EXPLORING ALBANY

Atraking to Albany I arrived in the morning, giving me much of the day to explore some of the main attractions, the first being Albany Institute of History and Art, located in the downtown area.  "Step inside one of the oldest museums in North America for a glimpse of what life was like in old Albany and the Upper Hudson Valley through an amazing collection of furniture, clothing, paintings, silver and photographs, all celebrating the importance of this region in American history".

Accompanied by Schuyler Bull, we took a tour through the museum beginning with some recent acquisitions to include works of art and decorative furniture such as an oak table from the early 20th century.

One room featured an exhibit called "First in the Hearts of His Countrymen" exploring the impact of George Washington, whose likeness both during life and since his death has adorned and inspired thousands of artists, sculptors, and craftspeople. 

Another exhibition, Great, Strange, and Rarely Seen places on view the little known collections from the Albany Institute.  Chinese lacquer, intricately carved Japanese netsuke, and eighteenth-century English porcelain statuettes.  Then there are other collections like patent models and human hair jewelry.   The exhibition also includes panoramic photographs, unusual clocks,  British and American fortepianos, and riches from the Library.

The most interesting of the collection is in the room displaying Ancient Egypt through art and objects to include two mummies.  www.albanyinstitute.org.  

A quick lunch at Melvile's Mug a specialty coffee cafe named for Herman Melville.  The cafe is located in Clinton Square across the way from the Palace Theater.  

Albany Visitors Center, located in Quackenbush Square, gave me the opportunity to view a 10-minute video presentation with an orientation of the city.  www.albany.org/visitors-center.  

The New York State Museum was the next stop. It is difficult to give a full description of this massive museum, the largest museum of this sort in the US.  I'm guessing that the goal it to tell the story of New York State, both cultural and natural with many galleries.  "The World Trade Center: Rescue, Recovery, Response", is one of the most recent exhibit to a major museum regarding the 911 disaster. 

A gallery devoted to Harlem is another.  We took in a depiction of a Mohawk Iroquois village longhouse and up on the 5th floor, a functioning 36-hourse carousel that was hand-carved in Brooklyn in the 1980s. www.nysm.nysed.gov  

Last stop was the Capitol Building one of only a few in the US that does not have a dome. Located at Empire State Plaza, architecture is a main topic here that not only emphasize the exterior but also the ceilings, walls and major staircases. The Great Western Staircase, also known as the Million Dollar Staircase, took an unheard of 14 years to construct, from 1883-1897 and cost, more than one million dollars. Most of the work was accomplished by stone cutters that came from Italy.  We did view the large Senate Chamber.   http://assembly.state.ny.us/Tour

FINDING PHILLY MUSEUMS

With so many museums it seems that Philadelphia has added two more in the last few years; the Barnes Foundation and the National Museum of American Jewish History.  Both located in the area known as Center City, I ventured out to experience them.

Let me begin by saying that I took Amtrak from Penn Station. If you travel at off hours you can wind up paying about the price of a bus ride.  Amtrak is so much less than traveling by air and without the long lines for both check in and security.  I noticed people with lots of baggage as well as Red Cap service.  Business class will up the price of about $15 and consider that it is a lot cheaper than the difference between coach and first class on an airline.  The trip itself will take longer than going by air but take into account the time you have to be at the airport before your plane leaves as well as the weather and how close you can arrive at your destination, which may be closer than the airport.

When I arrived at the 30th Street Station there were options to getting to my hotel.  Although I made my way with just a backpack...I'll tell you how to do it...I would have opted for a taxi.  There are several ways to get around Philly, one of which is the off and on Trolly Works that is part tour which costs $27 for adults an operating from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (weekends until 6 p.m.).  

Phlash, another trolley, picks up every 15 minutes from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and not on all weekends.  With 19 stops, it will cost you $2 per person per ride.  An individual all-day PhlashPass is just $10, and an all-day family Phlash pass (two adults and two children ages 6-17) is just $15. Children under 5 and seniors are always free.  Forgot to tell the driver how old I was. 

Then there is the SEPTA, their subway system, which will take you further than Center City, the downtown area. 

The Barnes Foundation, which recently opened, is located at 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, just near the Rodin Museum.  I'm going to describe my experience of it and all about art.  It's like Albert C. Barnes and Laura L. Barnes had a huge art collection and needed a building to put them in.   Then they asked some friends if they wanted to house their art collection as well.   I didn't ask for a docent to take me around nor did I rent an audio tour.  For me,  not a lover of the fine arts, it was inundating.   I felt as if I needed a GPS to get around and wasn't sure as to whether I was in that same room again.   I didn't notice that there are numbers on each of the entrances.  

Diversification is the key to the art (some of which is sculpture as well) which reflects a broad range of periods and culture.  A docent one-hour tour costs $40;  an audio rental is $5.   Each of the rooms has a "book" that will tell you about each of the paintings.    General admission is $18 for adults.   I know that there is horticulture involved with the museum but time did not permit me to explore.  

The National Museum of American Jewish History, a Smithsonian affiliate, tells the story of American Jews who have arrived to North America from 1654 to the present.  Exhibiting and interpreting the American Jewish experience this five story building located on Independence Mall is the only museum in the nation dedicated solely to telling the story of Jews in America.  They moved from a smaller building near the same area.

With 25,000 square feet of gallery space on almost four floors, the core exhibition explores the challenges that Jews faced, celebrating their experiences in every part of American life as well as every phase of this country's history.  

Featured are more than1,200 artifacts, original films and 13 state-of-the-art interactive displays including "Only in America" Gallery/Hall of Fame of Jewish Americans with remarkable achievements.  Among the first 18 honorees are Louis Brandeis, Albert Einstein, Estee Lauder, Jonas Salk, Steven Spielberg and Barbara Streisand. 

Currently, and until Sept. 30, 2012,  the main exhibit is called "To Bigotry No Sanction", an historic correspondence between George Washington and the Jewish community of Newport. Washington's iconic address to "the children of the stock of Abraham" placed an emphasis on the confirmation of his commitment to a government that "gives to bigotry no sanction".  

On display is an array of documents, publications and portraits from both American and American Jewish History that include: a public printing of the letter from George Washington to the Jews of Savannah; First public printing of the US Constitution; and the original correspondence between Washington and the Hebrew Congregation of Newport.  

I found this museum to be overwhelming as there is so much to see.  Looking back I would have a full breakfast and get there at 10 a.m.  Break for something to drink at their cafe after two hours, and continue for another two hours.  No photos, so you may want to take notes.  They close at 5 p.m.  Basic cost is $12 for adults.  Check it out on www.nmajh.org.