New Windsor Cantonment and National Purple Heart Hall of Honor

New Windsor Cantonment and

National Purple Heart Hall of Honor

374 Temple Hill Road

New Windsor, NY  12584

845-561-1765

www.nysparks.com

www.thepurpleheart.com

What’s there?  Historic site featuring Revolutionary War era original and reproduction camp buildings, craft and military demonstrations by period-costumed staff, museum exhibits featuring camp life, military artifacts and impressive cannon collection; Purple Heart Hall of Honor includes interactive exhibits on the lives of recipients and documentary about the medal.

Who is it for?  American and military history buffs of all ages, though probably best appreciated by kids over the age of 8. The museums are handicapped accessible, and the grounds paths are wide enough for wheelchairs and strollers, but there are some steep inclines that might present a challenge.

Where is it?  Located in Orange County on Route 300 (Temple Hill Road) just north of the 5 corners in Vails Gate.    

When is it open?  The museums and the grounds are open year round, Monday through Saturday 10-5 and Sunday 1-5.  The Cantonment buildings are open and demonstrations available Wednesday though Sunday from mid-April through October.  Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.  Check the website or call for special programs throughout the year including Independence Day. 

How much will it cost you?   Admission and parking are free.  There is a small gift shop, and BYO picnicking is allowed on the grounds.   

While you are there…Knox’s Headquarters State Historic Site (the Ellison Mansion) is just off of Route 94, about a mile away from the Cantonment.  This fascinating site, headquarters at different times for Henry Knox and Horatio Gates, commander of the Cantonment, is also free with free parking.  Its hours are more limited, however—open seasonally from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day, Friday and Saturday 10-5 and Sunday 1-5, with tours led by costumed interpreters on the hour (no tour at 12 noon, last tour at 4).  Check the website or call ahead for details on special programming, such as the birthday celebration for Henry Knox this year to be held on Saturday, July 27 from 7-9 pm.

Why should you go?

It’s always fun to see people dressed up in period garb demonstrating life the way it was back in the day.  It’s especially meaningful to get a glimpse of how our soldiers lived and worked so long ago when anything they wanted or needed had to be manufactured by hand.  Gun cartridges, musket balls, medicines, even the nails to build the huts they lived in were all produced on site at the New Windsor Cantonment.

The Cantonment’s significance, however, is not limited to the craftsmanship practiced there.  This was the last permanent encampment of Washington’s troops prior to the end of the Revolutionary War.  The camp housed not only soldiers, but many of their families, as well as families of refugees. 

About 500 women and children lived here; many of the women earned their keep as laundresses, seamstresses, cooks and nurses.

The exhibits inside the museum predominantly feature firsthand accounts, including those of the women, and genuine artifacts of life in an 18^th century military outpost.

In addition to the camp life exhibits, the museum also houses a nifty little cannon and period weaponry collection on the lower floor. There’s even a “Hunt and Discover” activity designed to engage the interest of those with small children.

Inside the Temple of Virtue

A clearly marked self-guided path with interpretive signs leads visitors throughout the grounds. The most notable feature of the site is the area known as Temple Hill.  It was at the top of this rise that Washington ordered built the “Temple of Virtue,” a structure large enough to serve as a meeting place, a place of worship, a court martial, or any other purpose which required a large indoor space.  This was also the location where Washington famously faced down the “Newburgh Conspiracy,” a less than stellar moment in American military history.  Today, a historically accurate replica, based on original plans and descriptions from the era, occupies the site.  Inside, a visitor can view the meeting space as it likely looked when the soldiers used it.  This is also the site where guides dressed as soldier’s wives offer the field medicine demonstration.

Also of note on Temple Hill is the Temple Hill Monument, built in 1891.  The imposing fieldstone obelisk commemorates the significance of the site and also references Washington’s alleged connection to the Order of the Masons.

Original barracks hut

All of the camp structures on the grounds are replicas except for one.  At the end of the Revolutionary War, in order to pay its debts, the army disassembled and auctioned off all of the buildings at the Cantonment.  One original barracks hut, however, survived intact through private ownership and was eventually donated back when the Cantonment became a state historic site.  At this time, however, it can only be viewed from the outside. 

