Images of the Capital Region
The Empire
State Plaza, a vision of Nelson Rockefeller, has an unfortunate political
history, razing neighborhoods for its construction, but it is, I suppose, the
most “iconic” site in Albany, dominating the skyline. It houses State offices,
a performing arts center (“the Egg”), and the State Museum. 
The site hosts a variety of festivals, and is decorated for holidays. 
The top of the Corning Tower offers views over the area.
The Plaza
extends from the State Capitol, built in the 1880s and 1 of 11 state capitols w/o a domed roof. It provides many beautiful views, both outside 
and inside: fabulous staircases, 
beautiful skylights, recently "liberated" after being blacked out during WWII,
and ornate legislative chambers.
Nearby State Street offers its own views, 
including at the base of the hill the former Delaware & Hudson RR headquarters, now belonging to SUNY, 
and City Hall.
"Public art" can be found nearby.
Also near the Capitol is the Capital Center, providing space for conventions and other gatherings. 
The State Museum is at the other end of the Plaza from the Capitol, with a variety of exhibits and activities, 
sometimes floral arrangements interspersed in the exhibits,
and fundraising events like "CANstruction" for the Food Pantry 
The University at Albany has been my work "home" for many years. 
And hosted NY Giants training camps for a while.
Siena College in Loudonville has a pretty campus
The Hudson River is an important part of Albany, of course. 
There's an Albany Yacht Club, tho it's across the river in Rensselaer,
and tours of the USS Slater, a destroyer escort. 
Views from a "Dutch Apple" cruise.
The Mohawk River flows into the Hudson at Waterford, the site of an annual "Tugboat Roundup." 
Cohoes is an old industrial city, the largest cotton mill complex in the world in 1872, now "high-end residential lofts." Cohoes Falls is a short distance up the Mohawk.
and more Cohoes downtown, including Cohoes Music Hall
with arts activities
And other lovely views a bit further upstream. 
including Mabee Farm.
The Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail is also very scenic. 
and pretty in winter
The Town of Colonie Mohawk River Park is a bit to the east, and a pretty marina nearby..
And "Art on the Rail Trail" on Voorheesville.
The rivers have been venues for concerts by the Albany Symphony. 
Back in Albany, Washington Park is the "Central Park" of the city. 
It's the site of the annual Tulip Festival 
Park Playhouse in summer,
and the Capital Holiday Lights in the Park,
and pretty even without tulips.
Other plantings of tulips can be found around the city; 
Cook Park is also a spacious place for walking, picnics, concerts, boating.
The Albany area also has many beautiful houses of worship, detailed in my "Religious Sites" post. St. Pius X and First Presbyterian. 
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.
Hindu Temple Society and Al-Hidaya Mosque.
St. Francis of Assisi 
Cathedral of All Saints, decorated here for "Cathedral in Bloom" 
St. Basil's Russian Orthodox
Schenectady churches include St. George's Episcopal
and 1st Reformed Church.
The Capital Region is also home to some lovely and photogenic cemeteries: Albany Rural and Oakwood; these and others can be found in my "Cemeteries" post..
Oakwood has the grave of "Uncle Sam," who was a local meatpacker.
There are some beautiful old homes, such as Ten Broeck Mansion
and Pruyn House in Colonie, which also has a barn, 
an old schoolhouse, and lovely gardens. 
A venue for a summer Art Camp organized by the Colonie Art League and overseen several years by Marjorie,
summer Concerts in the Barn,
and an "Old Fashioned Sunday" at the end of summer
2020 uncovered pretty brick exterior
and pretty in the snow
The area also
has a variety of performance venues, the Palace Theater for the annual Melodies
of Christmas, in which our son Matt performed for a number of years, Proctors
Theater, where I once sang with Albany Pro Musica and the Albany Symphony, and
Chancellor's Hall in the State Education Building, wjere I've sung with
Mendelssohn Club.
