The Empire State was our final stop on our New England blitz in May. I jump at any opportunity to visit New York City but decided to explore another part of the state for my official 2008 visit. The Hudson River valley was my destination for mundane ease of access reasons but when I started to contemplate it’s relevance it seems very appropriate. The US Mint reinforced my decision with the prominence of the Hudson on the New York quarter. Read an excerpt for the US Mint website below:
“New York quarter, the first quarter of the 2001 series, features the Statue of Liberty superimposed over an outline of the state along with the inscription "Gateway to Freedom." Also incorporated into the state outline is a line tracing the Hudson River and the route of the Erie Canal. This final New York design celebrates the "Empire State" as a point of entry for millions of immigrants seeking the political freedom and democracy that American citizenship provides. President Grover Cleveland accepted the Statue of Liberty, a gift from the people of France, on behalf of the United States on October 28, 1886. Lady Liberty was designated a National Monument on October 15, 1924 and underwent extensive restoration for her remarkable centennial on July 4, 1986. Governor George E. Pataki asked the United States Mint to add the line tracing the Hudson River and the route of the Erie Canal because of the vital developmental role of the waterways.”
It was our hope to leisurely drive through Troy to the capitol, Albany and south on country roads to Stony Point Lighthouse and battlefield where we would hike and explore. Mother Nature had other ideas offering a steady drizzle that escalated into outright downpours as the day went on. Troy is renowned as the place where Uncle Sam originated. Uncle Sam was Sam Wilson, a meat packer who worked in Troy during the war of 1812. Troy is proud of Sam and proudly displays “Home of Uncle Sam” on everything from street signs to city vehicles. Who knew?!!
Skirting Albany we caught a glimpse of the state capitol through the raindrops and veered south and continued criss-crossing the Hudson and peeking into the small towns we stumbled upon. Outdoor activities were put on hold due to the weather and traffic slowed to a crawl in many places for the same reason. Reluctantly we surrendered our Stony Point ambitions and opted for a late lunch instead. By a stroke of blind chance we stopped in Newburgh at Torches on the Hudson where we alternated gawking at their enormous aquarium stretching across the dining room or open fishing boats drfiting for stripers. John finally got his little neck clams and we deemed the day a success.
New York gave us such greats as Lucille Ball, Maria Callas, Lou Gehrig, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Edith Warton. The state motto is “Excelsior” (“Ever Upward”). My favorite fun fact is that NY was the first state to require automobiles to carry license plates. Fresh off an aggressive multi-day license plate game, I blame NY for my frustration at being unable to locate license plates from all fifty states on I-5. Get over it! Well, I will eventually…
The New York State canal system is 524 miles long and has 54 locks. Wedding of the Waters: The Making of the Erie Canal and the Making of a Great Nation by Peter L. Bernstein chronicles the history and is highly recommend by my husband. I’ve not read it but in the absence of a selection for this state from my two sources it seems like the perfect book to read. The first line is: On October 26, 1825, a line of tiny boats departed from Buffalo, New York, sailing eastward from the shores of Lake Erie to the Hudson River at Albany.
Happy Birthday to John! You’re the best travel companion I could ask for.
Next…more rain and good times in Florida.
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