During our visit tourist traffic was light, enabling our pleasant and accommodating guide to give us his undivided attention as he demonstrated both blacksmithing and musketry. 

It certainly added to our enjoyment that we could ask as many questions as we wanted.  At the forge my 15 year old son engaged him in a lengthy discussion about the science of smithing, and we came away with a newly crafted iron nail as a souvenir.

The musketry demo was similarly impressive, as our guide donned his uniform coat and hat and, despite the humidity, successfully fired off his reproduction Charleville flintlock.

The Purple Heart Hall of Honor occupies a separate wing of the museum building. The Cantonment site is the location where 138 World War I recipients were honored in 1932.  The Hall is dedicated to honoring Purple Heart recipients throughout U.S. history and to educating the public about the significance of this award.  It is the goal of the Hall to eventually include the name of every one of the 1.7 million recipients in its electronic Roll of Honor.  So far they have found a little less than 200,000.  Visitors can hear recipients tell the stories of their sacrifices in their own words through the audio kiosks.  They can also view the documentary film “For Military Merit,” which chronicles the origin and meaning of the Purple Heart.   

Additional displays include an original 1782 heart-shaped “Badge of Merit,” the predecessor of today’s Purple Heart, as well as exhibits that feature life-saving equipment and the stories of famous and even lesser-known battles.

There is a small gift shop which, in addition to the usual mugs and books, features some more amusing souvenirs.  Kids might enjoy the “pieces of eight” collection, and my favorite, the candy “Ammo Pak”—a collection of candy gunpowder, musket balls and gun cartridges.  The items are reasonably priced and won’t break your pocketbook.

Picnicking is allowed on the lovely grounds; bring your own food, and carry out all of your trash.

 

The Cantonment and the Hall both offer special programming throughout the season.  Call ahead or check the website or Facebook page for particulars.  There's always something special to discover while exploring this slice of American history!

Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens

Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens

151 Brookdale Road

Stamford, CT  06903

203-322-6971

www.bartlettarboretum.org

www.facebook.com/bartlettarboretumgardens

What’s there?  Quietly spectacular arboretum featuring jewel-like formal gardens, lawns and sculptures, enchanting forest trails, a babbling brook and plant species from around the world, as well as an education/visitor center, seasonal plant clinic, greenhouse, herbarium and research library.

Who is it for?  Nature lovers and gardeners of all ages.  Leashed dogs are welcome on the forest trails. The trails and paths are easy to walk but generally not paved, so unfortunately much of the grounds is not handicapped accessible.

Where is it?  1½ miles off of Merritt Parkway exit 35, just outside the city of Stamford, CT.  Okay, so technically this is not the Hudson Valley.  But it is within striking distance for many of its inhabitants, and is well worth the visit.  It took me only 40 minutes to get there from Rockland County.

Inside the Greenhouse

 When is it open?  The grounds and gardens are open every day of the year, from 9 am to 5 pm in the winter and to dusk in the summer.  The hours vary for the Silver Educational Center, which also serves as the visitor reception area.  When I last inquired the Center was open M-F from 10 am to 4 pm, except on national holidays.  Weekend hours may follow; call ahead to be sure.

How much will it cost you?  The usual fee is $6.00 per non-member over the age of 12, but the Arboretum is open to the public FOR FREE every Wednesday of the year.  There is no additional parking charge.  Classes, programs and events additional charge.  There are free guided tours, but not on Wednesdays.

While you are there…The Stamford Museum and Nature Center (www.stamfordmuseum.org) is literally a mile down Route 137 from the Arboretum.  There is a fee for this destination, but you get incredible value for your $10 (discounts for kids, students and seniors)—an art museum, a nature center, a working farm museum, a planetarium and an observatory. The Stamford Historical Society, with historical and artistic exhibits, is also right there. A short drive north on the Merritt you can find the town of New Canaan, which offers great shopping and dining.

Why go?

Not long ago, my 15 year old son asked me the definition of “arboretum.” Providing the answer opened the door for a visit to the Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens, a charming, low-key but richly appointed collection of formal gardens, fields, meadows, natural woodlands and wetlands. 

