On land and on sea, Troy is a site to see. Beginning in June, visitors to our magical city will have a choice to tour Troy by carriage or boat and learn about the great history of our city.

Hoofing the city

You probably are familiar with the Albany Carriage Service. For the last 20 years they have been giving horse & buggy rides at the Victorian Stroll in Troy and Saratoga, as well as during Albany's Pinksterfest and Capital Holiday Lights in the Park (Washington Park) during Christmas time. They are creating a new Troy service and in June will be available for historic Troy tours in downtown.

Ann and Tom Ladd and their daughters Heather and Crystal come from five generations of horse handlers. Tom's dad's grandfather dug cellars and sewers with horse drawn shovels in Albany during the 19th Century. Tom took over his dad's horse carriage service (which started in 1984) in 1997 and is now branching out to our historic city. I hope their rides will become a regular weekly and perhaps daily offering.

The Ladd's own six horses and six carriages; three Vis-à-vis types (French for face to face) that hold 6 people; one Hotel Surrey (holds 12-14 people), and two Trolley Hitch Wagons (18 to 20 people each). Rides cost around $10 a piece but group rates will be available. We are working with Tom and Ann on a variety of different tour packages.

Ironically, you will be able to begin the ride at the same location where early Troy stagecoaches began their run, that is, in front of the Bull's Head Tavern and Mansion House (now the site of Cannon Place and the old Hendrick Hudson Hotel).

Barging the Hudson

Richard Manack is bringing his 1903-built Dutch sailing barge (canal boat), the Golden Re'al, to Troy docks behind City Hall this June as well. This beautiful boat which may be the oldest steel bottom in the world, and more than 70 feet long, has been restored and converted into a floating museum.

Plans are to have traveling and stationary exhibits aboard the Re'al focusing on Troy and the region's local history. The boat, named for the Realen Island in Amsterdam, will be available for groups to rent out for fund raisers and special events, and of course to view the boat and exhibits. Manack, from Connecticut, will make Troy the boat's summer home, but is also working to bring the boat to Schenectady for special events as well.

Quacks in Troy?

Finally, a new venture launched in Albany last week by retired Police Chief Robert Wolfgang, Louis Renna (president of Dutch Apple Cruises), and John Giordano (president of Plaza Travel/Plaza Meetings), and known as the Albany Aqua Ducks, will also be coming to Troy and offering regular tours this summer. This unique vehicle is a cross between a bus and a boat but called a hydra-terra vessel in the vernacular.

On land it steers and drives through streets, but it can then head for the water and ply the river like any other speedboat. This past week, the owners of the duck, dubbed Alfalfa A-Duck, took a few local dignitaries (they let me on too) for a short spin to experience the ride and it made quite a splash with everyone. Watching the faces of local Trojans smile or wave to us as we drove down Second Avenue to the 123rd Street docks (amid our announcements via duck whistles given to all of us) proved to me that this definitely will be a big hit when everything is in place. One moment we were riding along Second Avenue and the next moment we were looking at the Waterford Bridge while floating in the middle of the Hudson River. I believe the rides are around $20 for adults.

All in all, visitors and locals will be able to experience Troy on a whole new experience level starting this June. Take your pick: horse and buggy? A 100 year-old Dutch sailing barge? Or, the unique bus/boat hybrid, the Aqua Ducks. It's amazing at what can happen so quickly when you have an administration open to new ideas.