What to do in Albany in September

"The Great is the Enemy of the Good."

Wisdom imparted to me by a dear friend when I asked him if we should go to another bar in Amsterdam or stay at the one we were atm which was in fact, pretty good. 

And is not true? How many good experiences do we pass up, so we can wait in line or pay too much money for something we hope will be great? 

Try as we might to chase those 'great' 'once-in-a-lifetime' experiences, sometimes that chase leaves us (me) feeling hollow. Expectations are a dangerous thing, and who among us has daydreamed too highly of something only for the reality of it to disappoint? The converse is true as well. Haven't we all turned on some crappy Scifi movie or a Romcom expecting to fall asleep but instead find ourselves enthralled because our expectations were sufficiently low? 

Set your expectations correctly and anywhere can deliver a fun-filled day. To illistrate this point, I present to you:

Albany, New York

Hand Hollow Conservation Area

I started off the day at a wildlife sanctuary, looking for a tiny, boldly colored bird called a prairie warbler. I arrived to find a meadow filled with mist, sumacs turning crimson above fading fields of grass. Birds called from all around me as I plunged into the prairie. 

At one point, I found myself on a path that led through a tight thicket and was not five feet away from chickadees, catbirds and white-throated sparrows. None of these birds were new to me  (Even the black-capped chickadee, despite it not living in Texas) but having this place to myself, with no one to share it with but these feathered friends was special. 

It was a good experience, arguably a four out of five birding moment, and yet, I did not see the prairie warbler (or any new birds for my year) so it was not quite what I wanted. I did see a couple new ones for the trip, but could not go too deep into the woods for fear of angering a nest of yellow jackets so ornery that multiple signs were devoted to warning me of their presence on the approaching bridge, I turned around and made for the RV.

Cohoes Falls

Perhaps the highlight of the day was Cohoes Falls, a waterfall in the north of Albany whose biggest claim to fame is being almost as big as Niagara. Seriously, whoever wrote the signage/website/etc had a serious inferiority complex. Everything compared these falls to Niagara, and in that regard, they were in fact inferior.

But taken for themselves, they were spectacular, especially when we saw them. It was after a rain, so they stretched from one bank of the river to the other. We arrived at the park, descended a set of stairs, and marveled at the rainbow at their base. Beautiful, spectacular falls… that somehow felt less than simply because they were being compared to the most famous waterfalls in the country. An example of the great being the enemy of the good if I’ve ever seen one.

Empire Plaza Playground

From there, we had a less than remarkable lunch, then went to downtown Albany to see the capital (pretty nice) the New York State University (exceeds expectations), and the Empire State Plaza. We went in search of a cathedral, that billed itself as the second oldest in the nation. Why not just say when it dated to? Why make it clear that it’s not actually the oldest? I suppose because they knew that the great is the enemy of the good, and sometimes it’s a good strategy to sufficiently lower expectations.

When we arrived there was a wedding taking place, which totally freaked Leo out.

“We can’t in there!” he stammered. “I’ll feel uncomfortable!"

Fair enough.

I didn't feel quite as out of place, and stood inside for a moment, and joined in the with assembled to recite the Lord's prayer. Not that I'm religious, but it felt nice to chant in honor of these people in a pretty place. 

We left the cathedral and went across the street to a playground (sculpture garden?) made entirely of wood. As in no screws, no nails, nothing but carefully carved pieces of wood fitted together. It was pretty good. We also saw a peregrine falcon circling overhead. I didn’t get a great look at it, but I did good a look that was, well, pretty good.

After a half-hour and a bit of hide and seek with the kids, we returned to the cathedral and found it to be… pretty good. The stained glass was beautiful (but not the most spectacular I’ve ever seen) the roof was gorgeous (but not the biggest) and done with red brick supporting a creamy pattern of brick above it.

It was a little odd that it was the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, and all the stained glass (except one) was devoted to Jesus and not, you know, the lady that didn’t do the thing. But such is the patriarchy.

The place still moved me, and I joyfully dipped my hands in the holy water, anointing my family, much to their annoyance.

Albany Pine Bush Preserve

From there, we went to Albany Pine Bush Preserve. To kill time, I said. So we wouldn’t have to return to the RV before dinner, I said. Because there’s a short loop of a trail that would be easy to walk after so much mileage covered, I said.

All lies.

The real reason I dragged the family to the Pine Bush Preserve was because someone had spotted a prairie warbler there a week ago, and you know what? I ACTUALLY SAW IT.

I was twitching a little bit at this point from a month of birding and not seeing any lifers better than a fish crow, so I might have *ahem* played its call a couple of times to lure it out.

A female appeared, and I was more than willing to settle for her good plumage, but then a male appeared and any misgivings I had about luring this warbler from its hiding place in these pine barrens vanished when it alit on a handrail not ten feet from me, cocked its black and yellow head at me, gave me the briefest glimpse of the rusty spot on the back of its neck, then fluttered away.

It was the best bird I’ve seen on this trip, made it all the better because I had birded that morning, hoping to see it and failing to do so. The one I had been looking at in my field guide had bolder colors (no doubt photographed in spring, during mating season, and not fall, just before migration) but I was not at all disappointed in seeing this pair.

I think part of my pleasure was in just how good the day had been. Nothing had been spectacular. I have seen more birds on a nature walk, and with better plumage. I had seen a better waterfall just a week ago. I have seen more spectacular cathedrals and downtowns that are more handsome. But all of these solidly enjoyable (but not amazing) things stacked right after the other made the day a good day.

To top it all off, we set our sights rather low and decided to go out for buffalo wings.

Buffalo Wings 

We found a sports bar with good reviews, followed the hostess to a table, asked the waitress to put on the Yankees/Red Sox game (we were in New York), and ordered twenty wings of variable spiciness, beer, macaroni, and cheese, plus pizza for the kids.

The wings were better than good. Crisp, moist, covered in sauce, a bit too spicy. Delicious. Great really, even though wings are not really my thing, and are most definitely not Raquel’s.

She ate four of them, leaving me to polish off the other sixteen, a feat I accomplished with the help of two beers, and which necessitated an early bedtime.

But again, the good reared its head.

Leo asked if we could have a fire, and I said yes.

We went and got some wood from the camp hosts, and while Leo put on his jacket, I loaded what tiny bit of pot I had left into a hastily carved out apple, smoked it, then went outside to tend to the fire.

It was not the best fire I ever built (and definitely not the best weed I ever smoked) but, like Albany, it was more than good enough.

As was the shower I took to cap off the day, which ran out of hot water before I was done.

Pretty good, Albany, pretty good indeed.