Saving the best for last...

 As we made our way back to Tallmadge; our last capitol stop was Albany, New York.  We definitely saved the most beautiful capitol building for last.  In fact, if you have not been to this capital building, you have missed a really stunning, unique and at times, whimsical example of architecture.  

It was only a little over an hours drive to Albany from Glen Falls and our plan was to make the 10 am tour.  As we drove up to the capitol building, it took me a while to realize we were actually there.  The building is unlike any capitol building we have visited and we have seen quite a few.  It looks very gothic and  European.  We found street parking right across the street from the capitol, which was surprising, but it was election day and in New York that makes it a state holiday, and there were no parking fees on holidays.  We were also parked next to the New York State Department of Education Building.  This building was also absolutely amazing, but very different.  It was a Greek style with front facade featuring a 36-column colonnade made of Vermont marble.  In later research, I found out that the colonnade remains one of the longest in the world.  This building was started 1908 and it dedicated in 1912.

New York State Capitol from the promenade

New York State Education Building

We made it with plenty of time for the 10 am tour.  There were only three other people on our tour.  According the guide, when the capitol building construction was started; New York was a wealthy state and they spared no expense in the construction.  The capitol building was started in 1867 and the Canadian architect, Thomas Fuller won the contract.  He envisioned Romanesque, French Renaissance Revival style.  Due to cost overruns, Fuller did not see the construction to it's end.  After Fuller's dismissal, there were a total of 3 additional architects (Leopold Eidlitz, Henry Hobson Richardson, and Isaac Perry) to see the project to it's 32 year end.  As a result, the construction is a blend of architectural designs and styles that somehow work together.  The ground floor is Classical/Romanesque (Fuller) while the next two floors where Renaissance Classical (Eidlitz and Richardson).  The fourth flour and roof work Victorian-modified Romanesque (Perry and Richardson).  It is claimed that Richardson was imitating the City Hall in Paris with his design.

Interior courtyard

Each of the stairwells has it's own style of carving.  Sandstone for the unique and amazing carved staircases was brought in from Scotland.  The carvers were brought from the British Isles as well.  The carvers were given free reign and carvings are all different..  There are 77 heads carved in the Great Western staircase (also known as the "Million Dollar Staircase".  Many of the heads are famous people (George Washington, Susan B. Anthony, Ben Franklin, Walt Whitmore, and Abe Lincoln to name a few) and there names are carved below their head.  Many of the heads are not identified and may be family members of the carvers.  Architect Perry had his two daughters heads carved and it is believe that some carvers carved their own heads.  Five hundred carvers worked on the project.  There has not been a new head added in 125 years until recently when they added a carving of Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

The senate and assembly staircases are smaller, but just as amazing.  There is a Mediterranean feel with the intricate carvings with whimsical animals, Moorish arches, and large rosette carving.

Beside the carvings, there are stained glass windows, Italian tiled floors, opulent chandeliers,  glass skylights. and elaborate elevators.  The senate room reminded of opulent theater.  The assembly room was less opulent, but just as stately.  After 32 years of work,  Governor Teddy Roosevelt declared the building completed in 1899.  After Roosevelts declaration, the work ended on the building.  Our guide point out several examples of unfinished work in the senate chamber.  All and all it is a beautiful showcase of the period.

Arches in the senate and assembly staircase

Staircase carving

Staircase carving

Another unique carving

Large carved rosette at the top of the staircase

Skylight, arches, and wall carvings at top of staircase

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Original Italian tile floors and Moorish Arches

The doors to the elevator

Senate chamber

The Great Western Staircase and skylight

New York State Seal

The assembly room

Ruth Bader Ginsberg's Head Carving

Unknown head carvings

Mediterranean styled staircase

After our tour finished, we took the fancy elevator to the concourse and walked underground to the Corning Tower Observation deck.  This was on the 42 floor of the tower and we got good views of buildings around the tower.

The capital building and the education building in the background

The courthouse and old church center; Hudson River in the background

Large building by the Hudson is State University of New York

After leaving the observation deck, we walked outside o n the Empire State Plaza.  The large plaza leading back toward the capitol had a Star Wars feel.  There were the 4 agency buildings, the New York State Museum, and the Egg (Performance Building).

After walking about, filling our water bottles, and grabbing sandwiches from the cooler, we hopped in the car to drive for a few hours.  Our next stop was in Binghamton, New York to walk on the river walk.  I had searched for a place to do an afternoon walk, and this worked.  The river walk was nice along the Chenango River.  We walked to the confluence of the Chenango and the Susquehanna Rivers.  Binghamton looked like a city that was trying to come back after a downturn.  We walked by through the downtown and we could see revitalization in the downtown.

The Chenango River

Statue of MLK along the trail

Near the confluence

Confluence Park

Old bridge build in the late 1800s, now a walking bridge

The confluence

Birds and windows painted on the side of the building

The art walk

Cool brickwork on this 1880s building

After our walk, we drove on to Corning, New York.  It was dark by the time we arrived.  We stayed Staybridge Suites and they had a free happy hour with beer or wine and simple appetizers.  We had a snack and a drink and then walked the 1/2 mile to Cary Brewhouse for dinner.  We liked the Staybridge which had a nice kitchen, a couch, and plenty of room.