Original house/Admin building, view from the herb garden

This arboretum was developed upon the former homestead of Francis A. Bartlett, a horticulturist who collected and cultivated plant specimens from around the world and founded his own tree expert company (still in existence).  A public arboretum since 1965, it now covers 91 acres of natural and cultivated landscape. 

The visit starts as soon as you turn into the driveway. Large stands of bamboo greet arboretum guests; soon you are passing a pond, gardens, the landscaped back of the education center and natural forests until you reach the parking lot.  From this point you can check out the information gazebo, which posts a large map of the grounds, including all the hiking trails.  Usually there are smaller maps available here as well, although on both days I went the bins were empty (maps are also available at the Silver Educational Center).

Here the visitor must decide:  forest first, or formal gardens?  We opted for the gardens.  At that point in time, the massive rhododendrons of the Mehlquist Garden were in full bloom. Candy colored whorls of red, pink, orange and violet blooms rioted over terrain traversed by winding footpaths. Other species, interspersed with the rhoddies, peeked out as well—an umbrella magnolia, a columnar maple.

Untitled (Horse), Marsha Spivak

Once through this section, we arrived at a well-manicured lawn ringed by plantings of peonies, forget-me-nots and other piquant flowers.  The lawn also boasts a perfectly placed whimsical wooden horse sculpture and, on the far side, a fully operational beehive. In fact, the arboretum has six hives in all, a natural method of encouraging pollination and healthy plants.  Don’t worry about stings—use common sense, but the bees are all too busy with the work of pollination to really bother with the humans. 

The second time I visited, this area was covered with squealing joyful schoolchildren.  It is a perfect place for kids to run around and let off steam.  One of the great things about the arboretum is that every lawn and field is equally accessible; very little is off-limits, which induces maximum participation. Visitors are even welcome to enter and explore the greenhouse, filled with numerous tropical plants in various states of cultivation.

In addition to the plantings, benches appear in picturesque nooks and offer lovely places to sit and simply enjoy the stillness. Outdoor sculptures accent the landscape.  It is the mark of a well-designed garden that it looks and feels so natural.  On my second visit several artists had come to the gardens to take advantage of its beauty and serenity. 

I crossed a second sun-drenched lawn and, surrounded by dozens of dancing dragonflies, headed towards a small formal garden.  The combination of sun, cut grass, iridescent wings and children's laughter was intoxicating, a direct link to innocent, lazy summers that exist now only in memory. As it turned out, the formal planting on the far side of this enchanted lawn was another favorite, the herb garden, divided by quaint red brick walks into its four sections:  economic, medicinal, culinary and aromatic. A small semi-circular terrace just beyond the garden displayed a bronze Henry Moore sculpture.

South American Monkey Puzzle Tree

From this vantage point I saw what must be the oddest tree in the arboretum, a Monkey Puzzle from South America.

The arboretum collection also includes other wonderful specimens:  Japanese umbrella pines, for instance, and a whole section apparently dedicated to the American southwest—paw paws, willow oaks, corkwoods.  There is a small orchard of gnarled “Bartlett” Chestnuts.  But for those who delight in trees in their native habitat, there are acres and acres of woodland trails to choose from, accessible from the parking lot. 

Poorhouse Brook from Red Oak Trail

The Red Oak trail, for one, winds through stands of red oak, maple, and pine, through wetlands thick with ferns and skunk cabbage, and onto a footbridge which crosses the Poorhouse Brook.  Although everything here is left to grow naturally, I have never seen a forest so perfectly arranged.  No matter the angle of observation, leaves, rocks, trees and water combine to provide flawless tableaux. There is quiet, too, and a sense of timelessness as the sun flickers in through the leaves or dances on the water.

Silver Education Center

 In addition to all the natural wonders, the arboretum also provides many educational opportunities. At the Silver Education Center there are classes both for adults and children. The Center also houses a plant clinic and research library, staffed by UConn Master Gardener Program volunteers, available to the public at no additional charge.The arboretum also offers tours, lectures, special events and volunteer opportunities.

As in all nature, the look of the arboretum is a timeless attraction, always changing from week to week and season to season.  From entry to exit the Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens provides awelcome oasis of natural and cultivated beauty, a perfect getaway of understated charm and serenity.

