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    Albany to Ottawa and Back Again

    • rufusni from Northern Ireland
    • January 26, 2008
    Albany City HallMore Photos
    I got to spend most of a month living in the area while working, mainly based right in the north of the state of New York, about 30 minutes drive to the border with Canada. The area is full of small college towns - the town I mainly stayed in, even had two colleges. Its fun to wander around some of these small towns and all the gems in them. Such as Potsdam, were I was, the episocopal church had eight Tiffany stained glass windows which were incredibly beautiful.

    Ottawa was the closest city to me, even of it is across the border, and I managed several trips up there. Its quite a strange capital city and wasn't quite what I expected but it is a pleasant city to visit. The National Gallery of Canada had such a range of artwork to wander around. I loved the great variety of restaurants and different types of food available.

    The Adirondack mountains however were simply beautiful, I'm just sorry I couldn't stay for another couple of weeks as the trees were just turning colour and it is stunning. The mountains, rivers and lakes are a divine backdrop to whatever you're doing, whether hiking or lying back in an Adirondack chair enjoying the view.

    Albany was just a brief stop on a Sunday afternoon - the Musuem of New York was a great place to visit, I really enjoyed seeing so many different aspects of life in New York state from wildlife to skyscrapers.

    It was kind of nice to see another part of the US, one that is not normally on the tourist trail. I never would have visited this area except for contacts living there, and I did enjoy it. It may not have any major sights but gives time and space to relax and enjoy life.

    ${QuickSuggestions} There are lots of interesting towns stretched across the region from Albany to Ottawa, which are worth exploring, or at least a stop on the way through, and driving on the Interstate isn't the best route always, most of the gems are well away from streams of cars.
    Make sure when you are crossing the border, if you are foreign that they properly stamp your passport - the first time I crossed over, they failed to stamp my passport which caused bother the next time I did.
    ${BestWay} The area is really only accessible if you have a car - there are buses and train routes but they are fairly inflexible. Only thing is in the mountains its definetely better to be a passenger than the driver as you can more fully enjoy the views. And of course you need to get out out and walk - whether that is hiking in the mountains, exploring some small town's charms or wandering around downtown Ottawa - there is no better way to really enjoy the place!

    Amtrak run a service through Albany, which was a great way to reach New York, quick and taking you right into the centre of Manhatten. There is a limited bus service around the region, but if your only mode of transport, would diminish the experience of the area.
    From journal Albany to Ottawa and Back Again