Erie Canal Summary

Colonie, NY
42 47.11 N 073 47.47 W

We have been very busy.   Dinner with Nancy and Bud, then a day's outing with my sister Marilyn, then dinner last night with Carolyn and Roger.   Carolyn and Roger were especially nice.  Then insisted on treating us to dinner to celebrate our 46th anniversary.   I think that's the end of it for a while.  No more social whirl until we arrive in Burlington to see Jenny.

This is a good time to summarize our Erie Canal side trip.   It took about a month to go from Albany to Buffalo and back.   We traveled a total of 604 canal miles, and 64 locks.  We used 60 gallons of diesel fuel.  Next we have 61 miles of Champlain Canal and 10 more locks to go to reach Champlain.

I think Libby and I both agree that it was one of the most fun trips we've ever done.   I would not hesitate to recommend this trip to any cruiser.  My only advice is to allow time to go slowly.  There's lots to see and do.   We have not used our anchor since leaving the Hudson river.   Where else can you go where they offer:

• Free dock every night.  25 of the past 30 nights we had free electricity.  We have also enjoyed free water, toilets, showers, laundry, loaner bicycles, advice, directions, and WIFI Internet.  That is really unbeatable.
• Safety and shelter from passing thunderstorms.
• Three places where one can do major provisioning at supermarkets within easy walking distance.
• All this in exchange for a $75 season permit to use the canal.  That's less than $1 per locking for us. In this era of tax cuts and higher fees for everything, this has to be one of the greatest bargains still available.   By the way, The NY Canal Corporation employees are almost all very friendly and helpful.

As our readers know, we have the extra benefit of having many friends and relatives in this area so we benefited greatly from the contacts.    However, for cruisers without so many local friends, here are the top ten high points (starting with the best)

1. The city of Newark.  We found that place to be not too big, nor too small, very friendly.  In the words of Goldilocks, "just right."
2. The Mormon Pageant near Palmyra.   In one word: WOW!
3. The railroad museum in Medina.
4. The four historical museums in Palmyra.
5. The Arkell museum in Canajoharie.
6. The concerts on the lawn at Lock 20 and in Newark.
7. The beauty of the Mohawk River Valley east of Little Falls
8. The beauty of the fields and terrain west of Rochester
9. The history of Fort Plain and Little Falls
10. The rural beauty and pastoral quiet for overnight stops at locks 7, 15, 20, 21, 25, and at Holley.

The worst things?  Rude and dangerous boaters on Oneida Lake and on the canal both east and west of Oneida Lake.  Next worse: The inability to visit our home towns of Schenectady and Scotia.