Day 63 Troy

Today was a day of surprises - mostly good. We started the day early around 5:30 - ready to jump on the river to catch the right tide. However, when we looked out of the porthole, you couldn't see past the railing - fog...thick fog. So we went back to sleep and tried again at 7. As we came around the corner from departing Athens, we ran into (not literally) the trawler that lead us to the beautiful Vanderbilt anchorage - John on Skylark. He is heading to the Erie Canal too. The fog was still with us up ahead, so we used the radar essentially for the first time. It helped us get through the thickest stuff, but the cloud eventually lifted and we had a spectacular cruise up the Hudson. It was crisp...no, it was cold till early afternoon. Saw some unusual sites on the way today. Pic 1 is a mannequin that was standing on the bank of the river - just chillin' - not sure what the significance was. Pic2 is an antiquated sailboat sitting in a restoration yard. It's not everyday you pass  a pirate ship. The last pic is the Hertz building in Albany. There was a rent-a-truck spinning on the roof. Wonder if it runs better than the ones on the ground?? Talked to Skylark on the way and agreed to meet at the free city dock in Troy. Made it here around 1pm. It's very basic - old wooden floating docks saddled up against a high deteriorating seawall. From the water, Troy looks like a nasty, industrial city, but after exploring for awhile, we discovered it is a revitalized, intriguing downtown with eclectic shops, restaurants and beautiful historic architecture. Met up with John (Skylark) for a delicious dinner and then the three of us wandered the streets for a couple hours. We came across Sage College, which was the "first seminary for advanced education of women in the US". Who knew?! Wonderful campus buildings. This is also the home and origination of "Uncle Sam" (initials U. S.)  In 1812, Sam Wilson delivered meat to the soldiers. It was marked "US Meat" and the soldiers started calling him Uncle Sam and a legend and national personification of the government was born. Tomorrow we enter the first lock of the Erie Canal. No more dealing with tides and currents till we leave the Great Lakes.