I have logged many-a-mile on this trail over the years; most often between Kiwanis and Aqueduct…read moreParks. I especially enjoy starting near Schenectady Community College - an easy-to-spot local landmark with lots of room to park for group run meet-ups, a small track space perfect for timing splits and speedwork, and plenty of benches and grasses spaces for stretching and chatting before/after a walk, run, bike, or blade. The path varies in flatness, tree cover, nature-views, and frequency of traffic crossing, offering a nice variety for any activity. I've spotted loads of unthreatening wildlife while on the path, including turtles, deer, snakes, ground hogs, beavers, and many different birds, squirrels, and enjoy being near the water and especially stopping at the locks to stretch, rest, or fuel mid-long run, too. [extra garbage cans, tables/benches, and proximity to other humans makes it feel like a safer space to slow, perhaps?] I am hopeful that the Color the Canal project will return for the third year in 2021, which creates visual and sculptural art to welcome the CEC cyclists riding from Buffalo to Albany each July.

My wife and I walked the portion between Watervliet and Albany recently and it was a pretty nice…read moretrail. Much of it was in the woods along an old railroad right-of-way, so there were plenty of trees providing shade. A couple of clearings allowed for sightlines of the expressway but it wasn't too noisy. One area had a bench, picnic table, and informational display about the location of the old Troy Iron Works. A few areas had cutaways in the trees for sightlines to the river. I wish there was more to see or do along the trail, and it would have been appreciated to have some more benches or tables or whatnot to rest on. But, the area in Watervliet where the parking lot is had a couple of tables.

Historical district was everything that I hoped, for I was on an Ancestry hunt of my ancestors and…read morefound out so much information about my native American Heritage. The stockade historical district society was a big help in my search for my Native American roots. The historical society staff were warm and friendly and so very gracious. I felt like the TV show who do you think you are?

Better than Dallas we must say. Great to walk the town and feel western. Great little shops as well…read morewith all types of cool trinkets. Kids enjoyed the maze, got to see a rodeo it was an awesome time!

A lovingly restored and maintained historic home, with a one-room school house, a large barn, and…read morelots of history to explore and learn.

Cute little historic complex, which I'll describe in detail below, that pays its way for the Town…read moreof Colonie as a reception hall specializing in weddings. I can't comment on the weddings but it looks like a very good value for a small wedding and a charming, spacious setting. The historic complex has three main "attractions". The first is the Pruyn House itself, an odd combination of a federal brick and greek revival mansion, built in the first third of the 19th century for Casparus Pruyn and family. Pruyn was the agent/collector for Stephen van Rensselaer III, the last Patroon of Rensselaerswyck, the feudal remnant of the Dutch empire in the US that lasted in its odd legal form until the middle of the 19th century. It is not the main site of business, but it does speak a bit to the social history around the Patroonship system. There are interpretive placards in each room, including one on the Anti-Rent Wars that broke up the Patroon system finally. Most of the rooms have period furnishings in them, although not a full restoration, and as such it's a nice illustration of 19th century elite living but not exactly a full recreation. The upper floors have rooms that double as offices for the curators, so there are also modernized touches around. Even so, it's a moderately interesting look. There's not a lot of interpretation but enough to figure things out. Outside the main house is a lovely flower garden, and two more buildings. One is the Buhrmaster Barn, an early 19th century barn that was moved from a position close to the Mohawk River, and the old Verdoy school, which was moved from its location near Route 7 in 1995. The barn is used for receptions and programs, and has some very interesting intact woodwork but is, well, you know, a barn used for wedding receptions. It's nicer than a real barn but not as interesting. The Verdoy school house, though, is one of the best intact one-room school houses in the area, and they have a few desks and some props (I can't call them artifacts) left out, which I am guessing are used for school groups to come in, with some modern seating. It's worth a peek inside - the kids enjoyed playing school for a few minutes - but it's not a complete re-creation either. It's all free (donations accepted) and despite the relative lack of interpretation it should be of interest to those interested in local history, old houses, or just a pleasant walk around some grounds. There are picnic tables and a big open space in the rear, and I don't know if they care if you come and use it as a picnic spot, but I would recommend it as such if you're looking for one in the area and want to spice up your stop with a little history.

