In following the Henry Knox Trail through New York and into Massachusetts, most stops were virtually identical -- a granite obelisk in a local park, often surrounded by monuments to the local dead from centuries’ worth of wars.
A few were even inside a private yard, beside the mailbox. In the official guide from the Hudson River Institute many consecutive stops feature this as their only entry: "During the next two weeks, the sleds carrying the guns southward from Fort George toward Albany would wend their way past this point in the road as well."
Or: “Primary source documentation for this part of the expedition is generally lacking. However, we are working with historians in Massachusetts to develop context information for each of these locations, and this will be added here at a later date.”But one stop -- NY#12 in Schuylerville -- was something else entirely.
Immediately adjacent to the standard marker was an amazing, massive modern sculpture. Even though it was somewhat abstract for a 5-year-old, Big Brother declared instantly that it was The Noble Train coming downhill, just like in the famous painting we had seen at Fort Ticonderoga. But that was just the start of the attraction.
Just up the hill was a basaltic pillow lava formation, or so the interpretive signage told us, that had once been a quarry. More significantly, it marked the spot where Americans under General John Stark cut of British General John Burgoyne's retreat following the Battle of Saratoga in the fall of 1777. But the best part was the sign offering directions to Hudson Crossing park, just up the road, which turned out to be one of the most unexpected pleasures of the trip. A Rails to Trails-style park, it had peaceful trails along the water, a playground and bridge with the most stunning view of the Hudson.
The boys found the most gripping part to be when a boat passed through the CANAL and they watched the locks in action as it passed upstream.
The whole experience was a valuable lesson for me. I tend to be a planner, sketching out how far to travel each day, providing us options us multiple options for where to stop for lunch and what activities to do. But this? this was pure happenstance. I had no idea it was there and it was only pure luck that prompted us make the stop. Sometimes the greatest delights can only be discovered in the midst of the journey.Verdict: Not even compulsive planners will be able to pre-identify everything worth stopping at, so be willing to be flexible and you will almost certainly find some gems, like we did at Hudson Crossing Park.