By William M. Dowd

By William M. Dowd

Summertime Survival Guide

By John Gray

You’re sitting in standstill traffic on I-90 watching heat vapors rise from the hood of your car. To your left are three construction workers leaning on their shovels and, just your luck, the chubbiest of the trio is the one who has decided to take his shirt off today. You are thinking the word ‘yuck’ when you actually hear the word screamed over the radio from the booster seat behind you. Yes, your three-year-old who is trying to eat the strawberry popsicle you gave him in some moment of absolute insanity, has just dropped it onto the new leather seats; red syrup running down his fingers. The only thing that could possibly make this worse would be if… oh my God he just did it, he just ran that sticky hand through his beautiful, freshly washed hair. Looks like junior will be getting two baths today.

Just as you’re about to pull your own hair out the traffic starts to ease a bit, “Brown Eyed Girl” pipes from the car stereo and a devilish smile creeps across your face as you crank it up and start to sing. Chubby construction guy hears you and gives you a smile as you pull away into the hot July afternoon. You give him a wink and disappear into the day.Welcome to the summer of 2007.
I love summer except for two things—it’s too hot and it’s too short. In the blink of an eye it’s August and you are pushing a shopping cart through CVS buying back-to-school supplies. But we are not there yet, so as you bask in the July sun let me offer you some of my inane observations about summer.

Sunscreen—Let’s start with the obvious. There is no way 10 ounces of lotion should cost $10 dollars, it is not liquid gold for goodness sake. Especially when you can buy, say, a huge bottle of ketchup for just a buck. Now that I think about it, I have to believe if you rub enough ketchup on you it should act as some kind of sunscreen. I’m going to try it.Don’t laugh I’ll be saving loads of money this summer and if by chance I happen to run into someone who is carrying a large order of French fries we’ll be a match made in heaven.

No matter how hard you try there is always that one square inch of skin you cannot reach with the sunscreen and that’s where you’ll have a large painful red dot the next day. Why is it when your skin is the color of a fire truck and you are clearly in pain, people insist on poking your raw skin and saying, “Does this hurt?” Also, if you are unfortunate enough to burn your skin so badly it peels there is always that one strange friend who asks with great excitement, “Ooh, can I peel it? Please, please, please, just one piece.”

Tubing—For those of you who have never tried this you have no idea what you’re missing. You take a speedboat that can go roughly a billion miles per hour and tie a rope to the back. That rope attaches to a rubber tube and you find a person naïve enough to think being dragged to their watery grave is an afternoon of fun. When you are the person on the tube you have one goal in life—hang on.

When you are the person driving the boat you have one goal in life—see if you can throw the person off the tube at a velocity so extreme his or her bathing suit will be stripped clean off their body along with most of their hair. It’s a blast!

Ice—Summer is literally the only time during the year when you need to have ice on hand at the house. This is why when company comes over and you open the freezer you’ll notice all of the trays have exactly one ice cube per tray. This was done deliberately by your children to drive you insane so you’ll jump off a cliff and they will inherit the house. Rather than jump, most of us apologize to our guests and drive to the nearest convenience store to buy a bag of ice. When you get to the store one of two things occur—either they are out of ice completely or they have one thousand bags that are frozen into a single block of ice large enough to house a small family of penguins. After the store clerk uses a pick ax to free one of the bags you get it home only to realize each individual cube has melted and refrozen into one large block.Since you don’t own an ice-pick you start stabbing at the ice with a dirty screw driver, horrifying your wife. When this fails you resort to the caveman approach and start slamming the whole chunk of ice against the sidewalk outside while screaming, “Break damn it, break!” Your guests, upon seeing this, tell you they actually like drinking their soda warm.

Beach—If you really want to torture yourself, take the entire family to the beach. There’s nothing like having a toddler who is long overdue for his nap rub a mixture of oil and sand into his eyes while screaming, “I want ice cream.” Better yet, take separate cars and then walk around on scalding hot sand trying to find your family amidst a sea of blankets and umbrellas. When this happens to me I spend a half hour looking and then just find a family that looks like mine and sit with them. By the way, did you know its Federal law that if your bare feet are on fire you are allowed to step on a stranger’s blanket for five seconds or less before jumping to another person’s blanket? True.

Pool—I love swimming in a lake, stream or ocean, but some people are opposed to being in a place where another living creature may try to bite them. These same people avoid ‘happy hour’ at the local bar for the very same reason. These are ‘pool people’ and when it comes to swimming in a pool you have two options—public or private. If you go to the public pool be prepared for a couple of certainties. No matter where you lay down a 20–year–old who likes hip hop music will park himself right near by and the James Taylor song you were relaxing too will be drowned out by somebody named Snoop Dogg. Also, if you have well behaved children they will undoubtedly end up playing with a group of kids who appear to have been raised in the wild. Pushing, shoving, no sharing and apparently no parent watching them.

If you are lucky enough to have your own pool you don’t have to deal with other people; that’s the good news. The bad news is unless you got an ‘A’ in high school chemistry trying to keep the pool water at the proper ‘ph’ level and with just the right amount of chlorine can be a pain. You will also notice that everytime a leaf falls from a neighbor’s tree it will go out of its way to drift directly into the center of your pool. The solution to all of these problems is to make friends with your neighbor who has a pool and use his. Of course, when he holds up a wet leaf and says, “Hey is this from your tree?” you say with a straight face, “Nope, never saw it before.”

The Track—When going to watch the ponies run in Saratoga, here are a few simple truths which we hold self-evident. Guys, there is such a thing as too much cologne. Gals, there is such a thing as too short a skirt. If the men selling the tip sheets outside the track really knew who was going to win they’d be inside betting. If you park the car on someone’s lawn and don’t pay attention you will spend most of August looking for it. Oh, and if you see a horse being ridden by a chubby construction guy with no shirt, I would not bet on him.

It’s funny. As adults we spend gobs of money trying to have fun in the summer, yet more often than not we are standing in long lines or stressing ourselves out over parking and reservations. If you think about it, when we were kids all mom and dad had to do was set up the ‘kiddy pool’ or roll out the ‘slip and slide’ in the front yard and it entertained us for hours. So my advice to you this July is keep it simple. After swimming in your neighbor’s pool, pour yourself a drink, rub on some ketchup and turn up the radio. I called the DJ and requested Brown Eyed Girl just for you.

John Gray is a Fox23 News anchor and contributing writing at the Troy Record. He can be reached at johngray@fox23news.com

Sun Sign Forecast
For July 2007

By Arlene DeAngelus

Best Days for July: 4th, 8th and 29th
Aries: (March 21 to April 20) Domestic and personal areas are your focus for this month. Communications become easier in these matters after the 9th. Mid-month, your interest turns toward such abstract subjects as the law, philosophy and religion. Your attention is drawn to finances and money matters on the 20th and 24th. Seek out new friends and set new goals after the Full Moon on the 29th.
Taurus: (April 21 to May 20) Communications with others and your everyday environment are your focus for this month. Express yourself and your point of view to others after the 9th. Mid-month, you resolve issues surrounding shared resources and assets. Guard against impulsiveness on the 20th and 24th. There may be a lack of cooperation from others in career areas after the Full Moon on the 29th.
Gemini : (May 21 to June 20) Finances and how you earn those finances are your focus for this month. Financial decisions can be made after the 9th. Mid-month your one-to-one relationships, both business and personal, are important as you reach an agreement in a significant relationship. An unexpected career opportunity is offered on the 20th. You seek religious or legal advice after the Full Moon on the 29th.
Cancer: (June 21 to July 22) Self-expression, exciting new projects and your image are your focus for this month. It is easier for you to make your point after the 9th. Mid-month, you consider a new exercise regimen and/or diet. Physical efficiency is important as well. Attend a group’s meeting on the 20th. Matters involving shared resources and assets come to the forefront after the Full Moon on the 29th.
Leo: (July 23 to August 22) Self-analysis and renewed spirituality are your focus for this month. Mid-month you spend more time with your loved ones and children. Be prepared to give advice and support to a young person. Take the time to rethink career decisions on the 24th and 31st. You gain from being cooperative in one-to-one relationships, both business and personal, after the Full Moon on the 29th.
Virgo: (August 23 to September 22) Setting new goals and directions are your focus for this month. Enjoy get-togethers with your friends and other groups after the 9th. Mid-month, your personal and domestic areas are activated. You search out your family’s ancestry and roots. Co-workers are less cooperative as you strive to improve the services that you provide to others after the Full Moon on the 29th.
Libra: (September 23 to October 22) New projects and career areas, or the equivalent, are your focus for this month. Mid-month, your attention turns to studies and all forms of communication. You become interested in subjects that ordinarily would not draw your attention. Share ideas and cooperate with your co-workers 20th and 31st. A loved one or child one may ask for your support after the Full Moon on the 29th.
Scorpio: (October 23 to November 21) Higher-mind subjects and abstract studies are your focus for this month. You look for new ideas and a broader perspective on life. Mid-month you rethink and re-evaluate your spending and financial decisions. You may find that a revision to your budget is necessary. Balance your time equally between your home and career responsibilities after the Full Moon on the 29th.
Sagittarius: (November 22 to December 21) Shared resources and values are your focus for this month. Resolving a problem concerning these issues is easier after the 9th. Mid-month, you concentrate on your self-expression. If you need to present an idea, this is the time. Reconfirm any travel arrangement because delays or changes are possible.. You may decide to attend a class or workshop after the Full Moon on the 29th.
Capricorn: (December 22 through January 19) One-to-one relationships, both personal and business, are your focus for this month. Conversations with these significant people ease after the 9th. Mid-month you have a desire to renew yourself spiritually. Avoid disagreements with loved ones on the 24th and 31st. You may be asked to compromise in money matters. Forgotten bills and promises surface after the Full Moon on the 29th.
Aquarius: (January 20 to February 18) Services that you provide to others and health matters are your focus for this month. Communications with co-workers are productive after the 9th. Mid-month brings a change in your goals and directions as you re-evaluate your hopes and wishes and start down a different path. You try a new look and/or find new ways to express yourself after the Full Moon on the 29th.
Pisces: (February 19 to March 20) Children and loved ones are your focus for this month. Communications with these special loved ones run smoothly after the 9th. Mid-month, consider a career opportunity as this is a time of achievement or recognition. You are broadening your perspective by seeking a new spiritual understanding and may decide on a retreat after the Full Moon on the 29th.

Arlene has worked been a professional astrologer since 1980 and is also an author and para-consultant. She can be reached at Astrological Concepts at 371.0003, 371.8097 or ADeAngelus@aol.com

Soaring with the eagles

By Ed. Lange

Hawks and maybe even eagles. You’ve seen them as they glide effortlessly through the sky – wings stretched out on cushions of air. For eons, man has gazed skyward wishing he could do the same – spread out long, slender wings, break the bonds of earth and soar high into the bright blue freedom.
I’ve done it. And so can you.

The Sailplane
Also known as gliders, most sailplanes fly without engines – like hawks and eagles. Today’s gliders are often built of fiberglass or aluminum, are classified by their wingspans as measured in meters. The wings of the most popular, high-performance sailplanes span 18 meters – nearly 60 feet. By comparison, the wingspan of the common private plane, the single-engine Cessna 172 is only 36 feet, and the span of the world’s most beautiful fighter plane, the WWII Spitfire, is 37 feet. Sailplanes are designed to be lightweight, sleeker than a Porsche 911 and with graceful wings to supply as much lift as possible. Sailplanes can stay aloft for hours, fly hundreds of miles, soar to great altitudes on currents of rising air and return safely to the airport.

The experience
At the Saratoga County Airport, home of the Adirondack Soaring Club, the gleaming white glider sits low on the ground. The ship is a Duo Discus, a high-performance, two-seater sailplane built in Germany.
The tiny cockpit has no doors; pilots enter by tilting open a Plexiglass bubble canopy and stepping into the cockpit over the side of the plane. The fit is snug, and we wriggle down into the cushioned seats, our backsides coming to rest only about a foot above the runway. We strap ourselves in with four-point harnesses. The instrument panel sports only a modest array of gauges: airspeed, altimeter, compass, and a few others. There is no steering wheel, but rather a joystick for control and two pedals on the floor to manipulate the rudder. It seems like simplicity itself. At my side are levers that operate the flaps, dive brakes and the single-wheel landing gear under my butt.
We close the clear canopy that gives us a panoramic view all around us. Waiting on the runway is a small airplane, its single engine idling. A ground crewman comes to our cockpit with a long rope with metal rings at each end. He attaches one end of the rope to our plane and attaches the other end to the tow plane. The little-power-plane-that-could gives full throttle and the two planes accelerate down the runway, one towing the other with a slender rope.
The glider, with its much greater lift, is off the ground first. Instructor George Hanke made rapid adjustments as he keeps the glider in line behind the tow plane as its pilot, club member Bob Iuliano, begins a climb to 2,000 feet. George gives me the controls at about 1,000 feet, and immediately we observe the difference between master and student. Patiently George tells me what I am doing wrong in his Czech-accented English. In effect, “less is more.” Aaarrgh! The heel of my hand slaps my forehead. Dummkopf! (seems appropriate in a German-built airplane).
At 2,000 feet altitude, I pull the tow release handle. The tow rope leaps away from the glider and we are alone. Alone in the quiet wonder of engineless flight. No sound but the air stroking the skin of the fuselage. The sky arcs over us - a clear, vivid blue. Below us lay the tasteful city of Saratoga Springs, Saratoga Lake, farmlands, forests, the Northway, and in the distance, the Adirondacks. The day is glorious with unlimited visibility. The sky’s the limit.

A brief tangent: George Hanke
We’ll return to our regularly scheduled program in just a moment. But a few words about my instructor that day: George Hanke. George is a fifty-something wiseass. An émigré from Czechoslovakia (when it was still known by that name), George founded the non-profit Adirondack Soaring Club along with his son, Tim, who is also a pilot and instructor. The club is a hobby, a passion; they both have careers and work like regular stiffs. Together, with other members, they have put together a very active club of some 40 members that enjoy a positive, can-do espirit de corps.
George himself is something of a wizard when it comes to finding those all-important, but invisible currents of rising, lifting air, and then milking them for all the altitude they are worth.

Back to the experience
George knows the soaring conditions today are remarkable. He knows – knew before strapping himself into the glider – that rising columns of air, known as thermals, were waiting for us up there. He knows that if he takes the controls he will be able to climb to a high altitude that would reward us with a long, cross-country flight. So, he sought out the thermals and we soared. Circling and climbing, higher and higher. 7,000 feet. 8,000 feet. At 9,500 feet above the Saratoga mansions, we turned north. We flew over Corinth, Glens Falls, over Lake George Village. George began talking about flying to Lake Placid. “We could do it. The conditions are right.”
But somewhere over Lake George—which looks even more beautiful from the air—high above the Sagamore, George the Wizard found a transient atmospheric condition known as a “wave,” a powerful flow of air that arcs upward. Using the wave, he climbed higher even than the clouds around us that usually denote the limit of rising air. But, the wave lifted us above them – lifted us to 13,500 feet above the deep blue waves of Lake George—without an engine.
“You fly us back to Saratoga,” he instructed. With the entire Capital Region arrayed before us, I took control of that lovely, graceful, magical aircraft. With my hand on the stick in the tiny cockpit with the bubble canopy, I couldn’t help but think of WWII fighter planes as I flew this remarkably maneuverable sailplane. Unlike most power planes with their entry doors, steering wheels, side-by-side seating and space for luggage, a sailplane is a craft you wriggle down into and wear as though it were part of you.
So, I flew to Saratoga where I thought we were going to land. But George had other things in mind. Today, he would teach me how to soar—how to make the glider go up instead of down. “You can feel a thermal in the seat of your pants when you enter one,” he said. “It’s like being goosed.” So help me, I did it. For the first time in my life, I made an engineless aircraft climb! Maybe, just maybe, I can learn to do this after all.
You can, too
Far too often we put off possibilities that could enrich our lives. The Adirondack Soaring Club and other clubs across the country offer inexpensive introductory flights. My daughter, Kate, and her boyfriend, Dave, gave me a first flight as a gift. Wow, what a gift!
Ed Lange is an award-winning writer, stage director, sailor and new student pilot. For information about the non-profit Adirondack Soaring Club visit adirondacksoaring.com.

If you are a cultural snob who only spells literature with a capital “L” and who only reads works of high literary merit, the following book is not for you. If, however, you have a passing familiarity with current popular fiction and enjoy a good laugh, I highly recommend Who’s Killing the Great Writers of America? by Robert Kaplow. The plot, in a nutshell: bestselling American authors are dying, one after another, in mysterious circumstances. Tom Clancy calls Stephen King to say he thinks someone is trying to kill him and then he disappears. Stephen King, who has been living as a recluse since the car accident that almost killed him, becomes rightfully paranoid. Despite his paralyzing fear of the outside world, he manages to get himself out of his mansion to investigate the murders before he becomes the next victim. As you can see, the storyline isn’t really the point; Kaplow has a lot to say about the cult of celebrity, the elitism of book critics, the difference between highbrow and lowbrow culture and a multitude of other issues. Ordinarily, I hate books in which the plot is secondary, but the scenes skewering the soon-to-be-missing authors are screamingly funny, and the guest appearances (Gerard Depardieu, Steve Martin and Ann Coulter, to name a few) add to the madness. You can read this for fun or read this as a scathing commentary on our celebrity obsessed society, but either way you’ll enjoy it. And who knows, you might be introduced to authors whose books you’d like to try.

Lovers of Erik Larsen’s, The Devil in the White City, and those who can’t get enough of Chicago will be fascinated by Sin in the Second City: Madams, Ministers, Playboys, and the Battle for America’s Soul by Karen Abbott. Minna and Ada Everleigh were sisters, both madams, from Omaha, Nebraska. Tiring of the limitations of their small city, they moved to Chicago in 1899 to start the most exclusive, high-class brothel in town. Long before the Mayflower Madam and Heidi Fleiss, the Everleigh sisters knew what it took to sell prostitution to the wealthy and respectable. Their house was beautifully appointed, with different themed rooms, including a gold piano in the Gold Room. The girls were held to strict standards of behavior; drinking and drugs (at least for the girls) were not tolerated and instruction was given to the uneducated on how to converse intelligently with a gentleman. Soon the Everleigh Club was a popular destination for wealthy visitors to Chicago, and in 1902, Prince Henry of Prussia, brother of Kaiser Wilhelm II, the Emperor of Germany, visited the house. While its high profile reputation was a boon to business, it also made it a target. Such infamy couldn’t be allowed to exist unchallenged, and the good citizens of Chicago began to grumble about the blatant vice being tolerated in the red light district (the Everleigh Club wasn’t the only bordello in town; it was just the most famous one.) Soon, the ministers and politicians began to fight back. The struggle between virtue and vice provides the framework for the narrative and it was a fierce battle. Progressive movements were burgeoning all over America, striving to eradicate alcohol, prostitution and gambling. In Chicago, the Everleigh Club was the symbol of the rewards of sin, and as such, its elimination was the first goal of the reformers. This is an amazing story, all the more so because it is true. Read this and be amazed at the Everleigh’s daring business!

