CORRECTION: The Times Union story I linked to below has since been clarified. As the Aqua Ducks website points out, the business also offers trolley tours -- and that's what will be driving around Schenectady. The $23 fee also gets you into the Schenectady museum. So I guess that's not so bad.Former Albany Police Chief Bob Wolfgang is bringing his Aqua Duck business to Schenectady. Soon you'll be able to hop on one of his amphibious vehicles for a tour of historic locales like the Stockade, the GE Realty Plot and the Union College campus. Presumably you'll spend some of the tour on the Mohawk River.
Wolfgang retired from the police force five years ago and started Albany Aqua Ducks, offering tours of Albany from land as well as the Hudson River.
I never really understood the idea of $23 a pop for a duck tour of Albany. Boston? Sure. Albany? I don't think so.
But I really don't get the idea of a paid tour of Schenectady. Schenectady!?! Don't get me wrong, I love walking around the Stockade and checking out the historic homes. But I'd rather be on foot, up close to the buildings -- and I certainly don't want to shell out $23 to see the Electric City.
Maybe I'm wrong. After all, it's been five years and the business is still afloat. But would you shell out cash to ride around Albany or Schenectady?
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I did do the Aquaducks tour, twice, with the daughter's daycare...so I actually paid alot less.
I really enjoyed it. I even learned some thinga about Albany that I didn't know about.
The ride on the Hudson, both times, was really nice. We had beautiful weather both times, so that helped.
Hmmm...a duck ride through Schenectady. How on earth will it navigate the Stockade? I guess a ride down the Mohawk would be nice, but you don't have the nice city view that you get from the Hudson, I think.
We'll have to see how it goes. And yes, I agree it's a little pricey.
I guess it’s normal to say this about the city you live in. I’m sure if we lived and worked in Boston all of our life, we would ask ourselves “why would someone pay for a tour ride of Boston”. But believe it or not, there is tourism in Albany area (people here for the track, Giants Camp, etc, etc) and I’m sure that it is those people the Albany Aqua Ducks are going after, not people like you or I who have lived here all of our lives. There is a lot of history in Albany and for someone who doesn’t live here; this tour is different and ideal. I’m sure there are also a lot of people in the area who bring their kids…It’s fun and different.
And like you said, the ducks have been afloat for 5 years, so it must be working.
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