Goodbye East Coast

Six months ago I relocated to upstate New York for work. It was my first time living on the east coast, and I didn’t really know what to expect. The whole experience ended up being a great adventure, and I’m thankful I had the opportunity to come out here. All things must come to an end though - in a few days I will be returning to California. It’s sort of a bittersweet goodbye. I’m glad to be going home and spending time with family and friends that I haven’t seen in awhile, but at the same time there are definitely things I’ll miss about my life these past six months, so this post is dedicated to all those nice things that I will miss about upstate NY when I leave:

Abundant Nature - The first thing one notices when getting off the plane is how many trees there are around here. Everything is green (except in the winter when it’s covered in snow), a nice contrast to California where all the vegetation has long since dried up. My apartment building was literally next to a small forest, providing plenty of great places to run. Parks and hiking trails are everywhere, and you actually see more nature than people on the trails due to the lower population density. 

Saratoga Springs - I really liked this city. Just ten minutes from my apartment and thirty minutes north of Albany, downtown Saratoga Springs has the charming atmosphere of an artsy cultural center without the suffocating crowds of the bigger cities. Restaurants here were great, I never had a bad meal here. And there would often be fun events going on in town, from the horse races in the summer to the huge New Years Eve celebration at the end of the year. 

Proximity to Major Cities - My location was a convenient three hour drive away from several big cities, including NYC and Boston. I definitely took advantage of the location to go on multiple weekends trips to these major destinations. 

Traffic (or lack thereof) - When bad morning traffic means being stuck at the roundabout for an extra two minutes, you know you have it good. I’m definitely going to miss not having to plan my day around traffic patterns.

Overall, I enjoyed my time out on the east coast. I met/reconnected with some amazing people, went on incredible adventures, and learned what it means to live in a place with weather. It’s time to head home now, but I sincerely hope I’ll be able to come back here someday.

Historical Day Trips Around Upstate New York

As one of the original thirteen colonies, New York has numerous historically significant points of interest dating back to the founding of the nation. Many battles from the revolutionary war were fought around the area, and countless historical figures made their homes in New York and the surrounding states. Lots of these historical sites have been preserved as state parks or tourist attractions, providing ample day trip opportunities for the history buffs. What follows are a few of my recommended historical places to visit in upstate New York and nearby in Vermont.

Main house at Hildene

Hildene

Located in Manchester, Vermont, Hildene is the family home of Robert Todd Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln’s son. The house was purchased from the Lincoln family by a non-profit, and is now open for tourists to visit. Self-guided tour of the house takes less than an hour, but one could spend a full day exploring the entire estate. An extensive network of walking trails connects one point of interest to the next. Two of my favorite points on the estate were the Pullman car and the goat farm. An original Pullman train luxury car is open for visitors to walk through and admire. We used the free shuttle service to go from there to the goat farm on the far side of the estate, where you can learn about the cheese making process and pet some goats. There’s a lot to do, and I would recommend at least a half day to get the most out of a visit to Hildene.

Petting goats at the goat farm

Inside Fort Ticonderoga

Fort Ticonderoga

Many battles from both the French and Indian and the Revolutionary Wars were fought at Fort Ticonderoga. The fort, located about two hours north of Albany, has been rebuilt and restored over the years to function now as a living museum. In addition to the indoor exhibits featuring historical artifacts from the revolutionary era, the fort staff give tours and demonstrations all throughout the day. 

Musket firing demonstration

Beside the obligatory full-fort tour, my top recommendation would be the musket firing demonstration which takes place several times a day. Several staff members dressed up in military uniforms show firing line formations and musket reloading and firing. When we went the garden was already past peak, but I would also recommend the garden tour during peak season. Ticonderoga is another feature filled attraction that would best be visited for at least a half day, if not a full day.

View from the top of Bennington Monument

Bennington Monument

At over 200 feet high, the Bennington Monument towers over the town of the same name. The monument commemorates the Battle of Bennington from the Revolutionary War, and features some exhibits in the small museum at the base of the tower. But I’m highlighting this mostly because of the awesome view at the top. For $5 you can take a ride to the observatory at the top of the monument, where you can see parts of Vermont, New York, and Massachusetts. Visiting the monument shouldn’t take more than an hour or so, but you can combine it with other nearby attractions (such as the Bennington Museum) for a full day trip.

Artwork from the Bennington Museum

Saratoga National Historic Park

Comprised of four distinct areas of interest, the Saratoga National Historic Park is a full day attraction. The main part of the park is the battlefield. Visitors have the option of exploring the battlefield on car or bike on the main paved self-guiding tour road, or on foot via the many walking trails throughout the park. The road takes you to various historical points, including battle sites, monuments, and old army occupied buildings. I chose to drive the tour road, and it took me roughly four hours to see everything, plus another hour spent at the visitor center at the beginning of the road. 

Cannons around the battlefield

A few miles north of the battlefield is the Schuyler House, where General Philip Schuyler lived. Hour-long tours run throughout the day. Northwest of the Schuyler House is the Saratoga Monument and Victory Woods. By the time I got this far, the monument was already closed for the day, but there was still enough sunlight to take a quick walk through the Victory Woods trail. The trail was about half a mile one way, and included various signs you could read about General Burgoyne’s last stand in those very woods. Overall it was a nice, relatively cheap (I only had to pay $5 for the battlefield - everything else was free) day trip, and highly recommended for anyone in the area with an interest in history.

The monument I didn't get to go up

Adventures Awaits on the East Coast

Having been born and raised, and done all my schooling in California, I have spent almost my entire life living and traveling around on the west coast. So when I happened upon an opportunity to take a six month work assignment in upstate New York, I jumped on the chance to travel to the east coast, a part of the country that is still relatively unknown and mysterious to me. 

For the next half year, I will be living and working in Malta, NY, a small town in an area whose sleepy exterior belies the rich history within. Less than ten miles from my apartment is the site of the Battle of Saratoga from the Revolutionary War. A few minutes drive northwest of there, and you can reach Saratoga Springs, a town with it’s own longtime traditions of hot springs and horse races. Even today, you can go there to watch (and bet on, if you’re feeling lucky,) live thoroughbred horse racing, a pastime that seems to be distinctly east coast.

There are also countless activities available for the outdoor enthusiast. Warm summer days offer swimming and kayaking on the many lakes in the area, hiking in the vast Adirondack mountain range, and running through the nearby forest trails. Winters are said to be harsh, but also provide opportunities to ski, ice skate, and snow shoe without having to drive four hours up a mountain. 

As an added bonus, upstate New York happens to be in a great location for weekend trips to popular east coast destinations. Three hours of driving can get you to New York City to the south, Boston to the east, and Montreal to the north. With an additional hour of driving, you could reach Philadelphia farther south or Niagara Falls to the west. I definitely plan to visit some of these locations, as well as others in the vicinity. 

So far I’ve been enjoying the east coast experience, seeing interesting places unique to the area. It’s been a bit hot and humid, nothing like the year round temperate weather back home, but that hasn’t deterred me from going exploring. There’s so much to see and do - more than enough to keep me busy for the next six months.

- MC 7/27

P.S. I'd love to hear any suggestions for things to see/do from all you east coasters!