Easy access by water made this region the first heritage tourism destination. Americans came in search of the origins of the Republic. Urged on by

Even the earliest travelers noted the promise in the land. The broad, fertile plain, bound by mountains, promised bountiful fruits to those willing to

Beautiful old mountains flanking the waterway held a wealth of raw materials at a time when the new Republic expanded exuberantly. Quarries yielded

Although never again at center stage after the War of 1812, the waterway continued to play a strategic role in America's defenses. Dozens of regiments

Settlers flowed into the valleys after the revolution, eager to farm the fertile land, harvest timber and work the local iron deposits. But

The first American victory of the Revolutionary war took place in the Champlain Valley when Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys, along with

Both France and Great Britain sent explorers to North America. The French laid their claims based on waterways, building forts at strategic places

Cutting like a dagger between northern New York and New England, the waterway linking the Hudson River with Canada offered a straight path for