Day Trip to Albany and the Dinosaur BBQ

Coxsackie/Albany/Troy, New York - 6 kilometres walked, 1 mile in dinghy, 100 kilometres driven

We began the day with a big, soulful breakfast then gathered up the still wet cushions to take to the Coxsackie laundromat. As we were walking from the dinghy dock through the park I ran into my local buddy Patrick.

"Where you guys going?" he asked.

"Albany for the day.  My people have arrived so I've got wheels now!" I said as I motioned to Ana and Sina then introduced them to Patrick.

"What kind of vehicle?"

"We don't like to brag," said Sina. "But it's a Hyundai Odyssey mini van."

"2012," I added. "Base model."

We left Patrick, nodding and impressed, as we continued our walk through the park to the van. At the laundromat we stuffed the cushions into a large dryer, jammed in some discs of coin, then went for coffee at the cafe next door and planned out our day.

Ana took the helm and drove us north to Albany, taking the scenic route. It seemed to me that we were traveling exceedingly fast, as high speed travel to me in recent months has been limited to nine knots (with the current). I didn't much like it and have realized over the past months how little I care for cars and highway travel. Too dangerous. Too fast.

We first visited the New York State Museum and I enjoyed it just as I had last week when I was here. It is a truly world class museum and provides such an enjoyable experience and profound depth of knowledge of the history and significant events of the state, with a focus on New York City.

Outside the museum we wandered the grounds, enjoying the views over downtown Albany and the towering buildings, performance Egg, and the capital building itself. Ana found a T.J. Maxx a few miles away so we blasted out of Albany and into that retail wonderland. Sina found two pairs of shorts, Ana picked up a shirt, and I found nothing of interest in the food section so I instead wandered over to the nearby Army and Navy store and browsed the Carhartt pants (too expensive), the knives (insufficient hand-to-hand fighting skills), and the semi-automatic guns and pistols (tough to smuggle across the border).

We had only one stop remaining for the day - Dinosaur BBQ, Troy chapter. Ana and I had discussed hitting a BBQ joint somewhere along the way during our US journeys but just hadn't gotten to it. So today was the day and Dinosaur BBQ is as good as it gets.

We ordered the family special for four to six people. It came with a full rack of ribs, an entire chicken, a pound of brisket and a pound of pulled pork. Plus a loaf of the best cornbread we've ever eaten. And large trays of mac and cheese, french fries, and coleslaw. It was gargantuan. It was epic. It was delicious. We waddled out of there with enough food left over for another meal.

During the drive back to Coxsackie we received a message from Darrren at the Coxsackie yacht club and he asked us to bring SeaLight over today as he was at the club and could show us where to dock. When we arrived, Ana stayed at the dock while Sina and I got the boat and brought her over, first for a pump out, then into the assigned dock space. Before long we were securely tied up, attached to electrical (first time in nearly eight months SeaLight has tasted shore power), and enjoying a long evening chat and great music in the comfort of the warm cabin.

This would be our last night on SeaLight before returning home tomorrow, unless the Canal Corporation announced it would be opening within the next day or two, which seemed very unlikely at this point.

Albanian Tulips, Bert and Ernie, and Saying Goodbye to Dad

Castleton to Albany to Coxsackie, New York - 1 mile in dinghy, 9 kilometres walked

After yesterday's food extravaganza we were happy with a modest breakfast of toast and cereal to start the day, which would include a long Uber ride and a three-leg flight for Dad to get back to Saskatoon. Dad's adventuree on SeaLight had come to a finish, at least for now. It had been a very fun two weeks and we'd seen so much, had so many laughs, and I was glad Dad got to experience the full gamut of sailing experiences, from long and boring days on the water to moments of chaos and confusion. It's all part of the package.

The Uber dropped me off in central Albany, Dad and I said our goodbyes, then they left for the airport and I started walking. Albany is the capital of New York State (which may surprise some) and home to a great many government workers. In 1978, the construction of the Empire State Plaza was completed, making it a worthy complement to the existing Capital building.

It is a magnificent area. I began by visiting the cultural centre which has a massive and free museum that focuses on the history of New York state and specifically on New York City, from its early history to colonization to Manhattan's "iron grid" to the development of the world's largest subway system to the tragedy of 911. I spent over an hour and a half there and only covered part of it. I enjoyed the displays on Harlem, the tenement housing and poverty of the Lower East Side, the original wildlife in Manhattan which included wolves, bears, and deer, the collection of antique fire trucks, and the full sized original NYC subway car.

My favourite display, though, was the reproduction of Sesame Street. A television played classic scenes from the show. The Pointer Sisters' Pinball Number Count:

one  two three

four-five-six

seven eight

nine-ten

eleven twellllve

do do do do do doot

And what about the Ladybug Picnic:

One, two, three

Four, five, six

Seven, eight, nine

Ten, eleven, twelve

Ladybugs came... to the ladybug picnic! 

And Bert and Ernie:

"Ernie, did you know you have a banana in your ear?"

"WHAT'S THAT YOU SAID BERT?"

"I said you have a banana in your ear."

"CAN'T HEAR YOU BERT, I HAVE A BANANA IN MY EAR."

What I didn't know was that Sesame Street has always been filmed in New York City, beginning in 1969 and still ongoing, making it one of the longest running shows in the world with 55 seasons and 4731 episodes. 

I took the elevator to the top floor to see the large, functioning carousel and dozens of people riding it then continued onto the rest of the complex, which included the Concourse, the Plaza memorials, the many artpieces, the Egg performance centre, and the Capital building itself. There were few people around so I felt like I had the whole place myself.

I wandered west into a grittier area and kept going until my Spidey sense began firing then I backtracked to a Jamaican eatery and sat down for a two extra spicy patty lunch.

One thing I always do when I find myself alone in a new city is look for a tulip festival. And I found one here, the 77th annual Albany Tulip Festival, which was free and taking place in Washington Park. I watched a rock band for a while playing on the huge stage, then wandered and maybe even tiptoe'd through the tulips. But I was careful to avoid the vendor strip which was packed with people and Shamwows and scented candles and other knick-knackery.

I moved onto the grocery store where I loaded up on provisions as Dad and I had successfully wiped out our food supply. I was going to try to hitchhike the 14 kilometres to Castleton (you know, to start my one-man effort to bring hitchhiking back into vogue) then had to call an Uber when I found out that hitchhiking in New York is forbidden, one of the few states in the US that restricts it. Spoilsports.

Once I had the groceries packed away in the boat and had a long and wonderful conversation with Magnus (now just one exam away from finishing his semester in Edinborough), I dropped the mooring lines and rode the swift current south to Coxsackie. Most may not know that SeaLight is a real-life transformer and can magically transfigure herself from sailboat to powerboat and back to sailboat, though not as rapidly as the ones you've seen in the movies. I've renamed her to Optimus Slime after seeing all the disgusting growth on her undersides, provided by the icky ICW and Hudson waterways.

I was a little worried about docking single-handed with the three knot current but was fortunate to get help from two Quebecers, named Guy and Guy, who had their sailboat in one of the two available free spots on the public dock and were waiting to grab my lines.

Coxsackie was alive with activity. A lush wedding happening in the garden and patio of the James Newbury hotel. Fishermen lining the shores and pulling in striped bass. Couples hand-in-hand walking the park. Kids riding bikes along the pathway. Despite it being Saturday, the partiest day of the week, I remained in the comfort of Optimus Slime, enjoying leftovers for dinner, some light reading, and an early bedtime.