Last NY TRIP entry, but continuing memories

Images in my mind's eye--special places we visited in the Mid-Hudson River Valley, NY

The "Ambrosia" diner--a Real diner!

"Revolutinary Soldiers buried in here" declares the marker in this cemetary in a village along the Old Post Road, paralleling the river, up from New York City, headed northward. I realized I was in the presence of....U.S. history!!









Boat trip along the Hudson River. View of Rhinecliff Hotel along the waterfront, town of Rhinebeck.
We ate dinner in this old resort, now an upscale Zagat-rated hotel and dining room.

Spectacular view from the site of the Catskill Mountain House, hotel built in 1824 and host to some of the most distinquished visitors of the 19th century.

Also memorable, the view from my bed (!) of my cousin's crab apple tree, which burst into blossom while I was visiting.

There she is--my touring guide and personal chauffeur, my geneaologist, my newly discovered cousin.

Thanks for a great trip....back in time :)

signed,

Cousin "Judy" (as family has always addressed me)

Trip Interruption: See Scrapbookers in Action!!

"Crop til you Drop" weekend retreat. Believe me, these gals do exactly that!! Take a look.......
View one: typical table with supplies of three gals.



View two: close up of typical, actual working space.

View three? Of course, the hosting consultant sets up a table with more product to buy!!

Family Talk: Walking where my antecedents walked

Here are the women who prompted this trip and to trace my Doyle family footsteps. My mother, born Jean Logan to Wilhemina Christina Doyle (quite the fancy name, n'est-ce pas?) whose sister Inez Doyle is shown here with Grace Sullivan Doyle (who married the one brother William).

Where did I go on this trip? To towns (in which there are villages) along the west side of the Hudson River, sited on what used to be referred to as the Leurenkill Road ("kill" old Dutch for creek).

First stop: Ellenville village in the town of Wawarsing, where my grandmother "Billie" (she of the full name Wilhemina) was born and from where her father--at age 19 came West to eastern Montana to serve as the first administrator of the Ft. Peck Assinaboin Indian Reservation in 1887.

Objective: to find his parent's graves. They came from Ireland, came to NY through Canada, settled in Ellenville and and died in there.
Found 'em! "Mother and Father" Christine Ulrich, wife of Daniel L. Myers born May 28, 1821. Died Feb.26, 1876" Time conspiring with weather is wearing away the inscriptions. Hence, the scribe, Great-Great-Great Granddaughter Judith. An awesome moment, truly.

Then the other marker of William Doyle who died at age 44 in 1868. His marker almost unreadable now, and pushed over by tree roots, and located other side of cemetary side-by-side of his first wife, Mary Dailey Doyle who remarried and didn't die until 1901.

Here endeth this abbreviated (truly, trust me!) digest of all the special ancestry moments provided me by my cousin (*her* great-great grandfather was brother to mine, but hers stayed in the Catskill Mt. area)

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New York Trip continues...in retrospect

Refresher: who = "Judy" (as my family has always called me) visits Cousin Barbara, 3rd cousin on my mother's paternal side. We're both descendents of Irish, surname Doyle. My grandmother --one Whilhemina Christina Doyle--was born in Ellenville, very near where Barbara lives even today.

Where = Mid-Hudson River Valley in the Catskill Mts.

Let me hasten to mention that this spectacular view was taken from behind the Staatsburgh Beaux Arts mansion built in 1895 (now a state historic site).

Where Barbara lives: west of the river, up in the mountains
on acreage. Address: Cairo, New York.

This view? From my guestroom bed, second story of her house, hence the "looking down" feel of the photo. Gorgeous magnolia, of course.

What we saw during our seven days of my Grand Tour was so much natural beauty, and plenty of architectural heritage representing the growth of .... America! From still-standing, occupired farmhouses of Dutch settlers to spectacular residences of the rich and famous.

The front portico of the 79-room mansion shown above on the river... contrasted to the stone house, built 1663--the oldest home in the Hudson Valley.

Of course, as this trip was all about my ancestors, we browsed cemetaries. Luckily, Barbara had already done most of the legwork and knew where "the bodies were buried," yikes, literally. Here I'm trying to record what has been inscribed (but almost worn away) about my great-great grandparents Daniel Meyers and Christine Ulrich who settled in Ellenville, NY probably in the 1850s.

Here ends the "overview." Next up, some of my fave places.

giving up mobile blogging

Gentle Readers:
I've tromped thru cemetaries, skimmed countless but fascinating books, ridden endless miles, and talked an amazing number of hours with
With my host--my distant cousin--all in the name of genealogy...but I've never mastered mobile blogging. *sigh* Alak Alas. I fear both my trip narrative and images will have to wait until I return to "civilization." At least out of the Catskill Mts. where cell and Internet reception can be achieved. And the keyboard is bigger than the palm of my hand [grimmace].
Until then, thank you for visiting Cairo NY.

upstate New York: a learning experience

1. Folks in middle Hudson Valley are nothing like the NYC stereotype. They're friendly!
2. My cousin is my 3rd cousin and not "removed" at all (the next generation would be so-called).
3. A place name with "kill" as part, "catskill" indicates a creek. Dutch origin. So... Cats creek. There is a hamlet named Fishkill. A town named Leurenkill, along a creek.
4. George Washington stopped at places around here.this part of the country is really old, historically speaking.
5. The Dutch built stone houses!
And, Dear Readers, I still can't figure out how to post up my photos her yet. :(

First look at "Upper New York State"

As my cousin--three times removed--reminds me not to confuse the locals here in the Catskills with New Yorkers down inthe city! Want to map where I am? Closest I can point you is to Cairo (pronounced "karro"). Mountains ave. 3,500 ft and foliage appears to be mix of trees, from pine to birches and therefore a mix of spring greenning colors...in the rain. Had my first look at the Hudson river yesterday, where in 1609 Henry came up and settlers started ...well, settling.It's awesome being where the USA started percolating. Town names reflect folks's origins: Irish, Italian,Dutch especially around here.MY ancestry of the Irish--Doyle, which I've come to explore.