11/27/2011 - USS Slater to Rensselaer Train Station

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This was the last day of 2011 that the USS Slater is open for tours.  Every year, after thanksgiving the ship moves to the east bank of the Hudson River.  It will return in the spring.  This is largely dictated by ice conditions on the west bank.

Today, I decided to walk across the Dunn Memorial Bridge and check out the Rensselaer side.  The biggest attraction on this side of the river is the Train Station.  Until the 1960s the main train station was on the Albany Side.  Trains crossed from the Rensselaer side to Albany on the Main Lane Bridge that was demolished when Route 787 was constructed.

This is basically a short walk, and it's a neat way to get to the USS Slater, take a train from NY City.  Nice views, but one has to be careful of the traffic.  While the traffic is a little distracting on the bridge, there is delineated pedestrian walkway.  But it's a little tough crossing the city streets in Rensselaer.

Just south of the bridge is the Albany Yacht Club.  This is another neat way to visit the USS Slater, sail a boat up the Hudson.     

• Wikipedia - Dunn Memorial Bridge
• Blog - Demolition of old Dunn Memorial Bridge
• Wikipedia - Rensselaer, NY
• Wikipedia - Port of Albany, Rensselaer 
• Wikipedia - Albany - Rensselaer Train Station
• Train web - Albany - Rensselaer Train Station
• Wikipedia - Albany Union Station
• Wikipedia - Maiden Lane Bridge
• Albany Yacht Club

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2011-10-22 Deerfield, Mass

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Deerfield, Mass is beautiful little walk and it's a great drive getting there.

We do this excursion a once or twice a year.  Typical route is a loop from Albany Area via the Mass Pike (Route 90), to Route 91 North.  Then a visit to the Yankee Candle Flagship Store.  About ten miles north of Yankee Candle, on Route 5 & 10 you come to Historic Deerfield.  In the center of the village you can purchase a tag that will give you admission to the historic sites and museums in the village.  After the visit we continue north on Route 5 & 10 to Route 2 (Mohawk Trail).  This is a very scenic drive that goes through Williamstown, North Adams and the Petersburg Pass.

This fall, Hurricane Irene caused substantial damage and the Historic Deerfield Inn and the Mohawk Trail were closed.

The Flynt Center in Deerfield has a great collection of 18th-19th Century Artifacts and Antiques.  I was very impressed with the collection of powder horns from the French and Indian War.  Many of these horns were used during the Battle of Lake George.  My Lake George walk passes many of the places where these horns were used.

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• Yankee Candle Flagship Store 
• Yankee Candle Directions 
• Mohawk Trail Driving Tours 
• Mohawk Trail Region 
• Wikipedia - Mohawk Trail
• Wikipedia - Historic Deerfield 
• Historic Deerfield
• Historic Deerfield - Driving Directions
• Flynt Center of Early New England Life
• Flynt Center - Powder Horns
• NY Walkman - Lake George Walk
• Deerfield - Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association
• Deerfield Academy
• Wikipedia - Hurricane Irene
• Berkshire Hiking

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10-31-2011 Monthly Log

In October, I logged 106 miles. Since I started logging my walks 17 months ago (April 2010), I logged 2,199 Miles.

My walks during the month included:

• Oakwood Cemetery Loop (4.0 - 5.7 miles), 5 times
• Neighborhood walks (1.7 - 2.9 miles), 19 times
• Voorhesville (5.6 miles), 1 time
• Round Lake (5.6 miles), 1 time
• Crossgates Mall, Indoor Loop (1.06 miles), 1 time
• Crown Point (3.3 miles), 1 time
• Downtown Albany (4.1 - 4.3 miles), 3 times
• Clifton Park Center - Library Loop (3.5 miles), 5 times
• Deerfield Village, Massachusetts (2.5 miles), 1 time