June 9 – Newark, NY

June 10, 2018, 7:30 am

≫ Next: June 10 – Fairport, NY

≪ Previous: June 8 – Lyons, NY

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Newark Town Dock

"I've come to know that what we want in life is the greatest indication of who we really are." —Richard Paul Evans

We had another short day planned, so we thought we'd wander through Lyons a little more and visit the farmers market. The only problem we encountered...the farmers market doesn't start for another week or so. Too sad, we enjoy farmers markets, but not a surprise since summer really doesn't start around here till the middle of June...or even July. 
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June 10 – Fairport, NY

June 11, 2018, 4:45 pm

≫ Next: June 11 – Bridges, Bridges, Bridges

≪ Previous: June 9 – Newark, NY

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Fairport Town Dock

"Once the travel bug bites there is no known antidote, and I know that I shall be happily infected until the end of my life.” ―Michael Palin

Our next stop on our western travels was Fairport. It's a wonderful little town that really caters to boaters on the Erie. It was a beauty stop..we met a few very nice people, enjoyed a local brewery and had an amazing dinner at Mr. Dominic's. The Village of Fairport is a suburb east of Rochester. It's known as the "Crown Jewel of the Erie Canal" and was named as one of the "Best Places to Live" by Money Magazine in 2005. From what we could see wandering around and from the canal...I can see why. 
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June 11 – Bridges, Bridges, Bridges

June 13, 2018, 4:18 am

≫ Next: June 12 – Brockport, NY

≪ Previous: June 10 – Fairport, NY

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Spencerport Town Dock

“Low bridge, everybody down, low bridge for we're coming to a town, and you'll always know your neighbor, and you'll always know your pal. If you've ever navigated on the Erie Canal” -Thomas S. Allen

The last 100 miles of the Erie Canal from Fairport to Tonawanda most resembles the original Erie Canal. Miles and miles of straight dug canal with towpaths on both side. This section of the Western Erie has more dockage points with electric and miles of developed walking/biking paths along the old towpath than the previous 246 miles. The little towns along the canal are so pretty, with nice canalside parks, gazebos, walking trail, restaurants, shops and very nice people. The towns are clean and there are beautiful flowers everywhere...very picturesque.

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June 12 – Brockport, NY

June 14, 2018, 4:46 am

≫ Next: June 13 – Medina, NY

≪ Previous: June 11 – Bridges, Bridges, Bridges

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Brockport Town Dock

“Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.” ―Rumi

We've been having beautiful days and probably should be traveling more each day...but we really have nowhere in particular to go and we're having fun relaxing and exploring this wonderful little towns. Stan went back to Cafe Macchiato for breakfast and brought me back a huge cinnamon roll. What's not to like about spending the morning having coffee and a cinnamon roll on the flybridge...with a great view.
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June 13 – Medina, NY

June 15, 2018, 4:21 am

≫ Next: June 14-15 West to Tonawanda

≪ Previous: June 12 – Brockport, NY

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Canal Port Medina

“If we were meant to stay in one place we would have roots instead of feet.” – Rachel Wolchin

We had a lazy morning in Brockport since we woke to wet windy weather. We caught up on cleaning chores, inside and out. By lunch the weather had cleared some, so we moved west. We chose to stay in Albion. We actually dock and had a look around, but we didn't find much of a reason to stay...so we moved on to Medina. It was a much better choice and we had fun visiting with a few other boaters and enjoyed a good meal at Fitzgibbon's on Main Street.

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June 14-15 West to Tonawanda

June 18, 2018, 7:01 am

≫ Next: June 16 – Lockport Flight of Five

≪ Previous: June 13 – Medina, NY

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Gateway Harbor

“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” ― Jawaharlal Nehru

We woke up on Thursday morning to a sunny but VERY windy day...20+ MPH winds. We usually don’t mind the wind especially when we’re in a river or canal, but we have our isinglass and bimini down. Sitting in the wind gets a little old, so we spent most of the day exploring Medina, visiting with a few people and relaxing. By the middle of the afternoon the wind had laid down a little and we moved on to a little park in Gasport...absolutely nothing in town, but it was a nice peaceful little spot. 

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June 16 – Lockport Flight of Five

June 19, 2018, 4:13 am

≫ Next: June 17 – Waterfalls and Small Town Charm

≪ Previous: June 14-15 West to Tonawanda

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Canal Port Medina

"If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves." —Thomas Edison

We started our morning by visiting the North Tonawanda farmers market...it was full of wonderful sections. After enjoying our breakfast at the market and picking up a few items (we should have gotten more) we headed back to the boat and started our trip east, back to Ithaca. Our planned destination for the day was Lockport, so we could explore the old Flight of Five locks. After spending a few hours wandering through town, reading the history of the area and visiting another farmers market, we decided to move a little further east before finishing our day.
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June 17 – Waterfalls and Small Town Charm

June 20, 2018, 4:31 am

≫ Next: June 19 – 15 Years on the Erie Canal

≪ Previous: June 16 – Lockport Flight of Five

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Spencerport Town Dock

“It’s the preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly.” —Bertrand Russell

We made another stop along the way today. The small town of Holley has a pretty park that provides free docking. It's just a short walk through the park to the Holley Canal Falls. The falls are about 35 ft and are feed from the overflow water from the Erie Canal. The water empties into the East Branch of Sandy Creek and eventually makes its way to Lake Ontario. It made a nice place to stretch our legs and have lunch.
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June 19 – 15 Years on the Erie Canal

June 21, 2018, 4:32 am

≫ Next: June 20 – Seneca Falls, NY

≪ Previous: June 17 – Waterfalls and Small Town Charm

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We're headed east today, we went 50 miles, did seven locks that lowered us 110' and went under 88 bridges...other than that there is nothing new to tell you about. So I guess I'll share a little more history on the Erie Canal.

