Julie and I were in Upstate New York a couple weeks back for a wedding and we managed to hit a couple of spots. On the list was the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum which as fate would have it was closed due to the Government Shutdown of 2013. Since all Presidential Libraries are considered National Parks they’ve all been shuttered. Including the Martin Van Buren House which we also happened to drive by. We decided to go up to the FDR House anyways and make our ways around the grounds. Besides driving past the barricades we didn’t have any issues getting around.

Directly across from the FDR House is the Hyde Park Brewing Company. For a Thursday afternoon the place was completely empty due to the FDR House being closed. The bartender explained how a good portion of the tour groups stop in for lunch and drinks after seeing the house. I enjoyed their Black Lager the Von Schtupps.

We also checked out the Poughkeepsie Bridge which has been turned into the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park. Similar to a Rails To Trails, the bridge has been converted to a footbridge for walking, running and biking across. We made it about halfway over before we decided to head back. The bridge is considered one of the longest footbridges in the world.

The next day we spent the better part of the afternoon at Keegan Ales in Kingston. They had a decent beer selection and are known out East for their Mother’s Milk stout. We were supposed to make it back here after the rehearsal dinner but that didn’t pan out. I believe there’s decent live music most nights.

Side Notes:

* We rented a Chevy Spark for the day and I believe it is the worst car ever made. The one positive I can say about is that the Bluetooth connection worked. Other than that, it was a horrible experience. The car in total weighs about 37lbs. The dash board is full of sensors telling you all kinds of things are not working when in fact they are. For example the Flat Tire sensor or the Gas Gauge, neither of these were anywhere near accurate. When we returned the car the rental place kept insisting I fill the gas tank until the final bar showed on the display. Meanwhile the pump was spitting out gasoline because the tank was full.

In summary the car felt like it was disposable.