Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1380
feature 39 July 2009 antique canal boat. Once there, we were surprised to find Persian architecture and were awed by views of the river that Church planned as living paintings from carefully placed windows. The river is a transportation micro- cosm. On an afternoon of leisure boat- ing, we passed ocean-going barges while planes flew above, and we glided under bridges where cars and trucks crossed. On either shore, trains traveled like tiny pieces in a diorama, freight trains on the west shore and Amtrak passenger trains on the east side. Our return trip to Albany traveling north on the Hudson River included coves of sandy beaches, historic light houses, and the abandoned brick ruins of an ice house from times when winter ice was harvested from the river. We spent a night in Kingston, visiting its Maritime Museum on the waterfront. The next day, we stopped for lunch in the picturesque water town of Athens, and then cruised past modern mansions as well as historic homesteads that were stops on the Underground Railroad during the Civil War. We passed the city of Hudson, once an upstream whaling port. We tied up and went for a stroll at Schodack Island State Park in Castleton, another old river town. Marinas and town parks dotted the shoreline, and we were never far from a stop if we chose. Returning Home As we neared home, the port of Albany returned us quickly to current times. Storage tanks and industrial piers crowd the riverbanks in the port. Behind them rises the skyline of the city, with sleek white skyscrapers of the Empire State Plaza and the red tile roof the 19th cen- tury Capitol building. We passed huge blades for modern windmills, waiting on shore for land transport. The working river fulfills its mission while a har- mony with its beauty is sought. Efforts continue to protect the environment and create more recreational access to the riverfront. In Albany, accomplish- ments include Corning Park, a pedes- trian bridge and public docks. In nearby Waterford, where the Erie Canal begins, a rebuilt waterfront hosts a Fall Tugboat Roundup and Spring Steamboat Meet. As we pulled into port, our water and time travel on the river ends, gifting us with a desire for more. More Photos house boat magazine Top Right-You never know what other boats you'll share the water with on the Hudson River. These are two old-fashioned, wood-burning steamboats. Center Right-The active port of Albany, New York, with skyline of the capital city in the back- ground. Bottom Right-Olana, the Moorish style home of famous Hudson River School painter Frederick Church. Log on to the digital magazine to see over 10 more photos.