Once we "rose" to Amsterdam, the landscape changed dramatically. Brio now followed a meandering River and arrived at Amsterdam for the night. We were a bit nervous that there was a rock band setting up to entertain people at the Riverfront Saturday night. We also heard the trains passing through town near the River. The trains sounded their horns as they approached. Which sound was going to reach a higher decibel level?
First, here is a picture of Brio just leaving Albany Yacht Club on Saturday morning. This was taken by "new" friends, fellow "Loopers" who were just starting the Great Loop.
Now, back to Amsterdam! Because Brio nestled down below the Riverfront mooring wall, the noises passed overhead. Our night was relatively quiet.
Amsterdam was known for its Professional Wrestlers Hall of Fame (I knew that was on the tip of your tongue!), for gasifying coal that was being shipped down the River to provide gas to illuminate the town and for being the home of Mohawk Carpet Mills. The carpeting manufacture moved south, leaving the town stranded.
This seems to be the story of a lot of industrial activity along the River. What is left is a shell of an employment base and a weakened tax base for government. Just last year, Remington manufacturing left the region and moved to Texas for a more hospitable environment for making guns.
Leaving Amsterdam:
The River enters a more rural setting.
and
Train traffic remains heavy along the northern side of the River. The economy would seem strong based on how much freight is shipped from the east to the mid-west. But it seems to all be shipped through this area, not to it.
Sunday night, we make it to St. Johnsville. Sadly, we had to skip Canajoharie (meaning "boiling pot" in the local Indian dialect) because the docks at the riverfront had been removed or perhaps damaged due to storms. We had looked forward to enjoying all that Canajoharie had to offer, including an art museum of Winslow Homer oils and watercolors given to the town by a local businessman.
Today (Monday, June 10) we leave St. Johnsville (rural, quiet and scenic) and move west through Lock 16 to the Herkimer Home and Little Falls.
Cheers,
Brio
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