Chuang Yen Monastery

Chuang Yen Monastery
2020 Route 301

Carmel, NY  10512

(845) 228-4288

www.baus.org/en

www.facebook.com/chuangyenmonastery

What’s there?  A glimpse into another world, with a 37 foot tall Vairocana Buddha, numerous other Buddhist sculptures and artwork, Tang Dynasty style buildings, library, lake, gardens, walking paths, literature, meditation sessions, retreats, programs.

Who is it for?  The monastery is the home of the Buddhist Association of the United States, and houses monks and nuns, but it is open to the public for the express purpose of furthering peace, wisdom and understanding among all people.  Visitors of all ages are welcome, but since it is a sacred spot for Buddhists, care should be taken with children to behave respectfully.  Some buildings might not be wheelchair accessible.

Where is it?  Located on Route 301 in Putnam County, 10 miles east of Rte. 9D in Cold Spring, 7.7 miles east of Rte. 9. 1.5 miles east of the Taconic Parkway, 11.9 miles northwest of Rte. 52 in Carmel. 

When is it open?  April 1 to January 1, from 9:00 to 5:00 daily.  Closed January through March.  Some buildings might also be closed to the public during retreats, so it’s always best to check ahead to make sure everything’s open.  The Woo Ju Library is open Saturday and Sunday from 10 to 5.

How much will it cost you?  There is no admission fee and parking is also free.  Books and literature are free, as is membership to the library.  Donations gratefully accepted. Weekend lunch is a suggested donation of $6.00.

While you are there…Clarence Fahnstock Memorial State Park is Chuang Yen’s next door neighbor; coming east on Route 301 you actually have to drive through the park to get to the monastery.  Fahnstock deserves a write up all its own, but if you’re in the area, you can stop at the park office, 2.5 miles west of the monastery, to pick up park literature and maps, and directly across from the office is Pelton Pond Picnic area, which features a marked nature trail.  The picturesque town of Cold Spring is 10 miles away, and offers shops and restaurants for all budgets, if you haven’t already eaten at the monastery.  

Why go?

With the first glimpse of the graceful buildings of the Chuang Yen Monastery, you might feel as if a little bit of ancient China was uprooted and transplanted right here in the rolling woods of Putnam County.  The sense of another time and place continues with pagoda shaped pavilions surrounded by weeping cherry trees and of course, statues of Buddha, bodhisattvas and arahants everywhere.  But in fact the monastery is the center of a modern and thriving Buddhist community, one that welcomes with open arms both those who come for serious study and those who wish merely to enjoy the beauty and serenity of the grounds and buildings.

The monastery is known for its Great Buddha, and most visits start there. 

Bodhi Path and Great Buddha Hall

From the parking lot, one approaches the Great Buddha Hall via the Bodhi Path, a wide paved walkway lined by 18 statues of Arahants, disciples of Buddha.  At the end of the path, a broad plaza opens up, flanked on one side by a humongous ceremonial gong and on the other by an equally gigantic drum.  These colorful and exquisitely decorated instruments are actually used rarely, only calling practitioners to prayer or meditation at important festivals or celebrations. (Smaller versions of the same thing are used for everyday in the Kuan Yin Hall).

Ceremonial Gong and Drum

Ascend the steps at the end of the plaza to reach the Great Buddha Hall.  The entrance is to the left; one must remove one’s shoes before entering. Inside, serenity and calm reign.  The Tang Dynasty style architecture, devoid of supporting pillars, produces a soaring ceiling and a great sense of open space. 

One doesn't even see the Buddha at first; it’s only when you walk to the back of the hall and turn around that you can look up at the enormous white statue on its lotus pedestal, surrounded by its 10,000 tiny attendant Buddhas. 

The face of the Buddha is striking in its utter tranquility; it is the Vairocana Buddha, the Buddha of highest truth and enlightenment.  It rises 37 feet high, the largest in the Western Hemisphere. 

Bas-Relief, Bodhisattva of Sound Discernment

Buddha’s lotus pedestal is decorated with 12 bas-relief Bodhisattvas, enlightened ones who have committed to guiding others to pure truth.  The 10,000 Buddha terrace is decorated with paintings depicting the Western or “Pure Lands.”

