Outdoor Activities ...
As we travel, we like to pursue some of our interests (such as astronomy and bird watching).
When in Gretna, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Gretna and the surrounding area.
- Weather ...
- Before heading outdoors, you should check the weather:
- The National Weather Service forecast for Gretna
- Astronomy & Satellites ...
- Whether using binoculars, a small telescope or the naked-eye, the Heavens-Above website can help you to find your way around the night-time sky. In addition to detailed sky charts, their website will help you find planets, asteriods, comets, satellites and their tracks across the sky.
- To give accurate results, Heavens-Above requires the latitude and longitude of your location. As a starting point, when we link to Heavens-Above, we pass this GPS location for Gretna:
- 41.780649, -73.845967
- Once you're on the Heavens-Above website, you can improve its accuracy by giving a more precise longitude and latitude as your actual position.
- The Heavens-Above Website, centered on Gretna
- Bird Watching ...
- We enjoy finding new spots for bird watching and we use the eBird website for local sighting reports and to help identify hotspots.
- The eBird website is organized on a county-by-county basis. We have selected Dutchess County as the starting point when you click on the link below:
- eBird sighting report for Dutchess County
- Since Gretna is near Ulster County and also Orange County, we have provided a link to their eBird sighting reports:
- eBird sighting report for Ulster County
- eBird sighting report for Orange County
- Waymarking ...
- Looking for somewhere out of the ordinary? Find a unique place and want to share it with others? Then it's time to visit Waymarking.com:
- Waymark.com
Communities Also Named Gretna ...
We found thirteen communities that share the name Gretna.
Within New York, the name Gretna is unique.
Beyond New York, we know of another thirteen communities that are located throughout in the United States and Canada. Of these thirteen communities, eleven are located in the United States and two are in Canada.
- Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
- Florida
- Illinois
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Manitoba
- This Gretna lies 1,246 miles [2,005.2 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Gretna that is located in Dutchess County.
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Ohio
- Ontario
- This Gretna lies 229 miles [368.5 km]<1> to the northwest of the Gretna that is located in Dutchess County.
- Pennsylvania
- South Dakota
- Virginia
Curious and Interesting Names Near Gretna ...
As we travel, we always see a community with a name that gives pause. While there are names which are interesting or familiar, some catch our attention or strike our fancy. We always wonder about such a name. If time permits and the community is not too far, we'll usually try to make a side-trip.
- Freedom Plains
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Freedom Plains
- Freedom Plains is located in Dutchess County
- Hibernia
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast) - Hickory Hills
(Less than 2 miles to the south)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hickory Hills have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hickory Hills
- Hickory Hills is located in Dutchess County
- Highland
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Highland
- Highland is located in Ulster County
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Highland <3>
- Highland Landing
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Highland Landing have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Highland Landing
- Highland Landing is located in Ulster County
- Netherwood
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Netherwood have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Netherwood
- Netherwood is located in Dutchess County
- Pleasant Plains
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Plains
- Pleasant Plains is located in Dutchess County
- Salt Point
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Salt Point
- Salt Point is located in Dutchess County
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Salt Point <3>
- Schultzville
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Schultzville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Schultzville
- Schultzville is located in Dutchess County
- Shady Brook
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shady Brook have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shady Brook
- Shady Brook is located in Dutchess County
- Timothy Heights
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Timothy Heights have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Timothy Heights
- Timothy Heights is located in Dutchess County
- Willow Brook
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Willow Brook have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willow Brook
- Willow Brook is located in Dutchess County
How Far From Gretna to ...
We spend a lot of time looking through Gazetteers & Almanacs that were published in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Many of the Gazetteers include the distance from a community such as Gretna to various places of note, such as the White House.
With a nod to our favorite Gazetteers, the straight-line distance beginning in Gretna and extending to:
- Poughkeepsie, which is the Seat of Dutchess County, lies just to the Southwest.
- Albany, which is the State Capital of New York, lies 60 miles [96.6 km]<1> to the north (N). If you could walk a straight line from Gretna to Albany, with an average speed<4> of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour, it would take most of three days to make the trip. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take about three full days.
- The White House (Washington, DC) is 260 miles [418.4 km] to the southwest (SW). Driving, with an average speed of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour, would take four to five hours, a buggy would take 11 days and walking would take 15 days.
- The shortest distance<5> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 5,644 miles [9,083.1 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<6>
- The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 6,354 miles [10,225.8 km] and it lies to the east northeast (ENE).<7>
- The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 4,230 miles [6,807.5 km] and it lies to the east northeast (ENE).<8>
Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Gretna. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.
The official website for Dutchess County: www.dutchessny.gov/
The official website for State of New York: https://www.ny.gov/
Footnotes ...
| <1> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Gretna) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Gretna. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 41.7806, Longitude: -73.8460 In this case, the coordinates for Gretna have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). |
| <2> | The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required. |
| <3> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
| <4> | While we have tried to pick reasonable speeds, the rate of travel is very theoretical - obstacles like fences, hills, lakes, river crossings and rest stops have been ignored. When we say 'Days' of travel, we're assuming 8 hours of travel per day. |
| <5> | The shortest line can be visualized by stretching a string on a Globe from Point A to Point B - this is known as a Great Circle Route. Where you might expect the shortest route from Gretna to the Middle East to be East and South, the Great Circle Route actually lies to the North and East. |
| <6> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 305.727 degrees. |
| <7> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 301.448 degrees. |
| <8> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 302.106 degrees. |