Ghost Ship (Sort of)

I've always had a real love for historic markers and can never pass one without stopping to read it.  But it wasn't until last week that I noticed a hidden detail on at least one such sign.  The outline of a ship can be faintly seen beneath the raised yellow letters and blue paint.  No doubt, it's supposed to be a nod to Henry Hudson's Haelve Maen.

Half Moon In The Wind

I've lived in Albany for my entire life and spent a good amount of time downtown.  So the fantastic weather vane atop SUNY Plaza is a very familiar sight.  But I had never seen it actually pivot in the wind.  Until yesterday when I looked up and finally saw it move.  The large weather vane is, of course, a replica of Henry Hudson's Haelve Maen and was included in the design of the building because local legend says he dropped anchor at almost this exact spot.

The Hudson River

The Hudson has been getting a lot of attention in Albany lately. 2009 marks 400 years since the explorer Henry Hudson (an Englishman sailing for the Dutch) navigated his ship, The Half Moon, up this river.

It's the stuff of history classes. The Hudson was a key to the settlement and development of Albany...a vital part of transportation and trade for centuries to come. And the name Hudson is everywhere...businesses, streets, buildings bear it proudly.

Albany "lost" much of its Hudson River waterfront with the construction of 787 with its labyrinth of ramps, roads, and overpasses. But a century earlier, prominent local citizens had already objected to the loss of access to the River with the building of the handsome Delaware & Hudson Building on Broadway at the foot of State Street.

Now, the Hudson is all but invisible from most parts of downtown, but access has been restored through the creation of the Corning Preserve and Albany Riverfront Park, as well as a pedestrian bridge that connects Maiden Lane with the Preserve.

The above view of the River was taken from the Preserve earlier this summer.

Today, there will be a Quadracentennial celebration called Hudson River Fair down at the Riverfront Park. If I can ever pry myself free of this computer, I'll be there.

For more information on the Fair, see albanyevents.org