by Jeff Heilman
Long before I-90 sped travelers west, the Mohawk River, named for the Mohawk Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy, was the continent’s main thoroughfare to the Great Lakes. From its source in rural, outdoorsy Lewis County, the Mohawk, the Hudson’s largest tributary, wends 140 miles eastwards through glacial valleys and farmland before joining its parent just above Albany. Those are the Mohawk’s coordinates—but what of its personality? Accompanied by my sons and a reliable friend at the pump—the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta SEL—I set to find out. From priceless art and engineering marvels to natural gems and jewel-hearted people, it would be a journey of “watershed” moments. Two visitor attractions beckon at the Mohawk-Hudson merger. Overlooked by two public parks, Cohoes Falls is the East’s second most-powerful cascade behind Niagara, while RiverSpark is a seven-community heritage area featuring 19th-century neighborhoods, Peebles Island State
loreto caceres / www.loretocaceresphotography.com
All Along the Mohawk