Diana Abu-Jaber is the acclaimed author of Crescent, a novel, and The Language of Baklaza, a memoir. This month brings us her newest novel, Origin, which differs from her previous works in its lack of ethnicity. Lena, the novel’s protagonist, was orphaned as a child and adopted when she was very young. She has vivid memories that she can’t explain, of living in a jungle, swinging through the trees with her ape mother. When her job as a forensic fingerprint examiner brings her the challenge of a series of seemingly unrelated crib deaths to investigate, her past comes back to haunt her as she realizes there is a killer who knew her as an infant who has come back to conclude unfinished business.
This literary thriller is beautifully written, and its Syracuse setting will appeal to those who live in upstate New York.

Susan Taylor has been in the book business, in one aspect or another, since 1982. She recently returned to the Capital District after 14 years in the Boston area (which included stints at the Harvard Bookstore and the Wellesley Booksmith), and is happily re-employed at the Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza. Stop by the store if you are looking for a good book—she’s read a lot more than she can talk about here!

Amidon & Petersen Financials, LLC

Kinderhook Office: 852.3815

Slingerlands Office: 459.4776

Owners: Ellsworth W. Amidon and Douglas S. Petersen
How long have you been in business? Although this is a new Registered Investment Advisory firm, we have over 80 years experience at managing portfolios and financial planning.
What sets you apart from competitors? We are different from our competition because we manage client money using direct investments whenever possible. This saves our clients money without sacrificing performance. We must work from a financial plan so we’ll develop one if necessary. Sometimes a plan will require us to focus on risk management and we’re fully qualified to handle that as well.
Our motto is “Serving those who serve others.” Our goal is to free you from the time needed to manage your investments so you are free to focus on family, ministry or work related activities. We are free from all corporate agendas. Unless there’s no other option, we never work on a commission basis. That means all our advice is focused on your interests and every dollar goes into your investments. Not only do we do everything on a flat fee basis, but it should cost you no more to hire us than if you were to do it yourself and pick the average mutual fund. If we can’t save you money, then we’ll tell you what your choices are, and the rest is up to you.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? First, start by taking courses in portfolio management because using direct assets is different from picking mutual funds. After developing a full understanding of the capital markets, it is important to have an understanding of human relationships. This can be learned by taking courses, but the best way is to get a position with a firm where one is dealing with the public.
What important lessons have you learned? The most important lesson we’ve learned is to listen to our clients’ needs, clearly communicate those needs and objectives back to them and then do a periodic review.
Hours: Monday-Friday 9am-5pm or by appointment.

Angel’sTrumpet Flowers & Gifts
4 West Street, New Lebanon
794.8800; www.angelstrumpetflowers.com
Owner: Linda Hursa
How long have you been in business? 12 years.
Describe your business: We are a florist and gift shop and also featurecountry antiques and home decor.We do a lot of custom work for weddingsand events in the Capital District and the Berkshires, in addition to our every day business. Each year we exhibit at the Wildwood Garden Show at Hudson Valley Community College and New York in Bloom at the New York State Museum in Albany.
What sets you apart from competitors? We attribute our success to the strong reputation we have built with our clients and in our community throughexcellent customer service, quality and distinctive style. We attend workshops and design shows, which allows us to stay in touch with the latest trends and styles. We are always striving to exceed our customers’ expectations and keep things fresh and interesting.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? Anyonewho may be thinking about starting their own business, regardless of the type, must be willing to do a lot of research. Know your customer base and their needs and be willing to meetthem, whatever that may take.
What important lessons have you learned? The most important thing I have learned is when you put effort in anything you do at 110% it will eventually come back to reward you and you will be able to do the work you love to do.
Hours: Monday-Friday 9am-6pm; Saturday 10am-4pm; Sunday by appointment or chance.

Carole Fox Life Coaching and Workshops
1147 Baker Avenue, Schenectady
393.9169
Owner: Carole Fox
How long have you been in business? I’ve been guiding people to success for 20 years and started my coaching business 3 years ago.
Describe your business? I bring out the best in people to make their dreams come true. My positive approach to individual live coaching and customized workshops promotes self-awareness that helps men and women use their talents, skills and resources as effectively and efficiently as possible. Rather than trying to overcome barriers and improve weaknesses, my clients and I focus on what will help move the person forward in the direction they want to go. Whether an individual, a business or an organization, I offer free consultation to see if the client’s goals and my service are a match.
What sets you apart from competitors? In addition to my experience in a wide variety of settings with very diverse populations, I meet with clients more often in person than on the phone and my rates are very affordable.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? Get acquainted with leaders in the field and learn from them. Take classes for a credential. Talk with other coaches about their experiences and techniques and hire one to help you get started. I did. And go for it!
What important lessons have you learned? Networking does more than get the word out about your business. It develops wonderful, unexpected friendships, a support system and valuable resources. As with everything else, follow through is important to maintain business relationships. I write thank you notes, answer emails quickly and do what I say I will do.
Hours: My hours are flexible and include evenings Monday-Friday.

Ciao Bella Ristorante Sicilia
216 Warren Street, Hudson
828.9579; www.myspace.com/ciaobellaristorante; www.foodcandy.com/ciaobella
Owners: Sal and Lorraine Taccetta
How long have you been in business? Ciao Bella has been in business for three months, but we have been in the restaurant business for 25 years.
Describe your business: Ciao Bella is a restaurant serving authentic Italian and Sicilian cuisine.
What sets you apart from competitors? All our meals are made to order, nothing is portion controlled or out of a jar/box. We make all our own sauces, dressings and desserts
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? You need to have persistence, patience and a dedication and love for good food
What important lessons have you learned? Humility, patience and massive multitasking.
Hours: Lunch: Tuesday-Saturday 11am-3pm; Dinner Tuesday-Thursday 5pm-9:30pm; Friday-Saturday 5pm-10pm; Sunday 4pm-9pm.

A.R. Wynnykiw, DDS, PLLC
351 Osborne Road, Loudonville
432.3991
Owner: Askold R. Wynnykiw, DDS
How long have you been in business? I have been practicing dentistry for 20 years, in business at this location for almost 8 years.
Describe your business: We are a general dental practice with an emphasis on cosmetic and esthetic dentistry. We meet our patient’s general needs with our hygiene re-care system and routine dental services, but I also go above and beyond with advanced cosmetic treatment. I take great pride in the fact that I seek out challenging continuing education courses that further both my own knowledge and my desire to provide ever-better service for my patients.
What sets you apart from competitors? In our office, the focus is truly on the patient and their individual needs. Some patients are looking for excellent family dental care and we provide that for them. Other patients come seeking more advanced, esthetic care to perfect and enhance their smile and we meet that need as well. In the end, it’s all about what the patient is seeking and what they need and desire. There is no universal, cookie cutter solution for patients in our office.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? The key in modern dentistry is to stay current with advances and new techniques. Great changes are always happening in dentistry and it is critical to keep up with them by taking meaningful continuing education courses on a consistent basis. The other emphasis must be on maintaining excellent technology in your practice.
What important lessons have you learned? I have learned that it is key to maintain all of your skills, but that it is very important to hone in on something that you love and can excel at. I greatly enjoy cosmetic dentistry and have chosen to really highlight that skill and make it a large part of my practice.
Hours: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday: 8am-5pm; Wednesday: 8am-3:30pm; Fridays (3 per month): 8am-4:30pm.

Dunham’s Bay Sea Ray Silverton
Five locations:
1800 Shelburne Road So Burlington, VT 802.660.8054
132 Bridge Road North Hero, VT 802.372.5131
10 Dunham’s Bay Road, Lake George, 656.9244
889 Troy Schenectady Road Latham 785.6567
Dunham’s Bay Sea Ray at Northampton Marina on Lake Sacandaga 863.8127
www.dunhamsbaysearay.com
Owner: Karen Howard
How long have you been in business? 37 years.
Describe your business: We are a complete sales and service facilities. Dockage and storage available at select locations. We are the only Sea Ray master dealer in upstate NY and Vermont. This privilege is limited to dealers that meet a strict set of criteria encompassing everything from your facilities to service, sales and customer satisfaction ratings.
What sets you apart from competitors? We offer everything for the boater with ship stores located conveniently around the northeast. Our Sea Ray Boat Line offers 40 models starting at 17 feet and ending at 60 feet. There is a model for every type of boating from run A bouts to cruisers to yachts. We also offer Silverton yachts from 33 to 43 feet. We host activities throughout the year to keep in touch with our boating family. In the winter we have a pig roast in our Latham showroom and in the summer we host island parties on Lake George and Sacandaga. This summer’s giant event is the Sea Ray Aquapalooza, the largest boating party in the world taking place all across the country on the weekends of July 21st and 28th. Our events will be held on July 21st at Northampton Marina on Sacandaga Lake and on Lake George on the 28th.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? In order to succeed you must must be passionate about your business and be willing to put as much time as needed and more. Customer service and attention to detail is the only way to run a business.
What important lessons have you learned? The most important lesson is sincerity and belief in your product. Honesty, integrity and respect have to be earned every day with every client in every aspect of the business.
Hours: Monday-Sunday 9am-5pm.

Earl B Feiden Inc
Two locations:
785 New Loudon Road, Latham
785.8555
661 Broadway, Kingston
845.331.2230; www.earlbfeiden.com
Owners: E. Brad Feiden, Mary Feiden, Mark Feiden, Michael Feiden.
How long have you been in business? Our company was founded in 1926 in Latham.
Describe your business: We are a full service appliance store. We carry over 50 brand—from the names we have known for generations to professional, state of the art kitchen appliances, some which are available exclusively at Earl B Feiden’s. Our sales staff are experienced, knowledgeable professionals and have extensive training on the products we sell. We offer in home delivery, custom installation, removal of the old appliances and a full factory authorized service center.
What sets you apart from competitors? We are able to compete with the big chains on price and far exceed them on our knowledge, selection and service. By purchasing from Earl B Feiden’s not only is a customer supporting a local family owned and operated business in their community, they can be confident they are buying from someone who will be there for them after the sale. We also have our own employees for delivery and service, not independent contractors.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? Our advice is probably similar to that of anyone pursuing a family business, regardless of the industry. Teamwork and communication are extremely important components to our success as a business, and more importantly as a family. Working together effectively comes from recognizing our individual strengths as well as differences and channeling our efforts accordingly.
What important lessons have you learned? You can never lose sight of your ultimate goal - to have a successful business that you have built together as a family. The pride that comes along with that makes it all worthwhile.
Hours: Latham: Monday-Friday 9am-8pm; Saturday 9am-5pm; Sunday 11am-4pm.
Kingston: Monday-Friday 9am-6pm; Saturday 9am-5pm.

Fifi’s Frocks & Frills
2460 Western Avenue, Guilderland
869.1677
Owner: Fifi Gifford
How long have you been in business? 2 years.
Describe your business: It’s a designer consignment boutique with merchandise attractively presented on new display furniture. Items are organized by size, color and style. The shopper’s experience is easy and fun! Customers are given friendly, personal service. The goal is for all of our customers to leave with affordable, stylish clothes and smiles on their faces. Fifi’s Frocks and Frills is a popular shopping destination known for a wide variety of merchandise and excellent prices. The boutique has high end clothing, from casual to evening wear, shoes, purses and accessories. I carry top designers such as Escada, Carlisle, Dolce Gabbana, Kate Spade, Burberry, Gucci and Fendi. In addition, clothing comes in from stores like Ann Taylor, Gap, Limited, Chico’s, Talbot’s and other local merchants. Presently, the store carries women’s sizes 0 to 18, but inventory will have some juniors and plus sizes. Beautiful costume jewelry adorns the cabinet waiting to be plucked up by customers. In season, the boutique offers beautiful fur coats such as mink, rabbit, beaver and leather. There are many styles to choose from, full length to stoles.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? If you like and care about people, I would highly recommend owning a retail store. Just remember, along with the fun comes hard work and long hours. Having a mentor and other professional people in business that you can learn from is a critical factor to success. In addition, networking is important. Get out of the store and meet people, volunteer in the community, let people know who you are and what you’re about. It’s an investment in the business that you can’t measure.
Hours: June, July and August: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 11am-6pm; Friday & Saturday 11am-5pm. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Ghent Wood Products, Inc.
828.5684; wwwghentwoodproducts.com
Meltz Lumber Company, Inc.
672.7021; www.meltzlumber.com
Owners: Emil and Jeff Meltz
How long have you been in business? Meltz since 1946, Ghent since 2003.
Describe your business: Logging, lumber, land clearing, flooring, paneling, custom beams, finished lumber, KD hardwoods, bark, sawdust.
What sets you apart from competitors? We buy direct and save. We’re locally owned and operated and we do everything from timber harvesting to finished products.
Hours: Monday-Friday 8am-4:30pm; Saturday 8am-3:30pm.

Golden Harvest Farms, Inc.
3074 US Route 9, Valatie
758.7683; www.goldenharvestfarms.com
Owner: Alan Grout
How long have you been in business? Continuously in business since 1955.
Describe your business: We are an apple farm, retail farm market, bakery, cider mill and distillery.
What sets you apart from competitors? Our retail farm market specializes in fresh NY State apples and other apple products, such as homemade cider, apple turnovers & pies, hot cider donuts and apple butter. We have even converted one of our cold storage rooms into a distillery in order to make vodka from apple cider. Apples are our nature.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? Commercial fruit production in the Hudson Valley is challenged by ever more erratic weather and competition for limited land resources. However, access to large markets such as NYC through push (green markets) or pull (agritourism) keeps Hudson Valley agriculture viable.
What important lessons have you learned? Being a successful fruit grower has less and less to do with growing good fruit. Success comes from dedicated employees, stalwart leadership and a bit of luck to avoid unforeseeable legal or financial disaster.
Hours: 8am-5:30pm.

Hair Loss Control Clinic
4 Avis Drive, Latham
220.1500; www.hlcconline.com
Owner: William C. Blatter
How long have you been in business? We have been in business for 20 years and using Laser Therapy as part of the treatment program for 14 years.
Describe your business: Hair Loss Control Clinic (HLCC) is recognized worldwide as a leader in Laser Hair Loss Treatment using simply the best FDA proven cool laser technology and the best products available for hair loss today. On a larger scale, HLCC manufactures patented products for hair loss, sells clinic lasers and franchises all over the world.
What sets you apart from competitors? Having three doctors and 61 affiliate clinics in 11 countries worldwide sets us apart from any competition. HLCC works around each individual’s goals and individual hair loss needs and offers both in-clinic and home treatment options. HLCC Scripts is the premier line of hair loss products manufactured by HLCC and are sold by over 200 distributors all over the world.
What important lessons have you learned? Quality products and proven results combined with honesty and great customer service are the keys to making the company grow and with the Internet any small company can become a worldwide business.
Hours: Monday, Wednesday & Friday 8:30am-5pm; Tuesday and Thursday 8:30am-8pm, Saturday 10am-2pm.

i Fill Inkjets
Four Corners in Delmar – 478.0140
Colonie Center Mall – 459.5382
Price Chopper Photo Labs (26 stores, 6 states)
Owner: Mark Tremont
How long have you been in business? 2.5 years.
Describe Business: Toner & inkjet cartridge refill services, an alternative to the high cost of printer ink. The service provides a recycling option that saves oil usage & landfill space while giving businesses & consumers a reliable, quality refill with a cost saving. All refills are guaranteed. Many cartridges are refilled within an hour. To date, over 40,000 Albany area cartridges have been refilled/saved. This roughly translates to about 10 full grocery carts of empty cartridges, about 800 gallons of oil and consumers’ saving over $400,000.
What sets you apart from competitors? Trained technicians manually fill and troubleshoot each cartridge with care. These technicians respond to customer inquiries throughout the process. A broad array of ink (over 100 formulations) is utilized to match the right ink to the right cartridge. Plus, there are 28 convenient locations.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? Set goals and stay with them regardless of obstacles. (Mine are to establish a service that will impact the environment and save people money.), manage the service to provide reliable, quality results that earn consumer trust and enjoy what you do.
What important lessons have you learned? Three things need to happen before I ever see a cartridge:
1. Consumers have to know refilling is an option.
2. They need to trust that it will work.
3. They need to be “out of ink.”
Also, creating awareness and earning trust takes time and constant attention.
Hours: Varies by store—usually everyday from 10am–7pm.

Jose Malone’s Mexican Irish Restaurant
405 River Street, Troy
273.2196; www.josemalones.com
Owners: Ray Wall & Mary Anne Stafford
How long have you been in business? 2 years.
Describe your business: Jose Malone’s Mexican Irish Restaurant is a full service casual dinning restaurant in a Colonial Mexican setting that offers both Mexican and Irish regional foods and drink.Diners can enjoysuch entrees as Pork Tamales Wrapped in Banana Leaves, Elote Asado (a Mexican street food of fresh corn that’s grilled and then served with chili powder, lime, cotija cheese and Mexican crema) and batter dipped squash blossoms filled with goat cheese. And we take rice seriously here with three choices: Yellow rice, which gets it distinctive color and flavor from achiote, the seed from the annatto tree and it’s spiciness from jalapeño peppers; green rice,made with pureed spinach, parsley and poblano peppers and the classic Mexican rice made with tomatoes, onions, green peppers, spices, corn and peas.Most Mexican restaurants treat rice as a plate filler, not the culinary delight that it can be.
What sets you apart from competitors? One of the big differences between Jose Malone’s and many other restaurants is that we make almost all of our food from scratch.We don’t heat up and serve pre-made factory produced foods like other restaurants might do.We spend a lot of time and energy researching regional recipes for weekend specials. Jose Malone’s is also a tequileria offering 45 100% Agave tequilas. We also have a fine collection of Irish whiskeys and scotch.And, Jose Malone’s is probably the only Mexican restaurant where you can eat great Mexican food, sip a margarita and listen to live Irish music.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? The restaurant business, while fun and exciting, is a lot of work with long hours. So if you want to pursue this business as a career, be ready to live your job.
Hours: Tuesday-Friday lunch & dinner 11:30am-close; Saturday dinner only from 4pm. Live Irish music seisiuns are the first and third Wednesdays of every month.

Karavalli
Regional Cuisine of India
9B- Johnson Road, Latham 785.7600
2788 Hamburg Street, Rotterdam 355.9495
47 Caroline Street, Saratoga Springs 580.1144
www.karavallilatham.com
Owners: Davy Cheer An, Sunil Kayalchirayil, Santhosh Kochuparambil and Roy Mathew.
How long have you been in business? 3 years.
Describe your business: Fine Indian Cuisine at three locations in the Capital Region. Open for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. Business Lunch Buffet $8.95 and weekend brunch $11.95. We serve dishes from all over India and South Indian dishes like Dosa, Medhu Vada, Avial, Kerala Fish Curry and Fish in Banana leaves.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? Serve good and quality food and you will get business.
Hours: Lunch 11:30am-2:30pm; dinner 5pm-10pm.

Klassic Stone and Flooring Inc.
1272 Central Avenue, Albany
482.4066
Owner: Claudia Emlaw (pictured center)
How long have you been in business? For the past 4 years I have owned and operated a small showroom in Chestertown, NY. In addition, I just recently opened a larger showroom in Albany based on the growth of the Capital Region and surrounding areas.
Describe your business: I sell granite, marble, tile and wood flooring and related materials/accessories. Subsequent to sales we fabricate and install kitchen and bathroom vanity countertops, back splashes, tub surrounds, fireplaces and showers. In addition, we have a referral arrangement with several kitchen and bath cabinet retailers/manufacturers and designers in the region.
What sets you apart from competitors? Our most important area is customer service and follow-up—we intend to make people feel at home. We are family operated, pricing and offer one to two week turnaround time from template to installation.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? You must enjoy working with design and color coordination, customer service skills are of the utmost importance and you must really appreciate the beauty of the product.
What important lessons have you learned? It’s extremely important to know your product, have complete confidence in the quality of the stone and the people who fabricate and install the end product.
Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9am-6pm; Thursday 9am-7pm; Saturday 10am-4pm.

