Recently people have been joining me on my Sunday Walks in Downtown Albany. Typically, I walk in Albany when I'm scheduled as a tour guide on the USS Slater (DE Docent). A slide show and a map are detailed at this blog entry. The USS Slater is now open. I plan on walking in Albany on Monday, Memorial Day, May 27. You can contact me at: dedocent@gmail.com.

Monday, January 31, 2011

2011-01-31 Snowshoeing in Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve





I got a pair of snowshoes for Christmas. Luckily (or unluckily, depending on your view) we had lots of snow in January. Drove a few miles and tried them out at Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve.

One of the attractions at Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve is Forts Ferry. This is one of earliest settlements in the area (dating back to 1672). There was a tavern here during the revolution, and local accounts note that George Washington crossed the Mohawk here in 1783.






Sunday, January 2, 2011

2010-12-31 Monthly Log

Total Miles logged 106 for December

Walks Included:

  • Local Neighborhood Loop (1.7 - 3.0 miles), 26 times
  • Oakwood Cemetery Loop (3.2 - 6.3 miles), 6 times
  • Downtown Albany (~ 3.2 miles), 2 times
  • Early Morning, Cross Gates Mall (~ 1.0 mile), 7 times
  • Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve (3.0 - 5.7 miles), 3 times
  • At Home Video (~ 2.0 miles), 4 times
December marked the onset of bad weather. We had to dig out the walk-at-home video takes.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

2010-12-31 - Winter walk in Oakwood





Oakwood is one of my favorite walks. It is difficult to find a place to walk in the winter. Unshoveled sidewalks can force you into busy streets. On rural roads, ice patches and high speed cars can be deadly to walkers. While Oakwood isn't perfect, the roads are relativity clear. And most vehicles observe the lower posted speeds.

In the winter I avoid the loop to 114th street and the Uncle Sam Bike Path. However, there are plenty of other interesting routes.

I included some interior photos of the Earl Gardner Crematorium and it's Tiffany Windows.