The first company to offer travel on the canal was the Canal Navigation Company. One could travel upon the canal for the small fee of four cents per mile which accounted for board and lodging. A tourist at that time would have paid approximately $2.80 per day. Horses would tow the boats while walking along a towpath paved next to the canal. The boats, held up to 30 people and would travel nearly 80 miles per day switching horses every six hours.  

A typical packet boat could accommodate about 30 people. It was about 60-70 feet long, with accommodations for a dining room, where two rows of tables were set. At night, mattresses were spread on the seats of the table and cots were suspended from the roof. The deck was perhaps the biggest attraction of the packet boats. Tourists could see nature, sing, dance, play instruments and completely immerse themselves in this totally new experience. However, passengers quickly discovered that there were many complications that could hamper their experience. Deck-top activity was interrupted every quarter mile by low bridges. When the captain screamed “Low bridge, everybody down!" passengers had to either scamper back into the cabin or lay face down on the deck to avoid getting knocked off the boat. Considering these bridges were a common occurrence, it made recreation on the deck extremely difficult. Inside the boat wasn’t much better either, there was not much of a view and the heat in the summer was unbearable.  

The Erie Canal Song was written in 1905 to memorializes life on the Erie Canal between 1825 to 1880 when the mule barges made boomtowns out of Utica, Rome, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo, and transformed New York into the Empire State. It's the most recognized of all the Erie Canal folksongs. It's interesting to note that the cover depicts a boy riding a mule leaned down to fit under a bridge, but in actuality the song is about the people on the boats and the way they had to duck down or get off the roof to fit under bridges.

You can listen to the song here

June 20 – Seneca Falls, NY

June 23, 2018, 5:08 am

≫ Next: Mid July Update

≪ Previous: June 19 – 15 Years on the Erie Canal

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Seneca Falls Town Dock

"Not until we are lost do we begin to find ourselves." —Henry David Thoreau

The Cayuga-Seneca Canal is actually two short canals that join the Erie Canal to Cayuga and Seneca Lakes. The first lock is about four miles south of the Erie Canal, this lock takes you into Cayuga Lake. We decided to complete the Cayuga-Seneca Canal so we took a right after lock 1 and followed a well-defined canal about 8 miles to Seneca Lake. We’ve now done all the canals in New York.
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Mid July Update

July 13, 2018, 6:22 am

≫ Next: July 13 – Finger Lake Cider House

≪ Previous: June 20 – Seneca Falls, NY

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Allan H. Treman State Marine Park

Never say dreams are useless because useless is the life of those who can't dream. —Jim Morrison

Just a little update to some of the things we've been doing since we returned from the western Erie Canal. The weather has been pretty hot this month...hot for New York and hot if you live on a boat with no insulation. Some days have been almost as hot as Texas, but at least those days don't last long. So what do we do when it gets hot...we try to find a cool spot to spend the day. Some days that means going to a park on the lake and others it means going to a mall.

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July 13 – Finger Lake Cider House

July 16, 2018, 4:46 am

≫ Next: July 14 – Finger Lake International Dragon Boat Festival

≪ Previous: Mid July Update

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Allan H. Treman State Marine Park

“Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true” —Lyman Frank Baum

As we've said many times before...one of the things we like the best about being in Ithaca for the season is exploring all the great little places to sample locally made wine, cider, liquor and food. These small family owned places pride themselves in using fresh locally grown ingredients and the products they produce are wonderful.

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July 14 – Finger Lake International Dragon Boat Festival

July 17, 2018, 5:25 am

≫ Next: July 29 – Newfield Covered Bridge

≪ Previous: July 13 – Finger Lake Cider House

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Allan H. Treman State Marine Park

"The sensation of energy expands with increasing relaxation."―Ilchi Lee

Today we went to the Finger Lake International Dragon Boat Festival, held at Taughannock Falls Park. Dragon boat races are one of the most typical traditions of Chinese Dragon Boat Festival which was traditional held on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. They began in the Guangdong Province of China more than 2000 years ago. For more than 20 centuries the competition took place as a part of religious ceremonies and folk customs, but beginning in the 1970s dragon boat racing emerged as an international sport. But the history of dragon boats in competition reaches as far back as the same era as the original games of Olympia in ancient Greece.