10,000 Buddhas detail

Monks and laity come and go, unselfconsciously bowing before the great teacher. Take your time looking around.  Everything here is a delight both for those who already love Chinese art and artifacts, and for those who are discovering them for the first time.

The monastery was founded not just as a place for practicing Buddhists to gather, but as a place to teach and reach out as well.  Make sure to check out the table at the far end of the hall, where you can find many free books on Buddha and Buddhism, in English and Chinese (and a few in French and Spanish). In general, the staff and volunteers are friendly and informative without ever being pushy or intrusive. Visitors of all backgrounds and religions are warmly welcomed and treated respectfully.

Gift Shop

There is a splendid little gift shop located at the back of the Great Hall.  The store itself looks like a mini-museum, stuffed with enough colorful statues, prayer beads, jewelry, books and artifacts to satisfy anyone’s material interest. All proceeds go to support the Buddhist Association of the United States, its charitable works and the monastery.

Once you leave the Great Hall, you can go next door to the Kuan Yin Hall, a smaller, more intimate but no less impressive structure also built in the Tang style. This is where the monastery residents, and guests at retreats, gather on a daily basis for prayer and meditation. The centerpiece of this building are the four statues at the front of the room, three of the Bodhisattva Kuan Yin, and one of the Shakyamuni Buddha. 

Inside Kuan Yin Hall

Though not as massively impressive as the great Buddha, the more approachable dimensions of these statues and this space have their own special appeal.  The porcelain Kuan Yin dates to the Ming Dynasty (700 years ago) and the gorgeously restored wooden Kuan Yin to its left dates to the Tang Dynasty (1000 years ago).

Ceiling detail, Kuan Yin Hall

After you’ve explored the Kuan Yin Hall, it’s time to stroll the grounds.  You can pick up a pamphlet with a map in the monastery office, downstairs from the Great Buddha Hall. 

The path around the Seven Jewels Lake provides some of the nicest scenery as it winds around weeping cherry trees, a rock garden, over red painted wooden boardwalks and through several areas left in their natural state. 

Chinese style pavilions dot the landscape and provide pleasing places to stop and take it all in.  Picnicking is allowed here, although be aware that visitors are asked to refrain from bringing meat, fish or egg products onto the grounds (see the website for specifics).  

Woo Ju Library, view from Seven Jewels Lake

On the eastern shore of the lake is the Woo Ju Memorial Library, (www.facebook.com/woojumemoriallibrary), also built in the spacious Tang style. It houses a collection of about 6000 volumes in Chinese, English and Pali (Buddha’s original language).  Anyone over 16 years old can obtain a library card and check out up to three books at a time.  The library also has a number of artifacts on display and features a living Bodhi tree, the seed of which came from Buddha’s birthplace. There is even a children's section.  Parents can read here with their children or, on Sunday mornings in the Spring and Fall, they can leave the children at the Chinese School while attending the public meditation session.

If you’re here on the weekend, you can check out the 100% vegetarian lunch served from 12 to 1.  The suggested donation is $6.00; during my visit I stayed to lunch and found the food delicious.  On weekends volunteers also are available to talk to visitors about the monastery and Buddhism; if you want a free tour, you can call ahead to arrange one for groups of 5 or more.  On Saturdays at 1 pm there is usually a free tour in the Buddha Hall (check ahead to make sure since it is run by volunteers) and on Sunday mornings there is the public meditation session.

The public retreats, workshops, lectures and meditation sessions are too numerous to cover in detail here.  Take a look on the website or the Facebook page to find out what’s going on.  One thing I will mention—on May 12  the monastery will be hosting its annual Mother’s Day Bathing Buddha Ceremony and Garden Party, a gala event that is both festive and uplifting.

Overall, visitors are free to enjoy the monastery in whatever capacity they wish.  Whether you come for the art, the Buddhism, or the natural beauty, you’ll find something here that you might otherwise have had to travel halfway around the globe to experience. A trip to the Chuang Yen Monastery is an excursion right in our own backyard.

Earth Day 2013

Earth Day 2013

Monday April 22 is Earth Day and Friday April 26 is National Arbor Day.  Celebrate our planet Earth with some free and fun activities!

