Originally Posted by
mulveyr
Different strokes for different folks. Where you think "Not so much to see, really", I see nice little canal towns every ten miles, lots of museums, gorgeous scenery, and peaceful riding. The last time I rode from Albany to Brooklyn the last few miles were never-ending traffic, the stink of exhaust, impatient drivers, and constant noise.
+1
My wife and I rode from Brooklyn to Niagara Falls two summers ago and loved it. Some may not call the scenery breathtaking compared to the Pacific coast or the Rockies - and it's a bit curious how the OP and his group decided on this route - but there's a lot of history and beautiful countryside packed into a relatively small area.
Mulveyr has already mentioned the pros and cons of the Erie Canal tow path. We ended up taking roads (Bike Route 9 to Albany and Bike Route 5 across to Niagara Falls). We tried the tow path for a while but we ended up wanting to make better time - we did it in 6 days total, i.e., between 80 and 120 miles/day - so we needed the pavement.