"Hear, O Israel! Adonai is our G-d! Adonai is One!" - Proud of this amazing structure, tremendous…read moreamount of Jewish history - alive and well in this amazing town! G-d Bless America!

Nice old shul. It's a historic landmark. During the summer, they use it every day. During the year…read moreit's used infrequently. In the summer, it's orthodox.

If you like art and architecture, you will likely enjoy visiting Opus 40. What is it? A large scale…read moreoutdoor, hand-crafted architectural work of art that took a man near 40 years to carve and construct. At first glance, it seems random. But walk slowly, observe how sight lines of the work draw you to the mountains in the distance and how shadows change the perspective. It's truly a masterpiece of outdoor art. Budget at least an hour to visit and wear comfortable shoes. Roads and parking: unpaved entrance and rather rough parking area. So drive your Range Rover and not your Ferrari to Opus 40 (although some of the country roads nearby provide incredible driving opportunities). Price: $12 on site for adults, $11 online with $1 service charge. Misc tips: (1) Buy tickets online. For two people or more, buying online saves at least a dollar and guarantees entrance on busy weekends. (2) Try to visit in mid-October as the leaves change.

Well worth visiting including the on-site museum. I would say think about the historical context as…read moreto when this was being built.

My wife and I brought our Chinese exchange friend here for the view of Albany. We were the only…read moreones up there for much of the time, and it was quiet and peaceful. While it was a gloomy February day, the views were still pretty good. Since I am familiar with the area, it was fun to look around and spot areas I know from the higher vantage point. For those who don't know Albany, they had nice picture boards pointing out the major sites in the area. However, since they were only in English (and not Chinese) they were of limited value to our friend. We did our best to help her out. One downside is that to gain access from the indoor concourse level you either need to take an elevator to the plaza level, or take an escalator. Because we had a baby stroller they helped us with the first elevator ride up. On the way down, though, they not only acknowledged that we had a stroller but instead asked us to "deal with the escalator." I believe they were short-staffed at the desk, but this was really annoying. Thankfully, a we made it down without incident (or lawsuit). At least it is free.

Now that you are in New York's capital, why not see it from the tallest building in the city. Best…read moreof all it's FREE to go to the 42nd floor observatory. If you come here on a sunny day, you can really see a lot of Albany and it's surroundings. I personally love viewing the Empire State Plaza from above. Go to the other side of the observation deck and you can see the governor's mansion. This is a GREAT place to take out of town visitors since there isn't a TON to do in Albany. Two things to keep in mind: 1. Hours are limited, at my time of visit it was only open M-F, 10-4. Kind of a bummer that this isn't open on the weekends, I think it used to be, but it has to do with state funding. 2. If the weather outside is horrible and cloudy you won't be able to see much. If you are visiting Albany, I'd also suggest a quick visit to the free state museum where you can also ride the carousel. Stroll up to Lark Street for a meal or beverage too! If it's nice out wander through Washington Park.

What a gem! We visited the area from San Diego and a friend suggested to stop over at the Grant…read moreCottage. This is a great move for any history buff. The home is in the original condition the way President Grant and his family would have experienced it, meticulously maintained by a knowledgeable staff and volunteers. I had a great time and learned a lot. Highly recommend!

My visit to Grant's Cottage was amazing. I learned so much about his last days and how he provided…read morefor his family. The staff and tour guide here are all very informative and friendly. The grounds are well kept and the cottage itself is well preserved. I have no words to describe the breathtaking outdoor overlook. It is not to be missed. Everything within Grant's Cottage is well maintained and you truly feel as if you are brought back to the 1800's. You will enjoy the tour whether you are a history buff or just looking to gain knowledge about President Grant. I highly recommend!!