Winged Beauties! Just in time for Earth Day, on Thursday, April 18 at 7:00 pm the Beacon Institute kicks off its 2013 Third Thursday lecture series with Bald Eagles: Rising From the Brink of Extinction, with Pete Nye, a top eagle biologist.  Held at the Center for Environmental Innovation and Education, 199 Dennings Avenue, Beacon.  845-838-1600.  Register online at www.bire.org/events. 

Earth Nite!  Friday, April 19 from 6:00 to 8:30 pm at the Albert Wisner Public Library in Warwick.  Family friendly Earth celebration activities include music, food tasting, recycling ideas and gardening projects.  The first 50 visitors will receive a free seedling tree.  Free, but registration required.  www.albertwisnerlibrary.org, 845-986-1047 x3.

Earth Day Celebration!  Saturday, April 20 from 10:30 to 3:00, the Bear Mountain Trailside Museums and Zoo will be holding a special Earth Day celebration.  Visitors can make treats for the bears at 10:30 and then watch them be fed at 11:00; there will also be nature related displays, activities and games.  The first 100 visitors will receive a free seedling tree to take home (limit one per household).  Bear Mountain State Park, www.trailsidezoo.org.  845-786-2701 x293.  For more information about Trailside, see blog post of 4/9.

Into the Woods Earth Day Celebration!  Saturday April 20 from 10:00 to 3:00 at the Clearpool campus in Carmel.  Activities include kids crafts and games, the opportunity to build a bat house, guided hikes and tree identification lessons, a portable sawmill demonstration and live music.  Event is free, but registration is required.  www.clearpool.org, 845-225-8226 x605, or email chendershot@greenchimneys.org. 33 Clearpool Road, Carmel, NY 10512

Earth Day Shoreline Clean Up!  Saturday April 20, from 1:00 to 3:00pm, sponsored by Scenic Hudson.  For those who want to celebrate by service.  Clean up will take place at Long Dock Park, Newburgh.  Wear old clothes, bring work gloves, boots, etc.  www.scenichudson.org, 845-473-4440 x273. Email aconeski@scenichudson.org.

Be a Green Teen!  Sunday, April 21 from 2:00 to 3:00, for teens at the West Nyack Library. Strawtown Road, West Nyack. Space is limited, registration is required. www.westnyacklib.org, 845-358-6081.

Earth Day Craft and Story Time!  Monday April 22, from 4:00 to 5:00, for kids 5-9 at the Nyack Library, 59 S. Broadway, Nyack.  Space is limited, registration is required.  www.nyacklibrary.org, 845-358-3370 x228

Arbor Day Tree Giveaway!  Friday, April 26 at the New City Library, teen volunteers will be giving away small bare-root spruce trees from 4:00 to 6:00 pm.  220 N. Main Street, New City, NY  10956  www.newcitylibrary.org

Trees for Wildlife!  Sunday, April 28 from 12:30 to 2:30 at the Nature Center in Rockland Lake State Park, learn about native trees and gardening for wildlife, walk the Nature Center circle trail.  Free native tree seedlings (donated by the National Wildlife Federation) will be distributed by the Girl Scouts of Congers and Nature Center volunteers. Information about how to become a volunteer will also be available. 299 Rockland Lake Road, Valley Cottage, NY  10989 (845) 786-2701 www.trailsidezoo.org., or email elaine.brown @ parks.ny.gov.   For more about the Nature Center and Rockland Lake State Park, see my post of April 4. 

Ten Free Shade Trees!  Join the National Arbor Day Foundation by April 30, 2013 and receive 10 free shade trees to celebrate Arbor Day.  It’s a $10.00 donation, so though technically not free, it’s still a great deal and supports both the environment and the Foundation.  The trees are guaranteed and will be replaced at no charge if dead or damaged.  Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Avenue, Nebraska City, NE  68410.  www.arborday.org.

And finally, a Giant Earth Day Flea Market will be held by the Palisades Flea Market on April 20 and 21 at the Palisades Community Center, 675 Oak Tree Road, Palisades.  It’s not exactly free because you’ll probably end up buying something, but it’s still a lot of fun.  Reduce, reuse, recycle!