United States
Schenectady County

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    • Day 6

      Out for breakfast

      February 9, 2023 in the United States

      Today was a bit of a rest day. Dave wasn’t feeling well, not sure if it is jet lag or his MS playing up but he has bad vertigo which is causing him to vomit. He spent most of the afternoon sleeping. This happened last time we travelled overseas however his doctors thought they had it sorted, clearly not. If it can’t be sorted, it may be the end of our overseas travels.

      On a brighter note, we went out for breakfast at a little Italian place called Peter Pause. Another delicious meal. We were kept entertained by a table of older Italian gentlemen with very strong Long Island/Italian accents (think American Italian mafia and you have it 😂) reliving their college days. Extremely entertaining.

      From here we went to the local trading post (which are souvenir shops) that also sell local works of art. We bought a few little memorabilia pieces before heading to Vischer Ferry General Store for a look, photo opportunity and more memorabilia. On the way home we stopped off at Barnes & Noble bookstore. This is one of the largest bookstores I have ever been to.

      The afternoon was enjoyed lazing around while Dave and Cath had a bit of a snooze. I enjoyed reading my book as I normally never have time to read.

      We headed out to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner which again is magnificent food however it had to be cut short as Dave wasn’t feeling well. Hopefully tomorrow he will be on the mend. The night was finished eating popcorn while watching Dirty Dancing, a tradition for Cathy and I have every time we are together.
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    • Day 3

      The Lake Shore Limited - Boart!

      May 24, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

      Oh, what a beautiful morning! Fresh from being washed, the endless Manhattan avenues shimmered like silver rivers reflecting the glass of their surrounding towers in the morning sunshine. How poetic I feel today!

      Thus uplifted, I decided to head uptown and visit Hamilton Grange National Memorial, a National Park Service site in St. Nicholas Park in Manhattan that preserves the relocated home of U.S. Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. What a delightful place to visit - small scale and friendly (and free). A super Park Ranger Guide gave us a short tour of the former Hamilton home, and showed a video of how the house was actually lifted and moved (for the 2nd time) by two city blocks to its current location - amazing. When Hamilton and his family moved here from downtown it was really in the country. ‘It’s Quiet Uptown’ - one of the songs from the musical - now again seems appropriate in this parkland setting. Well worth a visit if you are a Hamilfan (according to the Urban Dictionary: ‘a person who is a large fan of the hip-hop musical Hamilton’.

      Soon it was time for the first leg of my great American train journey. I arrived at Penn Station (sadly not Grand Central), in good time to catch the 3.40pm train - the Lake Shore Limited - to Chicago. How come American trains have such glamorous names such as the Silver Meteor and the Empire Builder? The Cathcart Circle does not seem to have the same ring about it. Regrettably the pre boarding was not quite as glamorous and, as the platform (track) number did not come up on the screen until 3 minutes before departure, it was like opening day at the sales with everyone fighting to get on board. The compartment however proved roomy, with comfy recliner seats and free WiFi. We were soon off and, after a grim 10 minutes of underground graffiti-sprayed tunnels, we emerged into the bright sunshine of North Manhattan near the George Washington Bridge. We continued to hug the River Hudson for a few hours, with attractive but very Scottish looking scenery. Passing Yonkers necessitated a brief chorus of ‘Put On Your Sunday Clothes’ much to the amusement of my fellow passengers as I forgot I was singing lustily with my headphones on! Then we passed West Point Military Academy and memories of James Cagney and the recently departed Doris Day. Whizzed passed Sleepy Hollow and the pretty Cold Spring where Campbell and I enjoyed a visit on our last trip to NYC.

      As we stopped at Schenectady, NY, an old couple behind me argued about how that town should be pronounced. They called the train guard over to clarify. I have to say he didn’t look as smart as the train conductor in The Music Man - more like an unkempt Blakey from ‘On the Buses’. ‘What’s that?’ he said, inappropriately touching the lady’s bare arm. ‘That’s my skin’ she replied. ‘And what’s that?’ he continued. ‘That’s my neck’. And finally ‘what’s that?’ ‘That’s my titty!’ yelled the old lady. ‘You got it’ he said ‘Skin-neck-titty’. I think he must be overdue some Customer Service training at the Amtrak Charm School!

      I was disappointed to discover that the on board restaurant was reserved for guests with sleeping berths. As I only had a reclining coach seat, my vision of a candlelit dinner à la Orient Express thus quickly disappeared, and I had to make do with a Pot Noodle, a Hot Dog and a cup of lukewarm tea from the Buffet Car. Still it was comfy and cosy and I soon drifted off…
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    • Day 3

      Exploring Nisky …

      February 6, 2023 in the United States

      Waking up at 6.00am today I thought to myself, it’s too early to get up, I’ll just shut my eyes for a while longer. Next time I opened my eyes it was 9.00am. Dave slept all night from about 9.30pm and I got to sleep about 11.30pm after writing the blog and posting photos. I think it was what we both needed as ‘touch wood’ we haven’t suffered any major jet lag like when we were here in 2019.

      When I had my shower this morning, I looked out the window to some amazing snow ❄️ on the ground. Though it hasn’t snowed for many days here, it has been cold enough to keep the snow on the ground, making everything look beautiful and magical. As it was dark when we got here last night, I didn't realise there was so much snow on the ground, so was a lovely surprise to wake up to.