The Farm at Kristy’s Barn
2385 Brookview Road, Schodack
477.6250; www.kristysbarn.com
Owners: Ken and Kristine Johnson
How long have you been in business? We returned to Kris’ family’s third generation farm 14 years ago.
Describe your business: Kristy’s Barn is a diversified farm. We grow a variety of fruits, vegetables and pasture raised poultry and meats.
What sets you apart from competitors? Our goal is to raise quality food using Intergraded Pest Management (IPM) techniques to minimize the use of chemical applications.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? Kris’ advice: Love what you do, believe in it and be ready to work long hours with a smile! Ken’s advice: If you have a dream, go for it with a passion, be prepared for hardships and relish the achievements.
What important lessons have you learned? In the past 14 years of farming we’ve learned to have a business plan, but don’t follow it as if it is the only plan. Be flexible and modify the tactical direction as need be. If you are rigid in your thinking there is no way to compensate as the business environment changes. Be able to separate family “business” from the business when the two are closely connected. It can be difficult, but for sanity keep them separate and defined. Another lesson learned relative to a privately owned business—people may not like seeing you succeed, but people like to patronize a successful business.
Hours: Open daily May-November 9am-6pm;
Rensselaer County Farmers Market—Thursdays 2pm-5pm. Watervliet Farmers’ Market - Tuesdays 2pm-5pm.

L&S Garden Center
470 Pawling Avenue, Troy
273.1481
Owner: Stephen Jabour
How long have you been in business? 5 years.
Describe your business: It’s a family owned and operated business offering fresh produce, cheeses, including fresh mozzerella and ricotta from Old Chatham Sheepherding Farm, fresh seasonal plants, flowers, vegetables and locally made gelato. We also offer espresso, lattes, cappuccino, etc. and fruit baskets and floral arrangements for all occasions. Coming soon are gourmet foods.
What sets you apart from competitors? We are committed to buying locally grown products, which are grown no more than 40 miles from Troy. Our standard of quality is second to none and our vegetables, plants, etc. are hand picked by me.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? Be prepared for long hours every day of the week. This business is a 24/7 commitment, but the rewards of owning your own business are worth it.
What important lessons have you learned? I have learned that people look for me to help them with their purchases because I have established myself as a caring professional business person who puts the customer and customer service first. Additionally, I constantly ensure that we are providing quality products at a fair price.
Hours: Monday-Friday 9am-6pm; Saturday 9am-4pm; Sunday 9am-2pm. Gift baskets and floral arrangements can be ordered in advance. We also offer delivery within a 15 mile radius of Troy.

Lanthier’s Grove
Route 9, Latham (Across from Century House)
785.0515; www.lanthiersgrove.com
Owner: Bob Belleard
How long have you been in business? 20 years. I started here as a cook, chef, then owner.
Describe your business: We are a family oriented seasonal clamsteam, BBQ, steak, roast lobster bake and an old fashioned picnic facility. Our seafood is delivered fresh daily. We have an outside open air facility with pavilions, full bar with frozen drinks and soft drinks and outdoor raw clam bar with freshly prepared dinner. Seating is available for up to 1,200 with parking for over 700 cars.
What sets you apart from competitors? We pride ourselves in old fashioned home cooked food, as well as a clean and well landscaped facility. Takeout is available seven days a week from May to October. Advance notice required. We can cater takeout for any size event or even just one.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? You must be willing to work very hard for many hours every day of the week to develop and make your company the best in the business.
What important lessons have you learned? Dedication and attention to detail are the most important qualities in my business.
Hours: Monday-Sunday 12pm-8pm. Call for takeout (orders taken beginning at 10am), four hour advance notice needed.

LT’s Grill/Andy’s Catering
2305 Nott Street Corner of Balltown & Nott Street, Niskayuna
374.7455 (restaurant); 372.8610 (catering)
www.LTSGRILLNY.com; www.Andyspigroast.com
Owners: L. J Goldstockand Tom Coppola
How long have you been in business? Andy’s Catering was owned by Tom’s father from the 1970s. It was sold in the late 1990s and Tom and I got it back in 2006. LT’s Grill opened February 2007.
Describe your business: LT’s Grill is a family restaurant with a great atmosphere and food at a great deal. We offer everything from ribs to chicken to fresh steaks and seafood. There are plenty of salads and dinner specials with great choices for the kids. Andy’s Catering does it all: from back yard picnics to sit down weddings, corporate lunches to small office parties.
What sets you apart from competitors? We do it right. Great price, great service, unbeatable portions, a clean place, unique dishes, plus the owners are on site all the time to make sure everything is right for you. Not just the restaurant, but at each event. Family is the most important thing to the both of us.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? Make sure you have support from family and friends. Work with each employee, as they are the ones who represent you. Make sure they are talking to each customer as if they were a part of your family.
What important lessons have you learned? Long hours and the strength of a great partner. Tom and I have been friends for over 30 years. We will be best friends for the next 100 years. We are here to serve the people that we do business for. That is what we do best.
Hours: Monday-Thursday 11am-9pm; Friday 11am-10pm; Saturday 4pm-10pm. Catering is available 24/7 and we deliver.

Miss Sydney’ Secret Family Recipe
Feura Bush
768.8113; www.misssydneys.com
Owners: Shannon & AJ Jayapal and Linda & Bob Whipple
How long have you been in business? 5 years
Describe your business: We are a family owned and operated business that manufactures Miss Sydney’ Secret Family Recipe marinade. We began the process of marketing my son-in-law AJ’s old family recipe after everyone requested it at family gatherings. AJ is local chef, and with a little tweaking and a lot of hard work, we went from conception to bottle in about a year. Miss Sydney’s Date Butter will launch soon, and a third product in the near future. Our product is sold online and in specialty stores throughout the Capital Region and beyond. We are also members of the Pride of New York.
What sets you apart from competitors? There are dozens upon dozens of marinades on the shelf, so we needed to come with a way for folks to try ours, so we offer food tasting demos. Once people try it and discover its unique qualities, we could count on them buying it. We have rejected advice on how to cut corners with less costly ingredients and packaging and remain true to the core belief that a quality product will be recognized as being just that—a quality product. This is what separates us from the rest of the pack.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? Do your homework and be prepared for some bumps in the road. Beginning your own business is a lengthy process that requires many hours of hard work and research that requires loads of energy and the ability to handle adversity. However, it can be the most rewarding experience you will ever have.
What important lessons have you learned? Stick to your principles and never compromise. I have learned that there are a lot of nice people in the Capital Region. We were naïve when the process started, but we contacted people who had done this and they were more than happy to give us help. I will also offer that help to anyone out there.

MochaBlend Espresso Bar & Panini Café
720 Hoosick Road, Brunswick Plaza (Next To Pollock’s True Value), Troy
271.1089; www.mochablendcafe.com
Owners: Thomas R. Marrotta, Jr. and Glenn E. Kakely
How long have you been in business? Four months.
Describe your business: We are in the business of bringing community back together by providing people with a comfortable, relaxing and fun environment coupled with superior customer service and quality products. We recognized that in today’s world there are too many factors creating division among people and wanted to create a welcoming environment for all. We wanted “Mocha” in the name. “Blend” means a mix or diversity of people. We serve all espresso and non-espresso based hot and cold drinks, smoothies, teas, gourmet roasted coffees, desserts, pastries and panini sandwiches.
What sets you apart from your competitors?We truly care that our customers are completely satisfied with their orders. We make a point of talking to each and every customer that walks through our door. Secondly, we use “man-power” instead of “machine power” and there is an enormous difference in the way in which our products taste. Third, we are not a franchise and it shows in the quality that we are offering. Our hot and cold espresso drinks (mochas and lattes) are not pre-mixed, they are not dispensed from a “pod” and people have noticed the difference in quality.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? Listen to what your inner voice is telling you. Always remain open-minded to new ideas, remain flexible to change (welcome it) and know that opportunity is bountiful and available equally to all.
What important lessons have you learned? It took many people for us to achieve our goal. We were fortunate enough to understand that you can’t go it alone to get where you would like to be. Establish a network of people who are as excited as you are about what you are attempting to do. Then, it will happen.
Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 7am-9pm; Friday 7am-10pm; Saturday 8am-10pm; Sunday 9am-9pm.

Moment Catcher Photography
138 Cherry Avenue, Delmar
439.5065; momentcatcherphotography.com
Owner: Marty Kerins Jr.
How long have you been in business? 2 years
Describe your business: The sole purpose is to provide high quality photographs with the emphasis on the subject. The end result will be capturing your event in traditional and not so traditional photographs. We offer a complete spectrum of services, hence our trademark quote: “Any Event…Any Function…Any Time…Any Moment”. Photos are taken with a state of the art digital camera and lenses. Digital allows a faster turn around time and photos can be emailed directly to you.
What sets you apart from competitors? Personal attention. I am a photographer by definition, however, I consider myself a sensualist who feels through my eyes. I believe what sets me apart from others is that I’m a natural, in addition to being a professional. I have been blessed with an incredible eye. I place an emphasis not just on the traditional shots, but also on the candid moments that show the preparation, concentration and triumphs of the subject in a complete photojournalistic style. Just like the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” my intention is to tell the whole story. Every photo I take is given personal attention to look its best. They can be customized any way you wish—black and white, sepia toned, antique, water colored, oil painting, colorized and a myriad of other choices. In addition to the artistic side is the ability to remove distracting items from the photo. Custom text may also be included as well as a variety of effects.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? If you want to be a professional photographer be prepared to spend a lot of money. Basic set up will run you around $5,000-$10,000.
What important lessons have you learned? I have learned that nothing compares to doing what you love for a living.

Patricelli’s Deli, Pizza & Catering
219 2nd street (corner of 2nd and Adams), Troy
270.8114; www.patricellis.com
Owners: Al & Kelly Patricelli, Vinny Rayno
How long have you been in business? 12 years.
Describe your business: We offer affordable, quality, menu items and homemade daily soups and lunch specials. We bake our own bread for subs, Italian bread, torps and rolls daily. We also have two catering menus available, a hot and cold buffet menu including appetizers and desserts (pick up, delivery full service), and a BBQ menu (burgers & dogs to full blown Pig Roast), full service or on site. Lunch menu is for pickup or delivery and catering from A-Z. We fax our daily lunch specials to over 300 customers daily.
What sets you apart from competitors? We have been fortunate to have customers remain with us for years. We have made our share of mistakes, but we try to give all of our customer’s excellent service. The Patricelli name has always been associated with top quality food and service. We offer family recipes and homemade quality. Our menu items are prepared fresh daily including oven roasted turkeys/beefs and hand rolled meatballs.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? Anyone considering a business similar to ours should be prepared to work long days, holidays and weekends. It is not an easy get-rich-quick business.
What important lessons have you learned? Top quality food and service are keys to our success.
Hours: Monday 10am-3pm; Tuesday-Friday 10am-8pm; Saturday 10am-3pm. (Sundays available for catering, please call to make arrangements).

Render That!
60 Traditional Lane, Loudonville
482.6063
Owner: Denise Hehir Fitzgerald
How long have you been in business? I began my business in 1988; however, I have been doing work of this type since I was an Art Education student/graduate at the College of Saint Rose in 1980.
Describe your business: Render That! is a custom design pen and ink as well as watercolor design service. I draw (using either pen and ink or watercolor) renderings of homes, businesses, pets, people, etc. from a photograph that I have either taken myself or one that has been given to me. The most recent example of my artwork was displayed last month at Hudson Valley Community College for their annual fund raising event. Other completed projects include a commissioned/limited edition watercolor of Siena College, a pen and ink rendering of St. Pius X Church in Loudonville that is on display in the entrance foyer, and a pen and ink rendering of St. Pius X School which is currently used as their letterhead.
What sets you apart from competitors? The one area which I believe sets my business apart from the competition is my attention to detail and the extremely realistic nature of the work. Regardless of the specific subject that I am drawing, I want the finished work to “jump off the page” when it is viewed and compared with the original photograph.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? First, you must have a true passion for art and drawing. Secondly, you must practice your craft as much as possible and continue to perfect your own artistic style. Lastly, supplement your passion with some formal education in the craft. Looking back, The College of Saint Rose was a great benefit to me in this line of work.
What important lessons have you learned? The most important lesson that I have learned is to always look at new ways to perfect your style of art. Do not be satisfied with work that you have done previously. I continue to try and “break out of the box,” as my work is truly an ongoing educational process.

Rock ‘n Learn
476 Troy-Schenectady Road, Latham
783.2215; www.rocknlearnmusic.com
Owners: Kevin and Laura Lysogorski
How long have you been in business? Five months.
Describe your business: Rock ‘n Learn is a full line music store unlike any other. We carry a wide range of musical instruments, offer expert instrument repairs by Earl Thibadeau and have the area’s most experienced teachers.
What sets you apart from competitors? At Rock ‘n Learn we try to carry all the instruments that the other music stores don’t have.We carry such companies as RKS, Michael Kelly, Hagstrom, Traben and Warwick guitars and bass. We are the area’s only Krank and Orange AMP dealer and we carry a wide range of Taye Drums. We have the largest lesson rooms in town and a teacher for nearly any instrument. There is a music teacher with a B.A. in Music and a M.S. in Special Education offering piano lessons exclusivelyfor children with special needs. We are a music store that truly cares about our customers.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? If someone wants to open their own business, I say go for it. It’s a lot of work, but well worth it. My best advice would be to talk to someone who has been in the business so you can get a lot of good (and bad) advice.
What important lessons have you learned? The most important lesson that I’ve learned is to not be afraid to ask questions; it stops you from falling on your face.
Hours: Monday-Friday 11am-9pm; Saturday 10am-8pm; Sunday 12pm-5pm. We are more than happy to come in early or stay late by appointment.

Sandy Klempner Antiques & Interiors
2188 Route 295, Canaan
781.3456; www.sandyklempnerantiques.com
Owners: Sandy & Joe Klempner
How long have you been in business? Three years.
Describe your business: Mine is a two-pronged business, consisting of buying and selling antiques and providing interior design services. The focus of my 2,000 square foot shop is to bring in one-of-a-kind treasures that run the gamut from serious examples of Americana and colorful Folk Art; to dramatic mid-20th century modern pieces of furniture and ceramics; to fun and funky items that bring a smile to your face. I work these elements together in room settings to illustrate how they could look in a home, as well using them in ways that are a bit “outside the box.”
The Interior Design segment is an at-home service aimed at updating and improving surroundings through smart design. Projects have ranged from a single room to an entire house; starting from scratch or utilizing items already in place; choosing paint colors, fabrics, wall and window treatments; editing, rearranging and refreshing current surroundings.
What sets you apart from competitors? Antiques—My inventory is constantly changing. To fulfill the promise of my motto “Expect the Unexpected”, I guarantee to bring in 15 new items a week. This policy, along with keeping my prices affordable, makes mine a shop that is frequented by dealers and retail customers alike.
Interior Design—I welcome projects of any size, keeping things very personal and within budget. I also specialize in color selection and limit the number of assignments I undertake to assure dedication, efficiency and ultimate satisfaction.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? Have a true passion for what you do, and in the antique world, be prepared to get up very early—even if it means carrying a flashlight—to “get that worm!” Bring that same passion and energy to every client and customer who walks through your door.
What important lessons have you learned? Be thankful for every day that you have the opportunity to do the life work that you’ve chosen.
Hours: Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10am-5pm or by casual appointment.

Shaker Shed Farm Market
945 Watervliet Shaker Road, Albany
869.662; www.shakershedfarm.com
Owners: David & Bridget Brizzell
How long have you been in business?34 years.
Describe your business: Farm Market/country store/nursery/café.
What sets you apart from competitors? In our nursery, everything is grown by us or by local farmers.We also grow a large amount of our produce in the summer.We bake pies, muffins and cookies and have a small cafe, where we serve a light breakfast and a full lunch.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? Be ready to work seven days a week from March 1 until December 24. The rewards are great, but the work is hard.There is a good feeling of accomplishment and pride at the end of the day.
What important lessons have you learned? We have learned how to treat people and how to say no.
Hours: April 1-December 24: Monday-Friday 9am-6pm; Saturday & Sunday 9am-5pm.

Spirits of Troy Wine and Liquor
75 Ferry Street, Troy
271.9463 (WINE);www.spiritsoftroy.com
Owners: Michael & Ashley Palage
How long have you been in business? 2.5 years.
Describe your business: Our vision of a beautiful wine shop has grown beyond our expectations. People come here not only to shop our diverse selection, but also to meet with friends at our weekly tastings. Sometimes they just stop by to say hello. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff always greets everyone at the door with a smile and an out-reached hand to help pair the perfect bottle of wine with whatever affair they are attending.
What sets you apart from competitors? Our staff and diverse wine selection. We carry wines from all over the world. Another service that we offer is filling customer requests. Every person is always searching for that one wine that they had somewhere. We do our best to try to locate the wine and get the bottle into the customer’s hands.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? Don’t give up, there are a lot of road blocks in life, but if it was easy everybody would do it!
What important lessons have you learned? You can always learn from someone who has already gone through that particular experience already. Also, it’s okay to ask a lot of questions.
Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-9pm; Sunday 12pm-4pm.

Tables & Chairs
113 Remsen Street, Cohoes
233.8244; www.tablechairsandmore.com
Owner: Fred Turcotte
How long have you been in business? 17 years.
Describe your business: We are a specialty dining store featuring quality (mostly North American) made furniture—dining rooms, dinettes and casual dining. We feature a great selection of solid wood—maple, oak, chery and birch. We also have glass tops, granite tops and corian. We sell center Islands and we have the largest selection of bar and counter stools in the Capital District.
What sets you apart from competitors? We think we are better than the competition because of our quality. Most other stores sell almost exclusively imported Chinese, Malayasian, Thailand furniture that is not near the quality of our company’s product.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? Be prepared to work. Owning your own business is hard work and time consuming. You are responsible for everything from top to bottom.
What important lessons have you learned? Nothing is ever as easy as it seems. Life presents you with numerous problems that you must overcome, but overcoming those obstacles will make you a better person.
Hours:Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 10am–5:30pm, Tuesday, Friday 10am–8pm; Saturday 10am-–5pm; Sunday 12pm–4pm. Closed Sundays in July and August.