We visited here twice when we were in Albany this Fall. On our first visit, we toured the grounds,…read morewhich are beautiful, and learned some cool facts from the interpretive signs. On the second visit, we checked out the holiday craft market featuring over 90 vendors including purveyors of mushrooms, coffee, cheeses and tons of hand made table linens and crafts. Some great finds here included mushroom seasoning, ginger jams, and some rare treats from their heavily discounted "attic" section which was super fun to browse. I picked up two cool, old style cookbooks from here for just a couple dollars.

Well despite coming here to Albany for such a short time out of disappointment in regards to my…read morefamily who never told me that they wanted to stay here shortly I had left them alone and went my own way to this Shaker heritage community unfortunately they are closed on Monday and Tuesday and originally I was supposed to go to Cleveland for at least going to the arboretum down there in Cleveland no they want to go over here and stores are closed anyways this looks like a good place to check out I would come back here again but without my family since I like the quaintness of state capital Albany in upstate New York other than that not much I could say I like how they have this rare cow that they raise here that's almost extinct chickens and how they educate you about the Shakers since they don't live a life of producing but rather of the celibate life in Christianity from the days of George Washington and the American revolution. That is what I learned about this place unfortunately I couldn't go to the museum because it was closed on Monday

Local gem! 1 screen so limited on what you can see but the amazing prices on tickets and food make…read moreup for that. It's 2 floors and ornate decor. Definitely check it out!

All of it. Great independent movie theater. No tremendous crowds, well priced tickets and snacks…read more Features a home-grown preview film of our sweet town.

The staff here were pleasant, kind and helpful. We came for a Saturday night light show in the…read moreplanetarium. About 45 minutes long, a good time you can't beat it. A few jokes from the ticket-taker as well. Tip: try and grab the seats toward the back, to keep your neck more comfortable. We arrived ~15 minutes before start time and were able to peruse around the different displays and interactive exhibits. A place for all ages. This was a nice indoor activity to get out of the house and not be in the frigid cold.

Visited the planetarium to see James Hood's "Beautifica" on date night, the event itself was a…read morewonderful visual meditative experience! The building itself could definitely use some updating (the bathroom is kind of falling apart). The staff were super friendly! True to brand we showed up late and the show had already started, but staff were kind enough to sneak us into our seats without disrupting everyone else's experience. I look forward to going back here to see the rest of the museum!

A peaceful place to go take a hike with your pet. The path is right down Mohawk river over looking…read morea waterfall. If you want to get your cardio in...the place has an incline so you can run up and down to burn off some excess fat. At the right time, there are a lot of wild raspberries that you can try along the path. A good place to fish and enjoy nature.

Love everything about this restaurant! Tonight we had eggplant parm which was lightly breaded and…read moretender, with a delicious fresh marinara sauce. Eggplant wasn't chewy or thick as many are. My date had the meat sauce with tagliatelle that was so thick and flavorful. But hats off to the baker! The bread is the best I've had in any restaurant in the Capital district! Even better than most Italan bakeries. Fresh, crusty, dense and tastes like homemade! The dessert we had was amazing- a pistachio and chocolate chip panna cotta. It was light and creamy but not overly sweet with a crunchy topping. The perfect ending to an Italian dinner! Our server was lovely and genuine (didn't get her name but it was around 6pm tonight). She was so thoughtful! We love Stella's and highly recommend it for an amazing meal and great service.

I came here with an out-of-town friend to sample the Seven Points brews at the bar, but we decided…read moreto stay at the bar for a meal as well. I enjoyed the atmosphere here, as well as my Baritone American-style Porter. My brewery companion said his beers were ok, but he really enjoyed his pasta dinner. He travels to Italy frequently, and he said the pasta would be considered traditionally al dente in Italy, though perhaps not to all Americans' taste. I took advantage of the happy hour prices (which included a discount on my beer) to try the Eggplant Stack appetizer. The eggplant was cooked perfectly, crisp without being greasy, and the marinara sauce was addicting. Service at the bar was fun with the chatty bartenders. Besides coming back here to sample more beers, this could easily become one of my go-to Italian restaurants in the Capital District.

It was great when it WAS here!…read more This must be very out of date as Van Gogh exhibit closed more than a year ago!

I don't know who put this all together, but it was a genius move. Spectacular way to display Van…read moreGoghs work, even if you don't know another about him, you will get all you need heretic room where everything definitely wakes up is so beautiful, and the VR was really cool too. Look up the immersive experience in your town and go!!!