Erie Canal

 Dan recently finished reading "Wedding of the Waters - The Erie Canal and the Making of a Great Nation" by Peter Bernstein.  He learned quite a bit about the Canal and went looking on the internet to see if there were any cruises to be found on the Erie Canal.  He found one in Herkimer, NY.

Friday afternoon I told Dan I was interested in going on an adventure.  His response "Let's go cruise the Erie Canal!"  He booked us on the 3 pm cruise, the two earlier ones were booked.  It was a 4 hour drive but we allowed more time and left home at 9 am.

The route to Herkimer is not unfamiliar since we've been heading to and from Buffalo for years, but this time once we got to Troy, NY we stayed off the interstate and followed NY Route 5 west.  We got to see the small towns that grew along the banks of the Erie Canal this way.  We had a quick lunch in Schenectady and continued on our way.

[That bridge is I-90. At this point the canal goes off to the right and the Mohawk River to the left.]

We arrived in plenty of time for the 3 pm cruise and once we started loading the boat filled up fast.  Who knew that so many others were interested in the history of the grand canal.  

[Our boat - not sure why it says Ft. Lauderdale.]

Here's some of the history I gleaned from the signs while I waited to board.  There were three Erie Canals.

Below details of the original.

Sign photos of our boat going through a lock - the one we would go through.

2nd Erie Canal was the original widened.

The third Canal - the Barge Canal - embraced the existing rivers and lakes.  

One of the first things the narration on board told us was that one can start on a boat and go on a circle route.  Not sure if I got this just right but from Buffalo you go east on the Erie Canal to the Hudson near Albany then south along the Atlantic to the Delaware River where you connect through a canal to the upper Chesapeake Bay.  From there it's an intercoastal waterway south to Florida, etc.  I think you get the picture.

The Canal is mostly for pleasure craft now.  There's also a pathway along the Canal the entire length not unlike what the tow path would have been on the first Canal.

Heading out we first go under the I-90 bridge and break off here from the Mohawk River.  We will reconnect with the river after the lock.  The canal is closed in the winter and there are gates to shut off the water from the Mohawk River entering the canal portion.  That's when repairs are done on the the canal bed and sides and also maintenance done on the locks.

[See the fence? That's the canal side trail.]

[One of the oldest churches in NY State}

[Another pleasure craft?]

[Notice the comorant spreading its wings?]

Next is the Lock.

[Lock keeper notified and gates are opened to enter.]

[Gates closing behind us.]

We entered, secured the boat, and the water level went down. 

[As it first started emptying]

[From same exact spot after emptying]

[Looking back there is some water still entering by design]

[Looking forward waiting for gates to open]

[Gates opening]

[See the line of zebra mussels? Invasive.]

We head out of the lock into the Mohawk River.  We turn around and head back into the lock to return back to the dock.

[Mohawk River to the right and lock to the left.]

It was a wonderful adventure.

After stopping outside of Albany for dinner, we headed home arriving about 9:30 pm. On the way we talked about the possibility of taking a boat trip on our own on the Erie Canal.  There's a company near Rochester called Erie Canal Adventures that we just may book for next year.