DAY TWO .... NOVEMBER 02 2011.......................

We didn't have to be up at 5 a.m. on day 2.  Got to sleep in until 7 a.m.  The hotel served one of the best continental breakfasts I have ever had.  After a leisurely breakfast we boarded our trusty bus for our first stop of the day - Lyndhurst Castle.

You are probably asking "What in the heck is Lyndhurst Castle?"

This castle was built in 1838 In Tarrytown New York.  It was owned by George Merritt (whoever he was) and he named it Lyndhurst, because of all the Lynden (Linden) trees on the property.  In 1880 the property was purchased by Jay Gold, a Railroad magnate.  He used it as his country retreat until he passed away n 1892.  

His daughters Helen and Anna inherited the estate and lived there until their passing.  In 1961 the estate passed to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. 

The upper picture is one of the rooms in the castle.  The lower picture is just a portion of the "Scarecrow Invasion" that happens every Halloween.  Hundreds of scarecrows invade the premises, and take up residence for the holiday. 

Upon leaving Lyndhurst we traveled a short distance to the Union Church of Pocantico Hills.  This is a one-of-a-kind sanctuary with beautiful stained glass windows commissioned by the Rockefeller family, and created by Henri Matisse and Marc Chagall.  (They must have been famous artists, I, myself, had never heard of them). 

 This is the Church and a couple of the stained glass windows.  They are quite unique.  We were told the history of the Church.  It was another very interesting part of our journey.

Upon leaving the Church we had lunch near Philipsburg Manor.  Ours was a box lunch in a bag.  Really.  The lunch was packed in boxes, then placed in a small shopping bag.  The manor was known as Upper Mills in the early 1700's, when it was built.  The manor, a milling and trading complex was  purchased by Frederick Philipse and was home to 23 enslaved individuals of African descent. It is now a National Historic Landmark, with a working grist mill.

Above you can see the mill and the Manor - kind of looks like a box doesn't it.

Am going to close for now.  Just remember, what I have shared here today is only the MORNING and AFTERNOON of day 2.  Tomorrow I will share the evening.  I know you can hardly wait to see what we did next.  So until then, take it easy, enjoy the pretty weather while it lasts and God Bless.