My boyfriend and I were in Kaaterskill Falls for our annual hike at the Rail Trail, when we…read morediscovered Saugerties Lighthouse. I don't even know how to be honest. But we like to drive around getting lost a lot, which is how we discover most places. The entrance is a little hidden, small parking lot. The trail is full of greenery. There is a mixture of bridges and dirt paths. Also we noticed little figurines hidden along the way. They are very cute! The views on the way to the lighthouse were as stunning as of the lighthouse alone. At some point you have to walk over the water - so it is wise to look at the tide schedule so you don't get wet or trapped. The lighthouse is dipped in history that you can read on their website (saugertieslighthouse.com). It is truly an incredible little place. I read there are tour and you can even stay there overnight! We definitely want to do either one or both in the near future. It was definitely an amazing find, which we will incorporate into our annual visits. Breathtaking location. The volunteers are doing a great job maintaining it. Definitely made for a memorable visit.

This place is really cool! There aren't any other lighthouses that I know of in the immediate area…read moreof the Hudson Valley that is accessible on foot (without a boat). During the week the lighthouse deck is open so you can walk to the back deck to enjoy this place up close but on the weekends the deck is closed to guests that might be staying the night. You can actually lodge at the lighthouse which is even cooler than just visiting the outside. The walk to the base of the lighthouse is an easy walk but don't arrive too late because the tide could be really high making the walk likely very muddy or very wet to pass. Parking area is super small so arrive early to ensure parking or you'll have to wait in your car for a spot to open up. I wouldn't advise parking on the grass of the adjacent coast guard property since there are signs that say come back if there is no parking likely implying "If you park here you will be towed" but signs don't explicitly say that so beware if you park outside lot.

Do you was a free bottle of carbonated drink....just get your own bottle and fill them up for free…read moreat this spring. Hathorn Spring No. 1 is located on the Northeast corner of Putnam and Springs Streets, right in the heart of Saratoga Springs. The spring was scovered in 1866, by a workman, Samuel Freeburn, while digging an excavation for Congress Hall.The spring is named after Henry H, Hathorn owner of the Congress Hotel. The natural spring has a tap running 24/7 and is highly-carbonated water of an Alkaline-Saline flavor noted for its high mineral content, and renowned as a digestive curative. The water tastes a Lil salty and fell a tiny bit of carbonation that can cause a tingle.

You learn about the Falls in junior high if you grew up in Troy, Watervliet, Cohoes, Lansingburgh…read moreaka 'the burgh'...or in other words are a local. Its a nice bit of 'wilderness' in the city. I guess the police/rescue squad get about 5-10 calls every spring-early fall to get some idiot that overestimated their free climbing prowess, got in a hairy spot, and (best case) froze and needed help back down. Worst case they fall, get injured and need to be carried out. Back in the day when I was still a young woman I did enjoy hiking in with some friends and finding a quiet spot near the falls to enjoy the natural vibes with the help of some good quality bud. , Haven't been up to the falls in years but I imagine not much has changed. Note/another reviewer questioned why the city doesn't keep it up better as it is a nice spot. I think the land is privately owned not city property.

Finding this beauty made my entire weekend. Ah, just to sit and breathe it in. Thank you, Yelp…read morefriends, for pointing the way. If you are near Troy definitely worth finding.

The Queen of Queens heads to the capitol. I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. A beautiful…read morebuilding that was easily accessible although you will have to go through multiple security checkpoints when navigating through the building. Don't worry, security officers were personable and were happy to direct to where you need to be. I think they rather you ask than aimlessly wander around this pretty important government building. There are shops and places to grab a quick bite. There is also a Dunkin' in there and this was what I needed to refuel halfway through the day. If you like history/public affairs/governmental stuff...definitely worth a visit. I'm sure I'll be back in some capacity.

My wife has family in Albany and when there we always make a stop at our states capital. We would…read morevisit before we were Married and once there were a concert we enjoyed. Right downstairs from this Plaza is the ny state museum a must see. During the second year of cov vid I proposed to her and we went to city hall in New York Manhattan. And got our license. But had difficulties getting a date to make it official. So my wife decided to call Albany and someone actually answered . And gave us a date in Aug of 2021 . Where we were married and spent the weekend with family.