Ted’s Fish Fry
Four locations:
447 Third Avenue, Watervliet 273.0232
350 Second Avenue, N. Troy 235.5552
700 Hoosick Road, Troy 272.0144
636-A New Loudon Road, Latham 783.3176
Owners: Ellen Deeb, S.K. Deeb & Donna Deeb
How long have you been in business? Our first store opened in 1949, which is 58 years in business.
Describe your business: We are a family owned and operated business that strives to create a family friendly atmosphere with the best food at affordable prices. We have many homemade foods like, fish fry clamrolls, meat sauce (for hotdogs) onion rings, cole slaw, new England and Manhattan chowder (seasonal) and our garden salads are made with fresh vegetables. Our chili, tartar and cocktail sauces are also homemade. We also have freshly prepared steaks and chicken for our famous sandwiches.
What sets you apart from competitors? We are the only fish fry with multiple locations in the Capital Region. Our customers, even if they leave the area, come back to us for our famous fish fry.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? You must be willing to work very hard for many hours every day of the week to develop and make your company the best in the business. Customer satisfaction is key to success, as well as having a reliable and competent staff. The fast food market has become very competitive over the past 20 years and without a good staff and outstanding fresh food you will not be successful. If you are not willing to put in the time and commitment, then you should run in the opposite direction.
What important lessons have you learned? Other than the quality of the food and cleanliness of each location, a business is only as good as its employees. They are the first contact with our customers. People skills are important when dealing with your customers and employees alike. You have to be willing to get to know your employees on a personal level. Some of our employees have been with us for over 30 years, which makes us very proud.
Hours: Monday-Saturday 11am-9pm; Friday 11am-10pm; Sunday 12pm-8pm.

The Book Barn
200 Troy-Schenectady Road, Latham
786.1368; lathambookbarn@yahoo.com
Owners:Dan & Cheryl Driggs
How long have you been in business? 16 years.
Describe your business: The Book Barn is a large, well stocked, well organized modern used bookstore with 100,000+ volumes. It’s a place where book lovers can peruse the stacks for hours finding books from long ago, a need for new or discovering treasures unknown.Books are priced to move with a minimum of 1,500 books leaving each week only to be replaced by 1,500+ new and different titles.Whether you prefer paperbacks or hard covers, fiction or non-fiction, there are over 150 categories including: 8,000 mysteries,3,000 history volumes,10,000 children/young adult books, 2,000 cookbooks and 4,000 romance.
What sets you apart from competitors? New bookstores compete, all vying to sell the same titles.Used book stores co-exist, as no two used bookstores have the samestock. We only sell books published within the last three months, but also sell books from the past three centuries, a rare find.The stock gives each used bookstore a unique identity.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? In business, you need to surround yourself with people who understand your business goals and have the ability to work with you to strategize and achieve those goals.We remodeled The Book Barn in January 2007. Prior to the decision to remodel, I was straddling the fence and Cheryl was strongly in favor of the change. We debatedback and forth, then circumstances, timing and hard work landed us a new look and more shelving, which translatesinto more books and a design better forthe business, our customers and for us.
What important lessons have you learned? We have learned you must know the difference between your business and your hobby.Our customers are our market and we have adapted our merchandise practices and our organization to best suittheir needs. This, in large part, is what makes our business successful.We recognized this early on and have consistently modifiedthe business practices atThe Book Barn to meet these ever changing needs.
Hours:Monday-Friday10am-8pm; Saturday 10am-6pm; Sunday 11am-5pm.

The Lighting Place
2020 Central Avenue, Colonie
862.1651; www.lightingplace.com
Owners: Larry Verch (president) and Larry Bloomer (vice president).
How long have you been in business? Since 1991. We are the largest lampshade and lighting design showroom in the Capital District.
Describe your business: Retail lighting showroom specializing in one-on-one customer service as well as direct builder affiliation providing whole-house lighting to the new home buyer.
What sets you apart from competitors? One-on-one customer service. We cater to the walk in customer as well as the new home buyer.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? This business requires a great deal of patience and psychology. Develop the skill of asking the right questions to obtain the correct answers to direct the customer to the desired lighting selections.
What important lessons have you learned? Patience.
Hours: Monday-Friday 10am-6pm; Thursday 10am-8pm; Saturday 9am-2pm during the summer; 9am-4pm after Labor Day.

The Old Daley Inn Catering Company, LLC
2 Northern Drive, Troy
235.2656; www.olddaleyinn.com
Owners: James Pettit, Gene Coletti and Martin Keary.
How long have you been in business? 32 years.
If it has to do with food, we do it and we do it the best!
Describe your business: We are the premier, off premise caterer in the Capital Region. We cater fantastic, lavish weddings, cocktail receptions and galas, corporate drop-off and on premise functions, graduation parties, funerals, baby showers and family gatherings. Every weekday we provide luncheon delivery needs to medical offices within a 70-mile radius from our Troy location. Barbecue is also a big part of our business. From our famous “Drop Off Barbecue” for your home to a Fortune 500 Company Barbecue for over 3,000 people, we’ve done it all.
We also have two downtown Albany lunch cafes located on Maiden Lane and North Pearl Street, known as the Old Daley Inn Marketplace, and just across the street is our Pastanini café. We also have an Outdoor Vending division, serving 30 item menus from our outdoor vending carts. One is located in front of the NYS Legislature building on State Street in Albany; the second is on the Harriman State Office Campus, behind the Taxation and Finance building in Albany
What sets you apart from competitors? What sets us apart is that we don’t worry about our competition. We just love what we do and do it the best way we know how. We have many friends in the same type of business and we wish them all well.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? You really need to love food and especially love people. We don’t hire anyone who is not a friendly, outgoing people person.
What important lessons have you learned? The most important lesson we have learned is that if you give more in value to your customers than you take in money, you will be a huge success.
Hours: Office: Monday-Friday 8am-4pm (office)
Old Daley Inn Marketplace (downtown Albany cafes) Monday-Friday 11am-2pm.
Outdoor Vending: Monday-Friday April-October, weather permitting.

T.L. Roe
Certified Public Accountant
449 Delaware Avenue, Delmar
439.1517; www.tlroe.com
Owner: Terrell L. Roe, CPA
How long have you been in business? 6 years.
Describe your business: We are a certified public accounting firm, providing accounting and tax services to businesses and non-profit organizations. This includes audits, reviews, income tax preparation, tax planning, consulting and business start-ups. We also provide personal income tax preparation for simple and complex tax returns.
What sets you apart from competitors? We are constantly commended by our clients on the service we provide. As a customer focused CPA firm, we are able to extend greater personal attention to our clients. We have flexible schedules, allowing us to meet with you at convenient times, including nights and weekends. Clients are able to contact us any time on our cell phones. Most of our new clients often have concerns about prior accountants not completing their work timely. We start and finish your work in a timely manner, whether you are a small or large client.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? Building long term relationships with clients is critical. If you are looking to work alone in a room crunching numbers, then managing a public accounting firm is not for you. My career is about proactively helping clients and always being available. We avoid using accounting lingo and understand that the client appreciates plain simple language.
What important lessons have you learned? I have learned that providing valuable service to clients entails assessing each client’s individual needs and tailoring our services based on their needs.
Hours: 9:30am-5pm. Appointments recommended.

Versatile Sheds
669 Route 9, Wilton
584.7924 www.versatilesheds.com
Owner: Denise Woodcock
How long have you been in business? 25 years.
Describe your business: Amish Shed sales, including gazebos.In-stock and custom shed orders. We cater to your needs from your first visit through delivery to your yard.
What sets you apart from competitors? Customizing sheds:there are several styles and colors available as well asother options.We work with several different vendors to ensure a wide variety of sheds to choose from.We are family owned with great prices and pleasant service.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? Plan on committing to long hours and have a large selection in stock.
What important lessons have you learned? Customers want what they want when they want it.Have a large in-stock inventory and they will sell!
Hours: Monday-Friday 9am-5pm; Saturday 9am-3pm; closed Sunday.

Linda McClain Travel Services
“From The Islands To The Highlands, No Dream Is Too Far From Here!”
372.7657; www.lindamcclaintravel.com
Owner: Linda McClain
How long have you been in business? I have been self-employed for 3 years, but have over 20 years of travel industry experience.
Describe your business: I sell worldwide vacations, cruises, tours, as well as custom-designed itineraries to New Zealand and Australia. I am a member of the Better Business Bureau, the Business Network International (BNI) Scotia Chapter and am a recommended 2008 Event Professional.
What sets you apart from competitors? I arrange to meet with clients on their time schedule, anywhere in the Capital Region and reasonably beyond. My established clientele enjoy the personal touch I offer by personally delivering documents to their homes or businesses. I want repeat business and this is one of the ways I strive to keep it.
Working with honeymooners is my specialty. My job is to help them find the right honeymoon at a price they can afford. With years in the hotel industry prior to my travel career, I have the knowledge and expertise to do this successfully. I am a certified Sandals Resort Specialist, am listed as a preferred agent to contact for travel to Ireland by the Irish Tourist Board and am one of a handful of “Kiwi Specialists” (specialists to New Zealand) in the state of New York. Both the New Zealand and Australia Tourist Boards have awarded me certifications for my knowledge in travel to their countries. In addition, I have toured both countries several times.
What advice would you give to others wanting to pursue a similar career? Immerse yourself in knowledge and service. The travel industry changes all the time. You have to learn and re-learn elements of this business to succeed. Details, details, details. There is a great opportunity for travel, but first, you have to be in this business to serve others.
Hours: Please contact by phone between 8am-6pm. There is no charge to meet with me. I arrange appointments ba

Operation BBQ

By Barry Sears

Now that summer is in full swing, firing up the barbeque and soaking up the sunshine is a pastime for many. While summer barbequing has been the domain of beer, I am here to tell you those times are over. Wine is the perfect match for summer sun and everything that comes with it. Read on for my tips, some of which are “out of the box”.

Flavor pairings
Bold flavors come to mind when I think of barbeque sauces. Therefore, you will need an equally bold wine to match the sauce. Think of fruit driven red blends like cabernet, shiraz, zinfandel and malbec blends, which are usually a great value for their flavor. As for the region, I would look at Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina and California. Two of my favorites for summer are:
Goats Do Roam is a blend of traditionally French grapes that is produced in South Africa. Everything about this wine is fun; even the name itself is a play on words. It displays nice rich fruit flavors and won’t kill your wallet.
Pillar Box Red is a red blend from the Famed Henry’s Drive winery. This Australian Cabernet-Shiraz is a powerhouse that begs for ribs and steaks. The past few vintages have been Robert Parker standouts and a great price.

Serving temperature
Let’s face it – summer is hot, really hot, and on a hot day the last thing you want to do is offer your friends a warm glass of red wine. Red wine should be consumed at a temperature about 65° F under normal conditions. A summer barbeque is not what I would call “normal conditions.” So go ahead and put that red wine in the fridge to chill for a refreshing drink in the blazing sun. Don’t worry, if you think it’s too cold it will warm up fast, or if it’s too warm put a few ice cubes in it. There, I said it. Ice cubes in wine are okay in the summer. They will down the flavor a bit, but this is the glory of having wine with flavor to spare. The ice cube trick will also mask some of the flavor, so if you are trying to tell if you’re tasting black cherry or black raspberry you are going to have a hard time.
Now onto white wines. Summer whites to me are acidic with nice fruit flavor, which describes Sauvignon Blanc in a nutshell. I love the acidity of Sauvignon Blancs – it’s refreshing on a hot day. It’s the same reason lemonade is good in the summertime. It gets your mouth watering and makes you want more. The same goes for Pinot Grigios and even some dry Rieslings.
When choosing a white wine, look for a nice fresh vintage. Serve marinate grilled chicken in citrus with a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and your friends will think you are a hero.
If you really want to take a chance, try a sparking wine on a hot summer day. I think you will find it both refreshing and fun. People never give sparkling wine a chance because it’s thought of as a special occasion wine, but the fact is that the bubbles add an extra kick to an already refreshing drink. So, wine should and can be consumed around the grill. Save the beer for a beer battered fish fry. l
Barry Sears is with Täste Bistro and is Bar Supervisor at the Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa, Lake Placid. For more information call 523.7834 ext. 687 or visit www.mirrorlakeinn.com.

Don’t let your financial planning take a vacation

By Bob McNamara

With all due respect to Martha and the Vandella’s, it is not just time for Dancin’ in the Streets, backyard barbeques, summer vacations, and hopefully, a pennant race. With all these really important things going on you might as well let all that financial planning stuff take some time off too, right? Think again. Taking a vacation from your financial planning is a serious mistake because the subject is too important.

Since this is the time for graduations and thoughts of the future I’d like to discuss a few things related to kids, taxes and college. I know, we financial planners harp on this subject, but there are many people out there still not listening. The financial benefits of a college education are substantial. The average earnings of a high school graduate in 2005 were $29,488; with a bachelor’s degree it increased to $54,589. The disparity has risen significantly over the last 30 years and the long-term economic impact grows even more so. The logic is indisputable: more income equals more savings, a better standard of living, and by the way, more taxes. That genie always seems to pop out out of the bottle.

So the prevailing wisdom is to get a degree of some sort. A slight caveat when discussing post high school education: it is not just those that go to college that benefit, but also electricians, plumbers and specialized craftsman of all sorts.

The next item that is always the biggest question most of my clients ask is how to pay for it all. With the average private college well over $40k and state schools half of that, it might be somewhat daunting if you have not prepared and even more complicated if you have more than one child enrolling at the same time.

The most efficient way to save for college is to take advantage of the 529 programs that are sponsored by each state and deposit a single lump sum at the birth of the child. I realize that most of us don’t always have the wherewithal to do this; therefore a monthly deposit makes sense (just like you save for retirement, right?). As mentioned in previous articles, the money is never taxed if used for education and if there is money left in the account you can change the beneficiary to the next child. This is also a great estate planning tool for the grandparents. There are two primary programs in this state that also give you a tax deduction that should not be overlooked—Van Guard and Columbia Funds (advisor driven).

For the tax year of 2007, some thought might be given to transferring some shares of a highly appreciated stock for sale into the child’s name, therefore paying the Capital Gain at a much lower rate. I make mention of this because in 2008 it changes and they pay the tax at the parent’s rate until age 24. Remember to consult you tax advisor before doing this.

Lastly, if the situation is right you may want to consider using the Roth IRA as a vehicle to stash cash for college. It will accumulate tax free and will be taxable at withdrawal. If not, it can sit for as long as necessary and be used for something else.

As always, every case is different and they are many ways to accomplish any goal. Your job is to identify and prioritize those goals and if you need help, seek it. Have a happy summer and see you at the beach!

Robert J. McNamara - Financial Consultants (Financial Planning for Families) is located at 132. S. Swan Street, Albany. For more information call 434.4383. 

The do’s and don’ts of dealing with separation anxiety

By Randy Cale, PH.D

Separation anxiety is relatively common with pre-school and elementary aged children. It can show up at various stages and is often triggered in the following situations:
• Leaving kids at daycare or summer camp
• Kids getting on the school bus.
• Leaving kids with a babysitter.
• Transition between households after divorce.
A number of different factors contribute to anxiety when separating from a parent. Here is a summary of what we can safely conclude:
1. Increased general anxiety tends to contribute to separation anxiety.
A child going through a stressful time, which may be due to a change in schools, friendships, homes, parental functioning or any other events that increases their overall anxiety, is more vulnerable to separation anxiety.

2. The more overprotected the more vulnerable.
When kids are overprotected by parents they have not been allowed to experience and deal with upsets on their own. This is one of the hallmark features of the overprotective child, and thus parents are unintentionally nurturing a weaker sense of self-esteem and self-confidence.

3. Parents who overreact to their children’s anxiety promote separation anxiety.
Some parents are highly sensitized to every emotional reaction of their child. When their child is crying they impute a level of emotional distress consistent with what an adult would feel, leading to the parent’s overreacting to the slightest upsets on the part of their children. This interferes with a healthy response which allows children to easily and quickly resolve their separation anxiety.

4. Significant disruptions or fear around relationships with parents. During times of separation and divorce, there may be legal, practical or protective reasons that produce a significant breach in the relationship between a child and a parent. When children experience a deep sense of loss or fear about a permanent loss with a parent, they may begin to display separation anxiety with their consistent caretakers.

5. When a parent’s fear becomes their child’s fear. When parents are afraid that their children can’t handle it, they often communicate this to their kids. They don’t do so directly; rather, they it through their own emotional reactions, the tone in their voice and the questions they ask (probing about a child’s experiences).

If you want a sure fire formula for undermining your child’s sense of confidence that they can handle a transition or change, then ask them 25 questions and continue to doubt their answers. Make comments such as, “Are you sure?” What this does is put children in a position to make decisions that parents are there to make, which is a set up for separation anxiety.

What can you do about it?

Don’t put your kids on medication. I have seen this fail time and time again. This is not a situation where kids need medication. It is not the source of the problem for most children.
Get your child out of your emotions. Make sure that your fears and worries have not become your child’s fears and worries. If you’re concerned about them going to school or how they’re going to handle situations after a divorce, you have to deal with this fear and anxiety elsewhere.

They can handle it! This is a plain and simple fact. Your kids can handle going to school, being left at daycare and going between Dad’s and Mom’s house. You must exude it and speak it so that your kids know this.

Make transitions short and sweet. The most significant mistake you can make would be to have a lengthy goodbye. The second biggest mistake (which is similar) is to ask lots of preparatory questions and offer a huge explanation (over and over again) before a transition occurs.

Both of these are certain to lead to failure, as they communicate your sense of uncertainty about whether or not your child can handle this.

On the other side, make sure you don’t engage the upsets. Every elementary and kindergarten teacher knows this. If you stand in the doorway of your child’s classroom and she starts to sob, the teacher will ask you to leave while she walks your child into the classroom. Within five minutes, all is well and life goes on.

These simple guidelines will help you stay on track. Your child’s separation anxiety will be a thing of the past in a couple of weeks!

Dr. Randy Cale, a Clifton Park based parenting expert, author, speaker and licensed psychologist, offers practical guidance for a host of parenting concerns. Dr. Cale’s new website, www.TerrificParenting.com offers valuable free parenting information and an e-mail newsletter.

Energy Bars:

Are they all they are hyped up to be?

By Judy Torel

You see them in every grocery and convenience store by the row full. They are advertised as “energy bars” and the message is if you eat one you will suddenly feel as if you have slept for eight hours! They are also marketed as healthy alternatives to other junk foods for when you find yourself eating on the run.
According to a PR representative in Manhattan, sales of energy bars more than doubled from 1999 to 2004 and every year there is a minimum of $800 million in sales from these bars.
What exactly are energy bars and are they something you should include in a healthy eating plan?

What is an energy bar?
There are three main types of energy bars: high carb, high protein or a mixture of protein, carb and fat, in which case they are billed as meal replacement energy bars.
Although they may vary in the percentage of the macronutrients, these bars are more similar then they are different. On the positive side, most bars are low in saturated and hydrogenated fats, can have as much as five grams of fiber and contain a mixture of vitamin and minerals that have been added to the bars. But, before you put these into a health food category you may want to consider what else is in them.

Most bars contain sweeteners, such as high fructose corn syrup, grape and pear juice concentrate, barley malt or rice syrup. These may sound healthy, but in reality they are consolidated sources of natural sugars which make them more like candy than a healthy snack or meal replacement.

The higher protein bars do replace some of the sugar sources with whey or soy protein but then they add sorbitol or some other form of sugar—alcohol which the body cannot digest. These bars taste sweet without adding the sugar calories, hence the label, “high protein”, but these indigestible sugars have been linked to gastrointestinal bloating, gas, and pain.

Although it may appear that the bars vary in calorie amount, upon analysis you will find that all bars come out to be approximately 110 calories per ounce. A Powerbar Harvest weighs 2.3 ounces and has 240 calories and a Luna bar weighs 1.7 ounces and has 180 calories, but despite the appearance of being a better calorie choice, the Luna bar is just smaller.

