A View of Guinan's from Boscobel

One of Philipstown's great treasures is Boscobel, a federalist period house museum with sweeping views of the Hudson River and U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Boscobel is home to the critically-acclaimed Hudson Valley Shakespeare festival. You've never seen The Bard's work performed quiet like this -- and never in a setting like this. Here's a Wall Street Journal review of last summer's "As You Like It."

Meantime, I recently received a note from Rick Soedler, who oversees Boscobel's immaculate buildings and grounds, about his Guinan's memories. Here are excerpts:

"My wife and I met in 1996 and stated dating in 1998. We met aboard the Sloop Clearwater which at the time frequently docked at Garrison Landing. Guinan's was a favorite stop for the crew. When my wife and I started to date one of our first nights out was the Rising of the Moon which we frequented from 1998-2000. Marriage, moving further north, and children have unfortunately kept us from returning.

I have been working here in Garrison at Boscobel since June of 2006 and that is when I received a copy of your book Little Chapel on the River.....Some [of the characters] I know, some I know of. Frank Geer [the preacher at St. Philip's Church] is a friend of ours and he married us in July 2001. We also just love the whole area down at the landing as well as the great memories at Guinan's. We took our wedding photos at the landing as well.

We are going to come for the last Rising of the Moon on the 24th, we wouldn't miss it for the world. We already have a sitter lined up and may be joined by a few other long lost friends…. Come down to Boscobel sometime."

Rick Soedler
Supervisor of Buildings and Grounds
Boscobel Restoration Inc.