Blenheim-Gilboa Hydroelectric Station Visitor’s Center

The Blenheim-Gilboa Hydroelectric Power Station is a scenic half hour drive south from the small city of Cobleskill, New York, in Schoharie County. The area is absolutely beautiful, and the power station and visitor’s center are well nestled in the rural setting. The visitor’s center is in a remodeled 19th century dairy barn (red!) on [...]

The Quirky Main Street Cats of Catskill, NY

Is something in the air of this tiny little riverside town? Catskill, NY, just seems to exude creativity and whimsy. Washington Irving’s Rip van Winkle supposedly slept in this region; Samuel Wilson, the butcher who later became known as Uncle Sam, was born here. The Hudson River School artists were based here. And the region [...]

Olana State Historic Site, Hudson, NY

The Hudson River School of art has been my favorite fine art genre since I studied founder Thomas Cole’s stunning Voyage of Life paintings as a young art major in school. Such deep, dramatic, and luminous paintings these artists produced in the mid to late 19th century! As a matter of fact, their paintings were [...]

Aboard the U.S.S. Slater in Albany, NY

The U.S.S. Slater is a Destroyer-Escort ship that served during World War II. It is the only Destroyer-Escort ship still afloat on display, sitting along the banks of the Hudson River in downtown Albany, NY. We took a tour of the ship, what an adventure!

Great Places: Howe Caverns, Cobleskill, NY

Howe Caverns is the second-most popular natural site tourist attraction in New York State (Niagara Falls is the first). Howe Caverns, in the area of Cobleskill, NY, is named after Lester Howe, who discovered the cavern in 1842, and capitalized on its attraction. Walking the fields everyday, Howe noticed that a small herd of cows [...]

Great Places: Schuyler Mansion in Albany, NY

In 2004, before I started my travel blogging, we visited the Schuyler Mansion in Albany, NY. The Schuyler Mansion is a historic house, right in the heart of Albany, NY, and was once the home of General Philip Schuyler. You don’t hear too much about Philip Schuyler in American history, but he was a very [...]

The Peppermint Pig of Saratoga, NY

The Peppermint Pig is was a vogue Victorian tradition, when American prosperity was blossoming. It was the creation of a candy confectioner in Saratoga, NY, and the tradition continues to this day.

New York State Museum and Empire Plaza in Albany

We spent an entire day here and didn’t stay nearly long enough! What an absolute blast! And it’s all free admission! The New York State Museum showcases everything New York, from the Iroquois to fossils to 9/11 to the Jazz Age. A great place to visit!

First Church in Albany

This church, originally called the Dutch Reformed Church and established in 1642, is the second-oldest church in New York State, and has the oldest pulpit in the U.S. Visiting this church was a mission of admiration, and not just history. We are Christians, are of Dutch ancestry, and are ardent Alexander Hamilton fans.

Old Stone Fort in Schoharie, NY

We happened across this amazing jewel of a museum, in New York’s eastern section. This place just oozes with oodles of history. What an INCREDIBLE place! I can’t describe it in only a few words– you’ll just have to read the post!

Next Page »