To most people, the word energy implies these bars will make you feel energetic. The ads reinforce this by showing people running, leaping and participating in endurance activities. But, to the Food and Drug Administration, the word energy on a label means calories! So in reality, you are not getting an energy boost as much as you are ingesting calories. And at 110 calories per ounce, these bars can compete with donuts, cookies and chips!

There is no magic to the bars. As long as you are getting the same number of calories, carbs and protein, there is no performance enhancement to the bars. Most people would do better to carry an apple, low fat yogurt, turkey breast slices with whole grain crackers, or a baked potato stuffed with four ounces of low fat cottage cheese for in-between meal snacks or mini-meals on the run. With bars ranging from $1-$3.50 per bar, real food is not only healthier but also less expensive!

It is not all negative news though. The energy bars do have several positives in their corner. First, they are convenient. You can pack one in your glove compartment or purse to have in an emergency when you don’t have access to real food and your alternative is chips or cookies. Second, the bars are portion controlled. You know the total calorie amount and when it’s gone it’s gone. There is no box or bag to continue to put your hand into thereby consuming more calories.

Energy bars can be used in a pinch or occasionally when real food is not accessible but they really don’t fit into a healthy eating plan if they consistently replace the six plus servings of fruits and vegetables and the low fat real protein sources that are recommended for good health and proper nutrition.
The following are my honorable mentions in the energy bar world.

Best Tasting: Clif Bars originated in 1990 for athletes needing easy to carry and concentrated carbohydrates while hiking. They now consistently win the energy bar taste tests. They are a carb type energy bar and have 250 calories, 5 grams of fat and 10 grams of protein. They come in many flavors including chocolate chip. These bars are better to use in the summer because they don’t have a chocolate or yogurt coating so they don’t become a sticky melted mess if left in a glove compartment or other warm place.

Most Like a Real Candy Bar: Go down the energy bar aisle in your local grocery store and the Detour Bars will definitely grab your attention. The bar is designed to mimic a Snickers bar and has a nickname of “snickers on steroids”. This protein type energy bar has a whopping 3.2 ounces, 350 calories, 30 grams of protein, 11 grams of fat and 32 grams of carbs. The bar contains Designer Whey (trademarked) that is boasted as being America’s number one protein since 1993.

Highest Protein Bar: Pro 42 Bars have the highest protein content of all the energy bars, a full 42 grams of ISS protein blend, including calcium caseinate, whey protein and hydrolyzed protein. These bars are low sugar and have a carb count of only 11 grams. The reason for this is that the bars contain glycerine, a sweetener derived from vegetables which has a lower carb gram amount then the sweeteners used in other bars. The flavors include Almond Rocky Road and Peanut Butter Collision.

Most “health food-like”: Odwalla Bars are made with only organic ingredients including fruits and grains. Flavors include Superfood with Spirulina and Cranberry C- Monster. The bars boast high content of antioxidants and other healthful nutritional supplementation. The Superfood Odwalla bar is 2.1 ounces and 230 calories. It contains 4 grams of fat (none of it saturated), 43 grams of carbs derived from brown rice syrup and other natural sweeteners and 4 grams of protein.

Judy Torel is a therapist/personal trainer with a Master’s degree in psychology. She is certified through the American College of Sports Medicine as a fitness trainer and works out of Planet Fitness and Deb's Sweat Shop Extension. She can be reached at JTOREL2263@yahoo.com

Best burgers

By William M. Dowd

Hello. My name is Bill and I’m a hamburger addict.

From the days long ago when I’d visit my mom and wheedle her to bring me a burger from the kitchen of the smalltown restaurant where she was a waitress to the every-Friday burger night tradition my now grown kids still remember to today’s unrelenting search for yet another good burger joint, I love that ground beef.

The Capital Region, like much of America, is loaded with burger offerings of all sorts, ranging from the frozen discs slapped down on griddles at greasy spoon dives to pricey Kobe beef sliders at the upscale dp: An American Brasserie at the Hampton Inn in downtown Albany.

Over nearly 20 years of reviewing restaurants in the Baltimore-Washington megaplex, in the Capital Region and in nearby swaths of New England, I’ve tried ‘em all, from enduring icons such as the South End Tavern in Troy that opened in 1934 to seasonal places like Jumpin’ Jack’s on a bank of the Mohawk River in Scotia.

Even when I promise myself not to order a burger just because a place looks like it’s a place for them, I sometimes hedge my bets as I once did at Scarboroughs in Rotterdam’s Hannaford Plaza with a thick, delicious cheeseburger soup du jour.

I’m continually reassessing which places I think serve the best burgers. New combinations arise, new contenders arrive -- think Fuddruckers, the Texas-based chain (motto: “World’s Greatest Hamburgers”) that will succeed the failed Lone Star steakhouse on Colonie’s Wolf Road.

I do try to avoid those fast-food chains that treat burgers as just one more widget to crank out on the assembly line. This noble creation that probably dates back as far as the pharonic Egyptian period demands to be treated with respect. Any time I’m stuck eating under the golden arches or the crown because there’s nothing else available, I’m reminded that the pickle is the best part of their sandwich. And, I don’t particularly like pickles.

As all-American as the hamburger has become, it had sustained many long before there was a United States.

Mongol horsemen used to eat scraped or shredded raw meat that had been formed into patties and tenderized by being placed under their saddles before long rides. When the Mongols invaded Russia in the 13th Century, the locals adopted their meat patties, adding raw eggs and chopped onion to create “steak tartare.” (Tartars was their name for Mongols.)

Something known as “Hamburg steaks” gained popularity in the late 1800s with sailors who visited the German port city of that name. European immigrants who were served this salted, sometimes smoked meat brought it with them to the U.S.

European cookbooks of the 17th and 18th centuries had recipes for such dishes as broiled meat cakes, “Hamburgh” sausage and beef cakes.

Many people claim to have invented the modern hamburger, with most of the claims arising near the dawn of the 20th Century. The most vocal claim at one time came from Seymour, WI, which was the home of the Hamburger Hall of Fame until it closed a few years ago.

It had commemorated “Hamburger Charlie” Nagreen who, in 1885 at the age of 15, was selling meatballs at the annual fair in Seymour. When he realized business wasn’t going well because meatballs were hard to handle while strolling around, he flattened the meat into patties and put them between slices of bread. The change was so well received by fairgoers that he returned to the fair to sell burgers each year until his death in 1951.

On this side of the country, the first purveyor of hamburgers may have been one Louis Lassen of New Haven, CT, who ran Louis’ Lunch Wagon.

He served steak sandwiches to factory workers until in 1900 he decided to do something with the meat scraps he had left over each day. He ground up the scraps and served them between two pieces of toast, calling them hamburgers.

Louis’ Lunch still exists, without the “wagon” part, in a little brick building in New Haven. Its burgers are cooked vertically in old gas grills and served plain on toast, no mustard, ketchup or other foreign matter allowed.

Let’s not even get started on who invented the cheeseburger. Just be thankful someone did.

When it comes to ranking hamburgers, the gloves are off as soon as the subject is mentioned. Everyone has a favorite, or two or three, and thinks everyone else is a knucklehead if they don’t agree. Here is my current Big 3 among independents and Big 3 among chains locally. They don’t necessarily reflect my thinking of a couple of years ago and they may not reflect my thinking a year from now. That’s because the search always will go on.

THE INDEPENDENTS

(1.) ALBANY PUMP STATION – Or, the C.H. Evans Brewing Co. Either name is proper for Neil Evans’ brew pub located in the shadow of the I-787 off-ramp at Clinton Avenue and Broadway, but they do most dishes only one way there: nicely. Even -- dare I say it? -- their veggie burgers aren’t bad.

There’s something about biting into a humongous burger sandwich while surrounded by Industrial Chic décor of brick, steel and wood. The signature, and highly imaginative, Pump Station Burger lends itself to that setting: ground beef blended with scallions, cheddar jack cheese, barbecue sauce and the house’s Kick-Ass Brown Ale, topped with bacon and pepper jack and served with ancho-chipotle sour cream.

I laid waste to one of the generous burgers before a recent concert at The Egg nearby and found it stayed on my mind through much of the performance.

(2.) PINHEAD SUSAN’S – Jack McDonald’s downtown Schenectady “Irish” pub, located on North Broadway near the Amtrak stop, takes its name from some famous local graffiti and its inspiration from a Dublin brewery. (The original graffiti stated, flatly, that “Susan is a pinhead.” When it was painted over, someone resurrected the pronouncement by scrawling “Susan is still a pinhead.”)
I like the name, but that’s not why the establishment tops my list of local burgeries. Its Guinness burger is the reason for that. It’s good quality beef, cooked precisely medium-rare as ordered, served on a toasted bun and topped with an abundant, crisp layer of bacon, sharp cheddar cheese and cooked onions soaked in, and actually tasting of, the iconic Irish draft beer. Great with a side of sweet potato fries.

(3.) MAN OF KENT – This cozy little tavern, perched beside Route 7 in Hoosick just before the Vermont border, has lots of atmosphere and conviviality that can easily convince you that you’re in a British country pub.

Proprietor John Stoate, who grew up in England, serves his burgers big, a bit charred on the outside, delightfully juicy on the inside (you can even get it cooked rare, an increasingly difficult order to get filled these days) and enveloped in a puffy roll. Whatever toppings you select are guaranteed fresh.

THE CHAINS

(1.) TGI FRIDAY’s – This international dining giant (parent Carlson Restaurants Worldwide has just short of 1,000 places operating in 58 countries) has been a mainstay of Guilderland’s Stuyvesant Plaza since the early ‘90s when the chain had just 200 units. It also has locations on Route 50 in Wilton and Southside Drive in Clifton Park. Its advertising campaigns usually focus so much on new dishes that it’s easy to forget this is an excellent burger joint.

Although limited to four burgers (five if you count the turkey burger, which I refuse to do) with generous sides of fries, the list is a satisfying one. The basic burger, with or without melted American cheese, and the bacon cheeseburger are fine for the casual burger eater, but the other two options are prime time stuff that puts TGIF atop the chain burger list for me.

The Cheesy Bacon Cheeseburger -- the name of which reminds me of the Department of Redundancy Department -- teams up melted American with fried provolone, crisp bacon slices, red onion, lettuce and tomato. The Jack Daniel’s Burger starts with the same good ground beef patty, then adorns it with bacon, provolone, grilled onions and a sweet, bold sauce from the whiskey company. Scrumptious.

(2.) RED ROBIN – This 360-unit chain has Capital Region locations in Latham (the Route 9 entrance to Latham Farms) and Halfmoon (at The Crossing) and was the reader favorite in this magazine’s 2007 “Best Of …” survey. I rank it high among franchise operations but not for its basic burger which is rather standard issue good ground beef (although never-been-frozen).

What makes it so good as a sandwich are the combinations and presentation – more than a dozen different possibilities, each delivered in an old-fashioned paper wrap in a basket with a mound of steak fries (free extras on demand).

I think I’ve tried every version of Red Robin’s “gourmet” burgers without finding any I don’t care for. If pressed to narrow it down to one or two, however, it would have to be the Royal Red Robin Burger (a bacon cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato and mayo plus a fried egg atop it, delicious no matter how jarring the egg might sound) or the Guacamole Bacon Burger (a Swiss cheese burger piled high with onions, lettuce, tomato, mayo and a hearty, tangy guacamole). For avocado fans, the guacamole alone is worth the visit.

(3.) JOHNNY ROCKETS – There are 200 of these retro diner-style restaurants in the country, but only one in the Capital Region – opposite the movie box office in Guilderland’s Crossgates Mall, which facilitates an easy burger-and-a-flick date.

Any place that puts the name of a menu item in its business name (JR’s subtitle is “The Original Hamburger”) had better come up with the goods. JR does. It has nine different burgers (plus a soy burger and a turkey burger) that range from its original burger with lettuce, tomato, chopped onions, relish, mustard, mayo and pickle to a patty melt.

My pick falls in between these standards – the Smoke House sandwich which layers a sharp cheddar cheese from the renowned Tillamook dairy co-op in Oregon, thick bacon and crisp onion rings atop the burger and dresses the sandwich with a smoky-sweet barbecue sauce. Couple that with a thick chocolate shake and you’ll probably nod off at the movie.

William M. Dowd is a veteran Capital Region journalist who covers food, drink and destinations online at DowdsGuides.com.

Garden Guru

By Kerry A. Mendez

Q:I saw the most beautiful flowering shrub planted along a fence in our development. When I asked the name of it, the owner said it was a hydrangea. I am familiar with the ball-shaped hydrangeas, but this had a flat-headed flower. Is it really a hydrangea?

A: It is, and one of my favorites at that. Lacecap hydrangeas are in the same family as mophead hydrangeas (H. macrophylla), but they look dramatically different. Lacecaps are flat headed and very delicate in appearance. The outer rim of buds on each flower open while the center ones remain closed. Like mopheads, the flowers will be blue in acidic soils (below 7.0 and preferably in the mid 5’s) and pink when the soil is alkaline (above 7.0). Lacecaps typically mature to 4’ to 5’ and bloom the month of July. They actually require less sun than some other hydrangeas. I have ‘Blue Wave’ hydrangeas in a location that only gets about three hours of afternoon sun and they do fantastic. The best time to prune lacecaps is immediately after flowering. Because they form their flower buds on old wood (wood that came through the winter), I put a hoop of chicken wire around them in November and stuff raked leaves inside to insulate tender buds. I unwrap the lovely ladies in spring and shazam – a knockout display of flowers a few months later. Lacecap hydrangeas are hardy to zone 5 or 6 depending on the cultivar. I have found ‘Blue Wave’, ‘Blue Bird’ and ‘Blue Billow’ to be reliable bloomers in our area, especially if wrapped in the winter and placed in sheltered spots out of the path of winter winds.


Q: I have a really tough spot where I can’t seem to grow grass or flowers. Are there any plants that can handle this hellstrip?

A: If paving isn’t an option, then we move to the SWAT team of groundcovers. These plants can usually survive the toughest of conditions. Note I said usually. All living things will eventually give up the ghost. To make these hellstrip workhorses even more praiseworthy, I’ll recommend those that are also drought-tolerant. Now these deserve a standing ovation. Representing the sun-loving team are lamb’s ear; geranium sanguineum (the common fuchsia pink one); low growing varieties of yarrow such as A. tomentosa that has yellow flowers; catmint (nepeta); crown vetch; common sundrops or yellow primrose (oenothera fruiticosa); thyme; snow-in-summer (cerastium); creeping sedums; and ribbon grass. Slipping into the shade are dead nettles (lamiums); solomon’s seal, bugle weed (ajuga); sweet woodruff; foam flowers (tiarella); yellow archangel (lamium galeobdolon); astilbe chinensis ‘Pumila’ (a dwarf, purple flowering astilbe that blooms in August); faster spreading hostas such as ‘albo marginata’ (green and white), lancifolia (green), ‘Ginko Craig’ (green and white), and ‘Honeybells’ (green leaves with fragrant white flowers). Of course, there are always the more common choices of lily-of-the-valley, vinca, and pachysandra. I must admit I have a hard time suggesting snow-on-the-mountain (aegopodium). It has been a nightmare trying to get rid of it in my flower garden. But, on the other hand, you cannot beat its toughness and perseverance for thriving in poor soil in sun or shade. Whatever hellstrip groundcover you choose, give it a leg up by loosening the top few inches of soil and scratching in some compost or manure before planting. A sprinkle of time-released fertilizer such as Plant-Tone or Holly-Tone wouldn’t hurt either. Provide them with a little extra water their first season as they settle in and you’ll be generously re-paid for your kindness the following year.


Q:What are some organic solutions for fighting insect problems in my gardens?

A: I applaud you for throwing away chemical sprays like Sevin that wreak havoc on our environment. Everyone has bugs in their gardens. But remember, our goal should not be to BLOW AWAY all of the ‘bad’ bugs, but rather to establish a healthy balance between these and beneficial insects without using chemicals. And the healthier your plants, the less problems they will have; it’s the weakened or diseased plants that suffer first. Some of the most common chewing and sucking insects are aphids, leafhoppers, spittlebugs, leafminers, spider mites, Japanese beetles, slugs, snails and grasshoppers. There are many environmentally-friendly ways to control these. You can 1) use non-chemical sprays like insecticidal soaps, horticultural oils, garlic or hot pepper sprays and products that contain neem, 2) employ healthy garden maintenance practices allowing for good air flow and proper watering to minimize problems, 3) make your gardens attractive to birds, frogs and toads that eat these insects (i.e., incorporate bird baths, bushes with edible berries, toad houses), 4) plant a variety of flowers that provide a diversity in pollens and nectars to attract different insects, and 5) employ the IPM method (integrated pest management) otherwise known as good bugs fighting bad ones. Now to introduce the good guys, or beneficials, that prey on the troublemakers. Probably the best known are lady bugs. Green lacewings are also terrific soldiers. And who could forget praying mantis, the elegant missionaries in our gardens that seek out the enemy. How can we make our gardens more attractive to beneficials? Once again, don’t use chemicals! Try planting flowers with small blossoms such as sweet alyssum and dill that tend to draw beneficial insects. You can also buy pheromones, an attractant lure. This works the same way as Japanese beetle traps (which I do not recommend because they tend to draw more beetles than they actually eliminate). And you can always import the good guys by buying them in containers (some are sold as eggs, others as mature adults). I’ve had folks question how many beneficials really stick around their yard after being released. Rest assured that a few may wander, but most will remain faithful to you. Finally, remember there will always be some good and bad bugs in your gardens. That’s okay! Balance is what we are looking for.

Kerry Mendez is the owner of Perennially Yours and is a teacher, writer, speaker and consultant residing in Ballston Spa. To learn more about her work, please visit her web site at www.pyours.com.

East meets West

Summer family travel

By Linda McClain, CTA

Summer is officially here! Have you made plans for a family vacation? With gas prices at an extraordinary high, are you wondering if a road trip will be your best bet? The Capital Region is positioned with a versatile advantage for road trips. If you want to get up and go, here are some destinations that are all within a few hours drive:

• Take in the beauty of the Finger Lake Region of New York. Sample regional wine and visit a vineyard.
• Spend time in Lake Placid, once home to Winter Olympic Games. If you love the great outdoors, it’s easy to find things to do if you in this region. Take in the extreme or watch it. Each July, the Ironman triathlon takes place here (www.ironmanusa.com). Also visit this link to learn about unique opportunities for your child. Youth triathlon clinics and multi-sport adventure camps are available for children ages 7-15. Advance registration required.
• Visit the nearby Berkshires of Massachusetts or the historic charm of Boston, on the east coast.
• Stretch your driving time to the scenic beaches of Maine and the best lobster, ever. Don’t miss the L.L. Bean factory outlet store in Freeport.
• Discover the beauty and tranquility of the mountain and lake regions of New Hampshire
• Find perfection and confection (Ben & Jerry’s) of Vermont Don’t miss the Teddy Bear Factory in Shelberne.
• Drive north to Montreal, Quebec, gastronomic capital of the world. Remember to bring proof of US citizenship for each member of the family.
• Visit Mystic Seaport, Connecticut. Enjoy the aquarium and charming scenery or try your luck at Foxwoods, nearby.

Traveling with infants and toddlers
How better to sharpen your organizational skills? If you are taking a road trip, you will need to decide the essential from the unessential. With this age group, it seems you can never have enough clothes, diapers, wipes and age appropriate foods.
However, the benefit of traveling with little ones is well worth the effort. They make charming and adorable companions. This seems to be one of the only stages of childhood in which everything a parent does, is the perfect answer to their command. If it’s sandcastles and the shore or a visit to a city aquarium or zoo, expect your little one to fill your hours with personal pride and appreciation.

