Albany New York State Museum

I awake feeling slightly less knacked. Slightly. Let’s see if a fry up in the hotel will boost my energy. Failing that, coffee might jerk me into action.

It’s not much of a drive today. Just around the corner, really. To the New York State Museum where Craig works.

He drops me off in the library, where I’m planning on doing a little research. I decide to take a look at a pamphlet published in New York City in 1860 entitled “Sunday Theatres Sacred Concerts and Beer-Gardens”. It’s a clumsily racist work attacking German immigrants for having fun on a Sunday. A reminder that there have always been miserable killjoys, mostly of a religious persuasion.

I spend the morning reading and photographing it. I feel right at home in an archive. It’s become my natural habitat.

Craig picks me up at lunchtime and we walk to Hill Street Café for a beer and a bite. It’s yet another place with an impressive beer selection. Especially considering how small it is. Twenty draughts in total. I eat Quesadillas. Don’t want anything too heavy.

When we’re done eating, Craig takes me around the museum. The oldest state museum in the US, apparently. I’m dead into history, as you might have noticed. And maps, which is lucky as they’ve some good ones of New York City. I can stare at maps for hours.

Craig takes me to his office to meet a few people. And the geology department to look at the bendy rock, which is one of the weirdest things I’ve ever seen. Heavy and hard like you’d expect, but bendy. The bloke in charge shows us some more unusual rocks, which is fun.

Before heading over to Craig’s for dinner, we stop by Lionheart again for a few beers. I can see why it’s Craig’s local. Good atmosphere, good beer, $3 pints during happy hour.

It’s nice to finally meet Craig’s family. But there is one slight problem:

“You’re not allergic to cats, are you?”

“Er, yes. Very. I basically stop breathing. But I’m OK for an hour or two”

The evening ends quite early. I’m in my hotel before 9 PM. Still breathing, which is a big plus.

I take Mr Laphroaig for a final spin before slumping onto my bed.

Tomorrow is another travel day. Train to New York Penn Station, then a connection on to Washington DC. Nothing too strenuous.




New York State Museum
222 Madison Ave,
Albany, NY 12230.
Tel: +1 518-474-5877
http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/


Hill Street Cafe
180 Madison Ave,
Albany, NY 12202.
Tel: +1 518-462-3544
http://www.hill-street-cafe.com/


Lionheart Pub
448 Madison Ave,
Albany, NY 12208.
Tel: +1 518-436-9530
http://thelionheartpub.com/