The rain returned last night but looks to move out this morning. By the time we get to Albany the sun should be shining again.

Breakfast at the hotel again featured those not eggs "eggs" . Starbucks here we come.

Not sure why Google maps routed us this way but we ended up on a two lane state highway that wandered through New Jersey and right through Princeton. Soon after passing Princeton we found the Starbucks we needed. Strict sign code in this township as the Starbucks sign is red - just like all the other signs in this town.

As we drive through New Jersey in to New York, traffic moves right along. Only a couple slow downs for construction or Governor Christie "traffic studies". I do have to say that New Jersey has worse pot holes than Spokane. Granted they had a heavy snow winter but some places the pot holes were more than holes, they were craters or ruts running for several yards each.

As we headed north we passed through the Catskills and began to see hills and even some rocky terrain. We were suddenly surprised to see the OCC (Orange County Choppers) iconic shop right off the tollway. We made a quick exit and circled around to make a quick visit . Inside the shop was huge and empty of customers. It seemed there were eight or more employees and about 4 customers - and we were all 4 of those customers. The shop has an adjoining restaurant, bowling alley, and pool hall area. All were pretty vacant. They had lots of merchandise and several of their "concept choppers" on display. These are the unique design choppers that were featured on their Discovery Channel tv show. Hanging from the ceiling is the Lance Armstrong chopper that honored his multiple Tour de France "victories". Many other choppers that were featured on the show are displayed all around the shop.

We arrive into Albany, New York just before 1pm and find a little sandwich shop for lunch. Our first impression is that Albany is old and dingy. Similar to Wilmington and the outskirts of Philadelphia. Old narrow homes in disrepair, with rough roads and trash everywhere.

Our next stop is the New York State Museum . This museum is adjacent to the State Capital and government buildings. The museum is free and features a variety of history and information on New York State. We found the section about 9/11 most interesting. They have numerous artifacts from 9/11 on display, including a damaged fire truck, pieces of the towers and many smaller items as well. It is a sad reminder of the horrific events of 9/11/01. The museum has a 1909 Carousel that we took a quick spin on. We agreed that the 1909 Looff Carousel that we have in Spokane is prettier and better.

We walked the short distance to the State Capital to take a few pictures. Along the way we also viewed "The Egg". A very unusual performing arts center. It literally looks like an egg on a stand. You enter through doors in the stand and go up elevators or escalators to enter the auditorium. Unfortunately there was an event at the time so we could not go inside.

As we drove to our hotel we continued to see dilapidated houses and businesses . Rough roads with lots of trash and debris everywhere. Prominent businesses are check cashing stores, tattoo parlors, hair salons, and small mini-markets. The neighborhood around our hotel is rather rough. But then we have not seen a nice neighborhood at all yet.

During our search for a good place for dinner we continually strike out. There are numerous Indian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern restaurants but none seem decent. We decide to drive up to Schenectady to see if they have something better to offer. Schenectady is only about 15 minutes away and was the corporate home to General Electric for many years. There are still several GE plants and research centers around Schenectady. We drove past a couple restaurants and kept driving. We ended up at at great Italian restaurant on the main street called Johnnys. The food was good and service was great. On our drive back to the hotel we saw more rough neighborhoods.

So far on this trip we have seen a lot of poor housing areas. Spokane looks pretty good compared to Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Albany.

Tomorrow we head to Vermont to see if the Maple trees are dripping their sweet syrup yet.


Schenectady