Driving with school-aged children?
Create a family travel theme this summer
A good example of this is mixing history with the beach.
• Travel to Cape Cod to visit Hyannis Port, home of the Kennedy compound. Include scenic stops like Nantucket island, with its’ charming lighthouses and cobblestone streets.
• Ferry over to Provincetown. Quaint cottages and architecture are just part of the allure that is evident here. Once a famous whaling port, it is now home to many writers, artists and celebrities. Heading back from the Cape, visit Plymouth Rock. Board a reproduction of the Mayflower, where your children will learn about the 65 day journey from England to the Plymouth, Massachusetts coast. You can also see ways the original pilgrims lived at Plymouth Plantation.

Williamsburg, Virginia
Discover the largest outdoor living history museum in our country. In a village that simulates the Jamestown Settlement and its’ people, see what it was like to live in the 16th century. Character actors recreate necessary day to day tasks that were faced during times of settlement. Watch the art of brick-making and many other fascinating hand crafted accomplishments. A traditional fife and drum parade take part in the daily activities during the busy tourist season. Visit a colonist’s fort and a Powhatan village, like the one Pocahontas would have lived in as a child.
After all the living history lessons, consider an extra day or two for Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. From the thrilling roller coaster to wet water rides, there is something here for every member of the family.

Or take flight. California, here I come!
Begin with diverse and dynamic San Francisco. Hop a cable car, explore Fisherman’s Wharf and take in some retail therapy. Day trips of great contrast range from the nearby island prison of Alcatraz to the beauty of giant redwoods in Muir Woods. Whether you want to eat or play, explore museums or just enjoy the multicultural environment, San Francisco is a great way to discover California your way.

Where do I go from here?
• Cross the Sierra Nevada mountains to Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
• Drive to Yosemite National Park for scenic splendor.
• Your family can hike and take in a host of activities without the interruption of cell phones and deadlines.
• Don’t miss 17-mile drive. Considered one of the best coastline highways in the world, your family is sure to remember its breathtaking scenery.
• See the Monterey Peninsula, known for its crashing surf and dramatic cliffs. Both beautiful and charming, Monterey was the original capital of California.
• Drive the Big Sur Coast, a 90-mile stretch with stunning coastal and mountain scenery.
• Visit the famous Hearst Castle, positioned on a mountaintop in San Simeon.
• Return to San Francisco for your flight home to Albany or continue the drive south to San Diego.
• An abundance of family fun awaits you! San Diego has a perfect blend of weather conditions and family activities can keep you on the go. The world famous San Diego Zoo will give you more than a day’s worth of discoveries.
Take the kids to Seaworld and Legoland for unlimited hours of fun.
• Stroll along one of the area beaches. Find yourself at La Jolla cove at sunset to view an amazing sunset.
• Visit Old Town. Many historic buildings here include a blacksmith shop and the oldest school in San Diego.
• Take in the shopping at Seaport Village or Horton Plaza.
• Bike or jog along one of Mission Bay Park’s many trails.
If you’ve decided that a vacation on the coast is on your agenda, I hope you will benefit from the ideas I’ve shared with you this month. Whether you travel East or West, have a safe and happy journey!

East Coast websites:
www.fingerlakes.org
www.lakeplacid.com
www.ironmanusa.com
www.vermontvacation.com
www.vermontteddybear.com
www.tourism-montreal.org
www.visitmaine.com
www.visitnh.gov
www.mass-vacation.com
www.mysticseaport.org
www.visitwilliamsburg.com
www.buschgardens.com

West Coast websites:
www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com
www.visitinglaketahoe.com
www.yosemitepark.com
www.pebblebeach.com
www.montereyinfo.org
www.bigsurcalifornia.org
www.hearst-castle.org
www.sandiego.org

Linda McClain, CTA, is owner of Capital Region based Linda McClain Travel Services “From The Islands To The Highlands, No Dream Is Too Far From Here!” For more information call 372.7657 or visit www.lindamcclaintravel.com.

Alive at Five 2007 Concert Series

Albany Riverfront Park
Opening bands begin at 5pm. Headline Bands begin at 6:30pm
For more info: 434.2032; www.albanyevents.org

July 12–Irish Music Night
Featuring: Cherish the Ladies; Opening Band: Hair of the Dog

July 19-R & B Night
Featuring: Charlie Thomas’ Drifters; Opening Band: Dr. K’s Motown Revue; Body & Soul featuring Jill Hughes

July 26-Capital Region Rock Night
Featuring: The Refrigerators; Opening Band: Slick Fitty

August 2-Summer Brass Night
Featuring: Beginning’s- The Premiere Chicago Tribute Band; Opening Band: Mingo Fishtrap

August 9-Latin Rock Night
Featuring: Los Lobos; Opening Band: Los Straitjackets

August 16-Celtic Rock Night
Featuring: Greenwich Meantime and Rathkeltair; Opening Band: Flynn 529

Guilderland Performing Arts Center 28th Season Thursday Night Summer Series

Tawasentha Park, Rte. 146, Guilderland
All shows begin at 7:30pm unless otherwise noted
For more info: 356.1980

July 5
Russian American Kids Circus

July 12
Work o’ the Weavers- folk music concert

July 19
Guilderland Town Band

July 26
The Electric City Chorus

August 2
The Refrigerators

August 9
Guilderland Town Band

August 16
Nobby Reed Project- blues rock

August 23
Joey Thomas Big Band-big band swing

At the Park Lunchtime Concert Series

Ten Eyck Courtyard N. Pearl Street, Albany
For more info: www.downtownalbany.org
All shows 11:30am-1:30pm

July 10
Sweet Cider

July 17
The Reverberators

July 26
Geo and the Komrades

July 31
Savage Freedom

August 7
Lost Wages

August 14
Ten27

August 21
Annie and the Hedonists

August 28
Raisinhead

September 4
Sirsy

September 11
Foy Brothers

September 18
Lustre Kings

September 25
Electric Lipstick

Jazz on Jay

Outdoor space in front of Center City in Schenectady. Free, 12pm-1:30pm
Rain site is the Schenectady Public Library on Clinton Street. www.albanyjazz.com

July 5 - Alan Payette
July 12 - Mike Wicks
July 19 - Greg Henderson
July 26 - Keith Pray
August 2 - Brian Brundige
August 9 - Paul Mastriani
August 16 - Sensemeya
August 23 - Jeanne Oíconnor
August 30 - Bill Leary

Freedom Park

Schonowee Avenue, Scotia
(Next to Jumpin’ Jacks)
Bring a chair or blanket and enjoy the outdoor amphitheater. Free.
All shows at 7pm. 372.5656
July 7
Alan Payette Band - A seven piece powerhouse with tight rhythm and horn sections playing the best rockin’ dance music.

July 8
Doc Spring’s Rehabilitated Dixieland Jazz Band

July 11
The Refrigerators - 10 piece band of top musicians.

July 14
Matt Mirable Band featuring Alison Jacobs.

July 15
Sean Patrick McGraw - This is a once in a lifetime chance to see Nashville’s biggest up-and-coming country star.

July 18
The Lustre Kings - Modern rockabilly.

July 19
Scotia-Glenville Community Band.

July 21
Alex Torres and his Latin Orchestra.

July 22
The Puppet People and Story Circle.

July 25
T S Ensemble - A seven-piece party band that specializes in fun and high energy.

July 28
Captain Squeeze and the Zydeco Moshers.

July 29
The Music Company Orchestra – Schenectady’s very own local symphony orchestra.

August 1
The Brian Patneaude Quintet.

August 4
Skeeter Creek - Musicians from the Philadelphia Orchestra with a special guest appearance by area guitarist Maria Zemantauski for the Boccherini Quintet.

August 8
Hair of the Dog - Known as “America’s number one Irish Folk Band.”

August 11
BLOTTO - Sarge, Bowtie & Lee Harvey to perform all of their hits from the 80’s.

August 12
Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company - These dancers delight audiences of all ages with movement that celebrates rhythm, energy and musicality.

August 15
The Joey Thomas Big Band - Dance to tunes from WWII to today.

August 18
Donnie P & Celebration - Dance and sing along to traditional polish music, waltzes and, of course, polkas.

August 19
The Uncle Brothers - They focus on fun, interactive shows for the whole family.

August 22
Mud Bug Uprising - Dance to the band’s blues. Bring a lawn chair or blanket to best enjoy the outdoor amphitheater.

August 24-26
“Smokey Joe’s Café”- One of the most successful and longest running shows in Broadway’s history.

August 29
The Swing Docs - medical professionals and local musicians together.

2007 Concerts in The Barn at the Pruyn House

207 Old Niskayuna Rd., Newtonville
Adults $5; children under 13 $2. 783.1435

July 11
Aged in the Hills - Country, Cajun, Bluegrass, Hillbilly & Swing. 7pm

July 18
German Fest with the Bavarian Barons. 6pm-9pm, Beer Garden at 4:30pm.

July 25
Italian Night with the Good Times Band. 6:30pm-9pm; food at 5pm.

August 1
Hair of the Dog - 7pm. Free shuttle bus available from Firehouse at 144 Old Niskayuna Rd.

August 8
Lustre Kings - Rockabilly music with an uncommon fervor, commitment and flair. 7pm.

August 15
Polish Night with the Rymanowski Bros. Orchestra. 6:30pm-9pm; food at 5pm.

Park Playhouse

Washington Park, Albany
For more info: 434.2035; www.parkplayhouse.com

July10-August 19
Grease — Tuesday-Sunday, 8pm

Park Playhouse 2

July 31-August 12
Bye-Bye Birdie— Tuesday-Sunday, 5:30pm

Powers Park Concert Series

Powers Park, 110th St. & Second Avenue, Troy
270.4493.
All events are free to the public, with a full array of vending services available.

July 7 - North 40 Band/Country Night, 6pm-8:30pm
July 14 - Stormfront/Billy Joel Tribute, 6pm-8:30pm
July 21 - Al Bruno/Neil Diamond Tribute, 6pm-8:30pm
July 28 - Wylder/Classic Rock, 6pm-8:30pm
August 4 -Vehicle/Classic Rock, 6pm-8:30pm
August 11 - The Greyhounds/Spectacular 50’s Show, 6pm-8:30pm
August 18 - Groove Syndicate/Classic Rock, 5:30pm-8pm

Riverlink Park

Route 5, Amsterdam
842.7461; 408.3329

July 13
Canalfest Barge Bash - 7pm-11pm

July 14
Schenectady Symphony Orchestra - 7:30pm-10pm

July 15
Canalfest

July 21
MedRock - 7pm-9pm

July 28
Nightingale - 7pm-9pm

August 3
Ernie Williams - 7pm-9pm

August 4
Cheyenne - 7pm-9pm

August 11
Green Hill Tribe and Mike MacDonald and the Widowmakers - 7pm-9pm

August 18
Bruce Molsky - 7pm-9pm

August 25
Alex Torres and his Latin Orchestra. 7pm-9pm

Tri City Valley Cats

Joseph L. Bruno Stadium, Troy
Home game schedule, all games begin at 7pm
629.2287; www.tcvalleycats.com

July 4 vs. Vermont
July 5- vs. Vermont
July 6- vs. Vermont
July 11- vs. Brooklyn
July 12- vs. Brooklyn
July 13- vs. Brooklyn
July 14- vs. Mahoning Valley
July 15- vs. Mahoning Valley @ 5pm
July 16- vs. Mahoning Valley @ 12pm
July 24- vs. Auburn
July 25- vs. Auburn
July 26- vs. Auburn
July 27- vs. Staten Island
July 28- vs. Staten Island
July 29- vs. Staten Island @ 5pm
August 2- vs. Hudson Valley
August 3- vs. Hudson Valley
August 4- vs. Hudson Valley
August 10- vs. State College
August 11- vs. State College
August 12- vs. State College @ 5pm
August 16- vs. Oneonta
August 18- vs. Oneonta
August 20- vs. Lowell
August 21- vs. Lowell
August 25- vs. Aberdeen
August 26- vs. Aberdeen @ 5pm
August 27- vs. Aberdeen
August 28- vs. Vermont
August 29- vs. Vermont
September 2- vs. Oneonta @ 5pm
September 4- vs. Oneonta

Troy’s Riverfront Park Concert Series

July 8 – Georgie Wonders Big Band, 6pm
July 15 - Nightingale, 6pm
July 22 - Sonny & Perley “Brazilian Romance” 6pm
July 29 - Taineri - Latin Night, 6pm
August 5 - The Lustre Kings – Rockabilly, 6pm
August 12 - Blind Mice, 6pm
August 19 - The Ron Cremisio Band, 6pm
August 26 - Take Me To The River Blues Fest, 2pm

For the Kids, all shows at 12pm
July 11 - Peter, Paul & George Family Dance
July 18 - Sensemaya for Kids
July 25 - Tom Winslow
August 1 - Ivy Vine Players
August 8 - Cranberry the Clown
August 15 - Tales & Tunes
August 22 - Hamilton Hill Steel Drum Band

Saratoga County Fair

July 18-23

Admission: General Admission (13 and Older) Tuesday-Thursday $7; Friday-Sunday $10; Child ages 6-12 $3; Child under age 6 free; Wednesday, Senior Day
Senior Citizen ages 65 & over until 5 pm $4
Hours:
Fair: 9am- midnight daily; Midway: noon-midnight daily; Beer Garden: noon-midnight; Concession Buildings: 11am-11pm
Discount Days:
Tuesday $7 Adult Admission
Wednesday $7 Adult
Wednesday $4 Senior (65 and over) Admission until 5pm
Thursday $7 Adult Admission
All gate fees include free parking in lots when available
For more info: 885.9701; www.saratogacountyfair.com

Schoharie County Sunshine Fair

August 7-12

August 7 - Sunshine Fair American Idol Contest, 7pm
August 8 - Carmine Dio and the Goodfellows, 8-11pm
August 9 - Terry Goffee’s Tribute to Johnny Cash, 7pm
August 10 - Electric City Horns, 9:30pm-12:30am
August 11 - BJ Thomas, 7pm; The Refrigerators, 9:30am-12:30pm
August 12 - Shirley Alston Reeves of The Shirelles, 3pm
For more info: 234.2123; www.sunshinefair.org.

Altamont Fair

August 14-19

For more info: 861.6671; www.altamontfair.com

Fonda Fair

August 28-September 3

Admission: Adults $8 Monday-Thursday, $10 Friday-Sunday; children 6-11 $2; children under 6 free; Senior Citizen Days (65 and up) $5; Parking $2
For more info: 853.3313; fondafair.com

Schaghitcoke Fair

August 29-September 3

Admission: $8; children under 13 free; season pass including parking $26; Parking $2 (free with four paid adults)
Opening Day only: Wednesday- Adult admission $5; Thursday Senior Citizens admission with card $5
Hours: Opening Day at noon; Thursday-Monday at 10am
For more info: 753.4411; www.schagticokefair.com

Columbia County Fair

August 29-September 3

Admission: $10 ($12 on Sundays); children under 12 free; parking free
Hours: Wednesday 5pm-11pm; Thursday-Monday 10am-11pm
For more info: 392.2121; www.columbiafair.com

Washington County Fair

August 20-26

Admission: Adults $9; seniors (over 62 Wednesday only) $4; children under 14 free; 7-day pass $27; free parking

Hours: Gates open at 5pm-10pm Monday; 9am- 10pm Tuesday-Sunday

Schedule:
August 20- Opening Day
August 21- Carnival Fun Day
August 22- Senior Citizen Day
August 23- Children’s Day
August 24- Family Entertainment Tent sponsored by GE
August 26- Family Fun Day
For more info: 692.2464; www.washingtoncountyfair.com

139th meet at Saratoga Race Course —Opening Day! July 25

July 26
A Bobblehead Above the Rest - All fans receive a FREE Angel Cordero Jr. Bobble Head Doll (while supplies last)

July 27 – July 29
Hats off to Saratoga

July 28
Breeders’ Cup Challenge Day

July 29
16th Annual Hat Contest, Jim Dandy and Free Saratoga Baseball Cap

August 5
Free Saratoga T-Shirt

August 12
NFL Alumni Day & Free Saratoga Folding Chair

August 18 – August 26
12th Annual Travers Festival presented by the New York Lottery

August 18
Alabama Day & NYS Chili Championship

August 19
Free Saratoga Umbrella

August 23
The Travers Celebration

August 25
The Travers Stakes presented by the New York Lottery

September 1 – September 3
Final Stretch Weekend: The Woodward and The Hopeful

September 2
Family Fun Fest – Free Saratoga Cooler Bag

September 3
Family Fun Fest - The Hopeful and Labor Day BBQ

July 4th Celebrations

Albany County

July 4
Independence Day at Schuyler Mansion- Enjoy an old-fashioned July 4th celebration on the Schuyler Mansion grounds. Games, crafts and music from the 18th century. Activities and ice cream are free of charge. Self-guided tours $2. 11am-4pm. For more info: 434.0834.

July 4
Independence Day Parade - Empire State Plaza, Albany. For more info: 473.0559

July 4
Price Chopper 4th on the Plaza - One of America’s most dramatic settings for dazzling fireworks and great food, crafts and entertainment. Empire State Plaza. For more info: 473.0559; www.albany.org.

Columbia County

July 4
Family Fest - FREE Kiddie rides, climbing wall, arts and crafts, pony rides, hay maze, music and fireworks; Columbia County Fairgrounds, Route 66, Chatham Village; gates open at 3pm, fireworks at 9:30pm. 392.2121; www.columbiafair.com.

July 4
Independence Day Celebration - 18th century music and entertainment, food and a view of the Saugerties fireworks display; Clermont State Historic Site, off Route 9G, Clermont; 2-10pm; 537.4240; www.friendsofclermont.org.

Greene County

July 4
Independence Day Celebration Parade, BBQ &Fireworks Spectacular - The evening kicks off at 7pm with a parade through town that ends at Windham Mountain. The celebration continues with a fantastic outdoor BBQ, music and tons of great family fun all night! At dusk, enjoy the spectacular fireworks display. Windham Mountain. For more info: 734.3852; www.windhamchamber.org.

Montgomery County

July 3
The Village of Fort Plains Annual 4th on the 3rd celebration - Fireworks, food, and fun. Village of Fort Plain.

Otsego County

July 4
Grand-Old Independence Day Celebration - Noon-5pm. Every July 4th, The Farmers’ Museum hosts a traditional Independence Day celebration. The event is based on a typical 1845 celebration of our nation’s birthday and includes patriotic music, games, dances and orations. The Farmers Museum, Cooperstown. For more info: 607.547.1450; www.visitcooperstown.com.
July 4
Independence Day Ice Cream Social - Featuring handmade and white elephant items as well as books. Hot dogs and lemonade will be served and ice cream with homemade cakes. Games for children. The event will be held indoors in case of inclement weather. First Presbyterian Church, Cooperstown. For more info: 607.547.8401; www.visitcooperstown.com.

Saratoga County

July 3
Fireworks - family celebration at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway. For more info: 584.2110.

July 4
Independence Day - Reading of the Declaration of Independence as it would have been done in 1776.Citizenship ceremony following reading. 10am. Saratoga Historical Park, Stillwater. For more info: 664.9821; www.saratoga.org

Schoharie County

July 4
July 4th Celebration–Cobleskill Sunshine Fairgrounds, South Grand St., Cobleskill.