Nearby to our
home is favorite Curtain Call Theater for local productions.
Local malls get
decked out for holidays and other events, including the Empire State Youth
Orchestra Playathon and a traveling LEGOs exhibit.
There's also the
Times Union Center hosting everything from rock concerts to dinosaurs.
And a local Renaissance Festival.
Troy and Schenectady, part of the Tri-City area, have their own lovely sites. Here along the Mohawk by Schenectady's Stockade, site of the Stockade Art Show where Marjorie has exhibited her art for a number of years. 
The interesting MiSci (Museum of Innovation and Science)
and Schenectady's Central Park.
Troy also has an annual Victorian Stroll
and festivals and farmers' markets.
Troy's Victorian architecture was enhanced for filing of scenes for The Gilded Age in 2021.
and a colorful ice cream shop
Hudson has an interesting downtown that's become a mecca for antiques dealers.
Lots of enjoyable amusement parks and county fairs in the summer. 
The Crossings of Colonie is a lovely spot, with a farmers' market, 
pretty plantings,
lots of geese, plus a forest trail & veterans memorial. 
Colonie also has a lovely gazebo behind Town Hall.
Tucked into a suburban area is Bauer Environmental Park, named after a former Village of Colonie Mayor. A 0.9-mile boardwalk trail goes thru lovely forest and wildflowers, with plastic bugs, lizards, and frogs serving as "wildlife." 
A similar lovely walk can be had in Fox Preserve, a 70-acre Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy in Niskayuna near the Mohawk River. 
Another is Hand Hollow Conservation Area east near New Lebanon. A patchwork of small family properties with a variety of habitats ˗ woodlands, a lake & 2 ponds, streams & wetlands; 2 entrances offer easy to moderate trails. We begin with a well-maintained trail to Meizinger Lake. Beautiful woods, ferns & mosses abound among fallen trees & rocks. A pretty little lake, kayaks and a rustic bench, wetlands along the shore.
A short drive to the 2nd entrance and a different ecology: open fields full of colorful flowers & weeds surrounded by woods, nearby pond with a beaver lodge.
20 minutes up the Northway brings you to Zim Smith Trail.
The Huyck Preserve
and Biological Research Station, in Rensselaerville on the site of a 19th
C papermaking felt mill, has more than 12 miles of trails. Forests full of ferns & mosses, punctuated by
ruins of the old mill and stone walls. Trails to lower & upper falls, and
Lake Myosotis.
The Pine Hollow Arboretum in Slingerlands was begun by a pediatrician in 1966 and became a nonprofit in 2007. Trails highlight some 30 different trees on 22 acres, with 11 ponds.
A couple of other trails are outside of Saratoga: Ballston Creek Preserve
and Wilton Wildlife Preserve.
There is a variety of sports events and activities, both outdoors 
and indoors. 
Plenty of nearby outdoor scenery; a few examples: Thacher State Park,
Pine Bush Preserve, 
and Art OMI sculpture park, 
including lovely nature trails. 
June Farms, a “small,
gentleman’s farm” on 120 acres in West Sand Lake NY, specializes in "heritage
breeds": Shire
Horses, the largest breed of horses, Highland Cattle that originated
in the Highlands and Western Isles of Scotland, 
pigs, ducks,and goats, 
as well as scattered frog sculptures and pretty birds and birdhouses. 
Our July 4th
weekend in 2020 was topped off on by a Champagne Brunch
Cruise on
Lake George. The dock is below
Prospect Mtn and across from Fort William Henry and the old D&H Railway
Station.
Quite a few colorful parasailers
as we headed up the West shore past fancy homes & resorts, some of the 200
islands on the lake, to Bolton Landing and the Sagamore Resort 11 miles up the
32-mile-long lake. Back down the less developed East shore.
I might as well finish with a couple the main transportation hubs in and out of the region: Albany International Airport, with some lovely art exhibits and new landscaping, 
a variety of "underpass art" can be found near the train station.
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