountain which is part of the Catskills, a peaceful and scenic area of the river. West Point rose in the distance; an impressive and majestic compound sitting high above the Hudson. The Academy grounds sprawl for miles along the winding river. Trains passed by on both sides of the Hudson. There is a tunnel under the West Point Academy wall as well as under rock beds on the east side of the river. The trains disappear then pop out the other side like magic.

The Catskills

Train tunnel under bridge

West Point

Train slipping past under the mountains

We pass Bannerman Castle, built by Frank Bannerman, a Scotsman, in the early 1900's as a munitions storage facility. In 1967 the family sold the castle to the State of New York. The plan was to open it as a park and offer tours in 1968. The castle was destroyed by fire in August of 1969; yet, even in disrepair it makes for quite the view as we cruise by. 

It started raining around 11:00 and never let up. The wind switched to the north, making it very rough and uncomfortable. Dockage was easy on the long face dock at Shadows, even though the river had gotten worked up by the wind and we were getting pelted by rain. We settled in and drank coffee to warm up and dry off. Shadows Marina is part of a restaurant on the waterfront of Poughkeepsie. Dockage is $40 per night with water and electric. 

Shadows Marina dock leading to restaurant

There are two bridges in Poughkeepsie, one for cars and the other a former rail bridge turned into a walking/biking trail. The city mapped out a 4.5 mile loop around and over the two bridges. We couldn't wait to explore it. The walk to the east side of the bridge took us through a rough part of town. We stood out like a sore thumb but we greeted everyone we passed and got a sincere hello back. I was having trouble with sea legs while we were on the bridge. Luckily there was an elevator located 3/4 of the way across. We took it down to the Riverwalk and made our way back to Shadows Marina. The next day we walked the entire loop. The west side of the bridge has a Visitor's Center and vendors set up to attract tourists. It is very popular with walkers and bikers. 

The Poughkeepsie tourist map

Entering the car bridge walkway

View of rails to trails bridge

View facing south between two bridges

Mystic on the outer face dock at Shadows

Rest Stop on the Rails to Trails Bridge

Stairway from the car bridge to the river

There is no Marina office; Dock Master, Keith, works out of his truck. He saw us leaving and asked where we were off to. He was quite alarmed to hear we'd been exploring downtown. He told us Poughkeepsie was not exactly a safe place to wander. We met a local gal walking her dog and she said the same thing; warning us to stay close to Shadows. We were surprised! We really enjoyed this stop in spite of the concerns about safety. 

At night, we were treated with dramatic sunsets as the lights on the bridge danced in all the colors of the rainbow. We sat watching until the sky darkened completely. 

Bridge Lights at Night