howdy from a Texan .... and welcome to the forum and family...there's quite a few knowledgeable folks here that'll gladly tell ya what you need to know,or at least point ya in the right direction and/or give ya a good idea or 2..and by all means jump right on in with any replies you have on a topic.
I used to live in Upstate NY during my teen years. Are you familiar with the Albany area, and/or Columbia County? I used to live in Kinderhook and Valatie.
I worked in Catskill, Hudson, and in the Port of Albany.