Recently my friend and I went on a Kayak Through History with the Schenectady County Historical Society. The tour starts from the Upstate Kayak Rental Kiosk in Mohawk Harbor (you can see it in the center of the image below — it’s just below Druther’s and Shaker and Vine).
They’ll provide you with kayaks, paddles, and life vests, and getting started was very quick and easy. They have this nifty little roller-ramp that makes it particularly easy to get into and out of the water.
And then. . . ta da! You’re on the river. Here’s SCHS Education Director Michael Diana dropping some knowledge.
Since I’m already a history enthusiast who’s lived here a while, I knew a lot of the history basics, but I definitely learned a few things, plus it’s just cool to hear about history while seeing the area from a new perspective. And it was a lovely little low-key outing. Next time I’d plan to follow it up with food and drinks at one of the riverside restaurants.
My favorite part was this peaceful little offshoot from the Mohawk right next to Gateway Landing Park, which is right next to the Western Gateway Bridge connecting downtown Schenectady with Scotia. If you’ve driven along this way, you know that it just feels completely hectic and urban, which makes it feel even more special that this little spot is right there.
Unfortunately, there was definitely a litter problem, but I’d definitely love to go back again on my own. I’ve only been to the park once, parking for the beginning of a ride along the bike trail, but now it’s on my list to return and bring a picnic, and maybe our inflatable kayak.
It makes me so happy that we’re finally treating the area along the river like the lovely resource that it is. But shortly after this trip, our family visited Colorado, and let me tell you, those folks really know how to make the most of their rivers. I’ll post about that later.