July 4
Independence Day Celebration at Old Stone Fort Museum - Stone Fort Volunteer Militia programs, reading of the Declaration of Independence and other historical documents. 10am-5pm. Old Stone Fort Museum, Schoharie. For more info: 295.7192; www.TheOldStoneFort.org.

Warren County

July 4
4th of July Celebration – Fireworks, DJ, balloon twister, raffle. 7pm. Roger’s Memorial Park, Bolton Landing.

July 4
Independence Day at Fort Ticonderoga- Celebrate Independence Day at the site of America’s first victory of the American Revolution. Readings of the Declaration of Independence throughout the day.
For more info: www.lakegeorge.com/events.

Pet safety

By T. Michael Smith

With the summertime here, it’s time for fun in the sun. Hiking, boating, and being outdoors is great, but there’s also heat, humidity and bugs. Humans aren’t the only ones affected by the heat. Your animal friends need a little help to stay comfortable while they are enjoying the summer with you.

The first and foremost thing you can do to keep your dogs safe and cool is to keep them hydrated. Dogs need to drink water to help them stay cool, just like us. They should have a full dish to drink out of, kept in a shady spot. It should be well monitored and changed at least twice a day. Whenever you travel with your dog, you should always keep a gallon of water handy. Yes, they will drink out of a puddle, but would you drink out of that puddle? It’s important to note that dogs, unless trained as a puppy, have a hard time drinking out of squirt bottles. A handy device to have is a portable dog drinker. It’s basically a water bottle with a small dish attached. This allows you to carry and store your dog’s water easily and your dog can get a drink naturally.

Another tactic to help your pet beat the heat is to keep them well groomed. Their undercoat sheds naturally during the summer, but you can help them out. Take your dog to a groomer for a professional bath and trim and follow up by brushing your dog thoroughly every week. Giving your dog a bath can be a chore, but it is a lot easier and potentially fun to do outside in the summertime and it gives them another opportunity to cool off. Be sure to use gentle shampoos, preferably those designed specifically for pets. Dogs are especially sensitive to dyes and perfumes and they are much more likely to ingest shampoos than humans.

Speaking of cooling off in water, here is an interesting fact: Not all dogs are good swimmers. Sure, a Lab looks like he was born in the water, but that is not true of all breeds. Here’s the secret, though—dogs don’t know they can’t swim. They will think nothing of diving off a boat or a dock to go after a stick or a ball or a duck. Once they’re in the water, they won’t know what to do to keep afloat and you will probably have to go in after them. When on or near water, especially in a boat or canoe, consider putting your dog, even the good swimmers, in a life vest. If something does happen, you know your dog will be safe until you can get to him. And when you’re out in open water, even the best swimmers can get tired. The life vests come in various shapes and sizes so find one that is the right fit for your dog.

Whether you are in the backyard or out hiking in the backwoods, remember you are not alone. Scuffles with other creatures are not uncommon, so be sure to keep your pet’s rabies vaccination up to date. And if he should have a run in with a skunk, there’s no way around it, it’s going to smell bad. The tried and true tomato juice bath will help and Nature’s Miracle Skunk Odor Remover® does a good job too. Both work to break down the chemicals of the skunk odor, not just cover it up. Be patient though, it may take more than one bath to completely break down the odor.

We had a mild winter, so this year’s crop of fleas, ticks and mosquitoes is notably bad. A topical treatment is generally the most effective way to stop fleas and ticks. Frontline Plus and K-9 Advantix are both readily available and quite effective. Advantix also helps protect against mosquitoes, which carry and spread heartworm, but it is toxic to cats. With all chemicals, follow the directions carefully. If you want a more natural method of pest control, a mixture of brewer’s yeast and garlic will help repel mosquitoes. And there are various collars and sprays that utilize citronella to help control fleas and ticks help, but you have to be extremely vigilant in examining your pet for parasites. You should be checking them (and yourself) regularly, which is all the more reason to keep your dog well groomed in the summer time.

The best piece of advice to remember is that dogs are affected by the summer just like us. If you’re hot, then so is your dog. Keep them hydrated and cool and they will stay happy and healthy. And please, never ever keep your dog unattended in your car. Your dog can’t handle the heat, even for just a few minutes.

T. Michael Smith works for Benson’s Pet Center, a locally owned and operated pet supply chain in Clifton Park, Saratoga, Colonie and Queensbury. For more information call 373.1007.

Unique summer trips

By Jill Vallecorsa

There are so many options for summer activities, that it’s hard to decide just where to spend a gorgeous summer day. With this list of unique day trips, roll down the window and enjoy that summertime breeze as you cruise to a fun new destination to make lifetime memories.

New York

Ellis Island Museum
Though it is no longer a federal immigration station for steamship passengers, Ellis Island still attracts many eager faces. The station processed over 12 million people during its operation from 1892-1954. After being left untouched for many years, Ellis Island was re-opened as a museum in 1990 and remains a popular attraction. Over 40% of Americans can trace their ancestry through Ellis Island. Make sure to visit the American Family History Center in the museum and see where almost half of the American population came from. This is an interactive exhibit, where visitors can search through passenger records of crewmembers and immigrants. A special feature of the Ellis Island Museum is the Wall of Honor. Here, family members can inscribe the names of their ancestors on the longest list of names in the world already encompassing over 700,000 names. The Ellis Island Museum also chronicles its rich history in many photographs, prints, artifacts, interactive displays, video and oral histories. For more info: www.nps.gov/elis/.

ESPN Zone
Parents and kids alike will have a great time acting like sports pros at the ESPN Zone in Manhattan. Dine on American grilled food while watching a game after playing all the interactive sports games that it has to offer. Some featured games are Kick It Pro Soccer, NASCAR 50, Virtual Tennis, Downhill Biker and ESPN Bowling. Play solo games or challenge family members to a competition! For more info: 212.921.3776; www.espnzone.com/newyork.

The Cloisters
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan is home to a truly unique exhibit - the Cloisters. The Cloisters is a collection of five medieval French cloisters and other monastic sites from France. Cloisters are covered passageways, typically in religious institutions, that have an open arcade that usually leads to a courtyard. This exhibit is located in northern Manhattan in Fort Tyron Park with a nice view of the Hudson River. Take a walk through these beautiful buildings and trace the history in the medieval tapestries, works of art, stained glass windows and gardens. For more info: www.metmuseum.org.

Herkimer County

Herkimer Diamond Mine

For 52 years, the Herkimer Diamond Mine has been a great source of family fun. The above ground surface mines are open to all ages for prospecting. Included in the admission ($9 for 12 and over and $8 for 5-12) each visitor receives an all-day prospecting ticket, an all-day museum pass, a hammer and a collector’s bag for the diamonds you mine for yourself! These diamonds are double-terminated quartz crystals that are about 500 million years old. The Museum tells the history of the mine and has exhibits like the Quartz Collection, the Diamond Cross and the Diamond Hall of Fame. The Herkimer Diamond Mine is open from April 15-October 31 from 9am-5pm every day of the week. For more info: www.herkimerdiamond.com.

Canal Place
In the quaint little town of Little Falls is a wonderful place to stop and visit right along the Erie Canal. At historic Canal Place, you can make a quick stop at the Ann Street Diner and Restaurant for some delicious sandwiches and soups. Or, try some French cuisine at the Canal Side Inn and feel free to stay a night or two in one of their guest suites. Take the family on a nature walk on Moss Island, right along the Erie Canal, or go rock-climbing. Canal Place is also a great place to browse art collections in the Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts. The town of Little Falls is located just off exit 29A on the Thruway. For more info: www.littlefallsantiquecenter.com.

Clinton County

Ausable Chasm

Over 400 years ago, Samuel De Champlain first explored the Ausable Chasm. Today, more than 10 million visitors experience the same natural wonder in the Adirondack Forest. The nature trails offer a feast for the eyes with Rainbow Falls, Elephant’s Head, Column Rock, Hyde’s Cave and the Mystic Gorge. For a cooler hike, take the descending trail through the Chasm itself and observe the 500 million year old rock on a natural stone walkway. The Ausable River is a great place to take a scenic raft or tube ride through the rock formations that tower around the river. At night, take a guided lantern tour 150 feet below the rim of the Chasm in the dark canyon. For tour info: 834.9990 or www.ausablechasm.com.

Warren County

Natural Stone Bridge and Caves
Natural Stone Bridge and Caves in Pottersville is the perfect activity for nature lovers. Visitors can take a self-guided hike through the wilderness surrounding Trout Brook. The trail begins at the sawmill at the beginning of the river, goes under the Stone Bridge, through Noisy Cave, into Lost Pool Cave and finishes up at Artist’s Gorge. Other activities include gem mining, geode popping, jewelry making and “dino digs.” Natural Stone Bridge and Cave also features a Rock Shop and the Stone Bridge Coffee Shop & Ice Cream Stand. For more info: 494.2283; www.nynaturalwonders.com.

Magic Forest
For families with younger children, the Magic Forest is a great summer attraction. The amusement park is designed especially for younger children with 19 kiddie rides, 4 adult rides, a train and a tram. The park is located in a pine forest in Lake George, providing nice shade on those scorching days. There is also a Magic Show and a Horse Diving Show. The admission price includes rides, shows and free parking all day. There is also a snack bar that sells many lunchtime snacks like hamburgers and hot dogs but, feel free to bring your own coolers stocked with food and drinks. Hours: 9:30am-6pm every day. Adults 11 and up $16.99; seniors 55 and up $15.99; children 2-10 $14.99. For more info: 668.2448; www.magicforestpark.com.

Goony Golf
Goony Golf in Lake George is the home of one of the most unique mini-golf courses. This whacky course guarantees that golfers will have a one-of-a-kind experience playing 19 holes. Each hole has its own theme ranging from the silly (Goonysaurus) to fairy tale (Humpty Dumpty) to scary (Spook’s Palace). Goony Golf has been in business for over 30 years at the corner of Rte 9N and Rte 9 in Lake George. For more info: 668.2589; www.goonygolf.com.

Garnet Mine Tours
The Garnet Mine in North River is the oldest family owned and operated mine in the United States. Since 1933, the Garnet Mine has been an important geological site. Today, visiting families enjoy the mine by panning and sluicing for garnet, watching gem cutting demonstrations and shopping for minerals. Tours are also offered that lead the group from the Gore Mountain Mineral Shop right down to the actual mine, explaining the history and geology of the site as well as how to find garnet gemstones and crystals. Adults $9.95; seniors $8.50; children $6.75; under 6 free. For more info: 251.2706; www.garnetminetours.com.

Monroe County

George Eastman House
For an interesting and informative experience, visit the George Eastman House, the International Museum of Photography and Film in Rochester. The house is a beautiful Colonial Revival mansion that George Eastman, the founder of Eastman Kodak Company, lived in from 1905 to 1932. Now a national historic landmark, the house is a leader in film restoration and photograph preservation, with collections growing at a steady rate. There’s plenty to do at the Eastman House such as gazing at the collections of photographs, viewing a film, taking a group tour, listening to a lecture or taking a class or workshop. Adults $8; seniors $6; students $5; children 5-12 $3; under 4 free. For more info: 585.271.3361; www.eastmanhouse.org.

Essex County

Santa’s Work Shop
Situated in North Pole, New York (where else?) is the country’s oldest theme park - Santa’s Work Shop. Here, it’s Christmas every day! First opened in 1949, the park still attracts many summertime visitors in the cool shade of the Adirondack Mountains. Kids have a blast here on the kiddie rides and visiting with the many characters that roam throughout the park. Santa himself appears once a day to read the daily decree and then takes a sleigh ride into the woods, pulled by live reindeer! Everyone who visits is certain to have a magical day. Adults $17.95; children $15.95. For more info: 946.2211; www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/NYNORsanta.html.

Wayne County

Long Acre Farms
Long Acre Farms in the Finger Lakes region of Macedon has a wide variety of activities to keep the whole family busy. Try not to get lost in the Amazing Maize Maze, a tricky corn maze that could keep you wandering for quite some time. After successfully, or not so successfully, navigating through the maze, head to the Back 40 Play Area for some more fun. Here you’ll find a Giant Sling Shot, climbing wall, duck races, a giant sandbox, and other attractions. Stop into the Market & Ice Cream shop for a cool treat on your way out. For more info: 315.986.4202; www.longacrefarms.com.

Franklin County

Emerald Springs Ranch
A nice relaxing day atop a horse along a scenic trail is what you will find at Emerald Springs Ranch. Located in Saranac Lake, the ranch has been in business for over 23 years. It provides Quarter Horses for visitors who take a peaceful ride through the beauty of the Adirondacks. Emerald Springs also offers camps and riding lessons for those looking to gain more equestrian experience. Reservations are not necessary, but are recommended. Trail prices are $65/$75 per hour. For more info: 891.3727; www.emerald-springs.com.

Niagara County

Niagara Falls
Whether you visit the American Falls, the Canadian Falls or both, Niagara Falls is a natural wonder that will fill you with awe. Though no one has dared to try going down the American Falls, the Canadian Falls is the site of the infamous barrel ride. The falls are also breathtaking at night, when they are illuminated with the colors of the rainbow. The most popular attraction of Niagara is the Whirlpool Jet Boat tours. You’re sure to get a little wet as the boat makes its way upriver, through Devil’s Hole Rapids and then surges on to the Whirlpool - right underneath the falls themselves. If this sounds a little intimidating, take the family on a White Water Walking tour. The tour lets you stroll right alongside the rapids and leads down to the Whirlpool. For more info: www.infoniagara.com.

Oneida County

The Utica Zoo
With the Bronx Zoo over three hours away, the Utica Zoo is a great alternative for a day trip. For over 88 years the zoo has been open for family fun in Roscoe-Conkling Park. What started as a collection of three deer has now grown to over 200 animals. The current variety of wildlife include a Siberian tiger, red-tailed hawk, American alligator, hyacinth parrot, sloth, red panda, grizzly bear and many other bird, insect and reptile species. For more info: 315.738.0472; www.uticazoo.org.

Massachusetts

The Freedom Trail
The Freedom Trail in Boston is a great way to see the most historical sites of the city within the shortest amount of time. This 3 mile walk covers 16 different historic sites and structures. Each site tells the story of America’s first patriots as they battled for freedom against the British army. The trail begins at the Visitor Information Center on the Boston Common. Then, following the red line on the pavement, visitors weave through downtown Boston, through the North End, Charlestown, finally ending at the Bunker Hill Monument. The red line on the sidewalk guides the trail, but at some points the trail is marked by red bricks or granite paving stones. For more info: 617.242.5624; 617.242.5689; www.nps.gov.

The Mapparium
First created in 1935, the Mapparium in the Mary Baker Eddy Library in Boston has attracted millions of visitors. Tourists cross a 30-foot long glass bridge that spans the entire Mapparium and find themselves in the center of the world. The attraction is a three-story stained glass globe that will leave you fascinated. An interesting fact about this work of art is that the globe has not been updated since its original construction in 1935. The library also contains a collection of images that tell the story of the making of this glass globe. For more info: 888.222.3711; www.marybakereddylibrary.org.

The Prudential Center
If you want a great shopping experience in the city of Boston, then visit the Prudential Center. There are plenty of stores to enhance your wardrobe like Lacoste, Jasmine Sola, Ann Taylor, Saks Fifth Avenue, Club Monaco, Olympia Sports and more. The Prudential Center also offers great dining options like Legal Sea Foods, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, The Cheesecake Factory and Cold Stone Creamery. For more info: www.prudentialcenter.com.

Witch History Museum
The Witch History Museum is just one of the many museums that chronicle the Salem witch hunt in Massachusetts and is great for a summertime thrill. This museum informs visitors of the “untold stories of 1692” with historically accurate live presentations. Visitors are treated to a walk through the forest, a visit to Old Salem Village and 15 life size scenes each acting out a different story. Open daily from 10am-5pm. Combo tickets are available for the Witch Dungeon Museum and the New England Pirate Museum. For more info: 978.741.7770; www.witchhistorymuseum.com.

Vermont

Cabot Creamery
Home to the “world’s best cheddar”, the Cabot Creamery in Cabot offers up a tasty visit. Factory tours costs $1 and take place every 30 minutes. Visitors are shown a 12 minute video about the history of the creamery so you can see how far the factory has come. Then, a tour guide will lead you into the cheese room to watch the workers raking the cheese curds in a huge vat. Finally, you are treated to a variety of free samples of cheese in the gift shop. Samples are unlimited, so bring your appetite! For more info: 866.261.8595; www.vtcheese.com.

New England Maple Syrup Museum
The New England Maple Syrup Museum in Pittsford boasts the largest collection of sugaring artifacts in existence. A tour of the museum will educate you on the history of the art of maple sugaring with over 100 feet of murals to tell the story. If you want to learn more about the syrup making process, there are real evaporators that portray how this process is done. A fun and sugary activity is the maple candy demonstration, especially when you get to eat the finished creation! If it’s maple syrup you crave, stop by the tasting room and sample one of the many different syrups that await you. The gift shop carries many varieties of maple syrup along with other Vermont specialty products. For more info: 800.639.4280; www.maplemuseum.com.

Pennsylvania

The Liberty Bell
An excellent way to get in touch with the history of our nation is to visit the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia The Liberty Bell was ordered by the Pennsylvania Assembly in 1751 in honor of the 50th anniversary of William Penn’s 1701 Charter of Privileges. What the bell is most famous for was on July 8, 1776 when it rang out for all of Philadelphia to hear from Independence Hall. The bell was calling the citizens out to hear the first reading of the Declaration of Independence by Colonel John Nixon. Today, visitors can visit the bell and see firsthand the infamous and mysterious crack in the bell, as well as read the inscription. It’s a great chance to take a fun day trip as well as teach the kids some history. For more info: 215.597.8974; www.ushistory.org/libertybell.

Camping Survival Guide

By Jill Vallecorsa
With summer in full bloom, now is the perfect time for that age-old American tradition of camping. However, the term “camping” can mean different things to different people. There are many ways to enjoy the great outdoors, but to get the best experience out of your trip, it is essential to know which type of camping is right for you.

