Cohoes Falls

With the sky-rocketing cost of gas, we are encouraged to look in our own backyards for interesting places to see and things to do.  One such location I "discovered" recently is Cohoes Falls, in Cohoes, NY.

In July my sister and I first checked out a little observation pocket-park located behind old mill buildings and tenement houses left from the heyday of Cohoes when it was a manufacturing town. 

It was a pretty enough spot, high above the Mohawk River, but the view of the falls was spoiled by power lines that reached all the way to the far shore.

Just recently, however, I heard on the news that a new park was opened, to allow people to learn the history of the falls and to view them better.  It was just what was needed!  Here are some photos from the newly-revealed park:

Part of the river is diverted to a power plant. The bridge below allows tourists access to the falls.

There are no powerlines in this picture!

There used to be a large hotel overlooking the falls.

Cohoes Falls in summer....

For an interesting read with lots of information and history, check out the website for the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.

 So when you get a little wanderlust but don't want to spend a lot of gas, look around your own community--you might be surprised by what you discover about the place where you live.

All photos taken with HP Photosmart 850 and Nikon Coolpix L12