Upstate New York

Steve and I had never explored Upstate New York, so our next stop after Pittsburgh, was to the Alps Family Campground just outside of Albany.

Romanesque building that houses Albany City Hall in Upstate New York

Albany City Hall opened in 1880. It was designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style by architects Philip Hooker and Henry Hobson Richardson

Romanesque Revival building with lots of steps leading to it, houses NY State Capitol in Upstate New York

New York State Capitol in Albany NY

As a teen I had spent a week each summer in the Catskills. My dad had a dry cleaning plant. For some reason, dry cleaners closed either the last week in July or the first week in August. After years and years of spending entire summers at my Grandparents house in Ventnor NJ, the house got to be too much for them. The summer after they sold my beloved Cambridge Villa, my parents took me to The Catskills for a week, the last week of July.

Beautiful lawn with plants and trees in front of NY Capitol building in Upstate New York

Great Lawn in front of New York’s State Capitol Building

Bronze statue of General Philip Henry Sheridan on horseback with NY State Capitol in background in Upstate New York

General Philip Henry Sheridan Statue by artists John Quincy Adams Ward and Daniel Chester French

It was awesome! If you have ever seen the movie Dirty Dancing, it was just like that. I had the time of my life. Happily we returned for several summers. And then we’d spend the month of August at the shore.

The gorgeous New York State Capitol in Albany NY

But I’ve wanted to revisit Upstate New York since those wonderful summers. Sadly, almost all of the resorts of that time are gone. But the area is gorgeous and definitely worth visiting.

Blue and yellow sign designating the site of the birthplace of modern electricity in Upstate New York

Sign of the Times

We love to visit state capitols. Since the campground is less that 20 miles from Albany, New York’s state capital, we took a drive in the Jeep.

Colorfully painted dog sculpture by a pot full of flowers surrounding a stop light in Upstate New York

Fido and Flowers

Looking our our Jeep windshield at a flock of geese with our rubber ducks on our dash in Upstate New York

Goose Goose Duck

Both the state capitol and Albany’s City Hall have similar Romanesque Revival architecture. In fact Philip Hooker and Henry Hobson Richardson, the duo who designed Albany’s City Hall, were also on the team that designed the New York State Capitol.

Welcome sign, lawn, trees and road to Alps Family Campground in Upstate New York

Welcome to Alps Family Campground

Swimming pool nestled in the trees with chain link fence around pool at campground in Upstate New York

The Campground Pool

Construction began on the 220-foot high state capitol building in 1867. The gorgeous structure has been the seat of the Empire State’s government since the 1880s.

Red painted wood building with white trimmed windows and lawn at our campground in Upstate New York

Original Bunkhouses from the 30s now serve as showers. This one is for Men

Old red wood building with turquoise trimmed windows , lawn and trees at our campground in Upstate New York

The other of those old buildings is for the Women

After our driving tour of Albany we headed back to the campground to enjoy our beautiful surroundings.

Hand build stone outdoor fireplace at the campground in Upstate New York

Original fireplace built in 1935 kept in place at Alps Family Campground in Upstate New York

Stone wall of fireplace with MCMXXXV etched on one stone in Upstate New York

Boys who built this outdoor fireplace etched the date on back MCMXXXV – 1935

Our campground was established back in the 1930s as part of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s WPA program. It housed destitute boys in bunkhouses, a couple of which are still in use today.

White sign with black lettering and green frame on lawn of campground in Upstate New York

A parting admonition to heed well!!!

In the 60s it was a 4H camp. But for the past 35 years, or so, it has been a great place for RVers and tent campers. The current owners love sharing the story of this camp that began so long ago. It was so much fun learning about the history of this wonderful campground nestled in the mountains of Upstate New York.