Beginners
If you can’t imagine spending a night without the comforts of a bathroom and running water, then you can start your camping experience by going to a campground or RV park. Campgrounds typically offer cabins in a secluded area of woods. These places aren’t too isolated; there is access to running water and bathrooms at a central location. Cabins are even equipped with these facilities of their own as well as a small kitchenette. RV parks are good for beginners as well and most parks will accept any size RV. Camp sites like these can be reached by car, RV, boat, kayak or canoe.
What to bring:
Sheets and blankets
Cooking utensils
Pots and pans with lids
Plastic utensils
Plastic Cups
Paper Plates
Trash bags
Napkins
Towels/washcloths
Toilet Paper
Shower shoes
Sweatshirt/ warm clothes
Laundry bag
Sunscreen
Bug spray
Flashlight
Batteries
First-aid kit
Drinks/food

Intermediate
If you feel that you can do without your own shower and kitchen, but don’t know if you can completely rough it, then you should try tent or cabin camping. Both of these types of camping takes place at campground sites with access to running water and bathroom facilities within walking or driving distance. Tent camping allows you to drive up to your selected spot and set up your tent. A fire pit is supplied for at most sites. Cabin camping is different than staying in a furnished cabin. It involves staying in a modest cabin that may only have a half bathroom (no shower) and instead of a kitchenette it is equipped with a fire pit.
What to bring:
Tent
Extra stakes
Axe or hammer
Tarp
Sleeping bag or air mattress
Sheets/blankets
Pillows
Air pump
Large water jug/bucket
Coolers
Thermos
Drinks/Snacks
Matches/lighter
Charcoal/firewood
Firestarter/newspaper
Cooking oil
Tongs
Skewers
Can opener
Pots and pans with lids
Paper plates and bowls
Plastic utensils
Bug spray
Sunscreen
Warm clothes
Flashlight
Batteries
Pocketknife
First aid kit

Expert
Traditional camping is for people with a lot of camping experience. Backpacking is generally thought of as the most traditional way to go camping. As the name indicates, these campers carry all their gear right on their backs. This has its advantages as well since these campers can easily pick up and move from place to place, letting them explore the wilderness. Backpacking is usually done in more remote areas with no access to formal restrooms or running water. Along with experience, this type of camping requires a general knowledge of plants, animals, first-aid and survival techniques.
What to bring:
Backpack
Tent
Axe or hammer
Sleeping bag
Blankets
Warm clothing
Thermos
Canteen
Matches/lighter
Snacks
Pocketknife
Flashlight/batteries
Bungi cords
Maps/directions
Sunscreen
Bug spray
Whistle
Watch
Scissors
Radio
First-aid kit

Local watering holes

By Jill Vallecorsa

When planning a day trip to the beach, people often overlook our own backyard. The Capital Region and surrounding areas are rich in lakes that offer plenty of aquatic activities to keep everyone cool during the summer heat. There’s no need to plan a day trip all the way out to Cape Cod or Long Island. Look no further than these local lakes for some great summer fun.

Lake Luzerne

Located just under a half hour’s drive north of Saratoga, Lake Luzerne offers plenty of summer activities to keep the whole family occupied. The lake is the biggest summer attraction, with water flowing from the Hudson River over the beautiful Rockwell Falls and finally pooling into a bay area for beach-goers to enjoy. Lake Luzerne is actually comprised of a chain of four lakes, all of which are scenic and available for public use. Fishing, waterskiing, boating, and two public swimming beaches are offered for recreation. While sunning yourself on the beach, strains of Beethoven or Bach may reach your ears from the Lake Luzerne Music Camp. For more info: www.townoflakeluzerne.com.

Lake George
Hardly any upstate New York region attracts more summer tourists than Lake George. This is due in part to its size, about 120 lakes, rivers, ponds, and streams, as well as the breathtaking mountains, that surround the area. The water alone lends itself to endless possibilities for keeping cool. Lake George offers boat rentals, fishing charters, kayaking, cruise ships, gondola rides, tubing and swimming. For more info: www.visitlakegeorge.com.

Corinth Beach
In the northern part of Saratoga County the small town of Corinth can be found. A quiet, peaceful place for tourists looking to enjoy the summer sun can be found at the Corinth public beach. Swimming, fishing, kayaking and waterskiing are great ways to enjoy the water and rentals are available for boats, kayaks and canoes. There are public boat docks and a boat launch conveniently located right next to the beach. Jessup’s Landing Pathway begins at the beach and leads along the banks of the Hudson River all the way up to Pagenstecher Park. You will be rewarded after the walk with a nice place to settle down for a picnic. For more info: www.geocities.com/corinthnewyork

Grafton Lakes State Park
Just outside the city of Troy lies a mountainous region that encompasses five ponds and over 2,357 acres of land. Grafton Lakes State Park is a great summer attraction with a beach that stretches along Long Pond for swimming and fishing. All of the ponds are open for fishing and also offer launch areas for canoes, row boats and sailboats. You can also take advantage of the numerous nature trails that allow biking, hiking and horseback riding. For more info: www.nysparks.state.ny.us/parks

Indian Lake and Blue Mountain Lake
These two lakes can both be found in the Adirondack Park. The summer season is a busy time for this area with fishing, swimming, canoeing, windsurfing, boating, kayaking and whitewater rafting to beat the heat. This region makes for a great day trip and is also the largest wildlife preserve outside of Alaska. For more info: www.indian-lake.com.

Saranac Lake
Situated in the Adirondacks, the refreshing mountain air of Saranac Lake provides a cool alternative to the summer heat. Here, you can find sandy beaches ideal for canoeing, boating, enjoying a cruise, fishing or taking a swim. The gorgeous surrounding mountains are available for exploring, hiking, and riding horse trails. The fun doesn’t have to end with the onset of evening; take a stroll through downtown to the shops, restaurants, theatres and art galleries. For more info: www.saranaclake.com

Fulton Lakes
The Fulton Lakes are actually a chain of eight lakes that stretches from Herkimer County to Hamilton County. The chain begins in Old Forge and ends just before Raquette Lake in the Adirondacks. The lakes are popular with boaters, water-skiers and tubers and all the lakes are equipped with boat launches. Those with kayaks and canoes also enjoy this stretch of many lakes. For more info: www.fultonchainoflakesassociation.

Long Lake and Raquette Lake

Also in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains lies Long Lake and Raquette Lake. Fish, boat, swim or paddle in these beautiful lakes during the day. Or, participate in a paddle race or go bird-watching. Hiking is also offered with trails for backpackers and leisurely strollers alike. Two scenic destinations to hike to are Buttermilk Falls, a great place to stop for a picnic, and Owl’s Head Mountain. Once the sun has set on these picturesque lakes, don’t be in a hurry to leave; stargazing is a popular activity here. For more info: www.longlake-ny.com.

Moreau Lake State Park
Located in Gansevoort, Moreau Lake State Park is very close to both Saratoga Springs and Lake George. The lake itself is surrounded by a sandy beach along with hardwood forests making for a scenic day. There is plenty of water for boating, fishing and swimming. Picnic areas are provided if you don’t want sand in your food as well as a pavilion area that overlooks the lake. If you want to extend your day trip there are secluded campgrounds provided in the wooded areas. For more info: www.nysparks.state.ny.us/parks.

Saratoga Lake
While everyone else is standing in lines at the race track, plan your day at Saratoga Lake. Boating and sailing are popular here, but the most prominent activity is waterskiing. The Saratoga Water Ski Co. serves all ages and all abilities offering wakeboarding, tubing, slalom, group skiing and private lessons. For more info: www.saratogawaterski.com.

Rensselaer Lake/Six Mile Waterworks
Tucked away in the corner of the city of Albany on Fuller Road between Washington Ave. and Central Ave, lies Rensselaer Lake. A 43-acre manmade lake, this body of water is also known as Six Mile Waterworks. The original purpose of the lake when it was constructed in 1851 was to serve as a reservoir for sections of Albany without drinking water. Today, visitors use Six Mile Waterworks for recreation such as fishing, boating, hiking and picnicking. The park itself surrounding the lake encompasses 57 acres with grills, picnic tables and a playground. There is no admission fee for the park or for use of the lake, but reservations and fee may be required if you wish to use the pavilion area. For more info: www.albanypinebush.org.

10 great places to walk around in Upstate New York

1. Saratoga Springs
A small city that has just about everything—good shopping, distinctive restaurants, 19th century mansions, and beautiful parks. Just outstde town is Saratoga Spa State Park—which contains the original bath houses tourists to the area used. This town is best visited before July 4th or after Labor Day, when Saratoga is not running and the town is less crowded and cheaper to stay in. Try Hattie’s, a long-time soul food restaurant with photos of scores of famous people who’ve dined there; or Cafe’ Lena, where Don McLean supposedly wrote “American Pie” one afternoon. Take your pick of any of a large number of quailty motels or inns.

2. Watkins Glen
Known mostly for its auto racetrack, there are many other reasons to come here. Its lakefront on Seneca Lake is a beautiful place to walk in the evening; there are boat tours, and one entrepreneur has started Schooner rides on the lake. Just a short walk away is Watkins Glen State Park, with an amazing walk up hundreds of stairs that circles hundreds of waterfalls and canyons. They have a light show at night during the summer that tells the geological history of the park. Montour Falls, just two miles away has a waterfall running right through the middle of the village, and dozens of old homes—some of which are Italianate mansions. The views driving into town from northern destinations give you a high vantage point to see the lake. And there are loads of wineries to tour in the area. Try the Wildflower Cafe downtown for nice but reasonable contemporary meals. One weak spot of the area is lodging; many motels are a bit dated. But it’s still worth a stay here, if you’re willing to forego three and four star hotels for a night or two.

3. Saranac Lake
Not as flashy or as tourist-oriented as nearby Lake Placid, Saranac Lake is a quieter, but I think more interesting destination. The town once served as a cure commuity for Tuberculosis victims; today, you can still tour the cottage Robert Lewis Stevenson lived in for a time, or stay in composer Bela Bartok’s cottage, which is a B&B. Part of the village is on a small lake, and there are plenty of affordable hotels in this part of town. The downtown has the look of an old Northern community, and is fun to walk around. And, if you want outlet shopping, you can drive to Lake Placid in 10 minutes, and then return for the night for a quiet evening walk around Saranac Lake. Lodgings are pretty good for a small isolated town.

4. Canandaigua
An interesting small city on another Finger Lake - Canandaigua Lake. One of my favorite features here is a collection of colorful “Boat Houses” on the lake that look like something you’d see in Holland or Scandanavia. The lakefront is fun to walk around at night—there’s a long boardwalk, and many people hang our here to get an ice cream after dinner. Sonnenberg Gardens in town is a first-rate attraction; a mansion you can tour yourself; then you can spend several hours walking around the beautiful gardens. The downtown is not as nice as the lakefront, but there are a few nice shops in this area. There is one nice inn and several decent chain hotels near the lake. Several restaurants near the lake are very nice.

5. Rochester

If you want a major city to spend time in Upstate, I think Rochester offers the most. You can stay at one of the large hotels downtown, park the car, and walk to many attractions. I like the “High Falls” area—a neighborhood near the spectacular Genesee River Falls that offers shops, a museum about the area, restaurants, and a brewery tour. A mile or two away is the mansion of Kodak’s George Eastman, which includes a nice museum. The downtown has some nice parks by the river that make for pleasant walking in the evening.

6. Ithaca
I’ve never been to a small city (30,000 people) with as cosmopolitan an atmosphere as Ithaca. Downtown features a large pedestrian mall with some very unique shops (more bookstores than you’ll have time for), and eclectic restaurants like Moosewood (famous for its book series). There are state parks in and around town with beaufiul trails; waterfalls everywhere; a birding center; and Cornell University, which has a great art museum. The approach to town from about any direction is beautiful. The people-watching here is as interesting as in New York City; and locals you meet here are often fun to talk to—friendly, with lots of tidbits about things to do in their town. There are many nice inns, B&B’s, and hotels in the area.

7. Troy
Troy doesn’t offer the attractions of some of the other towns I’ve described. But it’s one of the most interesting cities to walk around I’ve ever been in. Almost nothing from its 19-th century heyday as a collar-manufacturing city has been demolished. Several hit movies, including Ironweed and The Age of Innocence were filmed here for this reason. There’s a downtown visitor’s center that offers a film and displays about the area’s manufacturing heritage. A statute and the gravesite of the real Uncle Sam are also nearby. I would highly recommend Laporto’s on 4th Street—a terrific Italian Restaurant that includes memorabilia from some of the movie stars who’ve filmed in Troy. We also have been to Daisy Baker’s on Second which is in an 1890 Brownstone, and also has good food. Troy is a good one-night stopover if you enjoy history, and just want a neat place to walk in. Lodgings are not plentiful; we’ve stayed in a Best Western downtown that’s decent.

8. Sharon Springs
Sharon Springs is close enough to Troy that you could see both places in one day—and you’d have an interesting contrast. While Troy has saved many of its buildings, Sharon Springs, which once was a “spa” resort, features scores of old hotels and spa buildings in various states of repair. There are historical markers everywhere—most with pictures of what the original buildings looked like. Some of the old tourist structures have almost disintegrated, but in recent years, investors are beginning to fix up some of these buildings, and a few hotels have re-opened. My wife loved an antique shop on Main Street (I unfortunately forget the name) that had great buys on jewelry, and friendly owners. It’s amazing to walk for blocks and see the remains of what was in the 19-th Century a bustling resort. This must be the Northeast’s largest outdoor museum. There are a few inns, but not many motel choices in the area.

9. Hudson
Hudson is another interesting town. I’d estimate that there are at least 50 antique stores lining the main street, occupying former five-and-ten stores. To me, though, I simply like the ambiance here. It’s a little spooky, with a lot of old mansions that are still mostly in use. The town has kind of a Gothic feel to it. I’d recommend staying in the St. Charles Hotel on Park Place; it’s one of those neat, funky old hotels you don’t find many places anymore. I like Olana, the nearby State Historic Site that showcases the home of 19-th Century Romantic painter Frederic Church. Several other homes are open for tours nearby. This is a great one-night stop; there’s nothing flashy here, but it’s another great walking city.

10. Letchworth State Park

New York has many state parks worth visiting. But Letchworth is in a class by itself. It’s so large, it reminds me of Acadia National Park in Maine. It takes half a day to drive around. The park roads feature frequent scenic overlooks or areas to stop; trails are easy to acess. The highlight is the amazing, almost Grand Canyon-Like gorge, as well as a series of waterfalls that are just a short hike from several available parking lots.
John Stemen is a Utica resident who enjoys traveling.

Schoharie County welcomes visitors to its picture-perfect places

Nestled between Albany and Cooperstown lies Schoharie County, 600 picture-perfect square miles.
Schoharie County is home to underground worlds, more than 500 family farms and breath-taking vistas to enjoy during fun-filled day trips or relaxing weekend getaways. And, it’s an easy drive from anywhere (less than an hour from Albany!).

Explore the wonders

Schoharie County is known as “New York’s Land of Caves” with two caves for everyone to enjoy.
The Northeast’s largest cave, Howe Caverns, offers an 80-minute guided tour into a prehistoric world, including an underground boat ride. Work has recently begun to open an additional quarter mile of cave to the public. Renovations are also underway at the Cave House, a 19th century structure soon to be The Cave House Museum of Mining and Geology. Visitors to Howe Caverns will see exhibits showcasing the epic transformation in progress. Minutes from Howe Caverns is Schoharie County’s second cave, Secret Caverns, where tour highlights include prehistoric fossils and a 100-foot underground waterfall.
Nature lovers will enjoy a trip to the 548-acre Landis Arboretum in Esperance. With extensive gardens and six miles of hiking trails, the arboretum is a favorite destination of horticulturists, environmentalists and birders.
North Blenheim is home to the Blenheim Covered Bridge, the longest single-span covered bridge in the United States, and the New York Power Authority’s (NYPA) Blenheim-Gilboa Pumped Storage Power Project. NYPA’s Visitors Center is headquartered in a restored 19th century dairy barn including fun exhibits on energy and electricity. On premises is the 19th century Lansing Manor, a fully restored historical, Colonial home. Admission is always free.
Adjoining NYPA is Mine Kill State Park, offering three swimming pools, picnic grounds and facilities for softball, basketball, volleyball and horseshoes. At the nearby Gilboa Town Hall is the fossil forest with the oldest trees ever found, estimated at 370 million years old. The nine fossil trees were uncovered in a quarry in the early 1920s, during the construction of the Schoharie Reservoir.
Outside Middleburgh take an easy hike up Vroman’s Nose, offering valley views and a rich history with geological/ecological significance.

Visit the farms
The county’s agricultural bounty once earned Schoharie County the nickname, “The Breadbasket of the Revolution,” because of the grain supplied to Gen. George Washington’s troops.
Agriculture remains Schoharie County’s leading industry and is vitally important to the School of Country Wisdom, where farm-related experiences and hands-on learning are available to the public by logging onto www.schoolofcountrywisdom.com.
Other farm sites include such pleasures as pancake breakfasts with real maple syrup at Buck Hill Farm in Jefferson, tea at the elegant gardens at Wellington Herbs & Spices in Schoharie, the bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables harvested at Barber’s Farms in Middleburgh and Schoharie Valley Farms, Schoharie.
Schoharie County’s agricultural bounty is showcased at the annual Cobleskill Sunshine Fair. Its’ wealth of displays and special attractions have been delighting fairgoers for more than 130 years.
For kids, visit Gobbler’s Knob, a fun-filled miniature golf course and driving range, located adjacent to the Muscle Motor Speedway go-kart track just outside of Cobleskill on Route 145.


Experience the history
In Schoharie County, history comes to life.
The Iroquois Indian Museum in Howes Cave, is dedicated to the art and culture of the Iroquois, Also featured are a hands-on Children’s Museum, major archeological collections, nature walks and Iroquois art festivals.
Schoharie’s Old Stone Fort Museum displays artifacts dating from prehistoric times to early 1700s. Buildings include an early 1700s home, 1780s Dutch barn, 1830s law office and 1890s one-room school as well as the 1772 stone church that was fortified and attacked by British forces in 1780.
Close by is the George Mann Tory Tavern, restored to its original splendor as a fine restaurant; the Schoharie Railroad Museum, housed in a mid-19th century railroad coach, and the 1743 Palatine House, the oldest existing building in Schoharie County.
The Village of Sharon Springs has 200 buildings on the National Register of Historic Sites. Step back in time strolling its streets, exploring quaint shops such as Cobbler & Co. and nearby historic mineral baths. A stop at the restored American Hotel offers another enchanting look at yesteryear.
For more information about Schoharie County, overnight accommodations or any of its great attractions, call the Schoharie County Chamber of Commerce at 1.800.41.VISIT or visit www.schohariechamber.com. The website also contains a detailed calendar of events.

As a bride-to-be this fall, I am hoping the summer will fly by. I know that sounds absurd, as summer is my favorite time of year and the child in me hopes that the season will never end, but for this one year, I’m hoping that the fall arrives quickly.

For those wanting to relish the season, this issue celebrates all things summer by offering an array of activities to keep you busy for the next two months. Listings of outdoor venue schedules in and around the region, July 4th celebrations, a variety of trip ideas for the family, a packing guide for camping, and much more.

Then there’s the food. What says summer better than burgers? William Dowd had the enviable task of seeking out the best burgers in the area. Read about his top picks. And Barry Sears, our wine columnist from Lake Placid’s Mirror Lake Inn, offers wine picks for summer barbecues. No, you don’t just have to serve beer at your summer parties!

For a different kind of summer activity, read an article by the ever daring Ed Lange. Enjoying his retirement from NYSTI, he is taking flying lessons…and lives to write about it! But these planes don’t have engines: they’re gliders. Not something you would ever catch me in, but kudos to him for living life to the fullest and daring to try new things!

As we enter our fifth year of publishing CRL, we are taking great strides to make the magazine better. I urge you to visit our new website, www.crlmag.com, and complete the online survey. It’s easy and will only take you a few minutes. We want your feedback on the topics we include in the magazine. Or, email me your thoughts/ideas to the address below.

Have a wonderful and safe summer season!

By William M. Dowd

By William M. Dowd

Photos by April L. Dowd
(Double-click to enlarge images)

By William M. Dowd

By William M. Dowd

By William M. Dowd

By William M. Dowd

2nd 'gateway' complex is in the works

Story & Photo by William M. Dowd

By William M. Dowd

An Upstate company marries two classic taste treats

By William M. Dowd

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