      We headed out of the house about 10.30am collecting Cathy’s friend Judy along the way. We shopped at Trader Joe’s, Wholefoods and Hannaford which are all grocery stores. Both Dave and I find it interesting all the different grocery lines here in the States.

      After dropping Judy home, we went to Panera Bread for lunch, which never disappoints. Dave had a sandwich and a smoothie and I had a delicious Smokey chicken salad. We then had a trip to Walmart where Tommy was spoilt again with Polo Ralph Lauren t-shirt and hoodie. I got myself a selfie stick, a battery bank for my phone as it isn’t lasting a day before going flat and the ‘Spare’ book by Prince Harry. Dave looked at many things but didn’t get anything. By this time it was about 3.30pm so we headed home and had a restful afternoon relaxing, reading and talking.

      New York pizza for dinner which again never disappoints.

      Tomorrow if weather is kind, we are heading to one of our favourite places, Weston in Vermont.
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    • Day 8

      Our last full day in Nisky ….

      February 11, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 1 °C

      We had a bit of a sleep in this morning before enjoying a beautiful breakfast of Cinnabons. Cathy, being the amazingly thoughtful person she is, sourced out a local lady who makes gluten free cinnamon scroll that taste just like Cinnabons. They are to do for.

      Quick trip to Walmart to get Dave some track pants to wear on the plane home as the pants he wore over annoyed him which made him fidget the whole time (which in turn annoyed me 😂). He came out of Walmart with track pants, rain jacket, tshirt and sunnies plus I bought Tommy a die cast 1966 Chevy C10 Flatside Pickup to add to his growing collection.

      The mid morning and early afternoon was spent on the front porch soaking in the crispness of the air and the warmth of the sun, watching little birds flittering from branch to branch as well as a cheeky squirrel 🐿️ playing around.

      We got ready to head to Union College to watch a game of college ice hockey between 2 of the top teams being the home team of Union College and Brown University, Rhodesia Island. Ice hockey is so fun to watch as it’s such a fast game with lots of action and hard knocks. Union won 3 to 1.

      Before the game, we walked around the college campus which is home of some amazing buildings, in particular the Nott Memorial.

      Construction of the building started in 1858 and was completed in 1879. The 16-sided Nott Memorial, one of America's most dramatic High Victorian buildings, is the centerpiece of the Union campus. The building is dedicated to Eliphalet Nott, president of Union College and major leader of American education. The Nott Memorial is home to the Mandeville Gallery, which exhibits nationally recognized contemporary artists. It is 89 feet in diameter and capped with a ribbed dome. The dome is sprinkled with 709 small colored glass windows, or “illuminators.” Girding the lower portion of the dome is a band of red slates bearing a modified Hebrew inscription from the Talmud. In its simplest translation, the phrase says, “the day is short, the work is great, the reward is much, the Lord is urgent.” It is truly an amazing sight to see.

      Smokin’ Bones for dinner which never ever disappoints. The steak was to die for and Dave said his ribs were amazing.

      We can not thank Cathy and Michael enough for the amazing week they have given us. So many precious memories made that will last us a lifetime.

      Tomorrow afternoon we get the train to Boston for the next leg of our amazing adventure.
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    • Day 66

      Day 63 Troy to Fair Haven, VT

      August 9, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F

      77.86 miles, 2329 feet. We said farewell to the Erie Canal and continued our journey northward. Our route today was USBR 9/Hwy 4. We followed both the Hudson River and the Champlain Canal off and on. We also rode through part of Saratoga National Historic Park. There were so many historic signs along the way that had we stopped at all of them it would have taken two days to get here.

      For a large part of the morning, the route was quiet with little traffic. Then all of a sudden the traffic got heavy and sometimes rude. There were places where the shoulder was non existent or unridable due to debris or rough pavement. We had several steep climbs, but most were fairly gentle. The wildflowers were beautiful.

      Tonight we are at Lake Bomoseen near Fair Haven, Vermont. We have our last rest day tomorrow and then four more days of riding and climbing to reach our final destination of Portland, Maine.
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    • Day 148

      Schenectady NY

      June 14, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 70 °F

      We spent the day going through locks E-2 through E-7 taking us from Waterford to Schenectady. The first five locks were all in a row, each being 35 feet high.
      The owner of Donovan’s manages the marina at Schenectady and offered a discount if we stayed. We decided it was a good place to rest and clean up as the locks were really slimy.

      The town offered old historic houses and was home to train manufacturing. There was a nice restaurant with wine tasting. You put in a card and select the wine and size of pour. We also went bowling with our new friends on Legacy.
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    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Schenectady County, مقاطعة شينيكتادي, Скънектади, স্চেনেকটেডি কাউন্টি, Condado de Schenectady, Schenectady konderria, شهرستان اسکنکتادی، نیویورک, Comté de Schenectady, Schenectady megye, Սկենեկտադի շրջան, Contea di Schenectady, スケネクタディ郡, Schenectady Comitatus, Schenectady Kūn, Hrabstwo Schenectady, سکینکٹڈی کاؤنٹی, Comitatul Schenectady, Скенектади, Округ Скенектади, Скенектеді, شنکٹیڈی کاؤنٹی, Quận Schenectady, Condado han Schenectady, 斯克內克塔迪縣

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