I took an impromptu trip to Albany via Amtrak, along the Hudson River. The ride is a mere 2.5 hours and is one of the most beautiful views from a train in the United States. The other incredible part of this area is its close proximity to New York City. The tracks that were used were originally part of the New York Central Railroad and Delaware and Hudson Railroad Systems. The trip includes stops in Yonkers, Poughkeepsie, Hudson and Albany. All the while, you are traveling level with the Hudson River as it changes mile to mile. From an urban river to a wide passage of commerce to marshes and estuaries, the Hudson River is an excellent example of the effectiveness of environmental clean-up. Once an industrial dump, the Hudson, called Great Mohegan by the Iroquois, has been cleaned up to support bird life and fish species it had not seen in decades. In 1983, the river, from NYC to Hudson Fall, was declared a Superfund site. GE will be dredging the river to remove PCBs that are still in the riverbed. This dredging will take place at its own expense because of its part in the pollution of the Hudson. The train was continuing to Toronto, stopping in Saratoga Springs, Buffalo and a few other stops. The Amtrak Web site says, “Along the way, you’ll travel through the beautiful Hudson River Valley, New York’s wine country, the incredible gorges of the Finger Lakes region, nearby the dramatic spectacle of Niagara Falls.” The trip was a real treat, close to NYC, and a wonderful route taken through a historic region and a beautiful part of the country. -Fran Gallagher, publisher and CEO