Albany, New York

We wrapped up our New England tour at the end of August and headed into New York for our visit first to Albany (then later to New York City). Albany is our 48th capitol visit, leaving only Mississippi and Alabama to finally be able to say we've visited all the capitols in the United States. Because so many of the capitols are alike, with the same style domes, marble floors and staircases, similar architectural styles, and layout, we were pleased to find the capitol building in Albany quite unlike any we'd seen before. And no wonder! Designed by five different architects, the capitol features an eclectic blend of Gothic Revival, Romanesque, and Moorish influences. Construction was completed in 1899 at a cost of $25 million (which translates to more than half a billion dollars today) with much of the interior (especially the staircases) showcasing works of art in their own right. The staircase near the western entrance is famous for the delicate faces carved in sandstone. It took more than 12 years and hundreds of stonecutters to complete, and legend has it that some stone cutters carved the likenesses of friends and family alongside the 77 more famous faces (such as Washington, Lincoln, Grant, and Susan B. Anthony). Speaking of legends, there have also been reports that the building is haunted, most notably with the ghost of Samuel Abbot, a night watchman who died in a 1911 fire, and another of a local fruit vendor who committed suicide in 1890 by jumping off one of the staircases to the Senate chamber below. We didn't see any ghosts during our visit, but with the dimly lit interior and Gothic feel to the building, I'm not surprised there are stories of hauntings. We did, however, enjoy our tour and consider this capitol quite unique. 

Block Island, Rhode Island

Our last escapade during our month long stay in East Killingly, Connecticut was taking the ferry from Pt. Judith, Rhode Island to Block Island (also part of Rhode Island) for a bike tour.  On a crisp August morning, we loaded up our bikes, caught the early morning 13-mile ferry ride over, and were pedaling our way around the island with a couple of hours to spare before stopping for lunch. For some reason, I had this idea we were going to a remote and sparsely populated island and would have no crowds to contend with and no traffic to worry about. Don't ask me where this fantasy came from, but it was pretty much just the opposite. A very popular tourist destination, especially in the summer, the island is known for its bicycling, hiking, sailing, and beaches. There are also two historic lighthouses, but much of the island is an undeveloped natural area and resting stop for birds along the Atlantic Flyway. We pulled a perfect day for our visit, though, warm but not hot, breezy, but not windy, with beautiful blue skies.  We were able to see a lot of the 9-square miles of island before getting back on the ferry to come home. Below are some pictures we took that day. 

Cape Cod, Massachusetts

As we rapidly approach the end of October, my blog entries are getting further and further behind. Our Summer was a blitz of activity, and we didn't find ourselves slowing down much once Autumn arrived either. Eventually I know I'll get caught up, but in the mean time, current entries are running a couple months behind. It was the end of August when we visited Cape Cod, leaving our 5th wheel behind in East Killingly, and staying a couple of nights in a local hotel. We had a lot of fun exploring the Cape Cod National Seashore, visiting light houses (just called "Lights" in this part of the country), touring the Cape Cod Potato Chip factory, making a swing through Hyannis, and spending a couple of hours in colorful Provincetown. Cape Cod and its islands jut out into the Atlantic Ocean in the easternmost portion of Massachusetts, stretching from Provincetown in the northeast to Woods Hole in the southwest, and the ample beaches, maritime activities, and quaint villages lead to heavy tourism during the summer months. Due to their position jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean, the Cape and islands are subject to massive coastal erosion. Geologists say that, due to erosion, the Cape will be completely submerged by the sea in thousands of years. Here are some pictures of our 2-day visit in August. Amazingly, there were already some early signs of Autumn in the trees.