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July 29 – Newfield Covered Bridge

July 30, 2018, 6:05 am

≫ Next: July 31 – What Happened to July

≪ Previous: July 14 – Finger Lake International Dragon Boat Festival

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“Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.” ― Alexander Pope

I love covered bridges, they are so picturesque. A reminder of a simpler time when life was a little slower. There's been a lot of rain in the area, so our usual route to Kyle's home in Pennsylvania had several closed roads, so we had to go a different way. The benefit...seeing something new. Only 7-8 miles from the boat we spotted a covered bridge right here in Tompkins County. The Newfield Covered Bridge is the lone survivor of the three covered bridges that Tompkins County once boasted and is 1 of 24 authentic covered bridges left in the state of New York. It's the oldest covered bridge still open to daily car traffic. 

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July 31 – What Happened to July

July 31, 2018, 4:44 am

≫ Next: Aug. 1 – Black Diamond Bike Trail

≪ Previous: July 29 – Newfield Covered Bridge

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Allan H. Treman State Marine Park

"Never lose sight of the fact that the most important yardstick of your success will be how you treat other people - your family, friends, and coworkers, and even strangers you meet along the way." –Barbara Bush

Wow it’s almost August...this summer is flying by. We’ve been very busy, but we haven’t done any of the things we did last summer. We just haven’t found the time to do the beautiful hikes or visit some of our favorite places. Although, we're having a great time. Hopefully we'll make our way back to some of those gorgeous spots before we go home in the fall.  
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Aug. 1 – Black Diamond Bike Trail

August 1, 2018, 11:25 am

≫ Next: Aug. 4 – Markets and Festivals

≪ Previous: July 31 – What Happened to July

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Allan H. Treman State Marine Park

“Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you would have preferred to talk.” —Doug Larson

We thought we'd get out and get a little exercise yesterday...and oh boy did we get some exercise. We rode our bikes up the Black Diamond Trail to Taughannock Falls. This Rail Trail follows the Lehigh Valley Railroad route who’s Black Diamond Express once ran from Jersey City to Buffalo and Niagara Falls between 1896 and 1959. The luxury passenger line was named for the most profitable commodity on the railroad: coal...black diamonds.

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Aug. 4 – Markets and Festivals

August 6, 2018, 4:31 am

≫ Next: 1000 Islands Adventure

≪ Previous: Aug. 1 – Black Diamond Bike Trail

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Allan H. Treman State Marine Park

"Material things lost can be found. But there is one thing that can never be found when it is lost – Life." -Steve Job

There's always a lot to do in this area on a weekend...farmers markets, festivals, music, sporting events, fishing tournaments, boating, hot air ballooning, you name it, there's something for everyone. This Saturday we decided to drive over to the Windmill Market near Penn Yan and then to the 26th Annual Glorious Garlic Festival (they have festivals for everything around here).
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1000 Islands Adventure

August 10, 2018, 4:42 am

≫ Next: Aug. 10 – The Oswego Canal

≪ Previous: Aug. 4 – Markets and Festivals

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“To travel is to take a journey into yourself.” ―Danny Kaye

We're on our way to the 1000 Islands (pronounced “Thousand Islands,” not “One Thousand Islands”). We spent a few days in the area in 2012, but didn't feel like we really had enough time to explore all the little places we wanted to see. The Thousand Islands constitute an archipelago of 1,864 islands that straddles the US/Canadian border in the Saint Lawrence River as it emerges from the northeast corner of Lake Ontario. The islands stretch about 50 miles downstream from Kingston, ON to Brockville, ON. The Canadian islands are in the province of Ontario and the U.S. islands in the state of New York.

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Aug. 10 – The Oswego Canal

August 11, 2018, 11:58 am

≫ Next: Aug. 11 – Sackets Harbor, NY

≪ Previous: 1000 Islands Adventure

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Minneto Free Dock

“Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today.” —James Dean

I’m not sure why we make plans...our relaxed take it easy trip has already been filled with two very long days. We found out diesel was .80 cheaper a gallon in Brewerton than the price on the lake, so we went to Baldwinsville last night. Long day, 70 miles...thinking we’d have a short day today. Go get diesel and then stop in Phoenix at lock one of the Oswego Canal. Nice plan, but there was no room at the inn...sort of speak. The lock had been down all morning and no one was moving. Luckily for us we only had to wait about 30 minutes on the blue line for the lock to begin operating. The only issue now was time. We wanted to get all the way to Oswego and miles wise it's wasn't far, but we had six more locks we needed to do. Unfortunately they stop operating the locks at 5:00. We didn’t make Oswego...we got stuck in Minetto. No eating out tonight as planned...hopefully things will go smoother tomorrow.

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Aug. 11 – Sackets Harbor, NY

August 12, 2018, 6:28 am

≫ Next: Aug. 12 – Beaurivage Island

≪ Previous: Aug. 10 – The Oswego Canal

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Navy Point Marine

“You don’t choose the day you enter the world and you don’t chose the day you leave. It’s what you do in between that makes all the difference.” – Anita Septimus

We got an early start this morning, and we made it through the next four locks on the Oswego Canal before nine. We couldn't have asked for a better day to cross Lake Ontario to Sackets Harbor. We visited Sacker Harbor by car in 2012, but it was a lot better coming in by boat.
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