April and May 2023 (and 2003)
New York is such a wonderful state in so many ways. Beautiful, varied, and so many wonderful people. I skipped New York City this trip since I have been many times and lived there for a short stint in 2003/2004. I lived in the financial district where in the post 9/11 environment we had snipers on the roofs guarding the Wall Street area making the area safe to walk at all hours. I was also there for the great East Coast blackout which led to a large group of us having a very fun late night party on the roof of our Manhattan high rise – this is where I learned to always have some small bills so you don’t have to lay down a $20 for a 6 pack of beer when the power goes out. I was in and out of New York finishing off my time upstate first near Glenn Falls and then in Buffalo visiting a fantastic couple and amazing hosts, Sara and Steve whom I met while in Rhode Island and then a return trip to Buffalo to stay a couple nights at Fred’s NY house.
HUDSON VALLEY. I used to night hike here when I lived in NYC with my friend Mo. It was different in the daylight. Pretty with rolling hills and small lakes but did not see anywhere I felt compelled to stay at for long. I did take in a short hike on my way through.
LAKE GEORGE AND GLEN FALLS. I came here to hike. There are so many great options in the Adirondacks. It was raining when I arrived so I took some small partial treks near Katskill Bay and each time backtracked due to the muddy conditions, the complete lack of anyone on the trails and no cell service if I took a spill. The next day proved to be a bit nicer and I ventured to Moreau State Park where I found a beautiful hike that I extended by my missing one of my turns. I saw one family and one woman the entire three hours I was out. I had to run the last bit as I realized too late that it was 3:15 and I was at least a mile of slippery rocks and mud from my car and my mind flashed back to the sign on the gate that the park closes at 3:30. Arriving at 3:45, all was okay and other than my car was a police car, presumably the keeper of the gate. Other than hiking, I really liked Glen Falls and would like to have spent some time there but had already made plans. Kru Coffee is worth the trip with really great coffee, cool vibe, and nice breakfast sandwich options. I stayed at the Home2 Suites by Hilton in Queensbury which was clean, quiet, inexpensive and had a surprisingly good breakfast.
ITHACA. I was here many moons ago for my friend Julie’s wedding. Great college town and a beautiful campus. I did not make it on this trip but it is a spot worth a visit, especially late spring or early fall.
BUFFALO. I spent several nights in Buffalo (well technically Williamsville) with Sara and Steve who spoiled me both with a quiet room and comfortable bed as well as their amazing hospitality and entertaining company. Our first outing was to Devil’s Hole State park where you can hike to Whirlpool State Park which allowed me to get in my stair climbing (over 800 of the) and hike to this amazing spot where the Niagara River tumbles along and crashes into the rocks and then creates whirlpools. It happened to be a beautiful sunny day and I could have spent hours on the rocks. On my last day they brought me around Buffalo proper to look at the architecture (some amazing old buildings), the waterfront, and then Elmwood for shopping. On my second trip I stayed with Fred (Marcia’s roommate from Florida) in Buffalo proper and walked the downtown and found these great houses in Allentown.
NIAGARA FALLS / NIAGARA ON THE LAKE. Turns out there is the U.S. side which is a bit run down and has smaller falls and then the Canadian side with a beautiful greenway and the larger of the falls, and with it a lot more people. Steve and Sara brought me to both sides and it was fun (and as an American a bit depressing) to see the dichotomy. The Canadian side was vibrant, full of people (and colors – the people being primarily Indian with many of the women in beautiful sarongs and sneakers and the men in colorful turbans), and a nearby very crowded strip of stores and chain restaurants that was almost a replica of Fisherman’s Wharf and Ghiradelli Square area in San Francisco before the pandemic decimated things and the streets emptied. The U.S. side resembled the current Fisherman’s Wharf area with dilapidated stores and food places and almost no one walking around except near the falls. I came back with Fred via a different route over the Peace bridge on a weekday and it was way less crowded and fun to see the falls from a different vantage point.
NIAGARA ON THE LAKE. A very cute town in Canada. Fred brought me here to see his old family home and we grabbed lunch on the main street with shops and restaurants and then Fred loaded up on jam at a famous spot in town. Worth a stop if in the area.