Forget Chipotle and Days of Our Lives, my favorite thing about the U.S. is its sheer variety. I love Georgia for its cities frozen in time, Illinois for its glistening architecture, California for its deserts, Washington for its remote islands and Vermont for being the greenest place I have ever seen.
And New York? New York offers everything (well, maybe not the deserts). People easily forget that this state is huge – it goes far beyond New York City, and it’s much more interesting, too.
Last weekend, Ryan and I jumped in the car and headed three hours north to a place that couldn’t feel further from the bustling streets of NYC: Waterford. Ryan’s parents have just moved nearby, so we packed our bags and went for a weekend trip.
And it is glorious.
They live between Saratoga Springs and Albany, and on Sunday we went for a walk along the Mohawk River (above). I loved it immediately. Everything is so quiet and still.
Next up was Waterford. We wandered through the mini farmer’s market along Waterford Harbor, which has a canal system, and walked across a bridge over the Mohawk River to Peebles Island State Park, where we met a very friendly deer.
…and I generally marveled at the quietness of it all.
We also got chatting to the local tourists’ center and I learned just how ravaged Waterford had been by Hurricane Irene in 2011 – an eye-opener because I thought the storm had passed without incident. While it did pass NYC, Waterford was entirely flooded.
There’s a sign along the harbor showing the water level after the storm.
As someone who grew up in the countryside, I’ve always enjoyed hearing the hum of a city because it’s still so novel. But sometimes, it’s lovely to be reminded of what I knew before.
Apart from being generally glorious, the best thing about the area is how close to NYC it is. I love Manhattan, I love Brooklyn – so it’s great to know I can get the best of both worlds because this little green haven is just a morning’s drive away.
What are your suggestions for day or weekend trips out of the city?
Absolutely stunning, fantastic photos but where’s Georgia, just got a glimpse of her ear
Oh she was there… and she was knackered by the end of it. She loved it 🙂
Sue beat me to it; absolutely stunning! What glorious photographs.
Thanks! The skies were perfect — and I love the colors of the trees at this time of year!
xoxox
I love the deserts in California too! When are you coming to visit the capital with your boo?
As soon as poss – but we booked ourselves up with visitors/trips every weekend from October through to December, so it’s a bit busy right now :/ But definitely definitely as soon as we can!
Wow the colors in these pictures! Can’t get over that sky! It’s my favorite time of year to get out of the city, NYC can’t compare with the autumn color you find in the countryside!
Beautiful Lydia! The blueness of the sky and the stillness of the water is just stunning! Have you ever been to Minnewaska State Park in Kerhonkson, NY? It’s about a 90 minute to 2 hour ride from the city. Gorgeous in the fall – great hiking trails. My husband and I were there a few weeks ago. I haven’t blogged about it yet. Soon. 🙂
No, I’ve never been to Minnewaska, but this weekend I’m actually going to High Falls, which is really close — so hopefully we have time to check it out! Thanks for the suggestion. And I look forward to reading about it on your blog 🙂
Those blue skies, wow!!! Agree, it’s absolutely beautiful in upstate NY! I use to go for work quite a bit in Albany, and would relish those gorgeous Amtrak rides through the changing leaves. Happy fall!:-)
[…] when I went upstate last weekend (yes, another escape from the city), the leaves were still holding on. I concluded that, without a doubt, my […]