Albany is a charming town that looks like a movie set for the nostalgic "small town America" of the 1950s. The main street rises out of the harbor with a row of shops, small banks, municipal offices, and restaurants. Outside of town are a few motels. There is nothing large or imposing. Commerce centers upon the port and the sea. Locals remarked that Albany still has areas of natural beauty, unlike many of its overbuilt, commercialized neighbors.
There are beaches in the Albany area where a person can make footprints in sand that has not been turned over for weeks. On the outskirts of town we stopped in a tiny country store for postcards. There was an air of calm about the place, and it took a few minutes to realize that there was no ringing of a cash register or sound of a computerized scanner processing grocery orders. The calculations of monies owed were done with a pencil and pad. Change was made from the cash drawer. The store featured canned goods and fishing supplies.
Albany is an undiscovered treasure as a vacation spot. It is destined to expand and change over the next few years. Hopefully, the local governing authorities will plan carefully as this growth occurs and will maintain the strength of character and uniqueness of this seaside gem.
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